Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
Mark Twain is the pen name of author Samuel Langhorne
Clemmons. Twain was born in Florida, Missouri. However, he grew up in Hannibal,
Missouri, near the banks of the Mississippi River, which landscapes seem to be
another character in his stories. Twain spent
eighteen months on the Mississippi River training as a riverboat pilot, from
this job he took the name “Mark Twain”, which is a reference to the nautical
term, two fathoms deep). Berke, Amy; Bleil, Robert R;
Cofer, P, Jordan; Doug, Davis; (n.d).
He had the capacity to work in different fields and do
it well as a writer, journalist, humorist, memoirist, novelist, and public
speaker. Since he is considered one of the most important American writers of
all time, an influential and important figure of American Literary Realism, a
literary movement that took place during the second half of the 19th century,
it was characterized for representing life as it is, its characters were common
people, living a common life, so their main topics were reality as it is. Therefore, it was against romanticism, the
previous movement and there are many differences both ideologically and in
formal aspects.
One of the episodes in Twain’s life that caught my
attention was the end of his days. I know that he went through economic poverty
due to a bad investment of all his capital in the Webster company, which went
bankrupt in 1984. Then, his favorite daughter died, and another one fell
ill. Besides this, the disability and
death of his wife left him disappointed and bitter. I wonder how such a
valuable human being who created works that still make us happy today, can fall
into a state of depression and write “Life is nothing but a nightmare from
which death free us”
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
In the book's preface, the author surprised his
potential readers by commenting that many of the adventures to be narrated were
real. Marking the fact that two of his characters are inspired by his own life.
Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, plus Tom in the individual characteristics is the
combination of three of his childhood friends.
Anyway, many of the readers could find some of his
childhood experiences in this hilarious story. At least that happened to me,
and that is the aspect I feel proud of the realism literary movement, the power
to portray reality.
The story is divided into XXXVI wonderful chapters,
besides the preface and the conclusion, in which the author in a masterful way
leaves the character as an open book that must continue to be written. He is a
boy and as a boy, he is still growing up. He reaffirms that many of his
characters at the end of the story continue with their daily lives in real
life.
Although this story could be seen as a children's
story, it is given or can be enjoyed by all kinds of audiences. However,
through its reading, we can have a perception of the American reality of the
time it was written, 1876, XIX century.
One of the aspects that caught my attention was the
treatment that Aunt Polly gave her slaves. I won't say it was humane treatment
because slavery itself is inhumane. But, while Aunt Polly treats his slave in a
cordial way, the author subtly reveals that some locals used to beat their
slaves as a punishment.
I will not give details about The Adventures of Tom
Sawyer because I want you to read the whole story. However, I want to highlight
Twain’s power to sell his stories and his ability to let us fly with his words
to discover the places he is describing:
“Cardiff Hill was green with vegetation. It stretched
far enough away to give the impression of a dream country, peaceful and
attractive”
To finish this short introduction to the story, I want
to mention that one of the chapters that I enjoy the most was chapter IX, in
which the murder of Dr. Robinson at the hands of Injun Joe who accuses Muff
Potter was described. From this chapter,
I started to change my impression of Huck and Tom who were introduced as two troublemaker
boys. Tom had the courage to denounce
Injun Joe's crime and save Muff Pottery from certain death. Finally, in chapter
XXX, Huck saves the widow Douglas from being murdered by Injun Joe who was on
the run when he was denounced by Tom.
REFERENCES
Berke, Amy; Bleil, Robert R; Cofer, P, Jordan; Doug, Davis;
(n.d). Writing the Nation. A course
introduction to American Literature 1865 to present. Georgia: University of
North Georgia Press Dahlonega.
Twain, Mark; (1876). The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Barcelona:
Ediciones Brontes S.L., 2020.
[1] A portrait of the American writer Mark Twain taken
by A. F. Bradley in New York, 1907. En: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Twain#/media/Archivo:Mark_Twain_by_AF_Bradley.jpg
_Cropped.jpg)
Mark Twain is widely considered one of the greatest American writers of all time, that thanks to his great work, and talent in many fields.
ResponderEliminarAmong his great works, I want to highlight the adventures of Tom Sawyer, the story tells the life of a rebellious and witty boy, but enormously kind, who thanks to his imagination and enthusiasm lives unique experiences with his friends in a small town near the coast of the Mississippi River. Without a doubt, Twain through his writings provoked interest in his readers, I can personally say that he caused that in me since I was a child, since I used to watch The Adventures of Tom, and I never wanted to miss a chapter. On the other hand, it is very moving for me to learn a little more about the life of this writer, who, although he had a difficult life, always tried to give his best in his works.
By: María José Contreras Lance.
Este comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.
ResponderEliminarPersonally, I want to say that as a kind I learnt a lot about The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Although I did not read the book, I watched the anime and some others cartoons like the The Fairly OddParents that included Tom Sawyer Adventures.
ResponderEliminarit is really amazing to read about an author I did not know but that makes parts of my childhood.
SANTIAGO PADILLA CARRASCAL
After I read, it really caught my attention how this author is capable of creating a great story like the one mentioned before, making use of such common and dailys situations as the pranks of a boy and the need that adults feel for punish children to correct and discipline them. I think it's a valuable book because it doesn't lose its essence through the years, it continues to emphasize the naivety and mischief characteristic of children, which is why his work is still valid because there are situations that never change and Twain knew how to capture them in his writings. LUZ ENITH HERNÁNDEZ FUENTES
ResponderEliminarI remember that the first time I heard about the adventures of Tom Sawyer was in an episode of my favorite series as a child, the fairly odd parents, and I thought it was a very interesting and funny story because of all the things that the boy did and I also wanted to experience all of those adventures, going out into the world and having fun. It was the dream of any child, to be able to do what you want without any adult punishing you or preventing you from playing all day, being with your friends and traveling around the world.
