Mark Twain is a writer who made major contributions to journalism and social activism. His creativity was not limited to a certain direction. He wrote humorous and satirical works, journalism and even science fiction. On the other hand, the author always adhered to a democratic and humanistic position. The description of life should begin with the fact that Mark Twain’s real name is completely different. The initials by which he is known throughout the world are his pseudonym. The history of its origin is quite interesting. The real name of the writer is Samuel Langhorne Clemens.
The appearance of a pseudonym
How did the idea of creating a different name come about? Samuel Clemens himself said that "Mark Twain" was taken from river navigation terminology. In his youth he served as a pilot's mate on the Mississippi. Each time the message that the minimum mark had been reached, which was acceptable for the passage of river boats, sounded like “Mark Twain”. It turns out there is nothing unusual in this story.
However, there is another version why the writer changed his real name to Mark Twain. In 1861, the Northern Star magazine published a story written in a humorous direction by Artemus Ward. One of the main characters was named Mark Twain. Clemens really liked the humorous section, and for his early performances he chose stories from this particular author.
Origin of the nickname
The real name of the writer Mark Twain was not used by him when publishing his works. He always signed with a pseudonym. The author himself claimed that the name by which he began to call himself in his youth - Mark Twain - comes from the term for river navigation. At that time, the future writer served on the Mississippi as a pilot's assistant, and this cry (from English the translation of “mark twain” literally sounds like “mark twain”) meant that according to the mark on the lotline, the minimum depth suitable for the passage of various river vessels had been reached, amounting to 2 fathoms (approximately 3.7 meters).
But there is another version about the allegedly literary origin of this pseudonym: in one of the American magazines in 1861, a humorous story “North Star” by Artemus Ward appeared, telling the story of three sailors, the name of one of whom was Mark Twain (what is the real name of Mark Twain, we already found out). Samuel was very fond of the humorous section of this magazine called Vanity Fair. In his first speeches (which are described below), the writer read precisely the works of Artemus Ward.
In addition to the above-mentioned pseudonym, in 1896, Samuel once signed himself with the name “Sieur Louis de Comte.” Under it he published one of his novels.
Childhood and adolescence
Samuel Clemens (real name Mark Twain) was born on November 30, 1835 in the small town of Florida, which was located in Missouri. When the boy was 4 years old, his parents, in search of a way to improve their lives, decided to move to the city of Hannibal. He was in the same state. The image of this particular town and its inhabitants was later reflected in most of Mark Twain’s published books.
Clemens's father died of pneumonia in 1847, leaving him with a large amount of debt. To improve the family's financial situation, the eldest son decided to publish a newspaper, to which young Samuel made a major contribution. The boy was engaged in typing, and sometimes published as an author of articles. The most lively and interesting works were written by the future Mark Twain. Usually such materials were published when his brother was away. Clemens also traveled occasionally to St. Louis and New York.
Pre-literary activity
The biography of Mark Twain is interesting not only for his literary creations. Before devoting himself to the work of a writer, he worked as a pilot on a steamship ship. Clemens himself later said that if it had not been for the Civil War, he would have continued to work on the ship. Since private shipping was prohibited, the young man had to change his type of activity.
May 22, 1861 is marked in the biography of Mark Twain by the fact that he joined the Masonic fraternity. The writer knew firsthand about the people's militia, which he vividly described in 1861. In the summer of that year he went west. Interesting facts from his biography include his experience as a miner in Nevada, where silver was mined. But his mining career did not work out, so Clemens decided to try himself as a newspaper employee.
Beginning of a literary career
In a Virginia newspaper, Clemens (Mark Twain's real name was indicated just above) was first published under a pseudonym. In 1864, he moved to San Francisco, where he began collaborating with several newspapers at once. The year 1865 was marked by the fact that Mark Twain achieved his first success as a writer. His story, written in a humorous genre, was published and recognized as the best.
In the spring of 1866, Twain went on a trip to Hawaii. On behalf of the newspaper, he had to tell in letters about what happened to him during the trip. After returning to their native lands, these descriptions were a huge success. Soon the writer received an offer to go on a tour around the state with interesting lectures, which the public listened to with pleasure.
