Walt Whitman and Mark Twain
Before the 19th century, American literature seemed to regress instead of impress. The American literary audience starved for unconventional wisdom to set forth a democratic way of thinking in order to induce change and incorporate real life into texts, poems, and other forms of writing. An unusual form of creativity was sparked in the late 1800s called American literary realism. This method of writing tied in the everyday aspects of life into literary parameters and focused on human psychology and issues of social intrigue. Literary realism brought forth some of the cruel realities of the time, and its overall implication was able to exhibit sympathy towards the human race. Walt Whitman, born on May 12, 1819, was an ingenious figure in the world of literary realism. His most imaginative piece of literature, "Leaves of Grass," was a volume of 12 poems in which he set out to revive the American spirit and revitalize democratic ideals. Samuel Clemens was born on November 30, 1835, and wrote under the pen name of Mark Twain. His two best known works were The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1881), in which he focuses on the lives of two callow, cunning boys in the southern United States.
Tom enjoys the reward system when he achieves something positive. Mary got him to dress properly from head to toe, yet Huck seemed uncomfortable and lost his temper after all was said and done. Tom also seems to be motivated when Mary antagonizes him after she believes he has not done his work. Huck pretty much has no one to converse with besides Tom and Jim, the slave of the family. The idea that he is able to earn a possession by using his brain power and cunning wit is empowering to him. In the preface of Leaves of Grass, Whitman begins his literary masterpiece with an immediate grasp of the human imagination. Although the knife was not strong enough to cut anything, it was a status symbol for Tom and allowed him to feel a sense of pride in his accomplishment. Whitman integrated his feelings and emotions towards a particular period of history, and based most of his literal works around those ideas. "(Twain, Tom Sawyer 39), in order to provide motivation to rehearse the verses again in the proper fashion. There are many parallels that can be drawn between The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Whitman creates a persona in this poem in which the soldier feels a sense of duty and honor towards his country, yet the soldier is also a human being beneath his battle garments. The main characters in each story, Tom and Huck, are embarking on a journey from boyhood to adolescence.
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Acceptance Essays
