Samuel Samuel Langhorne Langhorne

ClemensClemens(Mark Twain)(Mark Twain)

1835-19101835-1910

“A literary classic is a book which people praise and don’t read”

– Mark Twain

Sam Clemens as a boySam Clemens as a boy Born on November 30, 1835 in Florida, Born on November 30, 1835 in Florida,

MissouriMissouri Sixth of seven childrenSixth of seven children Only three siblings survived childhoodOnly three siblings survived childhood

“Do not put off until tomorrow what can be put off till day-after-tomorrow just as well.”

Sam Clemens as a boySam Clemens as a boy Brought up in Hannibal, Brought up in Hannibal,

MO, moved when four MO, moved when four years oldyears old

A sickly, strange, quiet child A sickly, strange, quiet child who hated the indoors and who hated the indoors and liked to run away.liked to run away.

Purposely contracted the Purposely contracted the measles to gain attention measles to gain attention and nearly diedand nearly died

Father died when Sam was Father died when Sam was 1111

“By trying, we can easily learn to endure adversity – another man’s, I mean.”

Sam as a young manSam as a young man Apprenticed to a printer and wrote for his Apprenticed to a printer and wrote for his

brother’s newspaper after his father died.brother’s newspaper after his father died.Worked as a type-setter and writer for the Hannibal Journal

When he turned 18, he became a printer, living in several eastern cities, including New York. Returned to Missouri at 22.

Inspired to become a steamboat captain on a trip to New Orleans

When the Civil War ended river traffic, he joined the Confederate army in Missouri until it looked like they were going to have to fight.

“The man who doesn’t read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.”

Sam Clemens becomes Mark TwainSam Clemens becomes Mark TwainMoved to Virginia City, Nevada, with his Moved to Virginia City, Nevada, with his

brother Orion and became a minerbrother Orion and became a miner Failed at mining so he went to work at Failed at mining so he went to work at

The Territorial EnterpriseThe Territorial Enterprise as a writer as a writerUsed the pen-name Mark Twain for the first Used the pen-name Mark Twain for the first

time in 1863time in 1863

“It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”

Mark Twain in CaliforniaMark Twain in California

Left for San Francisco to avoid a duel and became a Left for San Francisco to avoid a duel and became a reporter in 1864reporter in 1864

Jim Smiley and his Jumping FrogJim Smiley and his Jumping Frog was published was published around the country in 1865; giving Twain his first around the country in 1865; giving Twain his first national famenational fame

Visited Hawaii as a correspondent for Visited Hawaii as a correspondent for The The Sacramento Union Sacramento Union

Set out on a tour of the Mediterranean and Europe in Set out on a tour of the Mediterranean and Europe in 1867; wrote about it successfully as 1867; wrote about it successfully as The Innocents The Innocents AbroadAbroad in 1869 in 1869

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”

Marriage and Home LifeMarriage and Home Life

Writing success gave Twain enough money to Writing success gave Twain enough money to marry Olivia Langdon in 1870marry Olivia Langdon in 1870

Moved to Buffalo, NY

First child, son Langdon, died at 19 months

Eventually had three daughters: Susy, Clara, and Jean

Movin’ on upMovin’ on up

The Twains The Twains moved to moved to Hartford, Hartford,

ConnecticutConnecticut

“Education: that which reveals to the wise, and conceals from the stupid, the vast limits of their knowledge.”

From travel writer to immortal From travel writer to immortal artistartist

Started Started Huck FinnHuck Finn in 1876 but quit by chapter in 1876 but quit by chapter 16 because of difficulties with the plot16 because of difficulties with the plot

Published:Published: Tom SawyerTom Sawyer: 1876: 1876 The Prince and the PauperThe Prince and the Pauper: 1881: 1881 Life on the MississippiLife on the Mississippi: 1883: 1883 Huckleberry FinnHuckleberry Finn: 1884: 1884

“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”

Later lifeLater life

Susy died in 1896 while Susy died in 1896 while Twain was on a world Twain was on a world tourtour

Olivia died in 1904Olivia died in 1904 Later works were darker Later works were darker

with a tinge of bitternesswith a tinge of bitterness Died on April 21, 1910Died on April 21, 1910

“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”

The Adventures The Adventures of Huckleberry of Huckleberry

FinnFinn

““All modern literature comes from All modern literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn…All American Huckleberry Finn…All American writing comes from that. There writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since.”been nothing as good since.”

