Written by:
Leah Rife-Frame
Twain on Halley’s Comet
“I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming
again next year (1910), and I expect to go out with it.
It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I
don't go out with Halley's Comet.
The Almighty has said, no
doubt: ‘Now here are
these two unaccountable
freaks; they came in together,
they must go out together.’”
- Mark Twain, a Biography
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Twain: An Overview
(1835-1910)
Who?
• Born Samuel Langhorne
Clemens
• Recognized by his pen
name, Mark Twain
Hometown - Hannibal
• Family left Florida, MO: Twain was four
• Moved to Hannibal, MO
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Drowsing Hannibal
• Moved about 40 miles from birthplace
• Often described Hannibal as “drowsing”
Florida to Hannibal, MO
Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home in Hannibal
Tourist Attraction
• Childhood home is a museum
• Additional sites
connected with
Twain: tourist
attractions in
Hannibal
• Annual pick of “Tom”
and “Becky” sponsored
Tour Twain’s Home
An Inspirational Place
• Twain’s fictional St.
Petersburg modeled after
Hannibal
• Setting for two of Twain’s
most famous works
• Title often mistitled by
publishers
American Humorist
• Twain is considered the
greatest humorist of 19th
century American
literature
• A humorist is defined as:
– “an author who specializes
in short, humorous articles
and essays”
Laughing Lectures
• Known for humorous “lectures”
• First show in San Francisco, CA
• Often described adventures in
“exotic” places
What Wit
• Used witty advertising
to generate lecture
interest
• “Doors open at 7. Orgies
to Commence at 8 P.M.”
Youth
• Born prematurely
• Father: Judge John
Marshall
• Mother: Jane Lampton
Clemens
Scenes of Slavery
• Missouri was a slave state
• Family owned slave who
told Twain stories
• Uncle owned several
slaves
• Young Twain played in
slave quarters
• Listened to slave stories
and spirituals
Influence of Slavery
• Horrors of slavery
witnessed influenced
Twain’s stories
• Pudd’nhead Wilson:
clearest statement
against slavery
• A Connecticut Yankee in
King Arthur’s Court:
realization of slavery’s
cruelty
Growing Up Fast
• Father died when Twain was 11
• Twain left school
• Worked as printer’s apprentice
Career Journey
• Continued a career in newspapers
• Returned to the Mississippi River in 1857
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Civil War 1861-1865
• Halted riverboat traffic on
Mississippi
• No need for riverboat
pilots
• Ended Twain’s pilot
career
• Confederate volunteer for
two weeks
Go West, Young Twain!
• Hoped to become rich
mining
• Twain’s brother
appointed Secretary of
the Nevada Territory
• Invited Twain to move
West
• Twain agreed
• Unsuccessful as silver
prospector
Orion Clemens
A Name Is Born
• Began writing for
Nevada newspaper
• First used name
“Mark Twain” in
this job
• Name came from
riverboat days
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What’s in a Name?
• Also speculated:
• Gained name
from time in the
West
• Told bartender to
“mark twain” on
his tab
Jumping to Success
• Moved to San Francisco
• First major success came
Traveling Reporter
• Hired to report on
Sandwich Islands
(Hawaii)
• Writing was popular
• Began lecture career
• Hired to continue travel writing
Twain
An Important Trip
• Met Charles Langdon
• Saw picture of Olivia,
Charles’ sister
• Married Olivia in 1870
• Settled in Buffalo, NY
• Wrote for
Buffalo
Express
Home in Hartford
• Moved to Hartford, CT
• Daughter born same year first
child died from diphtheria
• Had two more daughters
Major Works - Novels
• The Prince and the
Pauper
• Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn
• The Adventures of Tom
Sawyer
• A Connecticut Yankee in
King Arthur’s Court
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
1876
• Set in St. Petersburg, MO
• Depicts childhood
adventures along
Mississippi River
• Introduced characters who
appear in later novels
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
1884
• Considered one of the
first “great” American
novels
• Told in first-person point
of view
• Depicts life along the
Mississippi River
• Criticizes slavery and
racism
Adventures in Censorship
• Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn often
censored
• Banned soon after
publication
• Still removed from
reading lists
Say What?
• Known for use of
colloquial speech
• Used Regionalism in
writing
Constant Themes
• Earlier works were less
serious in nature
• Later used literature for
social criticism
• Many Twain works share
common themes:
*Hatred of hypocrisy
*Contempt for
oppression
Epigrams
• Twain is known for his epigrams
According to Twain…
• What is a literary classic?
“… a book which people
praise and don’t read.”
• How does one become successful?
“All you need is ignorance
and confidence; then success
is sure.”
• Why should one do good in the world?
“Always do right. That will gratify some of the
people, and astonish the rest.”
Additional Twain Quotes
“You can’t depend on
your judgment when
your imagination is out
of focus”
“It is best to keep your
mouth shut and be
presumed ignorant than
to open it and remove all
doubt.”
Quotes Abound
“Don’t go around saying the
world owes you a living. The
world owes you nothing. It was
here first.”
“Get your facts first, and then
you can distort them as much
as you please.”
And Abound…
“I have never let my
schooling interfere with
my education.”
“If you tell the truth you
don’t have to remember
anything.”
“The man who doesn’t
read good books has no
advantage over the man
who can’t read them. “
Cutting on Congress
• A favorite target of Twain’s wit
was Congress:
– “Suppose you were an idiot and
suppose you were a member of
Congress. But I repeat myself.”
– “It could probably be shown by
facts and figures that there is no
distinctly American criminal class
except Congress.”
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Money Troubles
• Several bad investments
in inventions
• Went bankrupt
• Moved family to Europe
• Hoped was less
expensive
• Publishing company
failed
A Streak of Bad Luck
• Oldest daughter died
• Wife died
• Youngest daughter died
Twain’s Death
• Died April 21st, 1910
• Was 74 years old
• Buried in Elmira, NY
Concluding Thoughts
• Twain lives on
through his
writing
• Image captured in
photos and film
footage