Смекни!
smekni.com

The Life Of Mark Twain-personal Book Analysis-review (стр. 1 из 2)

The Life Of Mark Twain-personal Book Analysis-review Of Liter Essay, Research Paper

Tom Kelly

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

I

?You don?t know about me, without you have read a book by the name of ?The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,? but that ain?t no matter. that book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There were things which he streched, but mainly he told the truth. That ain? nothing. I never seen anybody but lied, one time or another, without it was Aunt Polly, or the widow, or maybr Mary. Aunt Polly-Tom?s Aunt Polly, she is-and Mary, and the Widow Douglas, is all told bout in that book-which is mostly a true book; with some, as I said before.?(Twain 1)

Any way I am here to tell you somethings bout this man that has write all these things bout our adventures. So listen an maybe you might even learn a little something bout this man. Now let me think….oh ya, now I recall it.

I reckon it was a warm November ju?s like any other, the 30th to be exact. But that ain?t how Sam?s Pa spoke of it. He had to go maki?n big, fancy speeches and things of that sort at the party. But after all that mubl?in we had a purdy good time. As a matter of fact as I recall that day it was almost pur?fect. If it warn?t for me drunk Pa gettin arrested by the Sheriff that morn, it woudda? been real pur?fect. Course I reckon a boy?s gota have a good time at his best friend?s bert?day party.

I was at Sam?s house. Course I warn?t de only one dare. His Pa, Judge Clemens and Ma, Miss Jane Lampton, till she married of course, was dare and I reckon his whole ?tire family must da been at dat house, can?t barely remember it was only his fourth birthday back in 1839 (Howard 1). Ya, me and Sam been friends ever since he moved here, best friends too, he was born an lived in Florida, Missouri prior to now. He moved here at the start of this year. See lots of people don?t give me much thought cause me bein uneducated and havin a Pa like I do an all. That all changed though, Sam was the type dat even liked the niggers, so I be surprised if he thought of me differently than any other (Paine 4).

Sam?s family had?nt got that much money either but his Pa sure was one of them educated types. He was a lawyer and a judge and people looked up to him for jus dat (Howard 5). Actually, speakin of money I had some myself, bout 6,000 dollars. Ya, I was rich ever since Tom and I had gotten them bandits. Tell ya the truth, money did?nt really mean much to me anyways cause I liked livin simple an all. But some people spend all their time day dreamin bout the stuff. Sam?s Pa and Sam certainly had somethin in common then cause Judge Clemens is always thinkin of all these ways to be prosper. And Sam jus day dream bout what ever he could think of (Howard 11). Guess I would do the same if I was forced to sit in a school house some days myself. Now your probably thinkin why I said ?most? in sted of all weekdays, well Sam did?nt care for his schoolin much and often played hooky (Paine 14). Ya see, cause of Sam?s funny personality he was often switched. Ol?e Mrs. Elizabeth Horr could never forget that mam?s name. Ya see dat was Sam?s teacher, he did?nt think of her as that though. In Sam?s mind Mrs. Elizabeth was a jail keeper (Eaton 27). So we use ta go in sit at the port. Hannibal, Mississippi was where we lived, an it was a big river town (Encarta 1994). Sam loved them steam boats, he could sit dare an look it em all day, and he usually did. Course me bein his best of friends was always there wit em, did?nt care for em much myself so Sam would always make up stories, and adventures to says we was doin, when all we was really doin was lookin at boats, and missin school of course.

Sam had many of brothers and sisters. I reckon he was never the lonely type cause he had many of siblins. There was Pamela, who was eight years older than ourselves. She was well schooled and all, I reckon she even liked it! (Howard 5). Orion was eight years older too. Then there was Benjamin, never got to know him well cause he died at only ten and there was the little brother, Henry (Paine 16).

