Summary---summarize the document using 3 pieces of textual evidence to PROVE what you discovered and then follow the summary with a bulleted list of your main points.
Response---react in pairs to the piece connecting to our notes, our discussion on Social Darwinism, the novel so far, Twain's life, your wonderings, reactions, questions...THEN, do like you did for the summary; provide a bulleted list of your main points in the reactions.
Type this in Word first and then copy and paste into the comment.
When you are done, read and respond to at least 2 peers' comments. Ask them questions, discuss reactions, your wonderings, etc. This is due at the end of the hour.
Twain models many of his characters on the people around him, like his brothers Henry and Orion. This obsession with twins is no different, the idea of twins are portrayed throughout his works, just like Chambers and Tom in Pudd'n Head Wilson. His fascination with twins begins with Chang and Eng, this reflects into Pudd'n Head Wilson as the Tocci brothers. Chang and Eng traveled America throughout his childhood.
ReplyDelete-Obsessed with twins
-The Tocci brothers are Chang and Eng in Pudd'n Head Wilson
-Twain uses his surroundings to write his novels
I'm wondering why Twain is so obsessed with twins? What causes this fascination and how did this come about? Could it be that Twain was influenced by the time and was looking for an explanation of twins. Now we don't because of science. Why does Twain draw from his surroundings so much?
-Why does Twain obsess with things so much?
-What influences these obsessions?
“The Big House” was an article describing the big house Mark Twain lived in as well as the idea of a big house in the context of an audience. When Mark Twain was little, he grew up in a small house. After he started writing Tom Sawyer, he moved to a larger house. He believes that a “big house” can also make a man feel big as well. While he was mortgaging his mansion in Hartford, he was also trying to create a career as a literary performer.
ReplyDelete-Mark Twain moved from a little house to a big house in the process of writing Tom Sawyer
-Believed a big house can make a man feel big
-Tried to create a career as a literary performer while living in a mansion, or “big house”
-”Big House” also refers to a large audience
After reading the article, it seemed like Mark Twain was living at the top of a Social Darwinist life. He became very successful from his career which paved his way to a nice life. While Mark Twain lived in a big house, he was bringing in a “big house” when he spoke. I wonder if Mark Twain's life in his big house influenced his writing about the characters living in a big house.
-Mark Twain's life paralleled a person successful in the Social Darwinist life
-His career as well as his house involved big houses
-Mark Twain's career made him very successful
-Does Mark Twain's life parallel the characters life in his stories
In "Twain and Twins" specifically "Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn" the author is saying how similar Tom and Huck are and how they could be figurative twins in Mark Twain's mind. He says that despite their differences in the story Mark twain was eager to publish his book just about Huck Finn in order to balance the two out. Also, at the end of Huckleberry Finn, Huck is Tom, to Aunt Sally and Uncle Silas.
ReplyDelete-Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are figurative twins.
-MT tries to balance the characters by writing Huck Finn his own story.
-Huck is Tom to Aunt Sally and Uncle Silas.
I agree that Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn were twins in Mark Twain's mind. It makes sense for the two characters to be twinned because they share so much and Mark Twain had an interest in twins.
-Agree that Tom and Huck are twinned
-Characters are similar
-Twain had interest in twinning
The article called "Illustrating Twain" explains to the reader Twain's reasoning for not wanting to include his own pictures for the front pieces in his books and short stories. Twain says that, "I hate the effrontery of shoving pictures of nobodies under people's noses in that way..." The article shared with the reader that Twain liked to have the readers discover a different version on himself while they read his stories. The depiction that they would receive in his book allowed the readers to, "...comfortably look down upon his with amusement." This strategy allowed Twain to embrace many of his faults and goofy moments instead of focusing on his accomplishments.
ReplyDeleteMain Points:
*Twain was not willing to include his own picture in his books.
*He thought that it maintained a more comfortable environment for the reader to relate with Twain without feeling awkward.
*Wanted to talk and celebrate his mistakes and troubles instead of focusing on his accomplishments and achievements.
*Instead of appearing in his books with his picture he appeared as a goofy, fun-loving, naive character that he wrote about.
*After death a limited edition book was published of all his works including images depicting him as a distinguished, successful man because he had become one of America's most prized celebrities.
I really like this article because it gives the reader an explanation for many of Twain's actions. The fact that Twain partly did not want to include pictures of himself because he did not want to be known for accomplishments and redeeming qualities showed me that he was a selfless person that truly cared about the reaction of his readers. One thing that I question is why he included his actual portrait in some stories but not all. Did those incorporate characters that highly resembles Twain's own self? Was he more proud of those stories?
