The Irony Samuel Langhorne Clemens, or “Mark Twain,” lived a life of American pattern for seventy-five years (Perkins 55). From a young country, to a booming world power, Mark Twain was able to live and write through all of the great changes of America-“from frontier community to industrial urbanity, from riverboats to railroads, from an aggressive, bumptious adolescence toward a troubled and powerful maturity (Perkins 55). Mark Twain was quite the observer of this life and after traveling around the world, he returned back to America in October 1900 actively opposing both the United States and Great Britain’s policies (William D. Howells and Mark Twain 723). It became apparent to him that America was not living up to its expectations of …show more content…
Retracing his work throughout his career will illustrate, not only his use of irony, but the correlation between how heavy-handed it grew to be with how angry he became over the years (Lock 75). For example, several years prior to the composure of “The War Prayer,” he wrote Huckleberry Finn which is filled with numerous ironies. Most notably; however, is “Huck’s failure to understand that the most selfless act of his life has not condemned him to hell” (Lock 75). This “failure” can be seen as innocent, subtle irony; however, the failure within “The War Prayer” is anything but …show more content…
The messenger is asking for a victory over the enemy. The irony; however, falls within the fact that they are asking of this victory through misery and death from “Him Who is the Source of Love” (Perkins 59). Additionally, Twain illustrates an immunity to his irony when he writes, “[i]t was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said” (Perkins 59). This failure to understand the strangers point is also not a new concept written by Twain and can be recalled in much of his work. Mark Twain composed his literature based off of his own life experiences and his use of irony reflected the irony of his own life. The man himself was Samuel Clemens but his life was always marked by dualism, like much of his work, and “Clemens the man was at odds with Twain the image” (Lock 75). Samuel Clemens was not only a member of the American Anti-Imperialist League, but was its vice-president for eleven years, openly. Yet, much of his work was only published after his death which illustrates confliction between his private and public figure (Lock
Twain uses satire, but in the form of irony, to bring light to what wishing for war means. Irony fits this piece well as there is humor used when narrator states that “it was indeed a glad and gracious time, and… spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war [casted] a doubt upon its righteousness”. This embodies irony because during war, it isn’t a great time, it’s truly filled with death, loss, and tragedy. The satire is that people are actually praying for war, and thinking it’s glorious, while there’s actually a small amount of people not wishing for it. If you look at today, no one wants to actually go to war because we know the horrors that it brings with. Twain is able to use satire to
Twain describes the time of war as “a glad and gracious time,” and the victorious soldiers as “bronzed heroes, welcomed, adored, submerged in golden seas of glory!” His positive description of imperialism represents the common belief that war is a glorious event and a source of pride for the victors. Twain also describes those against the war, but in a negative light: “the half dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast a doubt upon its righteousness straightway got such a stern and angry warning...” Twain’s description of anti-imperialists and the treatment they received from others shows how unpopular and seemingly insane their ideas were. Though Twain himself was an anti-imperialist, he describes them in a negative way to gain readers. Most Americans in the early 1900’s were imperialists, and through a positive and prideful description of imperialism at the beginning of his essay, Twain is able to draw in many readers he would have offended if he wrote only of the horrors of imperialism. Twain’s word choice drew in more readers, causing many to now question imperialism. Twain’s word choice describing both pro- and anti-imperialists widens his audience, and his thoughts on the effects of imperialism are seen by more readers. His word choice effectively spreads his message.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is considered one of the ‘Great American Novels’ and is taught in American high schools all over the globe, but is nonetheless a difficult book to read and comprehend. This difficulty arises from two main problems. Firstly, Socratic irony is evident throughout the novel and it is important for the reader to grasp and make sense of that, which throughout the novel becomes gradually more difficult. And secondly that in order to be able to comprehend the novel, the reader must be prepared to place the novel in a larger context literary and historically. However, these obstacles can be dealt with and surpassed.
Today however readers can see the message behind Mark Twain’s satire much more clearly, as it does not mock us
According to Ernest Hemingway, "All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn." Along with Hemingway, many others believe that Huckleberry Finn is a great book, but few take the time to notice the abundant satire that Twain has interwoven throughout the novel. The most notable topic of his irony is society. Mark Twain uses humor and effective writing to make The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn a satire of the American upper-middle class society in the mid-nineteenth century.
In Mark Twain’s, “A Presidential Candidate,” Twain makes a modest proposal for his own desire to run for the presidency. He comes forward with all of his wrongdoings unlike most candidates who choose not to reveal personal shortcomings while running for office. His use of rhetorical devices and various strategies throughout his proposal help achieve the purpose and humor of the selection. Several devices which accomplish the humor of this piece include details, irony, and tone.
With the several and varying adventures that Huckleberry Finn endured throughout the course of the novel, he made multiple decisions which provoked a sense of irony. When Huck makes his first big decision to fake his murder, the characters in the book believe it to be true and a tragedy as he “left no track”(Twain, 24) that it was planned and false.. However, the audience is aware that Huck has used this as an escape from a taxing lifestyle and he now has a way out, unharmed. The dramatic irony this scene reflects impacts the people within the story as they are under a different impression than the truth. As Huckleberry continues his travels he portrays different characters and takes on several identities. In order to protect himself and his
“Since the Moral Sense has but the one office, the one capacity -- to enable man to do wrong -- it is plainly without value to him. It is as valueless to him as is disease… kill his neighbor with a poisonous bite.” In the essay written by Mark Twain, “The Damned Human Race”, Twain emphasizes the moral sense on how the damned human race exemplifies the cruelty and the immorality of our society. Throughout the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain utilizes satire in order to illustrate how he criticizes and ridicules society. Through satire, he decries society’s morality, inhumanity, and hypocrisy in order to further illustrate how he criticizes society and to emphasize how it affects a person by influencing one’s decisions and one’s personality. He also emphasizes morality, inhumanity, and hypocrisy in order to replace violence, cruelty, and ignorance to the moral sense of humanity.
2. How does Twain use irony to get his message across? Find three quotations that show this.
Life is all about learning, and one of the most powerful ways to learn is through humor. The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain includes many serious issues that need to be addressed. Twain uses humor to get the important messages across to the reader in a light-hearted manner. Throughout the novel, various lessons are taught that contribute to Huck’s moral development such as maturity,courage, and the true meaning of freedom. To disguise the ugly truth about the struggle people went through during the Civil War, Twain uses humor to keep the story more light-hearted.
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.
“(born Nov. 30, 1835, Florida, Mo., U.S.—died April 21, 1910, Redding, Conn.) American humorist, journalist, lecturer, and novelist who acquired international fame for his travel narratives, especially The Innocents Abroad (1869), Roughing It (1872), and Life on the Mississippi (1883), and for his adventure stories of boyhood, especially The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885). A gifted raconteur, distinctive humorist, and irascible moralist, he transcended the apparent limitations of his origins to become a popular public figure and one of America's best and most beloved writers.
Mark Twain is satirizing the advice young people are given by authoritative figures on different issues in life. The words of wisdom used to guide youth usually promote the same ideals and are repeated so often that in some sense they lose their strength. That does not mean though that the issues they touch upon are not important. Twain uses humor to actually make young people go beyond the banality and conformity and ask questions of importance.
The use of literary elements in literature greatly enhance the quality and depth of the work. Twain is notorious for using satire and irony in his work, criticizing the way society conducts itself. “The Story of the Good Little Boy” is a perfect example of Mark Twain’s usual style and use of irony. It teaches readers that one can’t always get what they want when they say and do things for the wrong
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.