Mark Twain- American Author

From the 1830’s to the 1860’s, a movement to abolish slavery swept the nation. Mark Twain and Frederick Douglass were both strong educated men against the mistreatment of the African race. However, their means of protesting it hold stark contrast. While both authors certainly had enough passion built up to be able to conduct a powerful argument in the form of literature, their prior knowledge differentiated between how they ended up making their arguments. Upon comparison of Huck Finn and the Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, the characters in Frederick make a more convincing argument against racism because of the different forms

The text quote that “southerners drew heavily upon a religious discourse that they shared in large measure…” (Genovese 2). The southerners believed that religious played an important act on race and especially the cruelness on those African American in the south. Another quote that was stated in the text that supported slavery and think it was God will of doing things is when Raboteau states “That preachers should exhort, convert, and even pastor white Christians in the slave south was certainly antithetical to the premise of slave control.” (Raboteus2). The white made the black to believed that it was God will for them to accept being treated like slaves and control by the slaveholders.

Samuel Clemons, later known by his pen name Mark Twain, was a most famous American fiction writer, story teller, and showman in the nineteenth century. He is referred to as the father of American Literature. In fact, he was the first national and international celebrity. The most well-known man on earth. He was able to capture the spirit of youthful optimism of small town America; and the freedom and excitement of the Western Frontier. His writing was unique in that he used the simple, plain meaning language of the average American.

Mark Twain’s classic novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn took place during a tense period in U.S. history. Heated debate over the morality of slavery had sparked and deep divisions were emerging between the northern and southern states. Born in Missouri, a slave state, the novel’s protagonist Huckleberry Finn was raised on values of racism and prejudice. He adhered to these principles as they were all he knew. However, over the course of his journey, Huck’s formerly provincial morality was challenged by his real-world experiences, and he was forced to derive a new set of morals for himself. At the start of the novel, a blind acceptance of slavery was present in Huck’s mind. This was revealed when Huck thought, in reference to Jim’s plan to free his children, “Here was this nigger, which I had as good as helped to run away, coming right out flat-footed and saying he would steal his children – children that belonged to a man I didn’t even know; a man that hadn’t ever done me no harm” (137). Although grateful for Jim’s companionship and reluctant to report him to the authorities, Huck still believed slavery to be a moral practice. As evidenced by this thought process, Huck held on to the values of the slave-owning states in the south, believing that Jim’s children, as slaves, were property. He even felt remorseful at the thought of a man’s slaves being stolen. Regardless of his budding friendship with Jim, Huck was still concretely in favor of slavery. This static view on

Mark Twain and Frederick Douglass, two of America’s greatest 19th-century narrative writes could hardly have been more different in tone and viewpoint. Mark Twain lived in a somnolent river town, growing up enjoying adventures with his childhood friends. This was vastly different from Frederick Douglass bleak exitinstance growing up as slave on a plantation who was very deprived of food, warmth, and family. Both authors write about their childhoods, but this is where the similarities stop. Twain's lighthearted tone and subjective point of view are meant to entertain. Unlike Douglass's serious tone and objective description support his purpose of informing the public about the evils of slavery.

To even justify his cruel actions against his slaves, he quoted “He that knoweth his master’s will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.” (Douglass, 48) According to Douglass, the slave masters that made profession of religion were the worst. Douglass discussed the differences he realized between the Christianity of Christ versus the Christianity of this land. The slave owners’ Christianity of this land believed they had “God-given” rights to have and mistreat the slaves. “That religion of the south is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes, - a justifier of the most appalling barbarity, - a sanctifier of the most hateful frauds, - and a dark shelter under, which the darkest, foulest, grossest, and most infernal deeds of slaveholders find the strongest protection,” (Douglas, 67) In the Autobiography of Mark Twain, Mark Twain wasn’t aware of the severity of slavery. He said, “…I had no aversion to slavery. I was not aware that there was anything wrong about it. No one arraigned it in my hearing; the local papers said nothing against it; the local pulpit taught us that God approved it, that it was a holy thing, and that the doubter need only look in the Bible if he wished to settle his mind – and then the texts were read aloud to us to make the matter sure…” (Twain,

That’s one thing that can't be expressed in a very textbook or an instructor with identical degree of legitimacy. The book immerses the scholar in a very time wherever slavery was accepted. Academics educated it, pastors preached it, mayors practiced it, and youngsters saw fully nothing wrong with it as a result of that's however that they had been spoken. Huckleberry, however, wasn't raised “proper” then had Associate in Nursing virtually utterly clean head concerning the topic “The Widow Stephen Arnold Douglas, she took Maine for her son, and allowed she would civilize me; however it had been rough living within the house all the time” (Twain 1). He saw Jim as a good friend and was even willing to die to keep him safe.

