Before I begin, I'd like to thank the person who made it possible for me to be here with you all today. President Bill Clinton. By scheduling his trip to Moscow just so, I had enough of a pause between my trips to Japan and Oklahoma city and Russia that it was possible to make it to Hartford today.
I'd also like to thank John Boyer. Somehow he got it into his head that I like Twain -- which I do -- and that I might know something about him -- which I don't. At least I am honest about it.
However, you may want to consider that Mark Twain and I share certain unshakable philosphical similarities. We both lived in Connecticut for a while. We both like to fish. We both like to play hooky. We both like cigars. But Mark Twain's wife allowed him to light his cigars. (You can only imagine the sort of career I might've had if my wife let me light my cigars.owever, like the President, I am only permitted to chew mine.)
I'm not unaware that the giving of lectures on Mark Twain is more commonly the sphere of academics. To be enjoyed by other academics. Academics can ask questions such as, "Was Huck black?" To which the rest of us would merely reply, "No." Academics prefer debate over simple questions. Academics aren't like you and me. At least, they're not like me. Such things are way over my head. I am a proud graduate of Sam Houston State Teachers College Huntsville, Texas. While those of us who went there know it to be the Yale or UConn of our part of the world, we're perfectly well aware that most people this far north have never heard of the place. Sam Houston State has about as much ivy growing on it as your average Burger King or McDonald's. I say all these things to underscore one thing. There may be great experts on the work of Mark Twain -- perhaps there are several in this room. But very few if any such great experts are graduates of Sam Houston State Teachers College. And I am not such a one. It's with that understanding that I proceed today. I don't pretend any expertise in the works of Mark Twain. I tend not to interpret much. I enjoy.
In preparing for my visit I did a lot of reading and re-reading, and I did a lot of laughing out loud.
“Mark Twain Prize for Humor.” Kennedy Center. Mark Twain Foundation Trust. 2013. Web. 2 Apr
Twain makes the reader look at society in a different lens. When reading Huckleberry Finn the reader is transported back in time to America during the 1840s. The reader meets Huck and Jim, two unlikely friends who are both in bondage with society. Olsen says that literature shapes the way people view the world by exploring different viewpoints. These viewpoints include society’s view about slavery at the time, and Hucks changing view about Jim even though he is a slave. High school students are mature enough to think about the points Twain is trying to make about racism and society through his themes and satire. Simmons states in his article that, “It seems fairly obvious to me that as students mature, they benefit by thinking critically about literary texts.” DelFattore says in her article, “Being required to confront difficult, embarrassing, and controversial matters and learn how to deal with them does not constitute a hostile learning environment. It constitutes an education” (DelFattore). Through reading Huckleberry Finn students begin to develop and question society and the prejudices that still exist. Students need to be given the opportunity to read this book and think about it critically so that they can learn to address important issues and how to work through
Mark Twain is considered one of America 's most highly regarded literary icons. He upholds this status by utilizing parallelism to include bits of information about himself in the novel. Throughout the story, Twain keeps a sort of idol-influenced motivation
Bellamy, Gladys Carmen. Mark Twain as a Literary Artist. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1950.
Mark Twain’s book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, educates high school students on how the Southern society operated at that time. When analyzing the novel, one can see that Twain’s writing clearly does not endorse slavery or the use of derogatory language toward African-Americans. In a petition to remove this book from a high school required reading list, a school board in New Jersey concluded, "the literary value of the book outweighed the negative aspect of the language employed.” (2) Huckleberry Finn is a satirical novel that was written to show the flaws of 19th century American society. It shows how people thought and acted back then, and points out what was wrong with the white supremacy mindset of many Southerners during these years. “The book itself is a great testament that...
Jack Kerouac, was born on March 12, 1922 in Lowell, Massachusetts, as the youngest of three children. Jack decided to be a writer after his brother Gerard died at the age of nine. From the life and death experience of his brother's death, and the Catholic faith of his childhood, he developed a spiritual tendency in his character that would last throughout his life. The fact that Kerouac was a spiritual "seeker," may be the most vital aspect of his life. In post WWII, Eisenhower America, Jack Kerouac came from a poor rustic industrial community to change the face of American Culture forever. He chronicled the wild rebellious culture of "the Beats" in the late 50's and early 60's, paving the way for a more accepting American Society and the tolerance of alternative lifestyles enjoyed today.
