Mark Twain By: Alex Adair
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Overview In the next slides you will be shown information about the life of Mark Twain and his writings. You are encouraged to take notes as there will be a small 4 question quiz at the end.
Early Life • Born on November 30, 1835 in the small town of Florida, Missouri. • He was born with the name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, and would later adopt the pen name Mark Twain. Andrew Jackson was the president at the time of Twain’s birth.
In 1839, the family moved to Hannibal, MO which is situated along the Mississippi River. • At age 13, Twain left school to become an apprentice to a printer. Here is where he realized he enjoyed writing. Twain as a 15 year old.
At 23 years of age, Twain became a licensed steam boat pilot and adopted the moniker “Mark twain,” which comes from steam boat terminology. • Twain did this until the Civil War started and then became a newspaper reporter for publications throughout the United States.
Twain met Olivia Langdon in 1867 and married her in 1870. • The couple had four children, one which died as an infant, two others died in their twenties, and Clara, who lived to be 88. • 1871 saw his family move to Hartford, Connecticut because of Twain’s stake in the newspaper Buffalo Express. WWII era version of the Buffalo Express.
During his time in Connecticut is when Twain started writing his novels. • He became very successful financially, although most of his wealth was lost due to misguided investments and forced to declare bankruptcy in 1894. • Olivia died in 1904 from heart failure, resulting in Twain falling into a deep depression. Twain’s first widely acclaimed work “The Celebrated Jumping Frog,” appeared in the NY Saturday Press in 1865.
POP QUIZ! • What newspaper did Twain have a stake in? A. The New York Times B. The Buffalo Express C. New York Saturday Press
Awesome! You got it right! One of Twain’s financial endeavors was taking out stake of the Buffalo, NY based paper.
Death and Beyond • Twain passed on April 21, 1910 from a heart attack. • It is unusual that he was born with the Halley’s Comet, and then died when the comet returned 74 years later. • He was laid to rest in Elmira, NY with the rest of his family. Halley’s Comet
Twain Today • He has many awards named after him including the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor presented by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. • Congress will also dedicate a stamp to Twain later on in 2011 • Twain is often considered the most influential American authors of all time.
Famous Works • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) • The Prince and the Pauper (1881) • Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) • A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889)
Style • Considered one of the greatest authors of all time. • Focused on the social and economic problems of the 1800’s -- especially abuse of African Americans during the period • His writing was controversial because of his outspoken nature
Twain is known a great satirist and celebrated for his humor. • He is also known for mastering the local dialect of which his novels are set • The below video is small clip of his writing.
Excerpt from Tom Sawyer • “Oh come, now, you don’t mean to let on that you like it?”The brush continued to move.“Like it? Well I don’t see why I oughtn’t to like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?”That put the thing in a new light. Ben stopped nibbling his apple. Tom swept his brush daintily back and forth—stepped back to note the effect—added a touch here and there—criticized the effect again—Ben watching every move and getting more and more interested, more and more absorbed. Presently he said:“Say, Tom, let me whitewash a little.”
Analysis • This passage is from the scene where Tom is whitewashing the fence for Aunt Polly. He proves to be a very good trickster in this part of the book, as he gets the other children to do his work for him while he makes them pay to do it. Tom always keeps ahead of his victims and is ingenious about it. It shows that he is smart, and has the ability to read people. This incident is an important part of the book and sets up later parts that are similar to it.
Excerpt from Huckleberry Finn • “It was a close place. I took up [the letter I’d written to Miss Watson], and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: “All right then, I’ll go to hell”—and tore it up. It was awful thoughts and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming.”—Huckleberry Finn
Analysis • This passage reflects the moral predicaments that Huck gets in. It also shows how a 12 year old uneducated boy deals with the adult and real world problems he is faced with. Throughout the novel Huck is presented with situations where he is forced to go against the social norm and do the right thing, but is actually viewed as “wrong” by society.
Quiz • You are about to be asked 4 questions about the material presented. • Feel free to use any notes you may have taken Good Luck!
Question #1 • What town was Twain born in? • Florida, MO • St. Louis, MO • Columbia, MO
OOPS! Try Again
Right! Twain was born in Florida, MO in 1835.
Question #2 • What is Mark Twain’s real name? • Isaiah Richard Thompson • Samuel Langhorne Clemens • Joe Curtis Franklin
OOPS! Try Again
AWESOME! Samuel Langhorne Clemens used the pen name Mark Twain when writing.
Question #3 • Where did Twain move to when he started writing? • Missouri • California • Connecticut
OOPS! Try Again
Great! Twain moved to Hartford, Connecticut where he wrote Tom Sawyer and the Huckleberry Finn.
Question #4 • Where is Twain buried? • Twinsburg, OH • Monroe, NJ • Elmira, NY
OOPS! Try Again
Correct! Twain is buried at the family grave in Elmira, NY
Sources • www.sparknotes.com • www.cmgww.com • www.colombia.edu • www.startswithabang.edu • www.twainquotes.edu • www. littoface.xanga.com