Mark Twain Samuel Longhorn Clemens 1835 1910 Lesson

Mark Twain Samuel Longhorn Clemens 1835 - 1910

Lesson Focus • Determine the qualities of a good narrative • Determine period-specific vocabulary

His Life • Clemens was born in Missouri • His work is some of the most famous produced in America • He was a humorist and satirist

• Twain was born shortly after a visit by Halley's Comet, and he predicted that he would "go out with it", too • He died the day after the comet returned • He was lauded as the "greatest American humorist of his age“ • William Faulkner called Twain "the father of American literature"

• After Samuel’s father died, Samuel became a printer’s apprentice • He was self-educated, and traveled throughout the United States much of his life • Clemens learned to pilot a riverboat on the Mississippi River; his pen name comes from riverboat “jargon”

• Clemens left the River at the beginning of the Civil War (river travel was difficult) • He moved west, writing as he went • A newspaper picked him up and he traveled in Europe and America, becoming more-known • It was during this period that he began using his pen name of Mark Twain

• Clemens had financial difficulties because of bad business investments • He finally found good council, repaid his debts, and was able to settle into married life • He married Olivia Langdon in 1870

• Olivia introduced Samuel to new ideas, including women’s rights • He also met influential people through his wife, among them Harriet Beecher Stowe • Clemens and his growing family continued traveling, and he continued making poor investments • In general, however, his life was good; he was writing well-received material, and his wife blessed him with three daughters and a son, although the son died as a child

• Samuel’s life changed dramatically after the death of one of his daughters • Within a few years, another daughter and his wife also died • Going through a deep depression, Clemens’ work became darker • He still cared deeply for his last daughter and his friends, often helping in their financial need

• Clemens died of a heart attack in 1910 • He is buried in Elmira, New York

His Work • Clemens is known as one of the finest American writers • His body of work includes both fiction and nonfiction • He is most famous for his novels, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, ” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”

• Clemens’ use of dialect is particularly remarkable; his works preserve some of the unique language of the people of the time in which he lived • Samuel was particularly annoyed with people who were arrogant; his satire could be scathing • He was also a strong supporter of a democratic government; he was strongly anti-imperialist • He also supported the abolition of slavery and supported women’s rights

Literary Terms • Humor - A comic, absurd, or incongruous quality causing amusement • Satire – A literary work that mocks or ridicules the stupidity or vices of individuals, groups, institutions, or society in general • Hyperbole – Saying more than what is true, usually for humor or for emphasis • Tone - The attitude a writer takes toward the subject or the reader of a work of literature

Discussion • What makes a “good narrative”? – Narrative - a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious • Plot • Setting • Characters “Hook” Dialogue Point of view

The Danger of Lying In Bed, page 507

Class Work • • Read the essay Identify elements of exaggeration (hyperbole) Literary Critique Questions, page 511, #s 1 -5 Summarize statistics used in the text

A Night of Terror, page 512

Class Work • Read the essay • Identify period-specific vocabulary • Literary Critique Questions, page 516 - 517, #s 1 -6

Homework • Writing Workshop, page 511, #2: Modified – Instead of creating an entire essay, use the statistics you uncover to create a minimum of 3 charts to be used in MLA format. It should include proper citations and be emailed to Mrs. Golden. – For homework, complete your research. We will discuss how to create the charts in class. – This will be a quiz grade…