Mark Twain
Many people know Samuel Clemens as Mark Twain, one of the greatest American novelists. He made himself known around the world with some of the most famous works that have ever come out of America. Among these are such volumes as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. "There is no humor in Heaven" (Hodgins 337), said Twain. He certainly shared his humor with the world while he had his chance. Samuel Clemens was born in Florida, Missouri on November 5, 1835. His parents were Mr. John M. Clemens (Smith 175), a visionary lawyer, and Jane L. Clemens (Kunitz 159). In 1839 his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri. This town inspired most of his writings; he called it by the name of St. Petersburg, meaning "Heaven" (Smith 175) After his father died in 1847, Clemens was forced to quit school. He became an apprentice for his brother, Orion, who owned a small country newspaper named The Missouri Courier (Kunitz 159). After his apprenticeship Samuel worked with different newspapers in Hannibal from 1848 to 1854 (Smith 175). After a failed trip to South America (Kunitz 159) he became a cub pilot and steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River from 1857 to 1861 (Smith 175
Twain uses these things to create an image of Tom that says he is juvenile and childish, though you can see that the author clearly admires him. Proof of the adventures that take place in Tom Sawyer is found in Mark Twain's personal notes, letters, and autobiographies. Orion was now the Secretary of Nevada. This was a note found for Twain's autobiography. Petersburg represents Hannibal, where Clemens grew up; Tom's house is the Clemens' house; Becky Thatcher's home is modeled after that of a childhood crush. (Smith 64) There are many details in Tom Sawyer that reflect Clemens' memories. These things were placed at the beginning to make a point. The first version of Tom Sawyer he wrote in Buffalo in 1870. Opening chapters show Tom stealing, lying, cheating, fighting, and playing hooky. It was then that I made the great discovery that when the tank runs dry you've only to leave it alone and it will fill up again in time while you are asleep-also while you are at work at other things and are quite unaware that this unconscious and profitable cerebration is going on. The major theme of this novel is that a normal boy, Tom, in this case, should have mischief. He started doing freelance reporting in 1864 for several San Francisco newspapers (Smith 175). Clemens was buried in his wife's home town, Elmira ("Clemens," online)Huckleberry Finn may be the greatest novel by Twain, but The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is his best.
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Acceptance Essays