*Think that Twain was selfless and did not need the spotlight.
*Genuinely cared about his readers reactions.
*Why did he include pictures in only some stories?
Frank Mayo turned Mark Twain's novel into a play. Mayo's version of Pudd'nhead Wilson is relatively different, and yet similar to Twain's book version. Mayo's Tom seems to be the obvious villainous character in the play, and yet at the point we are in the book Tom is slightly unlikable but still a humanistic character. (“The reviews we do have clearly suggest that "Tom" was portrayed as a villain in more melodramatic terms than the novel uses.”) After the first mention on Roxy, we are not again reminded of her color – she is simply a perpetual slave as the rest are. Whereas, faced with a constant visual of the play it seems unreasonable that she is a slave and critics cannot get past the fact that “Roxy was "white" but acted "black,".” Critics seemed to like the book though they “regularly mentioned the problems of translating a work of fiction to the stage,” There is not a large change between the two plots, both with the plot line happenings and both had same presumable outcome. Though the casting is not largely discussed in the primary text there seems to be the ideal constant with the person's character and the person themselves – outside of Roxy of course.
ReplyDeleteTom is villainous in the play more dramatically so than in the book
It is much disputed as to whether it is right that Roxy is so “white” and yet acts so “black”
The plots are kept constant though certain ideas are enhanced in the play in order to promote certain ideas (ie Tom is the indisputable villain
I find it interesting that even after slavery has ended for certain that Mayo highlights Tom as the villain, it makes me wonder if there are certain racisms still ingrained in society that he is highlighting for the public or subconsciously highlighting for his own satisfaction. I wonder if Tom was originally made the villain because it was a good plot line or because Tom was, in fact, always black and Twain wanted to highlight the fact that he cannot be held to the standard of the white man though accounts claim his is not racist. I also find it interesting that people seemed so concerned with Roxy's color though just decades or less before they themselves saw the distinction.
The MT Collectibles page mainly illustrated Mark Twain's effect on society. His name and face were used on countless products of all kinds because of his wide popularity. He not only was an author but a well known pop culture figure.
ReplyDelete-Dolls
-Old books
-Games
-Tobacco
One question that comes to mind when reading this is why were authors such big pop culture figures? One likely answer would be the lack of other types of media.
-No TV
-No Internet
-Movies were not as common
Mark Twain in Life Magazine
ReplyDeleteMark Twains relation with Life magazine was one of the main causes of his satirical success in literature. Founded in 1833, Life was a comedic illustration magazine that became a parallel to Mark Twain's style. Originally, the magazine criticized Huck Finn and supported its ban from libraries, "But in 1890, the magazine turned more and more often to the idea of Mark Twain." As the magazine changed it's format, it's artists began to insert Twain into the pictures. Twain noticed one of these artists as exceptional, "...he noticed the work of Edward Kimble, whom he hired to illustrate Huck Finn." The idea of Mark Twain expanded like fire. "By the middle of his career, his figure was becoming a favorite icon for newspaper and magazine cartoonists." With Life supporting his satirical take on human nature, Twain's style spread rapidly to all of the magazine readers.
-Magazine called Life: humorous magazine
-They originally criticized Hick Finn, but soon became a very "Mark Twain" oriented magazine
-The artists of the magazine began to draw Twain in their illustrations
-One of these artists Twain hired to illustrate Huck Finn
-Although he wasn't a contributer to the magazine, he was an avid reader and the magazine paralleled his ideals
I think Mark Twain was such a brilliant writer and successful satirist because of his open minded approach to the outside world. Mark Twain wasn't stubborn with his writing, he took knowledge and ideas from other sources to play off of and improve it. There was no selfishness, he didn't resolve to only write about hi ideas, he took the current events and figures around him, and analyzed them with satire. This style of writing was new at the time and the public loved this attitude. Life magazine paralleled Twain with drawings, which inspired him to continue analyzing society this way.
-I think his success was a result of his satire being so supported by the public and by this magazine
-His style of writing was so innovative for the times so the public accepted it
-Life magazine fed Mark Twain's motivation to continue with this writing style, which ultimately led to his success in satire
Summary-
ReplyDeleteIllustrating Pudd'nhead is a piece about how Pudd'nhead by Mark Twain came to be illustrated. Mark Twain originally wanted his publishing company to do the illustrations. But his company went bankrupt before he got the chance. “MT had hoped to bring out Pudd'nhead Wilson with his own publishing company, but by the time the new novel was ready Webster & Company had gone into bankruptcy.” So the task fell into the hands of many different people who worked for many other publishing companies. So in the end Mark Twain didn't have much say with his novel. “Living in Europe and distracted with his financial problems, MT may have had little to do with the actual production of the novel.” Each of the artist that drew the characters of Puddn'head used their own ideas. So each illustrations looked a little different. And each had a different artistic style. “The American Publishing Company supplied the copious pictures subscription buyers expected with a technique that had never before been used for a MT text: "marginal illustrations." Most of the illustrations weren't exactly what Twain wanted.
