Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) was born on November 30th, 1835 in Florida, Missouri, United States. He was the sixth of seven children born to John and Jane Clemens.
A year after his birth, the Clemens family moved to nearby Hannibal, Missouri, where Twain would spend his childhood and adolescent years. Many of the town’s quirky characters and customs inspired the writer in later years. It was often remarked that Hannibal was the model for his literary creation of St. Petersburg, the fictional town in the novels Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
Twain started school at age seven and received his primary education in a one-room schoolhouse where sessions were held for five months out of the year. Having had little formal education, Twain taught himself how to read and write. He took from books what he could, and after studying one volume he would go to the next. By the time Twain was a teenager he had read widely in American and English literature.
In 1847, a serious outbreak of measles tuberculosis infected many of Hannibal’s residents, including the Clemens family. Twain’s father and his brother Benjamin died, leaving him to provide for the family. Twain first worked as a printer’s apprentice for Joseph P. Ament at his local newspaper.
Meanwhile, Twain continued to develop his oratory and writing skills by submitting articles to various local publications. He moved away from Hannibal in 1853, having developed a taste for adventure through his reading. Twain first went to St. Louis to become a typesetter, but he soon spent three weeks as a journeyman passenger on a steamboat owned by his brother Orion.
Twain began to write for newspapers in neighboring towns and subsequently published several collections of humorous stories about his days on the river and his journeys throughout the country. He also used his travels to expand his knowledge of American folklore, which influenced his writing. Twain’s first attempt at novel writing was The Gilded Age of 1873, which he wrote with Charles Dudley Warner. Twain’s most notable and enduring works came with the publication of the Tom Sawyer in 1876 and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1884, both of which are still widely read today.
States Where Twain Lived After Missouri
In 1867, a period of great creativity began which saw the publication of Innocents Abroad, Sketches New and Old, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. By 1871, Twain left Missouri, first for a visit to the East Coast and then for the long-term. His migration was prompted by financial reasons, for he hoped to make more money on some of his books. Twain moved to Buffalo, New York, in 1869 and then to Hartford, Connecticut, in 1871, where he began to work on several of his most famous books. His writing in these years earned him international recognition.
Twain settled in Europe from 1891 to 1900. He and his family were in Switzerland from 1891 to 1900, Italy from 1893 to 1894, and Austria, where they resided at the Hofburg in Vienna. Twain wrote in one of his letters, “Europe has been very cheap to us — so far, so very cheap — and we have had experiences here that can never be duplicated in any other country in the world.” After his wife passed away, he moved back to the United States in 1900 and settled in New York City.
Twain’s Later Years
In his later years, Twain wrote prolifically. He churned out many books over the years, some of which are still in print, such as A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He also continued to create humorous stories for newspapers and magazines, and gave public readings of his works.
Twain’s mortality caught up with him in 1910. He had been gravely ill for some time, but refused to surrender to it. He died in Redding, Connecticut on 21st April 1910, leaving behind a rich and lasting legacy.
Twain’s Impact on American Literature
Mark Twain’s impact on American literature can hardly be overestimated. His work has been praised for its wit and humor, as well as its deep insight into the human condition. His writing used powerful metaphors and characters that often captured a people’s essence in a few words.
Twain wrote mostly in the first person and infused his writing with a healthy dose of realism. Whether it was the young Tom Sawyer living out his adventures on the Mississippi or the wicked and wild John Sperry struggling with life in “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” Twain had a gift for bringing his characters to life.
For generations, Twain has been heralded as one of America’s greatest writers. His yearning for truth and justice and his willingness to take a stand against oppression and injustice make him a timeless example of what it means to be an American. His body of work has and continues to inspire readers around the world to think about society and life in an entirely new way.
Twain’s Writings and Opinions on Slavery
Though Twain was born shortly after Missouri came into the union as a slave-holding state, his writings and opinions on slavery were designed to reform the structures of oppression which endured in the post-Civil War era. In his autobiography, Twain wrote, “I have seen and known more of Southern slavery than any other person now living, and I do not hesitate to declare that no injustice was ever done a Negro slave in my family. No one in our whole household had a feeling of superiority over the slaves.” He went on to say, “Slavery was bad for the Negro, because it reared him in an artificial and ignorant state and left nothing for him to do after his freedom came but to wander helpless and homeless.”
Twain was a fierce advocate of racial justice. He was an early supporter of the African-American press, wrote a string of anti-lynching articles, and was a strong proponent of integration. This, coupled with his efforts to raise awareness about the horrors of slavery, made him an enduring symbol of empathy, tolerance, and freedom.
Influence of Twain
Mark Twain has had a lasting influence on literature, language and culture. His witty stories, vivid characters and wry observations have been embraced by readers, writers and academics around the world. Twain has inspired numerous writers, including such American luminaries as Ernest Hemingway and J.D. Salinger. The author also has a popular and highly acclaimed television program under his name, which showcased his works and life on the small screen.
Twain’s legacy also extends to language. The phrase “the grass is always greener” is usually ascribed to Mark Twain, although he never actually wrote the phrase in that exact form. Numerous quotations from his writings, such as “get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please,” are often quoted by savvy orators today.
Throughout his life and work, Mark Twain was an advocate for the rule of reason, opposed racial injustice and argued for radical reforms. His writing remains a beacon of hope to many, reminding readers that there is always a chance to look below the surface of social relations in order to find the truth.
Twain’s Humor
One of Twain’s most unforgettable contributions to American literature was his truly unique sense of humor. His best works, such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, embodied the spirited but rough-around-the-edges character of the American West, something many other authors had failed to capture.
Twain’s jokes, though often lighthearted, were also carefully crafted to draw attention to the most pressing issues of his times. In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, for example, Twain used humor to address the racism and hypocrisy of the post-Civil War South. His stories often featured characters who used cunning and wit to outsmart the ignorance and bigotry of their opponents.
Mark Twain’s comedy has endeared him to readers from all walks of life. His clever satire and bold observations pushed the boundaries of conventional literature, and his work left a lasting impression on the generations that followed.
Twain’s Legacy
Mark Twain left behind a unique and invaluable legacy. He was a master storyteller who wrote timeless tales of wisdom and wit, combining elements of social criticism, American folklore and plain common sense. As a result, his works have survived and adapted to different eras and time periods while remaining relevant to modern readers.
Twain’s writing also has a hopeful and optimistic side, one that celebrates not only human ingenuity but also the fundamental goodness of people. Above all, his works remind us of the power of literature to spark conversations and critical thought. His books are a reminder to readers of all ages to embrace adventure, defy convention and use their wit to outsmart the powers that be.
In his stories, Twain perfectly captured the spirit of America and its people. He is remembered as an influential writer and thinker who influenced generations of readers with his vivid stories and sharp wit. His works remain some of the most beloved and treasured pieces of literature in the English language, and continue to be significant to this day.
