Mark Twain as a Humorist
Mark Twain is a big territory in which to roam around. Louis Budd, author of Our Mark Twain, agrees and states that today, 75 years after his death, Twain is still all around us; a crater on Mercury is named after him; the joke in a strip of Peanuts depends on his fame (XI). David Bender, author of Readings on Mark Twain, tells us Mark Twain, whose real name is Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was born on November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri to a poor family (1). Several years after his birth, the family moved to Hannibal, Missouri, where Clemens spent his boyhood years. Those childhood years later inspired him to write his most famous novel, Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain led a very diverse life and had a variety of experiences. These experiences have inspired Twain to use his unique writing style that is still talked about to this day. One can almost feel the cool splash in the mighty Mississippi or hear the voices of young boys in the creeks when reading the stories of Mark Twain. We feel we are part of the story because of the way the books are written. Mark Twain's humor and satire that are so intertwined in his writings play a big role in why he remains so famous.
In "Advice to Little Girls", the story tells girls to respect their teachers, be kind to playmates, and never say no to their parents. After saying all of this, his last words are "good little girls always show marked differences for the age. You ought to never 'sass' old people unless they 'sass' you first" (Twain 48). This little remark is indicative of his sense of humor. It just made me chuckle as I read how he said not to 'sass' an older person unless they do it first. We all know how people get when they get old. They tend to whine about how things are not done how they like. So I can see exactly where he is coming from when he says that they have to sass you first. Comments like these are throughout all of his works and that sets him apart as one of the most entertaining authors of all time. Bender, David. Readings on Mark Twain. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996.
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Approximate Word count = 1593
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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