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The influences of Mark Twain on the later writers
The influences of Mark Twain on the later writers
American literature mark twain
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Misunderstood, dejected angel Satan finally got his word in and it is through the humorous words of Mark Twain that it was done. In Letters from the Earth, Twain makes a controversial conclusion that not only is there a chance that perhaps this angel was not justly sentenced but also that society has warped our vision of God. With such a hard message being sent one might think Twain had gone off the deep end, however this is more proof that Twain was a realist and a literary genius. His writing was filled with humor and was given to his public through satire to get his points and perspectives across. With his sarcastic tone in Letters from the Earth he is able to give it more life for all to interpret and self-evaluate themselves and their …show more content…
On Nov. 30, 1835, in the small town of Florida, Mo one of Americas most famous literary icons was born. He was the sixth child John Marshall and Jane Lampton Clemens and was named Samuel Langhorne Clemens. In 1839, the Clemens family moved 35 miles east to the town of Hannibal; MI. Hannibal was a port city that was along the banks of the Mississippi.
When Samuel was young he was kept indoors often due to sickness, luckily by age nine he recovered and was able to enjoy the outside world with the rest of the children his age and attend a private school in Hannibal. At the age of 12 his father died of pneumonia, and at 13, Samuel left school to become a printer's apprentice. After two short years, he joined his brother Orion's newspaper as a printer and editorial assistant. This was the beginning of Samuels love of writing and literature. When he became a licensed river pilot he became familiar with the term “Mark Twain” meaning that is safe to navigate. He adopted the name shortly after for his work. All together he wrote 28 books and numerous short stories, letters and sketches. His fame began when his story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calavaras County" appeared in the New York Saturday Press on November 18, 1865. Twain's first book, The Innocents Abroad, was published in 1869, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in 1876, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1885. Mark Twain passed away on April 21, 1910, but his books and name has lived on and is still studied and enjoyed
Across these three works Satan was transformed from a seductive, but flat, character, to a suffering monster, to a complex, multidimensional antagonist. Within the Christian world, Satan provides an interesting representation of evil. He can be used to demonstrate the charms of sin or its consequences. The these three works demonstrate a changing and increasingly complex understanding of evil and sin.
Although not commonly associated with Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the devil is mentioned the classic American novel. Hawthorne describes Satan as a tall, black man who lives in the woods, interacting with humans and witches to corrupt their souls. Portrayals of Satan throughout history have given him many different associations, one of the most well-known displays of him being in Dante Alighieri’s epic poem, Inferno and Peter Cook’s comedic film, Bedazzled. In these two depictions, the devil is shown malicious yet tragic figure, although his reaction his punishments vary.
Satan is tormented by the spite and revenge he feels towards God. His ambition is driven by the destruction of humankind and faith. In Paradise Lost he is the mesmerizing force that surges the act of sin. His character in Scripture is manipulative and disguising while his actions in The Screwtape Letters are organized and shrewd. Satan seeks to be praised and is defiant towards religion and God. His actions and attitude are the obstacles in the relationship between man and God.
His determination is shown by the quote ‘He circled, four times crossed the car of night’. This makes it obvious to the reader that Satan’s desire for revenge is much more than a simple whim it is lust. In Book 2 of Paradise Lost, Satan’s determination is introduced as he leaves the other fallen angels in Pandemonium to wreak havoc on Earth and orchestrate their revenge. It is now, in book 9, that his efforts come to fruition, as Eve eats from the Tree of Knowledge and convinces Adam to do the same, consequently, man falls. Despite this, Satan does not receive his full punishment until Book 10
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is a book of thirty –one letters in which a retired, senior demon named Screwtape coaches his newly educated nephew, Wormwood. Wormwood is quite troubled when it comes to tempting his “patient.” Nevertheless, he need not fear because faithful uncle Screwtape has offered his services. A unique character featured in the letters is, “The Enemy.” This character refers to God, the natural enemy of Satan. Of course Satan is referred to as “Our Lord.” In the letters, and Wormwood and Screwtape try their very best to please Satan and bring him glory. Although the book is written from the demons’ perspective, Lewis naturally uses it to highlight important truths of the Christian faith.
THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN AUTHOR’S SKETCH Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri. When Samuel Clemens was four years old, his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri, where he spent his childhood. Clemens first approach to literature was through typesetting for a newspaper in 1851. At the time Orion, his brother, was a newspaper publisher in Hannibal. From 1857 until 1861, he served as the pilot of a riverboat on the Mississippi River.