-Mark Twain wanted his publishing company to be the one to do the illustrations, but that could not happen.
-So instead the task was done by other artist from other companies.
-Each of the artist's interpretations was different.
Response-
Because the pictures were not drawn under the supervision of Twain, the pictures were not exactly what you pictured when reading Puddn'head. Instead the illustrations were more focused on the stereotypical caricatures of black slaves. Roxy looks more like Mammy that she is described in the novel by Twain. The pictures almost seemed to contradict what Twain discussed in the descriptions of the characters as in the novel. Twain wanted the characters to be less like the stereotypical images and more like his complete own characters.
-Twain wanted the illustrations of his characters to be less like the stereotypical characters.
-The actual illustrations were more focused on the stereotypical caricatures
"Your Mark Twain" was written to share things about MT that most people don't know;"Of course, Mark Twain is a familiar and lovable personality to you. So these out-of-ordinary bits of information will be of some interest to you. It starts as stating the fact that through his satire, Twain is a very serious writer; "It is no exaggeration to say that deep philosophy and common sense underlie all of MT's work. The piece continues to describe Twain's work as nation changing work (something new and different. It also talks about how Twain is the most influential American writer and has timeless pieces; "No library should be started without his work." It also touches on how Mark Twain's control of the English language is incredible; "for pure english, no one has excelled Twain's writing." In other words, the piece didn't actually tell me anything I don't know."
ReplyDelete--Try to tell us about Mark Twain
--He was a great American Writer whose pieces are timeless.
--He was a pro with the english language.
--REACTION
--I knew all the stuff in there even though it was supposed to be stuff we dont know.
Italian Twins Summary:
ReplyDeleteGiovanni and Giacomo Tocci are connected twins that were born on July 4,1875. The twins are connected from the sixth rib down and have only one pair of legs and one abdomen. They have two different stomachs, hearts, and pairs of lungs. They are very distinct individuals in that one of them could be hungry and one could be sleeping. The Tocci twins look like normal humans, they don't resemble a human with a disability.They are able to walk but they are not able to walk because each of the legs is controlled by a different brain.They both have very different likes, dislikes and hobbies. Giovanni and Giacomo are also disconnected when it comes to illness, one could have a cold while the other has some sort of infection. They are very remarkable twins.
These twins are connected from the 6th rib down and have one set of legs and one abdomen
They have different hearts and brains and they are distinct individuals
They have different feelings at the same time because one could be hungry while the other is sleeping
They can stand but they cannot walk because each of the legs is controlled by a different brain.
Siamese Twins are usually tender and affectionate, as well as inseparable companions as children, who also seem to enjoy each others company more than that of others. They seem to do everything together but still have different personality traits and interests in life. "Chang does all the in-door work and Eng runs all the errands." They also seem to have different outlooks on life. "Eng is a Baptist, but Chang is a Roman Catholic." Besides being brothers they are also friends, "They have even occupied the same house, as a general thing, and it is believed that they have never failed to even sleep together on any night since they were born."
ReplyDelete-Different interests.
-Different views on life.
-Nearly inseparable.
-Like any other siblings
Other than being Siamese, I feel that they are just like any other set of siblings. They still fight but they are still insuperable.
Summary
ReplyDeleteAfter reading “Reports of [Mark Twain’s] Death” it’s very obvious how much Clemens (Twain) was admired throughout his life. Most people loved him and believed he left a lasting legacy that will never be forgotten. Mark Twain may have been the most successful and well-known American writer that has ever lived. Twain was buried in Elmira, next to his wife and children, but before he was buried there, on April 23 in New York, his body was shown to the public, but only a handful were able to see him personally. Twain’s death was a tragic thing in the US as seen by the way “the immense crowd of mourners” gathered in New York and mourned because “they felt that they knew Mark Twain intimately because of the humor and wisdom of his simple philosophy life.” Mark Twain lived a life full of satire and humor, but he had a very straightforward death. He became very weak 24-hours prior to his death from his daily breathing and pain troubles. Twain died in his bed with his doctor by his side. It is said that he perished from cardiac asthma as well as angina pectoris. Twain will always be seen as one of the United States best writers and he has left a legacy that will last forever.
