Childhood of Mark Twain
Hannibal, Missouri, was the birthplace of author Mark Twain, born Samuel Clemens to Jane Lampton Clemens and John Marshall Clemens. Jane and John had five children, but only two of them, Pamela and Samuel, made it past early infancy. Pamela was born in 1827 and Samuel in 1835. It is well known that there was a 10-year gap between the two children, but what is not as well-known is why?
John Clemens was a judge, senator and lawyer and had always hoped for a large family, but due to a number of difficulties, his dreams failed to come true. In an article written by the University of Virginia Professor, Paul Frame, it is explained that this was because of “business problems and several miscarriages of justice”. The Clemens family suffered due to economic problems and miscarriages of justice which led to John Clemens being even more identified into the practice of law than ever before. It is with this practice of law that John was able to make enough money for his family and eventually bring Mark to the world.
Siblings of Mark Twain
So, did Mark Twain have any siblings? Yes, he did have one sister. Pamela Clemens stayed in the Clemens family home with her sibling until she was 18, then married in 1846, the same year that her father passed away. Pamela stayed in Hannibal and in the same year gave birth to a daughter which she named after her late mother.
Sadly, Pamela’s marriage was over a few years later when her husband died as a result of a tragic carriage accident. She was a widow at 22 with a child to care for and no spouse to help her. She passed away in 1907 at the age of 80. It is certain that her brother had difficulty adjusting to her absence and that they were very close while they were together.
Influence of Siblings onMark Twain
Through literature and biographies, we can see the influence that Pamela had on her younger brother. In fact, Mark Twain often made references to his elder sister in some of his later books, and praised her for always being there for him and for being a source of inspiration and guidance in times of need.
Additionally, the writings of Mark Twain usually featured the themes of love and family which may have been inspired by his sister’s presence. Pam Clemens, as her brother fondly called her, played a big role in Mark’s life, especially in his early years. She was his confidante and mentor, always present in his life, which is why it is believed that her death left a deep hole in his life.
Other Siblings
Mark Twain also had two half-brothers and one half-sister, these being Thompson and Benjamin Clemens and Margaret Moffett, who were all children of John Marshall Clemens’ second wife, Mary Ann Lampton.
Thompson was born in 1840 and was very close to his older brother Sam despite the age gap. The three of them grew up together and in Samuel’s later years, Thompson and Mark often worked together on different projects. Benjamin was born in 1851 and had a bigger age gap with his brothers, so thusly did not grow up in the same manner as Thompson, being more of an outsider in the family.
Margaret Moffett is also known to have been quite close to her younger brother Samuel and was always willing to help him out in difficult moments. She married and had four children with Richard Tyson of Hannibal. Margaret and Samuel had a close relationship and often contacted each other; the last one being in 1895, the year before her death.
Influence of Siblings on Mark Twain’s Writing
While having such a big family filled with both biological and non-biological siblings, Mark Twain surely was influenced by all of them in many aspects and this is visible in his work as well. His works often include references to family, love and death, which could very well be inspired by the life he had to live due to the facts of his family.
Apart from that, Mark Twain’s works also feature a sense of adventure, something that could very well be inspired by the spirit of adventure his brothers and sister had, especially Thompson, with whom he did a lot of activities, such as fishing and exploring. Thus, while not having a huge number of siblings, Mark Twain had a big support system and it is this system that surely impacted his view of the world, as well as his works.
Dispersion of Siblings
After John Clemens died in 1847, the Clemens family started to disperse, as lack of money was scarce to support them all. Pamela married a merchant from Hannibal and eventually moved in with him, albeit remaining in close contact with her brother. After her husband’s death, one of her children moved out of the state and she herself remaining in Hannibal, passing away in the same state in 1907.
Thompson Clemens left Hannibal in 1872 in order to pursue a career in business, eventually ending up in Texas. Benjamin Clemens left the family in 1854 and did not have direct contact with his brother for a long time, until reconnecting with him in 1898. Margaret Moffett was closer to her brother as she remained living in Hannibal until her death. Thus, while they remained connected through written and oral communications, most of the siblings had to leave the family at some point to pursue their own lives.
Legacy of Mark Twain’s Siblings
While Paula, Thompson and Benjamin Clemens did not achieve huge success in their respective careers and lives, it is undeniable that they had an influence on Mark Twain. Every single one of them influenced Mark’s works in different ways, with some of them inspiring the themes he wrote about, others inspiring life lessons and the spirit of adventure, and even the dispersion of the family inspiring the characters of some of his works.
Therefore, while not much information is available on the siblings of Mark Twain, it is certain that they were a big part of his life, leaving behind a legacy that surely still exists in his works. Thanks to them, we can still get a glimpse into their lives and what it was like to be part of such an esteemed family.
Conclusion on Mark Twain’s Siblings
The life of Mark Twain was surely heavily influenced by his siblings, both those he grew up with and those he did not. Despite them leaving for various reasons, it is certain that he still had at least one very influential sibling in his life and that his works still reflect that influence. Through analyzing his works, we can get even more insight into the life he had to lead as part of the Clemens family.