Anyways, our schoolin continued, dull as ever. Well before we known it we had ourselves out that school. So Sam was not really sure bout what he wanted to do with em?self, so to make some money he followed his brother, Orion (Encarta). Ya see Orion had ju?s bought himself a local printin press. The only article prior to the Hannible Press was the Courier so now Hannible had itself two papers (Howard 115). Now durin this time Sam had been workin for a Mr. Ament, another local printer, for round two years. So Sam worked under his older brother bein the printer for the paper (115). Well it was most unfortunate that they seems to be carryin some bad luck on their shoulders from the beginn?in. The press caught on fire, it was only a small one but them fire fighters did?nt help the problem much when they doused the water all over the equipment. Anyways that there was the least of their problems. Back around that time an epidemic struck the Mississippi. Cholera struck hard and devastated many of people. Now cause people could?nt work they had to make trades for goods, and barterin did?t do much good for Sam and Orion (117). But they were no quitters, they stuck to it and Sam started gettin bored of write?in the same ol?e things so he turned a little creative. Sam bein born funny, started slippin jokes in the paper and made up names to call himself (119). Well Orion wanted a proper, ol?e fashioned kinda paper. This caused for some quarrel?in in between the two and I reckon Sam could?n stand for it no longer, so he grab himself his belongings and left for St. Louis to visit his sister Elizabeth and find himself a job. He did?t plan on stay?in there for long though. Sam only wanted to make enough money to go to New York (Paine 52).

Well Sam?s plans did not exactly go as he reckoned they would. He had many print?in jobs cross the whole country. Dur?in this time Sam met a fella named Burruogh. He was in to literature and was a well read man. He had quite the influence on Sam and turned him on to read?in. Eventually, Sam returned back in St. Louis and worked for the Evening News. Well by this time it was spring and Orion got himself a wife and moved to Iowa. Sam came to visit his brother in Iowa and found Henry, his younger brother, now 17, there too.

Well life was like ol?e times for a while. The three brothers lived together in Orion?s house. This is the period of time when Sam was turned on to music. It happened after a music teacher, who lived on the floor below, was flat out sick and tired of be?in the focus of Sam?s noise and pranks that they would play on him. He would come upstairs to reprimand them. Sam would usually reply with one of his regular wise cracks but one day Sam tried som?in a bit out the ordinary. In an attempt to be funny he was overly polite to the teacher. To his surprise, the man was nice back and before you could blink your own eye Sam was a musician (60).

He was bout 20 years of age now and was quite the ladie?s man. But don?t think for a second that Sam was close to a gentleman. The ladie?s along with everybody else liked Sam for his outgo?in personality. Although he was a partier dur?in the sun?s hours at night you could predict that the only place he would be found was in his bed, propped up by a pillow, smok?in his pipe and read?in a book (61). Life was good for the boys and not a day passed without a laugh.

Unfortunately good things can only last so long. Orion?s paper was not mak?in him enough to cover his expenses. After much struggl?in he wrote home in distraught to his mama, who was now liv?in with Pamela. The note told of an adventure that Orion would go on in the Amazon (62). His interest was sparked after read?in a book by Lynch and Henderson. The book told of the riches that could be found there in the mines of the rain forest. Now if you have?nt gotten the idea that Sam was the adventurous type, you have?nt been listen?in proper, cause thats what he lived for! If you think that Sam would miss a chance to not only ride on a steam boat to South America but also go on an adventure in the Amazon you are beyond fix?in (64). Anyway it took him round a year to raise enough money to go to the Amazon but he finally had it and set forth on the Paul Jones down the Mississippi to New Orleans. Sam reckoned the voyage would take bout a week of time but his foresee?in was more than just a bit off (70).

Horace Bixby was cap?tn of the boat. I reckon his day started off jus as any other, that is until he met Sam of course. It all happened when Horace spotted that a man, now 21 years of age, had been star?in at him for hours. When Horace?s shift was over he left the pilot house. As soon as he opened that door Sam was in his face ask?in questions bout his job and how liked it. Their conversations and friendliness kept for the rest of the trip. But at the end Sam left it jus like all the other passengers.