In the West
It was this experience of living in the western United States that shaped Twain as a writer. It formed the basis of the second book he created. Hoping to get rich in Nevada, Clemens became a miner and began mining silver. The writer had to live for a long time in a camp with other workers - this way of life was described by him later in literature. But Samuel failed to become a successful prospector; he was forced to leave his mining and get a job at a newspaper in Virginia, where he first began using the pseudonym Mark Twain that made him famous. The writer moved to California, San Francisco, in 1864, where he began publishing articles simultaneously for several newspapers. Twain achieved his first success in the field of literature in 1865, when the humorous story he created was considered the best work in the humorous genre created in America and was reprinted throughout America.
Samuel Clemens ran the Sacramento Union newspaper in Hawaii in the spring of 1866. During his journey, he had to write letters about the adventures that happened to him. Upon the writer's return to San Francisco, unprecedented success awaited them. John McComb, a colonel and publisher of a newspaper called Alta California, invited Mark Twain to go on a tour of the state giving entertaining lectures. They immediately gained wild popularity, and the writer, entertaining the public and collecting a dollar from each listener, traveled throughout the state.
Publication of the first book
Twain received his first real recognition as a writer for another book, which also contained his travel stories. In 1867, he went to travel around Europe as a correspondent. Clemens also visited Russia: Odessa, Yalta, Sevastopol. Interesting facts about Mark Twain include his visit as part of a ship’s delegation, when he visited the residence of the Emperor of Russia.
The author sent his impressions to the editor, then they were published in the newspaper. Later they were combined into one book called “Simps Abroad.” It was released in 1869, which was an immediate success. Throughout his creative career, Twain visited Europe, Asia, America and Australia.
In 1870, when Mark Twain was at the height of his popularity, he married and moved to Buffalo, then to Hartford. At this time, the writer gave lectures not only in America, but also abroad. Afterwards he began to work in the genre of sharp satire, criticizing the American government.
Creative career
Mark Twain's books are still loved by readers all over the world. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn made the greatest contribution to American literature. It is difficult to find a person who would not be familiar with this work. “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, “The Prince and the Pauper” and other books also enjoy popular love and success. Today they are in the home libraries of many families. Most of his public appearances and lectures have not survived.
Interesting facts about Mark Twain include the fact that some works were banned from publication by the writer himself during his lifetime. The lectures were interesting to listeners because Clemens had a talent for speaking in public. When he achieved fame and recognition, he began to look for young talents and helped them take their first steps in the literary field. The writer used useful contacts in literary circles and his own publishing company.
For example, he was very friendly with Nikola Tesla. Mark Twain was interested in science, which is confirmed by the descriptions of various technologies in the books. From time to time his works were banned by censorship. Some works that could offend people's religious feelings were not published at the request of the writer's family. Mark Twain himself, with his characteristic sense of humor, took censorship lightly.
Literary maturity
In subsequent years, Mark Twain continues to work for newspapers, participates in public appearances and travels a lot with lectures, and after publishing a book of his essays, he goes to Europe as a correspondent on a ship. Based on the materials of this voyage, the book “Simplices Abroad” (1869) was published.
The trip brought not only creative success, but also a meeting with a young man named Charlie Langdon, who later introduced the writer to his sister Olivia, whose portrait he always carried with him. The affair took place mainly by correspondence and ended with a wedding. A gift from a wealthy father-in-law was a share in one of the newspapers and a nice house in Buffalo.
Brought up in the petty-bourgeois spirit, Mrs. Clemens zealously took up the task of re-educating her husband and even took on the role of censor of his works. Although for many years some of the manuscripts remained lying on the table, one should not exaggerate its influence on the writer’s work.
1871 marked the move to Hartford, Kentucky. The books sold well and income grew steadily. The writer immersed himself in the life of the American bourgeois intelligentsia. During this period, he writes about the adventures of Tom Sawyer, appealing to readers young and old. The work amazes with its genuine sincerity and a whole range of experiences close to any age:
- pranks of schoolchildren;
- funny antics;
- the comic courtship of Becky Thatcher;
- murder mystery;
- ridiculous superstitions.
Such a wonderful character as Huck Finn should have his own story, Mark Twain believed. The book was written over a long period of time and was published only in 1885. During this period, the author worked on other projects, only periodically returning to the manuscript. In 1881, “The Prince and the Pauper” came out from his pen, and a little later, “A Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.”
