Mark Twain's Life and Works

Which is "the best loved" of Twain's books? What does this celebrate?

- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Celebrates boyhood in America (relates to a lot of people in America)

Comment on the influence of Twain's parents in his life

- Dad: Serious, never seen a smile from him -Mom: Sense of humor

As a boy, Twain moved to ____________________, a town on the Mississippi River that would have a profound impact on his childhood (and, later, on his writing), leading scholars to comment that _________________ formed Mark Twain

- Hannibal, place - basis for towns in books -near Mississippi River

What is one example of a way in which "Huck's experiences with Jim turn upside down everything he has been taught"?

- Jim talks about missing his family - Black people love families just like whites (Huck realizes this)

When Twain traveled the river to write _____________________________, he also returned to Hannibal. What did he notice that inevitably affected his writing of The Adventures of Huck Finn?

- Life on the Mississippi - Lincoln made slaves free, but south looks the same - got people to think about race in huck finn

Why was i so important that Twain "put a face on the slave"?

- Most of population didn't pay attention to salves - gives Jim a voice (very unhappy, even his owners were nice)

How did Olivia insist that Twain communicate with her? What happened as a result of their correspondence?

- Olivia friendzoned Twain - Twain wrote letters, she fell in love

Twain is quoted (somewhat arrogantly) as having said, "I am not AN American; I am _____________"

- THE American - shows how arrogant and prideful Twain is

Who was Mark Twain's best friend and why did his parents disapprove of the friendship?

- Tom Blankenship, son of town's drunk - base for for Huck - Mark Twain is Tom Sawyer

@ beginning of video, you can tell that Twain is...

- a man of contradictions - has multiple pen names (multiple personalities) - a complicated person

What did Twain enjoy about working on the river?

- freedom, independence (Huck and Jin on the river vs. the land) - made a lot of money - his own boss (Huck and Jim escaped bc they hated rules)

Why did conventional critics love The Prince and the Pauper?

- had refined English

Why was Twain's job on the river so difficult?

- had to know the river (changes of seasons, climate) - risks involved

How did this apprenticeship affect his approach to and love of language?

- he needed a job, he was interested in writing - opportunity to think about words, the way the are formed/spelled (process of printing)

Langston Hughes said that The adventures of Huck Finn was the "first time [...we see a...] slave clinging to ________________________________."

- hope and freedom - propaganda in U.S. made people think that slaves are happy (in reality they're not) - got people thinking about why would slaves run away if they're happy

Why did Twain want to move to Hartford? What kind of home did they build there?

- it was the ideal place to live - a fancy home

Once scholar in the film says that Twain was an enormous ____________________. He also commented that, for Twain, the river was his ____________ and his _____________. What does this mean?

- noticer (he observes a lot) - Harvard, Yale - the river was his source of education

Twain is described as having ______________ the English language and stripping it of its ___________________________.

- paired down (simplified), ormanintation

What comment did he make about the significance of his birth which revealed both his wit and his somewhat grand sense of self?

- population was 100 - I brought 1% of population into this town (Arrogant and funny)

The Adventures of Huck Finn liberated American language by "cutting it loose from ____________________________________________________________________."

- propriety, proper grammar - language doesn't have to be fancy - ex: huck, jim, pap's dialogue

"The difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between ___________________ and the ________________________." What is implied by this quote?

- right word, almost right word - simple things can change the whole meaning

How was Twain's idea of slavery shaped by his community?

- slavery was ideal, acceptable (the norm) - Huck lives in this society, bad if you don't support slavery

What does "Mark Twain" mean?

- steamboat captains yell this to see how deep it is - 2 fathoms (measurement) = safe water

One praise given to Twain is that he "showed his people a whole new way to think about ______________"

- themselves - the American voice, create our own culture

one of Mark Twain's greatest influences on literature was that he "flawlessly reproduced the _________________________" and made it "something to be admired"

- voice of the american people, admired - the development of a new identity for America, writing is not perfect like English writing

What are some other works by Twain that you notice or recognize?

Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Prince and the Pauper

Where was Twain born?

Florida, Missouri

Mr. Langdon worked on the Underground Railroad and housed which famous slave writer?

Fredrick Douglas

What occurred on the night of his birth which his mother interpreted as a sign of good to come?

Haley's comet passed by --> a sign of luck

What did Twain note to be one of his most significant childhood memories?

He saw the sorrow in slave's eyes while they were being shipped off

What is Twain's birth name?

Samuel Langhorne Clemens

Notice Twain's jokes about how long it would often take to ravel on the river. He comments that they would sometimes pass the time by racing with __________________

islands

When The Adventures of Huck Finn was initially published, with what aspect of the text did people find fault?

language, dialects were so bad to the point where people thought that it would encourage bad in others

According to the video, American literature is fundamentally different from European literature because of ____________ and _____________________.

race, space (exploration of land)

The comment has been made that Twain sought to __________________ through humor

repair sorrow

Ironically, Twain comments that he wouldn't want to marry any girl that he was worth of because she wouldn't be ________________ enough

respectable

What is Jim fleeing?

slavery (in search for freedom)

What ends Twain's time as a steamboat pilot?

the Civil War

What impressed Twain about the Langdon family?

wealthy and principled

When was Twain born?

November 30, 1835

Twain later intended to travel to _______________, but while traveling downstream, he decided that he wanted to pursue the profession of ___________________________________ instead

Brasil, Steamboat Captain

The text is historically set before

Civil War, emancipation

What was the culminating sorrow of Twain's boyhood?

Death of his brother (Henry, died from steamboat accident) - blamed himself because he told Henry to get on the river

True or false. Mark Twain wrote The Adventures of Huck Finn in less than a year.

False, 7 years (start, stopped)

True or false? Mark Twain wrote only novels

False, also wrote in newsletters and in short stories

True of false. All of the characters in Twain's text are fully fictional and drawn purely from imagination.

False, every character came from Mississippi River

What is the moral climax of the novel?

Huck fells like he should tell Miss Watson, but he says, "I'll go to hell" - taught that slavery is ok - doing what feels right

When Twain and his family would visit his uncle's farm, what did they do in the evenings?

Listen to stories told by slaves - base for Jim

How (physically) did Twain write?

Longhand

The character of Tom Sawyer is based on _____________________

Mark Twain

The cahracter of Huck Finn is based on

Tom Blankenship

Where did Twain first work as an apprentice?

a printing shop

Twain referred to the river as a ___________ with __________________ to be told

book, stories and tales

Is Huck speaking literally or figuratively when he says he will "go to hell" for his friend

feels like he's a bad person for doing this

What is Huck fleeing?

from society (in search for freedom)