Sam noticed an ol?e dock hand lean?in up against a pole. Sam was down right puzzled when the man laughed at Sam?s question. He replied ?There have never been no steamers sail?in to the Amazon round here!? It was then and there when Sam realized that the Mississippi was his river and that pilot?in it had been his biggest dream. So Sam went search?in for Bixby and found em too. He asked him if he could be a cub on the boat and Bixby had no problem with it cause Sam had been so friendly and all. So Sam worked the river for four years and ventually became himself a cap?tn (Howard 122). Word got around that Sam was one of the best cap?tns on that river. Mr. Bixby was proud and Sam loved that river more than life it?self and planed to spend it on the Mississippi (133). I?m sure he woulda done it till he was able to but someth?in came up.

One night there was a horrible accident. There was a ship who?s had them selves a boiler explosion. Henry was on that boat and went to swim to a nearby shore. But Henry heard scream?in and went back to save people. He never made it and drowned. This was not the only thing that made Sam depressed these days (Paine 91).

Unfortunately when Sam turned 26 years of age boats were halted go?in up and down the river cause of the war. Ya see the Yankees has been on us bout how slaves are immoral and all, and them plantation owners would?n got no notes if it warn?t for their niggers (133). So as anyone coulda guessed the country broke out into an all out brawl over the matter. Course this meant dat any man worthy of any respect at all was go?in to fight for em selves and their good ol?e south, so for a short period of time he did but Sam thought that slavery was wrong. He felt for it so strong that he woulda joined emself en the Yank?s side but he would be fightin his friends and neighbors (Howard 134).

By this time Orion?s print?in business had failed. But Orion?s second cousin was a rich boy. He was able to fix up Orion with a proper job. Nevada was a new territory and it needed itself a Territorial Secretary. This job was much like be?in a governor and was considered a real honor. There was one problem left to resolve. It would take Orion all of one-hundred and fifty dollars. Well that was no problem that Sam could?nt solve cause he had himself three-hundred dollars right in his own pocket. Now if I am do?in my math proper this would mean that two people would have themselves a ticket to Nevada. Well I must to done it right cause they did jus? that. Sam?s plan to make money would be to mine silver (135). Well Sam?s luck at min?in was not very prosper. He barely made enough to survive the winter. But although times were tough he was always able to make his colleagues and himself laugh dur?in the worst of times. Dur?in this period Sam would write humorous letters to Orion. Well Orion knew of his li?l brothers problems. In an attempt to help him he showed Sam?s letters to the local paper. The owner of the Territorial Enterprise found exactly what he wanted (137). It was August when Sam started writ?in for the paper. But prior to writ?in a stitch Sam wanted to create a name for himself that would stick. He thought long and hard, think?in how great life used to be on the Mississippi. Suddenly his eyes took on a glare and his face was perplexed. He had a big smile on his face and through his smil?in mouth came the words ?Mark Twain?. It was a river term that told the cap?tn how deep the water was (15). Well Sam though he had good ideas bout write?in so he set off to be a free lance writer. To make money in between he mined for gold. One day while sitt?in on a rock next to the mountain side he heard some men talk?in of frog races. This took Sam?s mind to the past, his uncle use to have a pet frog. So he started write?in what came to mind and before he coulda known it himself he had a completed story in front of his eyes (142).

Sam sent his story to a local newspaper. Well The Bullfrog Of Calaveras County was the talk of the town! Before he known it himself Sam stories were be?in published all over the country (143).

