Mark Twain Is an American

Mark Twain is an American treasure, and an emblem of American literature. Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Twain was a prolific writer who was known as much for his satirical social commentary as he was for his engaging novels. Twain's most famous novels include the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and its follow-up, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The character of Huckleberry Finn was introduced in the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published in 1885, about a decade after the release of the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Both novels characterize nineteenth century American life and society, through the eyes of two young boys. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn also includes commentary about race relations, which were a prevailing political issue during Twain's life and especially in the South. Twain was born in a small town in Missouri and Huckleberry Finn takes place along the Mississippi River.

Twain's fiction had not received much critical acclaim until he published the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and especially Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In fact, the latter book is what made Mark Twain iconic among American writers. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is known as "one of the greatest American works of art," and has been lauded by Twain's contemporaries including Ernest Hemingway ("Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,"). Twain did receive some harsh criticism for including a freed slave as one of the central characters of the book: a character Twain called Nigger Jim. Yet Adventures of Huckleberry Finn contains resolute messages about social power and race relations.

The title character runs away as a child, dissatisfied and disillusioned with poverty and with what Huckleberry Finn refers to as "sivilized" life. Finn states in the opening chapter about Aunt Polly: "she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways; and so when I couldn't stand it no longer I lit out." Huckleberry Finn decries conventional morality too: "That is just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they don't know nothing about it," (Chapter 1). The character of Old Thatcher reveals the strong social commentary woven throughout the novel, embodying the Old South that clings to racism and slavery: "They call that govment! A man can't get his rights in a govment like this. Sometimes I've a mighty notion to just leave the country for good and all," (Chapter 6).