The American writer is best known for his literary humor and literary satire. These include his world-famous 1884 work The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He was a pioneer of modern American epic, in which he provided a lower-level reflection of contemporary American society. The Spanish picaresque novel provided the literary model for “Huckleberry Finn”. Mark Twain was a master of spoken language and punch lines. In his late work he represented a pessimistic view. Mark Twain’s literary merit lies in the fact that he introduced the dialects of the American Midwest into literature…
Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was born the son of a lawyer and merchant on November 30, 1835 in the small town of Florida, Missouri.
Twain grew up in 1839 in Hannibal, a port city on the Mississippi River in the US state of Missouri. The location later served as the literary setting for his 1876 work Tom Sawyer’s Adventures. In 1847 his father died. Mark Twain began an apprenticeship as a typesetter. From 1851 he worked for the Hannibal Journal as a printer, journalist and author of glosses. Mark Twain left Hannibal and worked as a printer in various US cities. From 1857 he became a pilot on a Mississippi steamer. His stage name also comes from the time of this activity. Mark Twain means two fathoms (3.69 m) in river boatmen’s language, meaning the depth of the river.
Shipping ceased after the American Civil War broke out. Twain volunteered for the Confederate Cavalry. But already in 1862 he was working as a reporter for the newspaper “Territorial Enterprise” in Virginia City in the US state of Nevada. During this time he also went looking for silver. From 1863 he provided his contributions with the pseudonym “Mark Twain”. In 1864 he left Virginia City and moved to San Francisco. The following year came the literary breakthrough in the United States with his story “Jumping Frog”, in English: “The famous jumping frog of Calaveras County”. Extensive travel followed, during which Mark Twain visited Europe.
He processed his impressions in his works, for example in the title “The guileless abroad” written in 1869. In it, Twain deals with the contrast between the old and the new world. He ironizes the educational trips of American citizens to Europe. In 1870 he married the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, Olivia Langdon, and settled in Hartford, Connecticut. Mark Twain worked on numerous works in this and the following period. He wrote his most famous titles such as “Tom Sawyer’s Adventures” (1876). The title “Bummel durch Europa” was created in 1880, in which Twain tells of a hike through the Black Forest and the Swiss Alps.
His autobiography, Life on the Mississippi, was published in 1883. In the satirical work “A Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” the American author repeatedly demonstrated his mastery of humor; in it he pokes fun at feudal society in England. The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which was published in 1884, is considered to be his masterpiece and most famous work. It is the successor to the “Tom Sawyer” title. Literally, the work follows the Spanish picaresque novel. “Huckleberry Finn” offers a contemporary commentary on the lower levels of society in contemporary America from the perspective of a young hero as a roving bon vivant.
The two characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn entered world literature as protagonists of humor. In the years from 1891 to 1895 longer stays in Europe followed. In 1894 his publishing house went bankrupt due to bad investments in typesetting machines. Twain had lived a lavish life up to that point. To pay off his debts, he undertook lecture tours around the world. In 1896 his daughter Susan died. In 1904 his wife died. In the two years 1903 and 1904 Mark Twaininde stayed again in Europe. In 1909 his second daughter Jean died. These strokes of fate were also reflected in Mark Twain’s late work, which is characterized by a pessimistic mood.
The social satire “Querkopf Wilson” (1894), for example, dates from this era. As a man of letters, Twain is above all credited with having broken with stylistic conventions. Thus he introduced the colloquial dialect of the Midwest into literature. This distinguished him as a master of the spoken language. In addition, Mark Twain knew how to set punch lines of subtle quality. He is considered a pioneer of modern American epic. Its world fame is based on its satirical and humorous elements, with the latter in particular often moving at a low level with their burlesque exaggeration. In contrast, the structure of his works was less consistent.
In addition, Mark Twain created some socio-critical, philosophical and political essays.
Mark Twain died on April 21, 1910 in Redding, Connecticut.
Why is Mark Twain important?
