Презентация по английской и американской литературе на тему Mark Twain

Mark Twain Novels; Humor/Satire; Short Stories; Plays; Essays; LettersMark Twain (1835-1910) IntroductionMark Twain was the most celebrated writer of his time. He was a writer, humorist, adventurer and prankster but died a curmudgeon. He felt strongly about his beliefs and opinions. In his early life Twain found adventure, it seemed, every where he went. He was in Virginia and nearly found himself in a dual. He went to Hawaii were he spent time in a commune with beautiful Hawaiian woman. He promoted himself at every opportunity. He wore a white suit that allowed him to stand out among the populous. He hated wealth because of its collateral damage of corruption it caused at the expense of the less fortunate. However, that didn’t deter him from trying to attain it. He poured money into get rich quick schemes of which none availed his desired hopes, in fact, it caused him to go bankrupt. He defended the slaves and the Chinese immigrants of the indignities brought upon them by the rich. He poked at that values that rich American’s held to the delight of the underdog. History would judge him on his writings causing him to hold the title of an American icon. Father and MotherJohn Clemens- lawyer, storekeeper, judge and land speculatorMother Jane was a fun and spirited woman She lived in poverty for years after husband died His father found solace in alcohol and died suddenly from pneumonia when Sam was 11 ChildhoodBorn Samuel Langhorne Clemens on November 30, 1835 in Florida MissouriSixth of seven children John and Jane ClemensMoved to Hannibal, Missouri at age 4Quit school at the age of twelve ChildhoodFather and uncle owned slavesSpent summer days in slave quarters listening to tales and spiritual fodderWitnessed a slave get beat to death by a white manWorked as printer’s apprentice allowing for knowledge of world news Young AdultAt 18 went to Philadelphia, New York and Washington working per diem as newspaper reporter mailing his stories to his brother His brother Orion published Sam’s work in his Muscatine Journal Young AdultAt 21 he convinced Horace Bixby to teach him the art of piloting a steamboat on the Mississippi RiverFrom 1816-1870 the steamboat carried cotton and sugar also passengersPiloted for two years before the Civil War startedJoined a confederate unit called the Marion Rangers and quit after two weeks Steamboat Pilot Young AdultIn 1861, at 26 followed his brother Orion, appointed by President Lincoln as Secretary to Nevada Territory, by stagecoach, west as his assistant Hoped to strike it rich in Nevada's silver rush The journey’s trials and tribulations became fodder for his book, Roughing It Twain’s TwentiesUnable to be profitable in either mining or assisting his brother and in of a job Sept. of 1861 became a writer for the Virginia City Territorial, Nevada Uses the pseudonym “Mark Twain” for first time-which is a steamboat term that means 12 feet of water Twain’s TwentiesWrote for the Territorial Enterprise for 3 years under the name Mark Twain with a style of friendliness and sharp witWrote editorials, articles and featured funny stories with a sharp wit Needing a change of scenery he headed to San Francisco in 1865Continued to write stories for local news papers becoming a favorite story teller to many fans Notable Quotes“Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.”“Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.”“By trying we can easily learn to endure adversity -- another man's I mean.”“Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritations and resentments slip away and a sunny spirit takes their place.”“I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him.” Twain’s ThirtiesHis big break came in 1865 mocking the mining camp he once inhabited with the publication of “Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog” Later named “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” Became so popular he started on lecture tours Twain’s Thirties In 1867, hired by Alto California when he embarked on a 5 month sea journey through the Mediterranean writing about the journey that was met with huge audience acceptance In 1869 he finished and published “ The Innocents Abroad” becoming one of the best writers in America Twain’s ThirtiesBig names of literary America where centered in Boston and Cambridge and Twain wanted their respect Twain was quoted as saying, “ I want to obtain the respectful regard of high eastern civilization” and said it with a serious faceHe felt like he was crude and lacking class Twain’s ThirtiesIn 1870,after dating for two years he marries the daughter of rich coal merchant, Olivia Langdon and settles in Buffalo, New York improving his social status, asking her to help ‘”reform” his western ways Joins the Buffalo Express as a partner, editor and writerBecomes a father for the first time to Langdon Clemens who dies at the age of two from diphtheria Twain’s FortiesAlthough living in Hartford Twain found the most solitude at his sister in-law’s house in upstate New York were he wrote most of his famous booksTwain’s style captured the conscience of America by writing about his own history, political corruption, greed, slavery and the Reconstruction era Notable Quotes“I am opposed to millionaires, but it would be dangerous to offer me the position.”I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying that I approved of it.Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval. Twain’s FortiesIn 1880, Twain writes the book “The Tramp Abroad” depicting his travels through EuropeIn 1882, he turns out another 2 books that deal with the social injustices and class relations in America called “The Prince and the Pauper and again in 1889 with “Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court Twain’s FortiesTwain rounds out his forties with two books that bring him back to his Mississippi years “Life on the Mississippi” in 1883 and the “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” in 1885 Twain’s FiftiesAfter writing “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” Twain, in 1892, wrote “The American Claimant”“The American Claimant” was written with the help of a phonographic dictation machine. Twain’s FiftiesIn 1884, Twain started his own publishing firm in order to retain the money he was paying publishers to publish his booksHuckleberry Finn was the first book published by his new found companyUlysses S. Grant published his memoir papers through Twain’s company and was very profitable for Twain and the Grant estate Twain’s FiftiesTwain made some bad investments; one being, investing $250,000 in the Paige typesetting machine in 1891,Twain’s bad investments on new inventions was the cause of going bankrupt and having to pack up his family and move to Europe were it was cheaper to live in hopes of paying of creditors by lecturing he never returned until 1900 Books Twain’s FiftiesIn 1894, Twain writes “Tom Sawyer Abroad” that entails Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn traveling to Africa in a hot air balloon This same year he published “The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson” which again took on the social issues of slavery c. 1895 his daughter Susy dies from meningitis Twain’s SixtiesIn 19oo Twain finishes paying off his debts and returns to America and describes himself an anti-imperialist and becomes vice president of the Anti-Imperialist LeagueTwain died at the age 0f 74 of a heart attack at his home in Redding Conn. and buried far from Hannibal, MO in Elmira, New York