Jules Verne is a man who became very successful in doing what he loved, Verne may have experienced betrayal in his family and fought against sickness at old age, but he never stopped doing what he admired. In those rough phases in his life, he overcame the challenges and had an amazing journey doing what he did best. Verne was a scientific author, his books always amazed his audience because he made the impossible seem possible. He has always been passionate about his work and continued to bewilder people's minds with his astonishing writing. In this essay, there will be an incite on Verne's childhood,his accomplishments, and the legacy he left behind.
It begins with an introduction foreword written by Abraham Verghese, who helped Paul Kalanithi to publish this book. The first part and the second part of the main body is a memoir that Paul himself had written that describes his life before and after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. The last section of the book is an epilogue written after Paul’s death by his wife Lucy.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by the pseudonym Mark Twain, has been central to American literature for over a century. His seemingly effortless diction accurately exemplified America’s southern culture. From his early experiences in journalism to his most famous fictional works, Twain has remained relevant to American writing as well as pop culture. His iconic works are timeless and have given inspiration the youth of America for decades. He distanced himself from formal writing and became one of the most celebrated humorists. Mark Twain’s use of the common vernacular set him apart from authors of his era giving his readers a sense of familiarity and emotional connection to his characters and himself.
...oing so let to his realization of what he did – a punishment worse than death in that he has to live in the sin he created for himself. Satan, another notable figure controlled by a consuming pride, desired to be God, not to be a servant of God. In reluctance to serve Him, Satan was pushed from heaven.
Also, even though, Twain was a Realistic writer, he used an unrealistic character, Satan. However, as all the other Twain’s novels, The Mysterious Stranger, also, talks about the humanity; but he described it more negatively. Satan who is the main character kept showing that how stupid and rubbish the humans are. Therefore, getting off from this worthless human being’s sight, Mark Twain looked human through non-human being,
idea of an underdog, describing Satan as a person fighting against an inferior power, with extreme odds against a victory for his side (14). In the scenes around the battle in heaven, Milton shows how Satan is viewed as a leader by the other fallen angels.
Milton’s Satan in Paradise Lost is a complex character meant to be the evil figure in the epic poem. Whenever possible Satan attempts to undermine God and the Son of God who is the true hero of the story. Throughout the story Milton tells the readers that Satan is an evil character, he is meant not to have any redeeming qualities, and to be shown completely as an unsympathetic figure. Satan’s greatest sins are pride and vanity in thinking he can overthrow God, and in the early part of the poem he is portrayed as selfish while in Heaven where all of God’s angels are loved and happy. Satan’s journey starts out as a fallen angel with great stature, has the ability to reason and argue, but by Book X the anguish and pain he goes through is more reason for him to follow an evil path instead. Even so, Milton uses literal and figurative imagery in the description of Satan’s character to manipulate the reader’s response to the possibility that Satan may actually be a heroic figure. As the plot of the story unfolds there are moments where the reader can identify with Satan’s desires and relate to his disappointments.
In the eyes of a non-religious person, the figure of Satan might appear as an obsolete, mythical character of an antiquated view of the world. However, upon immersing oneself in the study of this persona, one can observe the strong belief in its power and the influence that the figure of Satan represents in the religious world. One might wonder how such a feat is possible even after hordes of scientists and academics objected to the existence of such a fabled character. Moreover, many theologists advanced theories that strived to diminish the importance of Satan in order to achieve a more monistic religion. It would be normal, nowadays to find the figure of Satan relegated to the status of a mere myth of the old times much like the ancient
Mankind lives in a physical, tangible, material world, which is influenced by the invisible, spiritual world around us. The present day spiritual world is just as existent as it was nearly two thousand years ago when Lord Jesus walked the earth. The Old and New Testaments reveal to us from time to time, glimpses of this spiritual world. These Testaments provide us with the most factual information regarding Satan. Unfortunately, many have been misinformed and do not thoroughly comprehend Satan’s origin and what his purpose concerning the spiritual and physical world. There is a great need to set the record straight regarding Satan especially in our hour with its present angel craze, channeling and a belief in spirit guides. I chose Satan as the subject of my paper because I am one who does not thoroughly comprehend who he is and what his purpose in both the spiritual and physical world is.