Mark Twain's Life on the Mississippi represents another
brilliant work from a brilliant and insightful author. Although the work is a work of personal non-fiction,
Twain never lets his audience get to close to him. Twain seems to need to continually keep distance
between himself and his audience. Twain never identifies himself directly in the
work, and spends more of the book talking about the people he met along the river
and the river itself than anything personal. However, even with the lack of personal
storytelling, this book allows readers a chance to glimpse how the river inspired
and molded Mark Twain into the witty, insightful, and somewhat pessimistic writer
he would become. Even in his early years,
Mark Twain seems to find ridiculousness in other human beings and possesses a sense
of superiority over those around him. Twain
only relates of a few men, like his mentor Captain Bixby and the man who despised
him from which he would take his name, Captain Sellers, who he truly seems to respect
and admire. Outside of these two men, Twain has respect for the river and seems
to enjoy the rest of the world with joyful mockery.
The book also gives insight into what inspired Twain to write about the subjects he wrote about. Twain, as a astute observer of human nature, picked up on the stories of the people around him and used these people to create his works of fiction. A story about finger prints in an age where finger printing was an innovative and misunderstood science went from tall tale hearsay to one of Twain's most intriguing and entertaining novels: Pudd'n Head Wilson (I'm serious about this novel. If you like Twain, and have not read it, it is well worth your time to read. Very entertaining.) Twain's hometown inspired much of the boyhood adventures he would write about in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain's personal nonfiction book illustrates for readers that authors are continually influenced by their experiences and those around them and do not write in isolation. Life experience and personal observation create and inspire authors, according to Twain.
Life on the Mississippi also represents not only Twain's experiences, but the "American Experience" (as Disney so appropriately titled their show at Epcot that an animatronic Mark Twain narrates.) The idea of venturing away from a comfortable life in your home town, seeking adventure, and finding yourself and your personal truths along the way exemplify not only Twain's spirit, but the American spirit. Twain demonstrates in this piece once again that he understands what Americans are made of, not only during his time, but from the founding of America to present America. Americans crave adventure and success, which Twain writes of in the book. Twain not only understands Americans and America, but make obvious that he is America's greatest author.
The book also gives insight into what inspired Twain to write about the subjects he wrote about. Twain, as a astute observer of human nature, picked up on the stories of the people around him and used these people to create his works of fiction. A story about finger prints in an age where finger printing was an innovative and misunderstood science went from tall tale hearsay to one of Twain's most intriguing and entertaining novels: Pudd'n Head Wilson (I'm serious about this novel. If you like Twain, and have not read it, it is well worth your time to read. Very entertaining.) Twain's hometown inspired much of the boyhood adventures he would write about in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain's personal nonfiction book illustrates for readers that authors are continually influenced by their experiences and those around them and do not write in isolation. Life experience and personal observation create and inspire authors, according to Twain.
Life on the Mississippi also represents not only Twain's experiences, but the "American Experience" (as Disney so appropriately titled their show at Epcot that an animatronic Mark Twain narrates.) The idea of venturing away from a comfortable life in your home town, seeking adventure, and finding yourself and your personal truths along the way exemplify not only Twain's spirit, but the American spirit. Twain demonstrates in this piece once again that he understands what Americans are made of, not only during his time, but from the founding of America to present America. Americans crave adventure and success, which Twain writes of in the book. Twain not only understands Americans and America, but make obvious that he is America's greatest author.