-Ernest Hemingway-Ernest Hemingway

Huckleberry FinnHuckleberry Finn Huckleberry FinnHuckleberry Finn is thought to be a sequel to is thought to be a sequel to

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but the first but the first sixteen chapters of sixteen chapters of HuckHuck were written before were written before Tom SawyerTom Sawyer was published. was published.

The novel is really about a boy’s discovery of The novel is really about a boy’s discovery of true morality by shedding the messed up true morality by shedding the messed up conventions of society in favor of his own sense conventions of society in favor of his own sense of right and wrong. of right and wrong.

Huck Finn is a comedy in which the humor is Huck Finn is a comedy in which the humor is disguised – mostly ironic humor as real disguised – mostly ironic humor as real situations and people are different than Huck situations and people are different than Huck perceives them to be.perceives them to be.

PlotPlot

The plot is The plot is episodicepisodic, meaning that it has a , meaning that it has a series of separate situations, or episodes, that series of separate situations, or episodes, that are almost unrelated but tied together by a are almost unrelated but tied together by a certain character, theme, or device.certain character, theme, or device.

The Mississippi River is the plot device that The Mississippi River is the plot device that holds the different episodes together.holds the different episodes together.

The plot alternates between the idyllic life on the The plot alternates between the idyllic life on the raft and the confusion, gullibility, callousness, raft and the confusion, gullibility, callousness, and prejudice of the people within the towns and prejudice of the people within the towns along the banks of the river.along the banks of the river.

CharacterizationCharacterization The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the first American is the first American

novel to use novel to use dialectdialect (the way people really speak in a (the way people really speak in a certain region) in such abundancecertain region) in such abundance

HuckHuck is in the is in the picaresquepicaresque (rogue) novel tradition in (rogue) novel tradition in which the main character is a rascal, thief or scoundrelwhich the main character is a rascal, thief or scoundrel

Huck is an Huck is an unreliable narratorunreliable narrator, meaning he cannot be , meaning he cannot be trusted to see the action of the story accurately; he has trusted to see the action of the story accurately; he has the perspective of a naïve, young boythe perspective of a naïve, young boy

Huck’s straightforward reporting of ridiculous situations Huck’s straightforward reporting of ridiculous situations provides much of the humor in the book as the reader provides much of the humor in the book as the reader sees what is going on while Huck may not. sees what is going on while Huck may not.

Huck is a Huck is a tableau rasa (tableau rasa (a blank slate) untainted by a blank slate) untainted by society’s traditions, relying on instinct and common society’s traditions, relying on instinct and common sensesense

ThemesThemes

The hypocrisy of a certain type of religion; Twain The hypocrisy of a certain type of religion; Twain did not like Southern-based Christianity that did not like Southern-based Christianity that taught love and compassion but sanctioned taught love and compassion but sanctioned slaveryslavery

The ineffectualness of the law to protect the The ineffectualness of the law to protect the most innocent and weak members of societymost innocent and weak members of society

Traditions that stifle creativity and common Traditions that stifle creativity and common sense but promote conformity and narrow-sense but promote conformity and narrow-mindedness are to be abandonedmindedness are to be abandoned

ThemesThemes

Society is the individual violence, greed, Society is the individual violence, greed, conformity, laziness, gullibility, and selfishness conformity, laziness, gullibility, and selfishness of common citizens ruled by imperfect lawsof common citizens ruled by imperfect laws

SatireSatire (making fun of a serious subject through (making fun of a serious subject through exaggeration or mockery in order to improve the exaggeration or mockery in order to improve the subject of mockery) of other subject of mockery) of other melodramaticmelodramatic novels of the time period (melodramas being novels of the time period (melodramas being those plots that rely on suspense, sensational those plots that rely on suspense, sensational events, and coincidence)events, and coincidence)

ConflictsConflicts Huck matures and develops into a moral human Huck matures and develops into a moral human

being as he journeys down the Mississippi, being as he journeys down the Mississippi, Huck’s moral struggles are the central conflict of Huck’s moral struggles are the central conflict of the novel as he frees himself from the taint of the novel as he frees himself from the taint of the society in which he grew upthe society in which he grew up

Good vs. bad type of religionGood vs. bad type of religion Widow Douglas’s vs. Miss Watson’sWidow Douglas’s vs. Miss Watson’s

Life on the raft vs. life in society on shore Life on the raft vs. life in society on shore Jim and Huck are free on the river and bound on landJim and Huck are free on the river and bound on land

Instinct vs. educationInstinct vs. education Huck’s common sense vs. Tom’s book learningHuck’s common sense vs. Tom’s book learning