Mark Twain An American Icon

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Mark Twain An American Icon
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• Real name Samuel Langhorne Clemens
• As a young man, he worked as a riverboat pilot
• When he started his writing career, he changed
  his name to Mark Twain
• Mark Twain means two fathoms, a safe depth for
  a riverboat
• (The periodic measurement of the distance between
  the bottom of the steamboat and the riverbed.
  When the leadsman detected a depth of only twelve
  feet (two fathoms), he would sound the alert 'By
  the maaa-ark, twain!)

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• 1861-Mark Twain headed West to avoid the Civil
  War
• First job reporter at the Virginia City
  Territorial Enterprise
• At this job, Twain first discovered his talent
  for writing

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• Age 34-Married Olivia Langdon, who was part of a
  wealthy coal family
• Olivia provided her familys home in NY for him
  to write and relax

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• His most famous novel is The Adventures of
  Huckleberry Finn.
• Many have criticized it for being racist
• Mark Twain was not racist, but he simply
  depicted life in his times.

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"I have no color prejudices nor caste prejudices
nor creed prejudices. All I care to know is that
a man is a human being, and that is enough for
me he can't be any worse."
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• 1900-Twain had become the most important American
  celebrity
• He was invited to attend fancy dinners,
  gatherings, ship launchings, political events.
• Reporters were always anxious to get a humorous
  quip or comment from him
• He started wearing all white suits he loved to
  stroll down the street so people would stare at
  him

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• Twain began to involve himself in fanciful
  investment schemes that led to his bankruptcyand
  eventual departure.
• He lived in Europe from 1891-1901 because of
  financial problems

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• He began to travel the world speaking and
  lecturing.
• He combined humor with information to reach the
  public

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• He died on April 21, 1910.
• Newspapers around the country proclaimed that
  the world is in mourning

I was sorry to have my name mentioned as one
of the great authors, because they have a sad
habit of dying off. Chaucer is dead, Spencer is
dead, so is Milton, so is Shakespeare, and Im
not feeling so well myself.Mark Twain
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I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is
coming again next year (1910), and I expect to go
out with it. It will be the greatest
disappointment of my life if I don't go out with
Halley's Comet. The Almighty has said, no doubt
"Now here are these two unaccountable freaks
they came in together, they must go out
together."
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Wisdom teaches us that none but birds should go
out early, and that not even birds should do it
unless they are out of worms.
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• Views on politics...

Fleas can be taught nearly anything that a
Congressman can. "It could probably be shown
by facts and figures that there is no distinctly
native American criminal class except Congress."
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Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you
live.
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Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he
never shows to anybody.
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Nothing is made in vain, but the fly came near
it. I'd rather have ten snakes in the house
than one fly.
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The dog is a gentleman I hope to go to his
heaven, not man's.
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Humor is mankind's greatest blessing.
The human race has one really effective weapon,
and that is laughter.
Against the assault of laughter, nothing can
stand.
The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to
cheer somebody else up.
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The man who does not read good books has no
advantage over the man who can't read them.
Classic--a book which people praise and don't
read.
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It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear
stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.
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and one more

• Persons attempting to find a motive in this
  narrative will be prosecuted persons attempting
  to find a moral in it will be banished persons
  attempting to find a plot in it will be shot.
• --authors note from The Adventures of
  Huckleberry Finn

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The Adventures of Huck Finn

• Considered a continuation of Tom Sawyer
• Huck is an important member of Toms group of
  boys
• Book centers around the journey of Huck and Jim,
  a slave.
• Twain represents and makes fun of people by
  exaggerating their character.
• Both author and character show a desire to
  correct the wrongs of society.
• Today, Huck Finn is considered a classic,
  although it is on the banned books list for
  children.

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