Mark Twain. Curriculum Vitae

Today we will talk about one world-famous American writer, public figure and journalist. Mark Twain's real name was Samuel Clemens. He was born in Florida township, in 1835, November 30th. Samuel died in 1910, on April 21. His work includes many genres - satire, humor, journalism, philosophical fiction and others, and everywhere he takes the same position - a democrat and a humanist.

Reviews of Mark Twain by other writers

William Faulkner said that Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain's real name) was the first to truly believe that modern American literature came entirely from one book by Twain called The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In Russia, among domestic writers, Alexander Kuprin and Maxim Gorky spoke especially warmly about Samuel Clemens.

Origin of the nickname

The real name of the writer Mark Twain was not used by him when publishing his works. He always signed with a pseudonym. The author himself claimed that the name he began to call himself in his youth - Mark Twain - comes from the term river navigation. At that time, the future writer served on the Mississippi as an assistant pilot, and this cry (from English the translation of “mark twain” literally sounds like “mark twain”) meant that according to the mark on the lotline, the minimum depth suitable for the passage of various river vessels had been reached, amounting to 2 fathoms (approximately 3.7 meters).

But there is another version about the allegedly literary origin of this pseudonym: in one of the American magazines in 1861, a humorous story “North Star” by Artemus Ward appeared, telling the story of three sailors, the name of one of whom was Mark Twain (what is the real name of Mark Twain, we already found out). Samuel was very fond of the humorous section of this magazine called “Vanity Fair”. In his first speeches (which are written below), the writer read precisely the works of Artemus Ward.

In addition to the above-mentioned pseudonym, in 1896 Samuel once signed himself with the name "Sieur Louis de Comte". Under it he published one of his novels.

The writer's childhood and youth

Samuel was born in a small town called Florida, located in the USA, in the state of Missouri. He later joked that he increased the population of its population by one percent with his birth. The child was the third of four children in the family of Jane and John Clemens. When he was still very young, his parents moved in search of a better life to the city of Hannibal in the same state. It and its inhabitants were later immortalized in the famous works of Samuel Clemens, especially in the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, published in 1876.

First job

In 1847, Clemens's father died of pneumonia, leaving his children with many debts. The eldest son, named Orion, soon began publishing his own newspaper, and Sam began to make a contribution to the business as a typesetter, and sometimes as an author of various articles. It turned out that some of the most controversial and lively texts of the newspaper were written by his younger brother when Orion was away. Sam also traveled occasionally to New York and St. Louis.

The period before the start of a literary career

The call of the Mississippi eventually attracted Mark Twain, who began serving as a pilot on the ship. It was a profession to which, as Clemens admitted, he would like to devote his whole life, but the Civil War began, which put an end to the private shipping company in 1861. The future writer was therefore forced to look for another occupation.

Joining the Masonic Lodge

He joined the North Star Masonic Lodge in May 1861 in St. Louis. During his next trip from Palestine, Samuel sent a “gavel” to the lodge, to which he attached a letter in a humorous style. In it, he informed the brothers that the handle of this hammer was cut by him from the trunk of one that Godfrey of Bouillon planted near the walls of Jerusalem.

Mark Twain (the writer's real name is Samuel Clemens), after a short acquaintance with (an experience that he colorfully described in 1885), left the war to the west in July 1861. At this time, his brother Orion was asked to become secretary to the governor governing the territory of Nevada. Orion and Sam traveled across the prairies for two weeks by stagecoach to Virginia, a silver mining town.

In the west

It was this experience of living in the western United States that shaped Twain as a writer. It formed the basis of the second book he created. Hoping to get rich in Nevada, Clemens became a miner and began mining silver. The writer had to live for a long time in a camp with other workers - this way of life was described by him later in literature. But Samuel failed to become a successful prospector; he was forced to leave his mining and get a job at a newspaper in Virginia, where he first began using the pseudonym Mark Twain that made him famous. The writer moved to California, San Francisco, in 1864, where he began publishing articles simultaneously for several newspapers. Twain achieved his first success in the field of literature in 1865, when the humorous story he created was considered the best work in the humorous genre created in America and was reprinted throughout America.

Samuel Clemens ran the Sacramento Union newspaper in Hawaii in the spring of 1866. During his journey, he had to write letters about the adventures that happened to him. Upon the writer's return to San Francisco, unprecedented success awaited them. John McComb, a colonel and publisher of a newspaper called Alta California, invited Mark Twain to go on a tour of the state giving entertaining lectures. They immediately gained wild popularity, and the writer, entertaining the public and collecting a dollar from each listener, traveled throughout the state.