After 1890, a streak of failures began : the publishing house was barely making ends meet, rheumatic pain in his right hand was tormented, and debts were growing. The family had to move to cheaper living in Europe. After returning to his homeland, the writer published “The Tragedy of the Simpleton Wilson” (1894) and the novel “Personal Memoirs of Joan of Arc” (1896).
In subsequent years, many of his works were published anonymously, and he forbade publication of some until his own death. In 1895, Twain went on a lecture tour throughout North America and then around the world. This trip allowed him to improve his financial situation and restore his reputation.
Clemens's final years are described by biographers as a time of "bad mood." In his polemical articles of this period, he discussed the moral principles and vices of humanity, and wrote anti-imperialist pamphlets. After his death, the story “The Mysterious Stranger”, “Notebooks” and several articles were published.
The last years of the writer's life
Mark Twain experienced the loss of three of his four children and the death of his wife. Despite his depressed state, he never lost his ability to joke. His financial situation was not in the best condition. Most of the savings were invested in a new model of the machine, which was never released. The rights to Mark Twain's books were stolen by plagiarists.
In 1893, the writer was introduced to the famous oil magnate Henry Rogers. Soon their acquaintance grew into a strong friendship. His death greatly upset Twain. Samuel Clemens, who is known throughout the world as Mark Twain, died on April 21, 1910. This is the same year that Halley's Comet passed by.
Mark Twain's biography is rich in bright events, ups and downs. However, he always treated everything with humor. And his contribution to literature - not only American, but also worldwide - is great. And now all the boys, and girls too, as well as adults, continue to read about the adventures of two mischievous children - Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
Brief biography of Mark Twain
Mark TwainMark Twain is an American writer who was a humanist and democrat. He worked in different genres, from humor to philosophical fiction. The author's real name is Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Mark Twain was born on November 30, 1835 in Florida. His family was of Cornish and English descent. As a child, Sam helped his older brother publish a newspaper. He typed texts and sometimes wrote articles. As a young man, Samuel worked as a steamboat pilot. He liked this profession, but because of the civil war everything changed. Clemens joined the Masonic fraternity. In 1861, he and his older brother Orion left for the West. In Virginia, Sam became a miner. He wanted to get rich by mining silver. The writer spoke about this in his works. In Virginia, Clemens worked for a newspaper. Here he used his pseudonym for the first time. In 1864, Mark Twain left for San Francisco. The following year, success came to him. The story “The Famous Jumping Frog of Calaveras” was published in various newspapers. It was named the best humorous work. In 1866, Twain was sent on a business trip to Hawaii. He needed to write several letters about the trip. The readers really liked these letters. So the newspaper publisher offered the aspiring writer a tour of the state. Mark agreed. He gave interesting lectures and entertained the audience. In 1867, Mark Twain went on a trip to Europe and the Middle East. He wrote letters about this that were published in the newspaper. They were subsequently used in the book "Innocents Abroad", which was a huge success. In 1870, the writer married Olivia Langdon. After the wedding, the couple moved to Buffalo. When Olivia became ill with typhoid fever, they returned to Elmira. In 1871, the family moved to Hartford and rented a house. At this time, Mark Twain created works in which he criticized society and politicians. This is expressed in the collection Life on the Mississippi. The writer earned enough money, so the family soon moved to a new house. The couple and their children lived there until 1891. Mark Twain is the author of the world famous novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, published in 1884. The book is filled with naturalistic descriptions and language that is offensive to blacks. Therefore, in the 2000s they wanted to ban the novel. In 2011, books appeared on sale in which the words were replaced with politically correct ones. Famous works of the American writer include “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, “The Prince and the Pauper”. Readers also enjoy A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. The novel is about time travel. This is explained by the fact that Mark Twain was friends with Nikola Tesla and was interested in the achievements of science. The writer outlived his wife and buried three of his four children. After this he was depressed. The writer's financial affairs were shaken. He invested in the creation of Page's typesetting machine. It was a bad decision because the idea didn't come to fruition. In 1893, Mark Twain met oil magnate Henry Rogers. He not only became a friend of the writer, but also helped improve his financial situation. Mark Twain died on April 21, 1910 in Redding. The cause of death was angina pectoris. The writer was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira.
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