Background of Mark

Twain
Chloe Huffman
Early Childhood

● Samuel L. Clemens, more commonly known as

Mark Twain, was born on November 30, 1835 in
Missouri as the sixth child of John and Jane
Clemens.
● His family moved to Hannibal, Missouri when
Clemens was four.
Significance of Hannibal

● Hannibal served as an inspiration to Clemens for his

future books and their settings, such as the fictional
town of St. Petersburg in The Adventures of Tom
Sawyer.
● While Clemens wrote about many childhood
adventures, he also wrote about loss in his books.
Hardships

● Hardships in Clemens’ early childhood gave him the opportunity to write and
share his experiences with the world, explaining why his childhood
experiences are often connected to characters in his writing.
● At age 12, Clemens lost his father and had to quit schooling to get a job and
provide his family with a source of income.
Teenage Years

● At age fifteen, Clemens began working at the

Hannibal Western Union, his older brother
Orion’s newspaper company. He worked as a
printer and occasionally wrote and edited the
newspaper himself.
Young Adult
● At age twenty-three, Clemens became a licensed steamboat pilot on the
Mississippi River, which provided him with a sufficient amount of money and a
higher status. His career as a steamboat pilot abruptly came to an end when
the Civil War broke out in 1861.
● For a short while, Clemens joined the Confederate army, but left the army when
his unit disbanded after only a few weeks of fighting.
● Clemens decided that he would pursue the opportunities presented in Western
America, specifically searching for silver and gold in order to provide for his
family.
Young Adult

● In July of 1861, Clemens headed for Nevada with high

hopes for riches, but was soon left without a job and
with no way no provide money for his family.
● In 1862, Clemens went to work as a reporter at the
Virginia City Territorial Enterprise. While working, he
developed the pen name Mark Twain.
Pen Name
● Mark Twain is a Mississippi River phrase sailors would use that measured two
fathoms, or twelve feet, the depth needed for a boat’s safe passage.
● “Mark” means to measure and “Twain” means two.
● He wrote several satires which caused embarrassment to his company, so he
decided to use a pen name to cover up his activity as a writer.
Later Life
● Twain went on to write many books, including The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer in 1876, and its sequel, The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Both of these books
are praised as classics because Twain wrote in
regional dialect, which no one had done before.
● Samuel Clemens died on April 21, 1910, at the age of
74, at his country home in Redding, Connecticut, and
he was buried in Elmira, New York.
Writing Style

● Twain had a distinct narrative style that was often

informal and satirical, which made him different from
other American writers. His writing was a form of
escape for many people from the formality of everyday
life.
● His writing included satire, colloquial language, and
forms of dialect.
Satire

● Satire is defined as the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to

expose and criticize people's ignorance or vices, particularly in the context
of contemporary politics and other topical issues.
● Writing that ridicules and makes fun of people’s mistakes or weaknesses
● Twain uses satire to add humor, portray a theme/moral, and to express his
opinions on an issue
● A few examples include: close-minded small towns, religious hypocrites,
dishonest politicians, as well as practices such as slavery
Satirical Examples
One example of how Twain uses satire in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is when
he portrays grown-ups as gullible. This is shown when Tom tricks his aunt, Polly,
into turning around so that he could avoid punishment.

Twain also satirizes the priority of one’s image over the truth. For example,
whenever Judge Thatcher is present, many people change their actions or
appearance to draw attention to themselves. This is shown through the actions
of Tom’s teachers, who started giving instructions to their students to appear
orderly in front of the Judge (page 57). Another example of this is Aunt Polly’s
glasses, which are used to make her look nicer to others rather than helping her
see better (page 15). The message Twain reveals is that society is motivated by
vanity.
Colloquial Language

● Mark Twain used colloquial language in his writing, which can be defined as
informal or conversational language, which differed from the normal style of
writing during the nineteenth-century.
● The normal style of writing was formal, which made Twain unique among
his fellow nineteenth-century writers.
● Twain's writing appealed to a variety of people as a result of his use of
colloquial language in his books, which is why he is regarded as one of the
most famous writers in American history.
Colloquial Language Examples

● Regional differences can create colloquial dialect, which results in many

different forms of words/phrases. For example, “soda” “Coke” “pop” and
“soft drink” all mean the same thing.
● Verbal pauses or informalities
● Contractions such as ain’t, gonna, ‘em (them), s’pose (suppose)
● Twain captured many different dialects in his writing, which helps
emphasize the differences between each character and their background.
One of these dialects are Jim, the slave’s, speech.

Ex. “Can't, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me I got to go an' git dis water an' not stop foolin' roun'
wid anybody." -Jim
Twain’s Audience

● The Adventures of Tom Sawyer included perspectives of people living in

small towns.
● Twain’s works appealed to the middle class rather than the rich elite
● His writing can be regarded as the voice of the common people, which was
unusual at the time because many books were directed towards richer
audiences.
Who Wrote This?

“Now as to this girl. What had he done? Nothing. He had meant the best in the
world, and been treated like a dog -- like a very dog. She would be sorry some day
-- maybe when it was too late. Ah, if he could only die temporarily!”

-Mark Twain
This quote includes conversational and informal language. It also contains many
verbal pauses, which makes it different from the usual style of writing.
Now You Try!
Answers

1. B
2. A
3. A
4. B
5. A
6. B