Twain’s written works challenged the fundamental issues that faced the America of his time; racism, evolving landscapes, class barriers, access to education and more. He is celebrated for works such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and his memoir, Life on the Mississippi (1883).
How did Mark Twain get famous?
Literary Fame. In 1864 Clemens moved to San Francisco and worked for various newspapers. When his short story “Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog” was published and widely circulated in 1865 by the Saturday Press of New York, Mark Twain became a nationally known humorist.
What did Mark Twain believe in?
Twain was a Presbyterian. He was critical of organized religion and certain elements of Christianity through his later life. He wrote, for example, “Faith is believing what you know ain’t so”, and “If Christ were here now there is one thing he would not be – a Christian”.
What is Mark Twain known for in his writing?
Novels such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Life on the Mississippi (1883) captured both his Missouri memories and depictions of the American scene. Yet his social commentary continued.
What is Mark Twain most famous quotes?
“Never tell the truth to people who are not worthy of it.”
“An uneasy conscience is a hair in the mouth.”
“When in doubt‚ tell the truth.”
“If you tell truth you don’t have to remember anything.”
What did Mark Twain say was the most delicious?
Later, we discovered that once Mark Twain called the Cherimoya “the most delicious fruit known to man,” and sort of regretted the decision.
What did Mark Twain say about heaven?
Heaven for climate, and hell for society. – Mark Twain’s Speechs, 1910 edition, p. 117. Dying man couldn’t make up his mind which place to go to — both have their advantages, “heaven for climate, hell for company!”
What did Mark Twain say about death?
“I’ve never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure.” That quote, attributed to Mark Twain, popped up in a lot of places yesterday, as some people found themselves struggling with their feelings after the death of Osama bin Laden.
What did Mark Twain say about cats?
Who wouldn’t? Mark Twain, AKA Samuel Clemens, turned his signature wit to a number of subjects–boyhood, the legend of King Arthur and even cats. “If man could be crossed with the cat,” he once wrote, “it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.”
Where did mark twain grow up?
Mark Twain was born on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri. In 1839 his family moved to the Mississippi port town of Hannibal in search of greater economic opportunities. In Old Times on the Mississippi (1875), he recalled his childhood in Hannibal with fondness.
What was mark twain’s real name?
Mark Twain’s real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Before Clemens became well known as a writer, he held a variety of odd jobs including piloting a steamboat up and down the Mississippi River.
What did mark twain receive in 1888?
Mark Twain did not win any major awards for his writing.
Where was mark twain born?
Samuel Clemens, later known as Mark Twain, is born in Florida, Missouri, on November 30, 1835.
How did mark twain’s brother died?
Henry died on 20 June 1858 from injuries suffered in the explosion of the Pennsylvania, as Mark Twain recounted in a moving letter written at the time and in Chapter 20 of Life on the Mississippi. SLC modeled Sid Sawyer, Tom Sawyer’s well-behaved half-brother, on Henry.
What does mark twain satirize in this excerpt from “the £1,000,000 bank-note”?
In “The £1,000,000 Bank-Note,” Twain uses satire to highlight the power of money and its influence on the behavior of people from all classes of nineteenth-century English society.
Where was mark twains farmhouse?
Redding, Connecticut
When did mark twain’s daughter die?
Susy died in tragic circumstances in 1896. Her parents had gone abroad and while they were away, Susy, who had opted to stay in New York with her aunt, contracted meningitis and died in the family home in Hartford, Connecticut. Twain was devastated by the news, which he received while abroad.
How did mark twain create his characters?
Mark Twain created his characters by patterning them on people in his life or those whom he had met.
When did mark twain move to hannibal?
Mark Twain was born on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri. In 1839 his family moved to the Mississippi port town of Hannibal in search of greater economic opportunities.
How long was mark twain married?
The couple’s marriage lasted 34 years until Olivia’s death in 1904. All of the Clemens family are buried in Elmira’s Woodlawn Cemetery.