I reckon it was late May of 1864 when Sam left for the West coast. Twain?s reason for leav?in Nevada for California was because of a duel. The duel was really somewhat of a publicity stunt. It was arranged in between Sam and a rival paper to the Call, the paper that Sam was write?in for (Paine 137). When Sam got there he found the city filled wit beautiful flowers and roll?in green hills. Sam found the location perfect for his write?in. He was relaxed here and could concentrate (Eaton 143). Sam?s job was to venture out into the city?s night life. It was filled with shows and entertainment! Sam?s job was to report and critique the shows he attended, he loved it at first but soon got sick of all the lights and glamour (145). But Sam kept at it. He had one reason for wak?in up every day. You see Sam joined a literary group, it was his moment of sunshine dur?in an otherwise dismal day (146). But Sam could barely take the his monotonous job for another day, he was bout to quit when BOOM. Now I have never been to the West myself but Sam told me out there they have these happen?ins they call earthquakes. It must be strange to be in one. Everything shakes and whole build?ins can fall down! Anyways for Sam this earthquake brought bout much to write about. For many days he made reports bout what happened to people and their homes and things of the sort. But eventually California got themselves some carpenters to fix everyth?in and that was the end of that topic (146).

So I reckon you believe how happy Sam was when he got word from Joe Goodman to rejoin the Enterprise. Sam would act as their Western reporter and would free to write bout what ever he chose (147). Well every thing was go?in fine until Sam?s friend and roommate Steve Gillis almost killed a barkeeper! He was put in jail for attempted murder. So be?in the kind that Sam was, he posted his friend?s bail. Well the word got out that this barkeeper was friends with the Sheriff. This meant that Steve had no chance of gett?in a fair trial. So like any man would, Steve fled to Virginia. Well when he did?nt show up in court they went after Sam?s bail money. But no worry, cause Sam got word of it before they found him.

Steve?s brother Jim came to town and told Sam that he could stay with him in his cabin in the Tuollumne hills (148). Jim was what was called a ?pocket miner?. These people were miners that would look for gold in abandoned mines. So Sam learned the trade of pocket min?in. They roamed area which is now Yosemite park scout?in for gold. Sam did this for weeks mak?in enough to survive (149). Eventually Sam?s short attention span caught up with him. Like every thing else Sam got sick of min?in and be?in so far away from, well, everything! So he set down his pails and headed back to San Fransico (150).

Upon his return Sam was contracted by the Sacremento Union to write some stories bout the Hawaiian group. Well within moments Sam had himself on a boat to the islands. He would often refer to his time on the islands as one of the best in his whole, ttire life, a ?golden memory? as he put so himself . Sam was in his 30s, his prime and was filled with adventure and energy. He traveled all over the island and sent back detailed reports (Paine 148). California and Sam himself were both amazed with the write?in that Mark Twain was creat?in. Sam wanted to refine his skills and better himself. His first step toward his goal was to return to California (150). Sam begun to give lectures, at the start of it they were refined to San Fransisco and then to the state. The results were amazing. I don?t think I have ever seen so many of people in one room before! Well cause of these results Sam ventured out to many big cities of the country. Now if you were to pick one place where the most people were would come to see Sam?s lectures were would you go? New York, New York of course (160). The lectures that Sam gave in New York were probably what kicked off his pathway to national fame (162).

Dur?in his travels Sam met a man named Charles Langdon. They became good friends. Sam spent Christmas in New York with Charles. It is here where he met Olivia Langdon (Eaton 178). It was love at first sight, I must say she was a mighty fine woman, she was! The two stared at each other through out dinner at the Langdon?s house. Olivia found Sam the most interest?in person she had ever met (179). They saw each other again on New Year?s Day and became even more friendly with each other, even more than prior (182).

Duty called Sam to Washington, where he would give two speeches. At this point Sam?s life took a turn. He realized that he was not meant to be a reporter but an author (183). He started write?in quickly, his goal was to finish a manuscript as soon as possible (184). The result was The Innocent Abroad Sam?s first novel. The story told of Sam?s trip on the Quaker , a large sailboat, with six other men. He was on the ship to tour Europe and lecture in the some of the big cities (163 Paine).