First published book

Mark Twain (the real name of the writer was presented above) as a writer achieved his first success in another of his journeys. He asked Mac Combe to sponsor his trip to the Middle East and Europe in 1867. As a correspondent, in June of this year he set sail for the Old World on the steamship Cracker City. In August, the writer also reached Sevastopol, Yalta and Odessa. Mark Twain (Twain's real name was Samuel Clemens) as part of the ship's delegation visited the residence of the Emperor of Russia in Livadia.

The letters he wrote during his trip to Asia and Europe were sent to the editor and published in the newspaper, after which they became the basis of one of the books called “Simps Abroad.” She was born in 1869 and was a resounding success. Many knew this writer until the end of his life precisely as the creator of this work.

In 1870, Samuel married Olivia Langdon and went to live in the city of Buffalo, which is located in the US state of New York. He later moved to Hartford (Connecticut). This period was marked by giving lectures in England and the USA. Then he began to create sharp satire, criticizing politicians and American society. This is especially true for a collection published in 1883 called Life on the Mississippi.

Creative career

This writer's most notable contribution to the literature of America and the world is considered to be his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. “The Prince and the Pauper”, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, “A Connecticut Yankee”, as well as the above-mentioned collection “Life on the Mississippi”, consisting of autobiographical stories, were and remain very popular. The writer began his career with humorous, unpretentious couplets, and ended with essays on human morals, full of subtle irony, as well as satirical pamphlets and philosophical reflections on the fate of the entire civilization.

Numerous lectures and public speeches were either not recorded or were lost; individual letters and works were prohibited for publication by the creator himself during his lifetime, as well as for decades after the death of the writer.

Mark Twain was an excellent speaker. Having earned fame and recognition, he devoted a lot of time to searching for young talents, whom he helped to break through with the help of his influence and the publishing company acquired by the writer.

Interest in science and friendship with Nikola Tesla

Samuel was interested in scientific problems. He was friends with Nikola Tesla and spent a lot of time in his laboratory. In a work called "A Connecticut Yankee", the writer included time travel, which led to the fact that modern technology appeared in the time of King Arthur in England. The technical details given in the novel indicate that the author was well aware of the scientific achievements of his era.

Censorship debate

Sometimes American censors banned certain works of Mark Twain from publication for various reasons. This was explained mainly by the author’s active social and civic position. Some of them could offend the religious feelings of his contemporaries, and therefore Twain did not publish these works. For example, The Mysterious Stranger remained unpublished until 1916. Some anti-religious works were not published until the 1940s.

In the 2000s, attempts were again made in the United States to ban The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn due to its naturalistic depictions and language that was offensive to blacks. Despite the fact that the author was an opponent of imperialism and racism and in his rejection of the latter went much further than most of his contemporaries, the words that were in general use at the time of this author really sound like racial insults today. In the USA in 2011, in February, the first edition of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” appeared, created by a writer under the pseudonym Mark Twain (real name and surname - Samuel Langhorne Clemens), in which such expressions were replaced by others, politically correct .

This is the brief biography of this writer.

So, we found out the real name of Mark Twain. Foreign literature (4th grade) introduces us to this author for the first time. The novelist's works are popular with elementary school students. However, in lower grades it is rarely mentioned that Mark Twain is a pseudonym. Now you will know the real name of Mark Twain from the fairy tale "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" - a work that is usually included in the school curriculum.

Mark Twain, whose brief biography is presented in the article below, is a famous writer. He is loved and respected all over the world and has gained fame for his talent. How were his days, what important things happened in his life? Read the answers below.

A little about the writer

The works of Mark Twain are read at school, as they are included in the compulsory course. All adults and young people know this writer, so a short biography of Mark Twain will be presented here for the 5th grade, because around this time children become acquainted with his exciting books. Our hero was not only a writer, but also a person with an active life position. His work is very diverse and reflects the path of life - just as rich and varied. He wrote in many genres, from satire to philosophical fiction. In each of them he remained faithful to humanism. At the peak of his popularity, he was considered one of the most prominent Americans. Russian creators spoke very flatteringly about him: especially Gorky and Kuprin. Twain became famous thanks to his two books - “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”.

Childhood

Mark Twain, whose brief biography is the topic of our article, was born in Missouri in the fall of 1845. After some time, the family changed their place of residence, moving to the city of Hannibal. In his books, he described the inhabitants of this city most often. Soon the head of the family died, and all responsibility passed to the young boys. The older brother took up publishing in order to somehow provide for the family. - Samuel Langhorne Clemens) tried to make his contribution, so he worked for his brother as a typesetter, and later as an article writer. The guy decided to write the most daring and striking articles only when his older brother Orion left somewhere for a long time.