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain writes about the adventures of an unlikely duo searching for freedom in the north. “The Northern and Southern states” divided into “the Free states and Slave states” (Blight 3). A definite line of pro-slavery and non-slavery existed within the United States during that time period, therefore, those under the ideologies of each geographical area often exhibited the same beliefs. The people of the north believed the act of slavery seemed wrong, whereas the people of the south saw no harm in the acts taking place. These social beliefs influenced Mark Twain’s ideas and thoughts about slavery, which often appear in his writing. Since Twain’s

Second, Twain expresses his anti-slavery views through the use of characterization. Huck thinks to himself and decides, ¨All right then, I’ll go to hell¨ (Twain 207). Rather than informing Miss Watson of Jim’s location so she could claim him from the Phelpses’, Huck chooses to try to help Jim escape from slavery once again. Huck decides that going to “hell”, if it means following his gut and not society’s hypocritical and cruel principles, is a better option than going to everyone else’s heaven. This, in turn, is an example of Twain expressing his anti-slavery views. The following literary quote helps support the topic sentence, ¨Rather than betray Jim though, Huck decides, ¨All right then, I’ll go to hell.¨ Huck learns to decide for himself in various situations the right thing to do¨ (¨The Adventures...¨ 6). This supports the topic sentence because it explains how the views of anti-slavery are

Quarles owned over 20 slaves, providing Twain with a personal experience to the practice and institution of slavery. This provided Twain the opportunity to build a self defined definition and perspective on the institution of slavery. This explains why the discussion of the assumingly racist perspective

Mark Twain is important to American literature because of his novels and how they portray the American experience. Some of his best selling novels were Innocents Abroad, Life on the Mississippi, Huckleberry Finn, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In these books, Mark Twain recalls his own adventures of steamboating on the Mississippi River.

Mark Twain was a world renowned novelist and a beloved American Writer. He wrote things about what was happening in the world around him and is also a huge part of American Literature. Although Mark Twain is a famous novelist his home life, background/achievements, and greatest accomplishments are what made him who he is today.

An issue relating to this is the contrast that I noticed in the figure of the slave in both Douglass and Jim, was the issue of language. Douglass’ speech in the text is one of high standard. He speaks with the manner of a well educated white man, however in comparison Jim speaks as other would expect him to speak in a thick southern accent and with grammatical incorrect language – “No but I ben rich wunst, and gwyne to be rich again. Wunst I had foteen dollars, but I tuck to specalat’n’, en got busted out” (p43). Twain depicts the slave as the public would normally see the slave. Douglass on the other hand didn’t speak like the public expected him to and he spoke with grace and honour. Douglass began to turn the tide around and help the public realise that slaves are indeed just as intelligent as the normal public.

Mark Twain was an American author and humorist. He is the writer of many plays and classic novels like; The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and the play Romeo and Juliet. In all of the plays, novels, etc. that he has written, he always seems to look at things from a different perspective than others. He goes deeper into the subject and pulls out a different meaning or understanding. He was often considered as the first truly American voice in the country's literacy history.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by the pseudonym Mark Twain, has been central to American literature for over a century. His seemingly effortless diction accurately exemplified America’s southern culture. From his early experiences in journalism to his most famous fictional works, Twain has remained relevant to American writing as well as pop culture. His iconic works are timeless and have given inspiration the youth of America for decades. He distanced himself from formal writing and became one of the most celebrated humorists. Mark Twain’s use of the common vernacular set him apart from authors of his era giving his readers a sense of familiarity and emotional connection to his characters and himself.