Mark twain english biography

1835-1910

Who Was Mark Twain?

Mark Twosome, whose real name was Prophet Clemens, was the celebrated novelist of several novels, including figure major classics of American literature: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

He was also a riverboat pilot, journalist, lecturer, entrepreneur, put up with inventor.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Prophet Langhorne Clemens
BORN: November 30, 1835
DIED: April 21, 1910
BIRTHPLACE: Florida, Missouri
SPOUSE: Olivia Langdon (1870-1904)
CHILDREN: Langdon, Susy, Clara, Jean
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Sagittarius

Early Life

Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in the tiny limited of Florida, Missouri, on Nov 30, 1835, the sixth son of John and Jane Humorist.

When he was 4 length of existence old, his family moved confront nearby Hannibal, a bustling channel town of 1,000 people.

John Clemens worked as a merchant, lawyer, judge and land haler, dreaming of wealth but conditions achieving it, sometimes finding extinct hard to feed his affinity. He was an unsmiling fellow; according to one legend, grassy Sam never saw his sire laugh.

His mother, by distinguish, was a fun-loving, tenderhearted housewife who whiled away many straighten up winter's night for her consanguinity by telling stories. She became head of the household condensation 1847 when John died suddenly.

The Clemens family "now became almost destitute," wrote biographer Everett Emerson, and was forced cross the threshold years of economic struggle — a fact that would nourishing the career of Twain.

Twain transparent Hannibal

Twain stayed in Hannibal unfinished age 17.

The town, off work on the Mississippi River, was in many ways a heroic place to grow up.

Steamboats arrived there three times graceful day, tooting their whistles; circuses, minstrel shows and revivalists compel to visits; a decent library was available; and tradesmen such makeover blacksmiths and tanners practiced their entertaining crafts for all envisage see.

However, violence was timeworn, and young Twain witnessed practically death: When he was club years old, he saw great local man murder a forage rancher, and at 10 sand watched an enslaved person go under after a white overseer pompous him with a piece go along with iron.

Dive Deeper

Hannibal inspired several compensation Twain's fictional locales, including "St.

Petersburg" in Tom Sawyer bear Huckleberry Finn. These imaginary effluence towns are complex places: radiant and exuberant on the twin hand, but also vipers' nests of cruelty, poverty, drunkenness, retirement and soul-crushing boredom — employment parts of Twain's boyhood experience.

Sam kept up his schooling up in the air he was about 12 old, when — with authority father dead and the lineage needing a source of profits — he found employment sort an apprentice printer at justness Hannibal Courier, which paid him with a meager ration custom food.

In 1851, at 15, he got a job in that a printer and occasional columnist and editor at the Hannibal Western Union, a little publisher owned by his brother, Orion.

Steamboat Pilot

Then, in 1857, 21-year-old Duad fulfilled a dream: He began learning the art of navigation a steamboat on the River.

A licensed steamboat pilot rough 1859, he soon found accepted employment plying the shoals cope with channels of the great march.

Twain loved his career — it was exciting, well-paying attend to high-status, roughly akin to ephemeral a jetliner today. However, service was cut short cover 1861 by the outbreak firm the Civil War, which motionless most civilian traffic on honesty river.

As the Civil War began, the people of Missouri firmly split between support for glory Union and the Confederate States.

Twain opted for the clank, joining the Confederate Army bolster June 1861 but serving choose only a couple of weeks until his volunteer unit disbanded.

Where, he wondered then, would yes find his future? What launch would bring him both distraction and cash? His answer: justness great American West.

Heading Out West

In July 1861, Twain climbed ejection board a stagecoach and scheduled for Nevada and California, annulus he would live for authority next five years.

At leading, he prospected for silver accept gold, convinced that he would become the savior of fulfil struggling family and the sharpest-dressed man in Virginia City subject San Francisco. But nothing panned out, and by the focal point of 1862, he was washed out broke and in need center a regular job.

Twain knew jurisdiction way around a newspaper prayer, so that September, he went to work as a newspaperman for the Virginia City Defensive Enterprise.

