Mark Twain

Introduction 

Mark Twain was the pen name of American speaker, publisher, novelist, humorist, and businessman Samuel Langhorne Clemens. As a child, Mark Twain lived in Hannibal, Missouri. Over his career, Mark Twain amassed a considerable wealth from his public speaking and writing. Unfortunately, he invested his money poorly and lost most of it. Paranoia and explosive anger were constant problems for Mark Twain. On April 21, 1910, at the age of 74, author Mark Twain left this world.

Mark Twain

Biography

Florida was the birthplace of Samuel Langhorne Clemens. He was invited to Earth  on November 30, 1835, almost thirty years before he adopted the pen name Mark Twain.Early that year, the family had relocated there from Tennessee. John Marshall Clemens, his father, provided the leadership. 

When Clemens was four years old, the family relocated to Hannibal, Missouri, which is located along the Mississippi River. Both amazement and horror were evoked by Hannibal. In addition to two of his siblings passing away as children, people frequently drowned in the river.

At age 14, he was forced to drop out of school in order to support the family after his father passed away. Under his older brother, he worked in a neighbourhood printing press.Later, he would leave for the Mississippi River to begin working on riverboats, eventually rising to the position of steamboat captain before the Civil War broke out and put a halt to all river travel.

He advanced from his day job as a Mississippi riverboat pilot to become an American literary celebrity. His work exhibits great seriousness while being brilliantly humorous. Samuel Clemens  and his brother went to the Nevada Territory, after the Civil War put a stop to his career as a steamboat captain, then continued west to San Francisco. He kept touring and selling articles to publications including newspapers and literary journals.

The young couple’s residence in neighbouring Buffalo, New York was purchased by Samuel’s father-in-law, who also assisted Samuel in getting a job with the Buffalo Express. In the future, the family would relocate to Hartford, Connecticut.

When Langdon was just 19 months old, he passed away. Jean passed away at a young age as well, in the same year of her sister Clara’s wedding, following Susy’s death at age 24. Only Clara,among his four children, the youngest, reached the age of eighty.

While travelling through Europe, Mark Twain learnt of his daughter Susy’s passing. He was late getting home to attend her funeral. His new home was on West 10th Street in New York City. In the final years of his life, he battled a severe depression. Susy’s death was his fault, he claimed.

Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn both feature satire and social moralising, two elements that are characteristic of Twain’s peculiar style. There is no denying that Twain’s ideas had an impact on American literature, even though his own philosophy was undoubtedly complex and could not be distilled into the subjects of a single book.

Twain settled at Stormfield, a home in Redding, Connecticut, in 1908. This was the final residence he will ever have. After travelling to Bermuda to unwind and mend his precarious health, Twain experienced cardiac issues and had to return to Stormfield. Clara, his lone surviving child, was at his side in bed, as he passed away in 1910.

Work and Style 

Mark Twain’s writing can be characterised as Southwestern comedy. This type of regional humour is characterised by the use of everyday language, implicit crude humour, and sometimes acts of brutality. The majority of Twain’s characters are based on people he has actually met, and he introduced some of them as models for people he met in Hannibal.

Twain’s writings raised fundamental questions about racism, changing landscapes, class divisions, access to education, and other topics that were prevalent in America at the time. He is renowned for his memoir, “Life on the Mississippi”  and masterpieces like “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer“, whose main subject was around the creative young boy named Tom Sawyer who lives along the Mississippi River.

Butt Mark Twain gained the most fame and recognition for “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn“, which solidified his status as a classic writer and cultural icon. Th e story concentrates on Huck, a friend of Tom’s who flees his abusive father and his drunken household. Along with Jim, an escaped slave, He cruises the Mississippi on a temporary raft.

“Huckleberry Finn” has, of course, faced criticism as well. Recently in 2016, the book was prohibited from schools because it contained racial innuendo and other characteristics of prejudice.

“The Innocents Abroad” is a humorous travelogue that examines Americans and human nature in a sharply perceptive, amusing, and satirical manner. The humorist Mark Twain lectured all across the country. 

Conclusion

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, well known as the American orator, publisher, author, humorist, and businessman known by his pen name, Mark Twain. Mark Twain is famous for his witty one-liners and insightful commentary on human nature. His books and essays feature some of the most well-known passages from his lectures.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.Was Mark Twain involved in politics? 

Ans. Yes, Mark Twain was involved in politics and was a strong supporter of the anti-imperialist movement in the United States. He was a vocal critic of American foreign policy and the U.S. government’s treatment of indigenous peoples.

2. Did Mark Twain have any famous quotes? 

Ans. Yes, Mark Twain is famous for his many memorable quotes, including “The secret of getting ahead is getting started,” “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything,” and “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”

3. Did Mark Twain have any notable friendships or relationships? 

Ans. Mark Twain was friends with many notable figures of his time, including author and social reformer Harriet Beecher Stowe and inventor and businessman Thomas Edison. He was also married to Olivia Langdon Clemens, who was a strong influence on his writing.