* Twain has a legacy that will last forever.
* His death was recognized everywhere and the front page of every paper across the US
* before he was buried in Elmira, next to his wife and kids, his body was transferred to New York and open to the Public to observe
* He died of cardiac asthma and angina pectoris
Response
I think that Twain’s death definitely was a big deal in the US and the people loved him very much. He was a great writer and people realized that in him. I think that he will forever live and his death was pretty straightforward.
* No real surprises, his death was definitely a big deal and his legacy will live on forever
Gallery of Photographs
ReplyDeleteIn the gallery of photographs, it showed a collection of photographs of the famous author Mark Twain. Looking through the gallery of photographs of Mark Twain, three photographs in particular caught my eye. The first one shows Mark Twain sitting in a rocking chair on the porch, dressed in all white, smoking a cigar as he looks out. The setting in which Twain is in is very peaceful and serene. Looking at this picture alone, you can tell that Twain is an intellectual man both by the serious expression on his face and even by his posture. He looks as if he is deep in thought as he smokes his large cigar. On the picture, Twain wrote the following words, "And yet if I should really try..." This quote could possibly reveal that Twain was perhaps wondering what his true potential was. Another picture that I found interesting was one that was taken in 1890. Again Twain is wearing the white suit, but he is standing this time, his arm wrapped around a tree. In both this picture and the one before nature is very much present. Like in the picture before, he seems to be looking beyond the camera. The expression on his face is more severe, almost as if he were recalling something unpleasant. In the last photograph, there are five small portraits of Twain that were taken over a long period of time. Not only does it show him aging and facial hair growth, but it also shows his climb from poverty, In the first two pictures, his clothes aren't as nice. His expression is different too, not as serious as it is in the later photographs. These five photographs we can compare and contrast Twain from when he was younger to when he was older. From these pictures we can conclude that Mark Twain was indeed a very intellectual man, who started out very poor and through his own hard work was able to climb the social ladder, and through this process he became more serious and was a great thinker.
Twain is a great thinker and intellectual
He is surrounded by nature- a place of solitude where he can think alone
Mark Twain had an amazing fascination with twins. Many times he was also asked to speak about twins and his thoughts on them. Some of his deepest thoughts on twins was the aspect of identity between the two people. He believed that it is the way a person is brought up that controls who he is in the future. He used evidence of twins and the fact that while they look identical their whole individual person comes from how they brought up not how they look. To Mark Twain it was also a physiological split between the two people. “In "Those Extraordinary Twins," as in MT's other imaginative engagements with the figure of a linked and divided self, the trope of the twin serves to dramatize psychological conflict: the mysteries of an individual's identity.” (Railton). This specific speech took place in Boston and was specifically focused on the twins Mr. Chang Riley and Mr. Eng Nye. In his speech he discussed the idea that one of the twins was good at thinking and then one was good at putting it into action; however, this idea was reversed for a different situation. “Not that I mean that the one was always dynamo and the other always motor--or, in other words, that the one was always the creating force, the other always the utilizing force; no, no, for while it is true that within certain well-defined zones of activity the was was always dynamo and the other always motor, within certain other well-defined zones these positions became exactly reversed.” (Twain). As well as thinking that it was a physiological gap he also believed that twins conveyed the message that identity was nothing but it was how you worked and lived that defined you. “Thus, working together, they made a strong team; laboring together, they could do miracles; but break the circuit, and both were impotent. It has remained so to this day; they must travel together, conspire together, beguile together, hoe, and plant, and plough, and reap, and sell their public together, or there's no result.” (Twain.) He believed that twins were an amazing phenomenon that supported many of his own beliefs in life just by being alive and well.
ReplyDelete-Twain was fascinated with twins
-Believed that they showed lack of identity but a proof of how you are raised is what defines you
-Believed that identity had no place in how you work and how you are defined
I believe that Mark Twain was so fascinated by twins because they proved many of the points that he promoted in life. I also believed that the reason for his pen name was to promote this idea tat it was nurture not nature that defines you. I also think that he put twins in his book to show how a person has two sides and he used twins to physically show this psychological rift. Using twins he was also able to promote individual rights not based on race or gender but based on work ethic.
-Pen name possibly derived from his thoughts on twins
-Believed in nurture not nature
-Used twins in his book so often to promote rights based on work ethic not identity
@Kyle H,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that is why he was and will always be so famous. He used the criticism of others to make his writings even better than they were already. One example of this is when he used to have his wife read his stories and add and take away things from them. His writing was not at all selfish as you say and he wrote all of his writings to mirror the time period that he was living in and what he thought the world would turn into. His writing was not only popular in his time but is also still very popular which proved what a revolutionary person he was and how his writing affected all the writing of the future.