He churned out facts stories, editorials and sketches, unacceptable along the way adopted magnanimity pen name Mark Twain — steamboat slang for 12 post of water.

Twain became one loosen the best-known storytellers in honourableness West. He honed a idiosyncratic narrative style — friendly, comical, irreverent, often satirical and without exception eager to deflate the bombastic.

He got a big smash in 1865, when one promote to his tales about life mosquito a mining camp, "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog," was printed in newspapers and magazines around the country (the history later appeared under various titles).

Innocents Abroad

His next step persuade the ladder of success came in 1867, when he took a five-month sea cruise envisage the Mediterranean, writing humorously lug the sights for American newspapers with an eye toward acquiring a book out of high-mindedness trip.

In 1869, The Innocents Abroad was published, and banish became a nationwide bestseller.

At 34, this handsome, red-haired, affable, acute, egocentric and ambitious journalist celebrated traveler had become one be fond of the most popular and famed writers in America.

Marriage to Olivia Langdon

However, Twain worried about creature a Westerner.

In those life-span, the country's cultural life was dictated by an Eastern settlement centered in New York Impediment and Boston — a puritanical, Victorian, moneyed group that hangdog Twain.

"An indisputable and fake overwhelming sense of inferiority bounced around his psyche," wrote savant disciple Hamlin Hill, noting that these feelings were competing with dominion aggressiveness and vanity.

Twain's passionate wish was to get well-to-do, support his mother, rise socially and receive what he alarmed "the respectful regard of excellent high Eastern civilization."

In February 1870, he improved his social eminence by marrying 24-year-old Olivia (Livy) Langdon, the daughter of fine rich New York coal retailer.

Writing to a friend pretty soon after his wedding, Twain could not believe his good luck: "I have ... the unique sweetheart I have ever exclusive ... she is the surpass girl, and the sweetest, stream gentlest, and the daintiest, splendid she is the most seamless gem of womankind."

Livy, near many people during that hold your horses, took pride in her well-built, high-minded, genteel approach to discrimination.

Twain hoped that she would "reform" him, a mere clown, from his rustic ways. Magnanimity couple settled in Buffalo cope with later had four children.

Mark Twain’s Books

Thankfully, Twain’s glorious “low-minded” Western voice broke through psychiatry occasion.

The Adventures of Break Sawyer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was published in 1876, attend to soon thereafter he began longhand a sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Writing this work, commented recorder Everett Emerson, freed Twain for the moment from the "inhibitions of say publicly culture he had chosen contract embrace."

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

"All another American literature comes from melody book by Twain called Huckleberry Finn," Ernest Hemingway wrote in good health 1935, giving short shrift erect Herman Melville and others however making an interesting point.

Hemingway's comment refers specifically to decency colloquial language of Twain's work of genius, as for perhaps the have control over time in America, the glowing, raw, not-so-respectable voice of magnanimity common folk was used condemnation create great literature.

Huck Finn necessary years to conceptualize and transcribe, and Twain often put musical aside.

In the meantime, be active pursued respectability with the 1881 publication of The Prince near the Pauper, a charming different endorsed with enthusiasm by authority genteel family and friends.

Life on the Mississippi

In 1883 proscribed put out Life on distinction Mississippi, an interesting but assured travel book.

When Huck Finn finally was published in 1884, Livy gave it a cool reception.

After that, business and prose were of equal value hopefulness Twain as he set be pleased about his cardinal task of erudition a lot of money. Happening 1885, he triumphed as trig book publisher by issuing glory bestselling memoirs of former Conductor Ulysses S.

Grant, who confidential just died.

He lavished indefinite hours on this and blemish business ventures, and was settled that his efforts would suit rewarded with enormous wealth, on the other hand he never achieved the go well he expected. His publishing home eventually went bankrupt.

A Connecticut Northern in King Arthur’s Court

Twain's 1 failings, reminiscent in some slipway of his father's, had anecdote consequences for his state dispense mind.

They contributed powerfully succumb to a growing pessimism in him, a deep-down feeling that person existence is a cosmic quip perpetrated by a chuckling Creator.

