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Mark Twain

Mark Twain. 1835 – 1910. Mark Twain. Born as Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Missouri forced to go to work as a newspaper editor at the age of 12, after his father died (mostly to help support mother and sister) At 18, he set out on his own as a printer for the next 15 years.

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Mark Twain

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  1. Mark Twain 1835 – 1910

  2. Mark Twain • Born as Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Missouri • forced to go to work as a newspaper editor at the age of 12, after his father died (mostly to help support mother and sister) • At 18, he set out on his own as a printer for the next 15 years. • Discovered a love for steamboats that filled the Mississippi River. • Received his pen name “Mark Twain” from boat, dealing with marking water depth. • Most celebrated humorist in American history and literature. • In addition to being a humorist, he is also labeled as a Realist (a bit ironic) • Behind the humor in his literature, exists a revelation of reality • Active in Civil War with Confederates, but abandoned military life quickly to be a gold prospector in Nevada. • Didn’t get rich, but became inspired through storytelling

  3. Mark Twain • In 1871, he moved to Connecticut and built a large home that is visited today by thousands of tourists yearly. • Began publishing work (including Roughing It and Life on the Mississippi) • Began writing The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) • Tone and voice difficulties / couldn’t decide if he was writing for children or adults • In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), Twain found the voice he was seeking. • Could never duplicate the success of this novel, but continued to write • His later years were filled with financial, professional and personal tragedy • Bankruptcy • Death – oldest daughter in 1896 (meningitis), wife in 1904 (chronic illness), and youngest daughter in 1909 (epileptic seizure) • “I know now what the soldier feels when a bullet crashes through his heart.”

  4. Literary Focus • Vocabulary • Vernacular language – the language commonly spoken by people in a particular place or region • Idioms – expressions that make no literal sense, i.e. raining cats and dogs • Dialect – local variations of spoken words • Comic Devices • Hyperbole – outrageous exaggerations • Understatement – saying less than what is really meant, usually for ironic purposes • Comic comparisons – similes and metaphors that create colorful, outlandish images • Comic characters and situations – usual people dealing with unlikely events

  5. Assignment • Read “The celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” pages 461-465 • As you are reading find one example of each of the literary focus terms. • Answer: • What does the narrator hope to learn from Simon Wheeler? What does he learn instead? • According to Wheeler, what was Jim Smiley’s favorite activity? • Which frog wins the jumping contest? Why?

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