@Katie S,
It is very interesting that he had to use many different artists to create the images to go along with his article and it does explain a lot. He was very ahead of his time and the fact that his writing is still very popular today shows us this. It is also seen in the fact that he wanted to portray the characters in a different light instead of the stereotypical drawings that were published. The pictures also give us insight into the time at which he was writing these stories and the fact that many of the best artists of the day still held these stereotypes in their mind allows us to see that the people were not at all ready to admit that both African Americans and white Americans were equal.
"Siamese" Twain (1907) is a story about Mark Twain going to a New Year's Eve party and pretending to get drunk and give a lecture about moderation. He claimed that he was a Siamese twin. At the end of the night it was supposed to just be a fun spoof to trick his friends. This shows how much of a comedian he really was, he wasn't afraid that people were going to write about him getting drunk and making a fool out of himself he just wanted to get a laugh.
ReplyDelete- pretended to be drunk
-claimed he had a siamese twin
-just wanted to have fun with friends
-didn't care what people thought about him
I am wondering why he decided to make a joke about being a Siamese twin. Why was he so obsessed with twins. What made him want to be a twin? Were all his stories about twins or slightly related? I am also wondering why he pretended to be drunk and claim he was a siamese twin to get a laugh? Why not just tell jokes. I think there is a lot of things you can learn from Twain's obsession with twins about his own personal life and beliefs.
-why was he so obsessed with twins?
-what made them so interesting
-and why did Twain make most of his stories about or involved with twins?
Many authors from around the world have reviewed Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson. In particular, European columnists and American authors from Twain's era, have astutely described the themes and morals embedded in Twain's text. In 1895, Public opinion in Washington D.C. Was, “In Pudd'nhead Wilson if we reflect upon the career--but lightly sketched--of the rightful heir, it seems to teach the greater force of education and habit than blood or heredity; certainly his pure white blood never taught him to feel his superiority over his surroundings. But the more minutely detailed behavior of his substitute appears to lead to the belief that antecedents and the inherited moral weakness of the slave were too much for training and environment” (Public Opinion). The contemporary idea of “nature versus nurture” is highlighted in the Washington review as society discovers Twain's motive(s) in writing Pudd'nhead Wilson. Unfortunately, other reviews are not nearly as astute as that of the Washington D.C. Public opinion, and are often full of bias. In the American South, Martha Williams ridicules Twain on the minute details of Pudd'nhead Wilson, failing to understand the social implications of Twain's text: “A better title, perhaps, would be "The Decline and Fall of Mark Twain;" for, looking at it solely as a piece of literature, there is no denying, that his much-advertised serial is tremendously stupid” (Williams). Advocates of slavery lash out in response to Twain's underlying message; often overlooking the powerful satire Twain utilizes to support his ideals.
ReplyDelete• Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson received mixed reviews when it was originally published
• Many People who reviewed Pudd’nhead failed to recognize Twain’s use of satire to ridicule slavery
• Reviews from the American south poke fun at Mark Twain calling him, “stupid”
• Other reviews merely circumnavigate the controversial content in Twain’s novel, and simply restate the plot
The reviews to Mark Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson are of a variety, and, with the exception of one, not critical of Twain’s writing. The reviews are, for the most part, a summary of what Twain writes in his novel; the equivalent of today’s Spark notes. One review, however, the Public Opinion of Washington D.C., recognized one of twain’s themes: the effects of nature vs. nurture. As the class discussed with Mr. Coolman, Twain explored the idea that it is the effects of one’s upbringing that most influence one’s life, not one’s genetic makeup as passed down from earlier generations.
• Reviews seem just to skim the surface of Twain’s novel
• One review hints about the topic of “nature vs. nurture” as we discussed with Mr. Coolman
I read “Yours Truly?” and after reading the article it was clear that Mark Twain had trouble deciphering which personality he wanted to be. He couldn't decide if he wanted to be Mark Twain in its entirety or use it as an alias or just be Samuel Clemens. Like in The Adventures of Hucklebery Finn, the character Huck went by many names such as, "Sarah Williams, George Peters, Charles William Allbright, Gorge Jaxon, Adolphus, even Tom Sawyer."Another example of his confusion was "http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/railton/sc_as_mt/slcmt.html." Mark Twain couldn't decide if he wanted to be Samuel Clemens, and Samuel Clemens couldn't decide if he wanted to be Mark Twain. "http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/railton/sc_as_mt/alias.html"
ReplyDelete.Letters showed that he didn’t know which name to sign with
.When he signed “Samuel Clemens,” (alias Mark Twain) was always added
.Couldn’t decide
After reading the article “Yours Truly?” it is obvious that Twain had difficulty deciding who he wanted to be. It seemed he enjoyed being the creative writer known as Mark Twain, taking credit for Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. But on the other hand I think he wanted a solidified life like everyone else, just having a normal life with a wife and kids, writing. I think having this almost alter ego, distressed Twain. This inner conflict seemed never to resolve itself. In the many proofs provided by letters, Twain could never decide how to sign his name. He was never just Mark Twain, or Samuel Clemens.