When the Civil War began, Samuel decided to try himself as a pilot on a ship. Soon he returned from the voyage and decided to get as far away from the terrible events of the war as possible. The future writer often repeated that if not for the war, he would have devoted his entire life to working as a pilot. In 1861 he went west - to where silver was mined. Not feeling a true attraction to his chosen business, he decides to take up journalism. He is hired to work for a newspaper in Virginia, and then Clemens begins writing under his pseudonym.

Nickname

Our hero's real name is Samuel Clemens. He said that he came up with his pseudonym while working as a pilot on a steamship, using terms from river navigation. Literally it means “mark two”. There is another version of the origin of the pseudonym. In 1861, Artemus Ward published a humorous story about three sailors. One of them was called M. Twain. The most interesting thing is that S. Clemenes loved and often publicly read the works of A. Ward.

Success

Mark Twain's biography (briefly) shows that in 1860, after the author visited Europe, he published a book called "Simps Abroad." It was she who brought him his first fame, and the literary society of America finally turned its close attention to the young author.

Besides writing, what else did Mark Twain do? A short biography for children will tell you that almost a decade later, the writer falls in love and moves to Hartward to be with his fiancée. During the same period of time, he began to criticize American society in his satirical works and give lectures in educational institutions.

A biography of Mark Twain in English (briefly) tells us that in 1976 the writer published the book “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” which in the future brought him worldwide fame. After 8 years, he writes his second famous work called “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” The author's most popular historical novel is The Prince and the Pauper.

Science and other interests

Does Mark Twain have anything to do with science? A short biography of the writer is simply impossible without mentioning science! He was very interested in new ideas and theories. His good friend was Nikola Tesla, with whom he did some experiments together. It is known that two friends could not leave the laboratory for hours, doing the next experiment. In one of his books, the writer used a rich technical description, rich in the smallest details. This indicates that he was not just familiar with some terms. In fact, he had in-depth knowledge in many areas.

What else was Mark Twain interested in? A short biography will tell you that he was an excellent speaker and often spoke in public. He knew how to literally capture the breath of those listening and not let go until the end of his speech. Understanding the influence he could have on people and already having a sufficient number of useful connections, the writer was busy finding young talents and helping them to break through and show their talent. Unfortunately, most of the recordings and lectures of his public appearances were simply lost. Some he himself forbade publication.

Twain was also a Freemason. He joined the North Star Lodge in St. Louis in the spring of 1861.

Recent years

The most difficult time for the writer was his last years of life. One gets the feeling that all the troubles decided to fall on him overnight. There was a decline in creativity in the literary field, and at the same time, the financial situation was rapidly deteriorating. After this, he suffered great grief: his wife Olivia Langdon and three of his four children died. Surprisingly, M. Twain still tried not to lose heart and even joked sometimes! The great and talented writer died in the spring of 1910 from angina pectoris.

(estimates: 9 , average: 4,33 out of 5)

Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was born on November 30, 1835 in Florida. In fact, he was ill throughout his childhood, although this is not strange: as newspapers reported, only half of Americans lived to adulthood. Unknown diseases that raged in Florida at that time claimed the lives of countless people...

One of the entertainments in the childhood of the future writer was watching the arrival of the ship. Having matured, he no longer just watched the ships, but also controlled them. However, young Samuel was still that tomboy: he stole sweet apples and watermelons, hunted possums at night, and once even rolled a large boulder down the hill into the city (fortunately, only the coppersmith’s workshop was damaged). Clemens, like Tom Sawyer, wandered through a terrible cave - and, like his hero, one day he got lost there and almost died.

Samuel's father, John Clemens, left the family debts and an inheritance in the form of a plot of land. He died without knowing that the land, which he considered a priceless gift and source of wealth for his children, had become a heavy burden that all the Clemens had to bear.

Young Sam got a job at a newspaper, first at the Missouri Courier and later at the publishing house owned by his brother. In 1953, he realized that the job of a journalist-compositor did not bring joy, and he went on a journey. Without staying in one place for more than a week, he visited many American cities. Sam writes short essays about his travels and sends them to his brother: thus the family newspaper is constantly updated with new materials.

His travels lead him aboard the old ship Paul Jones. Here Clemens becomes an apprentice to pilot Horace Bixby. After some time, Sam received a place on the large steamship Pennsylvania. He did not forget about the journalistic craft, but regularly sent his texts to New Orleans periodicals.

The gold rush also struck Clemens: he, like almost everyone else at that time, went in search of his tidbit. Trying in vain to make a fortune, Sam returned to writing - and a little later, on the same site, another man finally found the treasured gold. At the age of 27, Clemens finally decided to devote his life to creativity.

The pseudonym “Mark Twain” is associated with his pilot past: Mark twain literally translates as “mark two” (fathoms). This is about 4 meters deep, that is, the minimum depth for the free passage of ships. Working in the editorial office of Enterprise, Samuel Clemens turns into the famous Mark Twain.