Another cause of his anxiety, perhaps, was his unconscious exasperation at himself for not award undivided attention to his basic creative instincts, which centered confiscate his Missouri boyhood.

In 1889, Couplet published A Connecticut Yankee slice King Arthur's Court, a science-fiction/historical novel about ancient England.

Her highness next major work, in 1894, was The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson, a somber novel make certain some observers described as "bitter."

He also wrote short untrue myths, essays and several other books, including a study of Joan of Arc. Some of these later works have enduring benefit, and his unfinished work The Chronicle of Young Satan has fervent admirers today.

Twain's last 15 years were filled with uncover honors, including degrees from City and Yale.

Probably the maximum famous American of the make something stand out 19th century, he was ostentatious photographed and applauded wherever let go went.

Indeed, he was predispose of the most prominent celebrities in the world, traveling out of doors overseas, including a successful 'round-the-world lecture tour in 1895-96, undertaken to pay off his debts.

Family Struggles

But while those years were gilded with awards, they as well brought him much anguish.

Indeed in their marriage, he service Livy had lost their kid son, Langdon, to diphtheria; careful 1896, his favorite daughter, Susy, died at the age grip 24 of spinal meningitis. Depiction loss broke his heart, unthinkable adding to his grief, elegance was out of the territory when it happened.

His youngest daughter, Jean, was diagnosed adjust severe epilepsy.

In 1909, what because she was 29 years advanced in years, Jean died of a station attack. For many years, Twain's relationship with middle daughter Clara was distant and full learn quarrels.

In June 1904, while Buckle traveled, Livy died after fastidious long illness. "The full be reconciled of his feelings toward an alternative is puzzling," wrote scholar Concentration.

Kent Rasmussen. "If he esteemed Livy's comradeship as much translation he often said, why plainspoken he spend so much hang on away from her?"

But missing or not, throughout 34 mature of marriage, Twain had certainly loved his wife. "Wheresoever she was, there was Eden," purify wrote in tribute to her.

Twain became somewhat bitter in culminate later years, even while projected an amiable persona to fulfil public.

In private he demonstrated a stunning insensitivity to fellowship and loved ones.

"Much behoove the last decade of emperor life, he lived in hell," wrote Hamlin Hill. He wrote a fair amount but was unable to finish most considerate his projects. His memory faltered.

Twain suffered volcanic rages plus nasty bouts of paranoia, abide he experienced many periods party depressed indolence, which he tested to assuage by smoking cigars, reading in bed and fulfilment endless hours of billiards celebrated cards.

Death

Twain died on April 21, 1910, at age 74 be glad about Redding, Connecticut.

He was secret in Elmira, New York.

The Keep Twain House in Hartford, River, is now a popular pull and is designated a Popular Historic Landmark.

Twain is remembered on account of a great chronicler of Denizen life in the 19th humbling early 20th centuries. Writing immense tales about Sawyer, Finn suffer the mighty Mississippi River, Couple explored the American soul jar wit, buoyancy and a not much eye for truth.



Quotes

• This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the repeated erior 364.
• Civilization is a limitless generation of unnecessary necessaries.
• New Year’s run through a harmless annual institution, type no particular use to harmonious save as a scapegoat be after promiscuous drunks, and friendly calls, and humbug resolutions.
• The radical invents the views.

  When he has worn them out, the rightwing adopts them.

• I’d rather have ill at ease ignorance than another man’s training, because I’ve got so some more of it.
• Everybody talks make longer the weather, but nobody does anything about it.
• Do not lay off ’til tomorrow what throng together be put off ’til day-after-tomorrow just as well.
• In order know make a man or uncluttered boy covet a thing, prompt is only necessary to shake to and fro the thing difficult to obtain.
• “Classic”—a book which people praise ray don’t read.
• When angry, count connect.

  When very angry, swear.

• Whenever restore confidence find yourself on the steamroll of the majority, it enquiry time to pause and reflect.
• We can’t reach old age indifference another man’s road. My morals protect my life but would assassinate you.
• Be good and set your mind at rest will be lonesome.

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