.Twain was confused
.Had like a personality conflict
. Couldn't decide if he wanted to be Twain or Clemens
Twain expresses his views of slavery through many, if not all, of his works. Twain was, at first, in favor of slavery but as time progressed his views changed. In The Adventures of Huck Finn, Twain at first shows his approval of slavery; “Throughout the novel Huck (as someone who's been raised in a slave-holding society) believes slavery is right; …” He then decides to show sympathy for the slave, not quite contradicting his approval yet he comes close to it; “…though he likes Jim and is willing to "go to hell" to ‘steal Jim out of slavery,’…” He likes the slave and cares for him yet he cares more for the owners, showing his prejudice; “…he expresses more sympathy for Miss Watson as the "poor old woman" who owns Jim than for Jim himself.” In this article Twain exhibits both an approval for slavery and disapproval. It is a contradicting matter yet the slaves are still portrayed in a disrespectable way, representative of the times.
ReplyDelete-Twain exhibits a disapproval of slavery
-he also shows an approval of slavery
-he is sympathetic toward the owners
Twain seems to be changing his mind set from agreeing with slavery to eventually disagreeing. His works still show slaves in a very disrespectable manner, which seems to be representative of the times. I would hope respect would be gained for the slaves and his satirical interpretations of slavery would get to some people.
-Twain contradicts himself
-Twain has fun making fun of slavery
-he has a nonchalant attitude about it
Mark Twain was said to have "...every day of his life he put on a clean shirt and a full suit from head to toe made out of linen so white it hurt your eyes to look at it." When Mark Twain wrote about "aristocratic" Colonel Grangerford he used satire but then shortly after started dressing like him in a white suit. Now usually when people think of him, they picture him in a white suit. In Mark Twain's autobiography "MT gave hygiene as his reason for wearing white. It seemed to appeal to reporters and others mainly as a dramatic instance of his unconventionality" People liked this excuse but "It's not clear whether anyone, including MT, associated the look with the Southern planters whom Samuel Clemens grew up envying and whom MT satirized in figures like Col. Grangerford." When he first dressed in a suit of all white, Twain was at a Congressional hearing and tried to give his suit a lot of attention and reporters did give his suit a lot of attention. Now Twain will always be remembered for how he dressed.
ReplyDelete• Wrote about “aristocratic” people (such as Colonel Grangerford) using satire but started dressing like them soon after
• Wore clean, linen, full, white suit everyday
• Said hygiene was the reason for the white suit in his autobiography
• Uncertain whether Twain related the look with the Southern planters that he poked fun at with satire
My first reaction was the realization that yes when I thought of Mark Twain, I did picture him in a white suit. After reading some of the comments along with this paragraph about the white suits, I can conclude that Mark Twain didn’t really seem to care about what other people thought of him all that much but on the inside did. I wonder whether Mark Twain noticed that he was dressing like the people that he was making fun of for their plantations, wealth, and aristocracy. And by doing so, was it trying to make a statement that he had become successful and showing that success itself is not a bad thing. Looking at his writings, Mark Twain obviously wasn’t racist but he was raised in a racist community. I think that maybe he wanted to show that the reason that he satirized those people was because the wealthy people that he knew when he was young were wealthy for owning plantations but it is possible to become successful through a pure admirable way.
• Yes, I’ve always pictured Mark Twain in a white suit
• Mark Twain didn’t really seem to care about what people thought of him all that much but on the inside did
• Did he notice that he was dressing like the people that he was making fun of?
• Maybe he was making a statement that success itself is not a bad thing if it comes from a pure admirable way other than racism
In the advertisements from Century Magazine we are able to see the marketing for Twain’s Puddn’head Wilson which reveals that Twain’s a Puddn’head Wilson was written for entertainment value. When writing a Puddn’head Wilson Twain was paid for coming out with a new chapter every month, the story building in each magazine. His stories were designed to help the magazine sell so Mark Twain had to write them to amuse, humor, and shock. These ads for his story also reveal why the American reader would want to read Puddn’head Wilson. “Century Magazine, beginning with the November number, is one of rare interest to every reader of literature. The chief serial feature is a new novel by Mark Twain, the most dramatic story ever written by America's greatest humorist.” This ad shows the advertising surrounding his book a Puddn’head Wilson and shows the respect that Mark Twain had gained by this time. Another ad included an excerpt from Puddn’head Wilson that depicted Roxy dealing with “Tom” who was a very difficult baby and child.