...he refused to acquiesce to convention in his writings. Though he viciously attacked the wrongs that permeated his world, he did not solve the problems of humanity with his literature. But the vital voice of his literature is not dead, and it offers guidance for those seeking to fathom Twain's mark.
At the young age of twelve, Twain lost his father. Ever since the loss of his father, he began to work in various jobs. From starting as “an apprentice, then a composer, with local printers, contributing occasional squibs to local newspapers” (“Mark Twain”). The early start of responsibility was just the beginning of his career. During the time, he was working for the newspaper, for six years in the newspaper company, he “finally ended up as an assistant to his brother, Orion” (“Samuel Langhorne Clemens.”). He stayed in Iowa by his brother’s side until he
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.
... about experience.(Beat movement) By 1960’s he had finished his most known novels. But by 1969 Kerouac became broke, an alcoholic and had already married his third wife Stella Sampas in 1966. During one of his rampages at a local bar he was beaten by some of the other drunken customers and a few days later he died while watching television from internal hemorrhaging in St. Petersburg, Florida at the age of 47.(Weinreich) Kerouac was buried at Edson Commentary, his hometown, and is honored with a Doctor of Letters degree from his University Lowell. Jim Irsay, Indianapolis Colts owner paid about 2.43 million dollars for the original scroll of Kerouac’s most famous novel and put it on an exhibition tour that ended in 2009.(poemhunter) Kerouac had only one child which was from his second marriage with Joan Haverty who had a daughter named Jan Kerouac.(biography.com)
Similar to the characters in his novels, Jack Kerouac lived a wild and unpredictable life filled with travelling, hitchhiking, drugs, alcohol, and rock n roll. He met new people every day, and discovered new things daily. He also attended countless numbers of parties with his fellow beatniks in attendance. Due to his bizarre and unusual behavior, literary critics and book publishing companies often despised Jack Kerouac and they dismissed his novels as being obscene and inappropriate for people to read (Jack Kerouac). However, his rejection by critics didn’t bother him very much. As long as he had his typewriter, some paper, and the American frontier, then Kerouac was a happy man. It can be argued that his travels are the reason why he suffered from such a severe drug and alco...
He meant to poke fun of as much as possible it seems when he wrote this book as it is quite the list starting with religion, greed , civilization, romanticism, and the list goes on. Through Huck he shows a young boy being civilized by a society in which slavery exists and of course mistreatment, or a barrier between blacks and whites which affect Huck. “I see it warn’t no use wasting words- you can’t learn a nigger to argue. So I quit”(60). It shows just how much a certain idea can catch considering Huck just called Jim less intelligent than he is which is pretty ironic considering Jim is much older than Huck. Twain just proves that blacks were thought less of during such times, but such a thing was not taken so seriously and with the publishing of this book gave more insight to everything in the south that was a little off. Many instances go farther and show what everyone thinks about blacks in a southern society. Most of what Huck has been taught in the south makes him conflicted when it comes time to decide certain things.”All right then I will go to hell-and tore it up”(162). Huck’s momentary decision here sort of set out how much he was affected by Southern ideology of returning and keeping slaves in check. Huck did start writing to Mrs. Watson in hopes that she would come get Jim. The thought of this really put Huck at such an ease due to the fact that he was used to
After visiting Kerouac in Mexico City in 1956, he returned to New York with him. From there, he began promoting “Howl” and the literary works of other Beat writers. By 1957, Ginsberg began traveling frequently. He visited Burroughs in Tangier and went on to Spain, Italy, Vienna, Munich, and Paris. Paris is where he wrote much of Part IV of “Kaddish”. It is believed by some that these travels are what caused his writing imagination to gain traction all over again. Ginsberg
Mark Twain was known as a humorist and in fact, humor was a tool he used to strengthen his points about what he saw as the major problems of the day. Living at the time of the Civil War, he clearly saw and chose to address such problems as slavery, child abuse, religion and feuds. In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain expresses his loathing for some of these serious social problems and yet in general, he never loses his humorous touch. Nonetheless, when he deals with the ills of society that particularly anger him, he chooses not to use humor; rather this is reserved for other areas of his work.
John Keats was born in London on October 31, 1795. He was the son of a stable attendant who married the owner's daughter and later inherited the stable for himself. The elder Mr. Keats died when John was eight, leaving the family tied up in legal matters that lasted the rest of John's life. He was fourteen when his mother died of tuberculosis, and fifteen when his guardian apprenticed him to an apothecary-surgeon. Soon after, John left the medical field to focus primarily on poetry.