Mark Twain1835-1910

• Born on November 30, 1835 in Florida, MO

• Real name: Samuel Clemens• • At the age of 4, the Clemens

family moved 35 miles east to the town of Hannibal, MO

• Clemens’ father, a judge, died of pneumonia when Clemens was 12

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Welcome to HannibalHome of Mark Twain

Mark TwainInteresting Facts…

• By the time he was 9, Clemens had explored the vast caves south of Hannibal. It was said to be the hideout of Jesse James and his gang.

• It is said that most of the incidents described in Tom Sawyer were taken from Clemens’ adventures as a child.

“Mark Twain Cave”

Mark TwainInteresting Facts

• Clemens spent most of his childhood in this home in Hannibal, MO

• It is said that he once spent the night in Judge Clemens’ office with the corpse of a stabbing victim.

Boyhood home in Hannibal, MO

Mark TwainEarly Childhood

• At 17, Clemens left Hannibal for a printer’s job in St. Louis

• While in St. Louis, he became a licensed river pilot.

• Clemens began working as a newspaper reporter for newspapers around the U.S.

Riverboats

Mark Twain

• Clemens’ pseudonym, Mark Twain, comes from his days as a river pilot.

• “Mark twain” means it is safe to navigate.

Mark Twain• Twain began to get famous when his story, “The

Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calavaras County” appeared in the New York Saturday Press.

Mark Twain• Twain’s first book, “The Innocents Abroad”

was published in 1869.• 1870 – Marries Livy Langdon.• 1870-80s – Becomes a father of one boy and

three girls. (Some die at an early age.)• He wrote 28 books and numerous short

stories, letters and sketches.

Mark TwainFamous Novels

• “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, 1876.

•   “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, 1885.

• “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court”, 1889.

Mark Twain• Passed away

April 21, 1910

• Childhood home in Hannibal, MO is open to the public as a museum

TwainTwain’s Use of ’s Use of SatireSatire• Satire:

– Criticize people and society through ridicule.

– Point out the hypocrisy of people and make them look ridiculous.

Words that may surprise you:

• Injun means Indian: we would say Native American

• Gay means happy

• Negro means African Americans

slang: nigger

Background KnowledgeBackground Knowledge– Speech Patterns– Speech Patterns

The characters in the book speak very differently from the way most Americans do today. They speak

in a different dialect.

“He’s a-going up there. Say-look! He’s a-going to shake hands with him—he is shaking hands with him! By jings, don’t you wish you was Jeff?” page 35

“Huck, he must mean us both—we’re right together.” “Oh, Tom, I reckon we’re goners. I reckon there ain’t no mistake ‘bout where I’ll go to. I been so wicked.” page 74

“Hucky, do you das’t to go if I lead?” “I don’t like to, much, Tom, s’pose it’s Injun Joe!” page 75