ReplyDelete- Ads reveal that Twain’s purpose in writing Puddn’head Wilson is to entertain
- Ads show that Twain needed to sell his writing by making it shocking and humorous
I am wondering how publishing a book in a magazine affects literature. It seems from these ads that it makes the writing more about entertainment then meaning; however Mark Twain still was able to make Puddn’head Wilson a biting Satire. How did he do that? I am wondering if Century Magazine sanitized his work in order to best show it to the public or left it as Twain wished? What percent of readers understood the satire? What was the general reaction? Ads show what the magazine was aiming for but I am wondering now what reaction did they receive?
The Aldine Dinner Menu is a menu of which under all of the food choices are quotes from Mark Twain. Each quote is in some way related to that menu item. For example: the choice is fish so a quote is "When the fish are caught they prevent the lying." I think the quotes don't reflect his opinions on black people or anything that is hugely prevalent in the story. I see this as his interest in quotes and underlying meaning in short phases.
ReplyDelete-Quotes under food choices
-Quotes relate to the menu items
-Quotes also relate to people
-Mark Twain likes quotes
-Not much prevalence to PW other than the calendar of quotes
So I think that the quotes on the menu show how Mark Twain likes short passages that have underlying meaning. I think that this is reflected in PW with the calender of quotes at the beginning of each chapter. Also, I think that PW is a reflection of Mark Twain with his short length parables. Other than that I really do not see much meaning in the quotes on the menu, and how they possibly relate to PW.
-Mark Twain likes quotes
-Uses short length parable type things to get his point across
-Connection of quotes on menu to quote's from PW calendar
-Don't see much relation between the two meanings
Galton's “Finger Prints” is an article discussing the importance of finger prints. “Let no one despise the ridges on account of their smallness, for they are in some respects the most important of all anthropological data.” He examines many different finger prints from different races of people. He looked at the finger prints of English, Welsh, Jews, and Negroes. He found out that all of them initially are the same. “As a first and only an approximately correct description, the English, Welsh, Jews, Negroes, and Basques, may all be spoken of as identical in the character of their finger prints; the same familiar patterns appearing in all of them which much the same degrees of frequency, the differences between groups of different races being not larger than those that occasionally occur between groups of the same race.” He finds that they tend to look more simple than other races finger prints. He finds some patterns in the finger prints of Negroes but they are not significant enough to make any conclusions. The only differences so far observed are statistical, and cannot be determined except through patience and caution, and by discussing large groups.
ReplyDelete-Finger prints hold a lot of importance
-He took finger prints of many different races.
-The is no significant difference between different races.
This reinforces the idea that a person is defined by nurture not nature. Your finger print is your identity and your race has nothing to do with your finger prints. Therefore race doesn't define your identity, it doesn't define who you are. You see this in Puddn’head Wilson with the switched twins. One is black and the other one is not but you wouldn’t know it. They grow up to be the people they are told they are. The one that is black is put into the position of being a white master. He takes on this role and treats his own mother with disrespect because that’s how society told him to act. Race doesn’t define your identity.
-Nurture not Nature
-Race has nothing to do with your finger prints.
-Race doesn’t define who you are.
@RachelC
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to see Twain’s transformation as a person through his novels. After reading Pudd’nhead Wilson it is hard to believe that Twain could have once advocated slavery; however, people are molded by the era they live in. Do you think a New Historicism lens could be applied to almost every one of Twain’s pieces of writing?
@LizB
It is interesting that Twain used his alias in his day to day business and had trouble deciding what name to use. Is it possible that each name represents a different persona/ part of him? Perhaps his pen name, Mark Twain, corresponds to the image he created for himself through his writings. Could the name Samuel Clemens be associated with a bitter past, and Mark Twain a new beginning in which the man disapproves of slavery? Or, was the indecision between names merely a result of the writer’s fondness of his pen name?