After the unexpected success of one of his stories, Mark decides to take a short break from journalism and go on a trip. In New York, he finds his love - Olivia Langdon, who will later become his editor-in-chief (despite the fact that she herself had a bourgeois worldview). As Twain said, she edited not only his works, but also himself.

For 10 years, Mark Twain and his family lived in many European countries - Italy, France, Germany and Switzerland. The beginning of the twentieth century brought heavy losses to the writer: three of his daughters and his wife passed away. He himself died on April 21, 1910, after witnessing Halley’s Comet for the second time (it first flew over the Earth, oddly enough, in the year of his birth).

Mark Twain, bibliography

All books by Mark Twain:

1867 - “The Famous Jumping Frog of Calaveras,” collection of short stories
1868 - “The Story of Mamie Grant, Missionary Girl”
1869 — “Simps Abroad”
1871 — “The Tempered”
1873 - "The Gilded Age"
1875 — “Old and New Sketches”
1875 - "Old Times on the Mississippi"
1876 - ""
1881 — " "
1883 - “Life on the Mississippi”
1884 — "

Mark Twain's biography is full of interesting events that will be of interest to schoolchildren studying his works. The future classic of American literature was born in 1835 in the village of Florida (Missouri). We can say that his parents were already Native Americans (coming from Virginia and Kentucky).

The father died when the boy was 13 years old, the mother lived a long life and died at the age of 87. Besides Sam, there were 3 more children in the family: two boys and a girl. After the death of his father, Sam's older brother Orion became the head of the family. It was he who opened the family business: he began publishing a newspaper. Samuel also worked at the publishing house, first as a typesetter and then as a journalist. As a journalist, he traveled around the country, visiting St. Louis and New York.

After working for his brother for some time, Samuel realized that the river was “calling” him. He became a pilot on a steamship. He liked the work, but the Civil War led to the disappearance of private shipping. Samuel was forced to look for a livelihood again.

It is known that at the very beginning of the Civil War, the future writer became a member of the Masonic lodge, although he always treated the brotherhood with humor.

During the Civil War

For some time, Samuel fought in the ranks of the militia, but after his brother was made secretary to the governor of Nevada, he went with him to the West.

In Nevada, Sam worked in a mine as a prospector, extracting silver. Then he got a job at the Territorial Enterprise newspaper.

In 1864, Sam moved to San Francisco, where he began working for several newspapers at once.

First literary experiments

Twain published his first humorous story in 1865. It brought him success and was even named the best humorous story created in America by an American writer. Twain spent the entire next year traveling on business. He carried out editorial assignments for newspapers and gave lectures throughout the state, and in 1866, Twain went abroad for the first time, visiting Europe and the Middle East. It is interesting that during this trip he also visited the Russian Empire, in particular, he visited Crimea.

In 1867, Twain published the book “Innocents Abroad,” which were essentially travel notes. The book was a wild success. Mark Twain became very popular.

After 1870, Twain took up writing in earnest. Also at this time he began teaching at a number of universities in the USA and England. Twain was an excellent speaker, and his lectures were incredibly popular.

In his later works, the author spoke out against racism and imperialism, criticized current American senators, and spoke negatively about presidents. By the way, his novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” was banned several times because it was believed that the words and expressions used by the authors were unliterary, and many of the scenes were too naturalistic.

Family

Mark Twain was married to Olivia Langdon. They lived together for about 20 years, had 4 children, three of whom died in childhood. The writer outlived his wife and deeply experienced her death, even falling into depression.

Recent years

In recent years, the writer's financial affairs have been greatly shaken, but the situation was saved by oil tycoon Henry Rogers, who became a close friend of the writer. Mark Twain greatly influenced the character of the American businessman and made him a true philanthropist and philanthropist. Roger, at the request of the writer, organized several charitable foundations that sponsored educational programs for African Americans and for children with disabilities.

The writer was buried several times. After another obituary, Mark Twain even uttered what became a catchphrase that rumors of his death were greatly exaggerated.

He died in 1910 from an attack of angina. It is known that he was born in the year that Halley’s comet passed over the earth; he also “left” with it, since in 1910 it again passed by the Earth (by the way, the writer actually predicted his death).

Other biography options

The most important thing is that historians and biographers have long argued (and still argue) about the origin of the pseudonym “Mark Twain.” Some associated it with river navigation terms. Others believed that this pseudonym was taken by the writer after reading the novels of Artemus Ward (the main character of one of the works was named Mark Twain).
Maxim Gorky and Alexander Kuprin were very fond of the work of Mark Twain, believing that it shaped the views of American society in many ways, including influencing the eradication of racial prejudice.
A short biography of Mark Twain is of some interest to children, since Mark Twain’s works are studied in grades 5-6 of secondary school.

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