"All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn." - Ernest Hemingway
Mark Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens on November 30, 1835, in Missouri, would become an iconic writer, humorist, and lecturer, living a life of wit, adventure, and social commentary while leaving an indelible mark on American literature.
Life began for Mark with much hardship and tragedy. His father died when Mark was eleven, after which the young boy left school to work as a printer's apprentice. During this time, he developed a passion for writing and honed his craft by contributing articles and sketches to local newspapers.
In his early adult years, Mark chose to work as a steamboat pilot. He said about that decision that growing up amongst his friends, "there was but one permanent ambition." "Pilot was the grandest position of all. The pilot, even in those days of trivial wages, had a princely salary – from a hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty dollars a month, and no board to pay."
And so it was that from this work Samuel Clemens chose to become Mark Twain, the name referring to a term used by pilots about a river depth that was safe for a steamboat. In 1861, Mark began using his now-famous pen name while writing for newspapers in Nevada. There, his writing captured the essence of the American West, blending frontier life with social commentary and sharp wit. From these articles, Mark began to gain recognition for his unique American humor and satire.
Mark's literary breakthrough came with the publication of "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" in 1865, a humorous tale that brought him national acclaim. This success propelled him into a prolific writing career, producing timeless classics such as "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1876) and its sequel "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1885), which is often considered his masterpiece.
Along with fiction writing, Mark used his keen observations of society and vocal criticisms of injustice in writing nonfiction. Those works included "The Gilded Age" (1873), co-written with Charles Dudley Warner, which lampooned the excesses and hypocrisies of American society during the post-Civil War era. With his sharp wit and keen insight, Mark earned a reputation as one of America's foremost social commentators.
Despite his literary success, Mark faced numerous financial setbacks throughout his life. He invested heavily in various business ventures, including a failed publishing company and an ill-fated typesetting machine. These financial troubles, coupled with personal tragedies such as the death of his wife and children, cast a shadow over his later years.
Nevertheless, Mark remained a beloved and admired figure. He continued to lecture and write until his death on April 21, 1910, in Redding, Connecticut. His legacy endures as one of America's great literary voices, whose works continue to entertain, provoke thought, and inspire generations of readers.
Sources:
Hemingway, Ernest. Green Hills of Africa.. New York, Scribner, 1935.
"Mark Twain". May 20. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2004672770/>.
"Mark Twain." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Twain
Phelps, William Lyon. “Mark Twain.” The North American Review, vol. 185, no. 618, 1907, pp. 540–48. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25105927. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.