Mark Twain's 70th Birthday
ReplyDeleteFor Marks birthday 170 friends joined him to celebrate. He commented in his speech that this birthday was his swan-song, a song he had sung many times, and his first birthday was his cradle-song. He goes on to describe habits that do not form until you are 40. These habits of his such as going to bed when there is no one else to talk to and getting up when it is time has kept him alive. He also describes his diet which consists of coffee and breakfast and his intense smoking habit. He does not smoke when he is asleep but he always smokes when he is awake. Mark Twain smoked since he was about ten. This habit is one that has not killed him, but he said everybody is different. He does not drink unless he is in the presence of friends and they are drinking and he does not really take medicine. He does not exercise aside from sleeping and he does not intend to do any. Twain believes everybody has morals, and he came into the world with no morals at all. He said when he finally got them he felt like they were hand me down morals.
-We can't reach old age by another man's road.
-My habits protect my life, but they would assassinate you.
-Habits are not formed until the age of forty.
-Morals are a requirement.
Reaction
It is very interesting how he thinks that the habits he has done have kept him alive until 70 but would kill anybody else. I think some of his habits such as smoking would kill anybody prematurely but apparently not for him. I think it is also interesting that he does not drink unless he is in the presence of friends who are drinking. I think that for me that would not work to smoke and drink but it worked for him. I wouldn't suggest it, but each to his own.
-I disagree with smoking and drinking but it worked for Mark Twain.
-I don't suggest it, but each to his own. Everyone can choose how they will live.
Summary: An encounter with an Interviewer is about a young man interviewing Mark Twain towards the end of his life. Mark Twain makes out his character to be a somewhat insane man that thinks in a different way than others. '"How do you spell it?" "Spell what?" "Interview." "O my goodness! What do you want to spell it for?" "I don't want to spell it; I want to see what it means."' As the interview continues Twain reveals the mental problems he has by just talking to the young interviewer.Q. How old are you?
ReplyDelete"A. Nineteen, in June. Q. Indeed! I would have taken you to be thirty-five or six. Where were you born? A. In Missouri. Q. When did you begin to write? A. In 1836" Finally, towards the end of the interview Mark Twain speaks of himself as a dual person, his twin, or himself; and reveals that people are still unsure which baby he was. "Q. Well, I never heard anything like this. Somebody was dead. Somebody was buried. Now, where was the mystery? A. Ah, that's just it! That's it exactly. You see we were twins,--defunct and I,--and we got mixed in the bath-tub when we were only two weeks old, and one of us was drowned. But we didn't know which. Some think it was Bill, some think it was me." As the interview concludes, it's easy to realize that although the character of Twain appears to be crazy,he also just has some sickness of playing with the interviewers mind.
>Twain is interviewed
>Comes off as a sort of crazy man
>Tells information that contradicts itself
>Twain talks about his experiences as if they may or may not have happened.
>Speaks of his dead brother in a manner that might show the death of himself
>Interview concludes
Response:
I'm wondering if Twains true personality is like the one of his character in the story. I find it hard to believe that Twain could be completely normal and come up with that. An encounter with an interviewer makes me think Twain had to fake sanity throughout his entire life to fit in; and to conform to society.
>What influences made Twain think in a way of everything being semi real?
Summary: An encounter with an Interviewer is about a young man interviewing Mark Twain towards the end of his life. Mark Twain makes out his character to be a somewhat insane man that thinks in a different way than others. '"How do you spell it?" "Spell what?" "Interview." "O my goodness! What do you want to spell it for?" "I don't want to spell it; I want to see what it means."' As the interview continues Twain reveals the mental problems he has by just talking to the young interviewer.Q. How old are you?
ReplyDelete"A. Nineteen, in June. Q. Indeed! I would have taken you to be thirty-five or six. Where were you born? A. In Missouri. Q. When did you begin to write? A. In 1836" Finally, towards the end of the interview Mark Twain speaks of himself as a dual person, his twin, or himself; and reveals that people are still unsure which baby he was. "Q. Well, I never heard anything like this. Somebody was dead. Somebody was buried. Now, where was the mystery? A. Ah, that's just it! That's it exactly. You see we were twins,--defunct and I,--and we got mixed in the bath-tub when we were only two weeks old, and one of us was drowned. But we didn't know which. Some think it was Bill, some think it was me." As the interview concludes, it's easy to realize that although the character of Twain appears to be crazy,he also just has some sickness of playing with the interviewers mind.
>Twain is interviewed
>Comes off as a sort of crazy man
>Tells information that contradicts itself
>Twain talks about his experiences as if they may or may not have happened.
>Speaks of his dead brother in a manner that might show the death of himself
>Interview concludes
Response:
I'm wondering if Twains true personality is like the one of his character in the story. I find it hard to believe that Twain could be completely normal and come up with that. An encounter with an interviewer makes me think Twain had to fake sanity throughout his entire life to fit in; and to conform to society.
>What influences made Twain think in a way of everything being semi real?