Mark Twain Considered the greatest humorist of 19th Century American literature Considered the greatest humorist of 19th Century American literature Born Samuel Langhorn Clemens on November 30 th in 1835, Florida, Missouri Born Samuel Langhorn Clemens on November 30 th in 1835, Florida, Missouri Died April 21 st in 1910 Died April 21 st in 1910

Homes of Mark Twain Hannibal, Missouri (1844 to 1853) Jackass Hill, California (December, 1864 to March, 1865 ) Hartford, Connecticut ( )

Pseudonym: Mark Twain In 1857 Samuel Clemens went to New Orleans on his way to make his fortune in South America, but instead he became a Mississippi river pilot. His pseudonym was the river call for a water depth of two fathoms In 1857 Samuel Clemens went to New Orleans on his way to make his fortune in South America, but instead he became a Mississippi river pilot. His pseudonym was the river call for a water depth of two fathoms The Civil War ended river traffic so in 1862 he headed westward The Civil War ended river traffic so in 1862 he headed westward

A Few of his Famous Works The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Tom Sawyer The Adventures of Tom Sawyer A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court The Prince and The Pauper The Prince and The Pauper The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson The $30,000 Bequest The $30,000 Bequest A Tramp Abroad A Tramp Abroad What is Man? and Other Essays What is Man? and Other Essays Mark Twain with friend and character model for Jim of Huckleberry Finn, John T. Lewis

Mark Twain during his brief time as a newspaper reporter for the San Francisco Daily Morning Call (June to October 1864) wrote various news stories, sketches and essays. Mark Twain during his brief time as a newspaper reporter for the San Francisco Daily Morning Call (June to October 1864) wrote various news stories, sketches and essays. The collection was reprinted in Clemens of the 'Call'; Mark Twain in San Francisco by University of California Press in 1969 The collection was reprinted in Clemens of the 'Call'; Mark Twain in San Francisco by University of California Press in 1969

Quote on Love: Love seems the swiftest, but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century. - Mark Twain's Notebook Love seems the swiftest, but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century. - Mark Twain's Notebook Olivia (Livy) and Samuel Clemens

The Clemens Family From left to right: Clara, Livy, Jean, Sam, and Susy. Clemens first child, Langhorn, his only son, died as an infant.

Quote on Writing: To get the right word in the right place is a rare achievement. To condense the diffused light of a page of thought into the luminous flash of a single sentence, is worthy to rank as a prize composition just by itself... To get the right word in the right place is a rare achievement. To condense the diffused light of a page of thought into the luminous flash of a single sentence, is worthy to rank as a prize composition just by itself... - Letter to Emeline Beach, 2/10/ Letter to Emeline Beach, 2/10/1868

Quote on the subject of Literature: My books are water; those of the great geniuses is wine. Everybody drinks water. - Notebook, 1885 My books are water; those of the great geniuses is wine. Everybody drinks water. - Notebook, 1885 Composite illustration combining elements from James Gurney and Hippolyte Sebron courtesy of Dave Thomson Composite illustration combining elements from James Gurney and Hippolyte Sebron courtesy of Dave ThomsonJames GurneyJames Gurney

Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, said to be a masterpiece of humor, characterization, and realism, has been called the first modern American novel. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, said to be a masterpiece of humor, characterization, and realism, has been called the first modern American novel.

Huckleberry Finn in brief Huck Finn, the novel’s narrator, is a boy about 13 years old who is living in pre-Civil War Missouri. He has been taken in by good-doers who try to “sivilize” him with proper dress, manners, and religious piety. Huck finds this very constraining and unnatural. Huck Finn, the novel’s narrator, is a boy about 13 years old who is living in pre-Civil War Missouri. He has been taken in by good-doers who try to “sivilize” him with proper dress, manners, and religious piety. Huck finds this very constraining and unnatural. When his father hears that Huck has come into a large amount of money, he kidnaps him and locks him in a cabin across the river. To avoid his father’s beatings, Huck stages his own death and then escapes and hooks up with Jim, a runaway slave. Huck and Jim have various adventures as they try unsuccessfully to reach the free states. When his father hears that Huck has come into a large amount of money, he kidnaps him and locks him in a cabin across the river. To avoid his father’s beatings, Huck stages his own death and then escapes and hooks up with Jim, a runaway slave. Huck and Jim have various adventures as they try unsuccessfully to reach the free states. At one point two conmen decide to sell Jim to Silas Phelps, who turns out to be Tom Sawyer’s uncle. Tom persuades Huck to join him in an ridiculous scheme to free Jim. Only after Tom’s plan has been played out, and Jim is recaptured, does Tom reveal that Miss Watson, Jim’s owner, had actually freed Jim just before she died, two months earlier. At one point two conmen decide to sell Jim to Silas Phelps, who turns out to be Tom Sawyer’s uncle. Tom persuades Huck to join him in an ridiculous scheme to free Jim. Only after Tom’s plan has been played out, and Jim is recaptured, does Tom reveal that Miss Watson, Jim’s owner, had actually freed Jim just before she died, two months earlier. The current adventure ended, Huck decides to “light out for the Territory,” to head west toward the frontier before anyone can attempt to “sivilize” him again. The current adventure ended, Huck decides to “light out for the Territory,” to head west toward the frontier before anyone can attempt to “sivilize” him again.