ResponderEliminarSince the episode was very short, I wanted to search for the complete story and there I learned who the writer was and what had inspired him to write it. Doing some research on the life of Mark Twain, I discovered not only that it wasn't his real name but that he is also one of the most important English authors in the world of literature and I remember thinking that it was curious that I found out about his existence because it appeared on a cartoon that I really liked.
In conclusion, this writer seems to me to be a very talented person with a very particular writing style, his book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer perfectly narrates the reality of what was happening at that time, Mark is one of the most famous representatives of realism American. His works are loaded with adventure, humor and irony where he reveals that ideal world in which any child wants to live.
Mark Twain, a world-class writer who wrote works of great success during the American realism. Twain like many was one of the most influential and important figures of this literary movement reaching his greatest fame with the book entitled The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), a book that transports us to that time of the Wars of Succession in St. Petersburg, a fictional town on the coast of the Mississippi River, where Twain was born. I am struck by this author because he transcends from one era to another, also the use of dialect and the regional and satirical humor that he transmits in each of his masterpieces and in the case of the adventures of Tom Sawyer was no exception. It is very valuable for me to learn each one of these aspects and to see how Twain became such a famous character of realism that he was unconditional friend of different American presidents, simply because they were impressed with his good work as a writer and the fame he obtained during that time.
ResponderEliminarThe first time hearing about the name of Tom Sawyer was, generally, in pop/modern culture as a reference on tv shows or series and most of them were highlighting a part of Tom Sawyer's story in which he had to do some sort of chore outdoors, but instead of doing so, he managed to convince another kid to do the chore in his place while he eats something nearby. Since that moment, I knew he was some sort of a "basket case" or a trouble maker. However, after reading more about his story, I also came to the conclusion that he also has a good heart and an extraordinary imagination
ResponderEliminarWhen I think about Mark Twain, the Adventures of Tom Sawyer always comes up in my mind, but beyond that, I believe his other works are worth mentioning. For Twain, fame began when his story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calavaras County" appeared in the New York Saturday Press on November 18, 1865. Twain's first book, "The Innocents Abroad," was published in 1869, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" in 1876 and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" in 1885. In addition, many other pieces, letters and sketches.
ResponderEliminarGoing back to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, I had always heard of the book in the past. I even had the book the other day at the point of buying it before, and changed my mind in the end. There was no particular reason, of course. But one do realize how the phrases and stories told in the series and the book created by Tom Sawyer are known all over the world.
Many of the stories told in the book are entertaining and comical, but how can they not? After all, we are reading about the adventures of a child, as he tricks people, escapes from his obligations, and provokes revolutionary situations that every child of his age would like to do. In my opinion this book works for all audiences, not everyone would agree but there are pieces of literature that become classics we all read at some point in our lives. No wonder he is one of the finest and dearest writers in the United States.
Mark Twain is considered to be one of the greatest writers in American history. Twain was a brilliant satirist, a comedic genius, and a master at capturing the rhythm and sound of 19th-century American popular language in all its nuances.
ResponderEliminarIt is impossible, within the framework of a single, relatively brief article, to examine the life and literary work of this man in a way that does him justice. It is a huge subject, complex and full of contradictions. Throughout his life, the writer experienced great acclaim for success, as well as financial failure and terribly tragic moments in his personal life.
I reckon I first encountered the Adventures of Tom Sawyer when the cartoon’s reruns were on tv, but I am not quite sure. And at that time, I probably had no idea it was a 19th-century book. Manipulative and cunning, Tom doesn't hesitate to drive his Aunt Polly crazy to achieve his ends: to be free and go play and pull pranks with his friend Huckleberry Finn. He is afraid of nothing… except Injun Joe. It must be said that Mark Twain really created a work full of charm which allows readers to immerse themselves with delight into the childhood of young rascal Tom Sawyer.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is Mark Twain's first novel, but not his first text ever. I get the sense that this book, made to entertain youngsters, could definitely appeal to adults as well. In fact, if you like analyzing books and history, you could read it twice and get a closer look at all the elements and details of 19th-century America. In addition, some chapters lean more toward serious topics and deal with painful subjects.
This book defies easy classification: it offers comic scenes that provoke everything from laughter to tears, interspersed with passages, for example, showing the brutality of slavery in the South of Twain’s prewar childhood along with the other disturbing facets of American life at the time.
One key detail that has been overlooked by my classmates, is that this novel, The adventures of Tom Sawyer was the first ever piece of literature published that was written in a typewriter. In his 1904 autobiography, he states that this was his first work made on a typewriter and Samuel Clemens, (Mark Twain) holds the honor of being the first author in english literature that has written a novel on this modern device at the time.
ResponderEliminarReference:
"Mark Twain: A Biography", Albert Bigelow Paine (via Project Gutenberg)
Something I admire about Mark Twain's style in Tom Sawyer adventures, as mentioned above, is his capability to catch the audience attention with his detailed descriptions of the scenario, the features he creates to draws the different location where Tom's stories take place make one play the whole movie in our head at the time of reading. In the other hand, not being enough the setting of place and situation; Twain also shows off his mystery in developing interesting and delightful characters, even though when admitting to place aspects of himself and his peers in the main characters.
ResponderEliminarOne of the things that I want to highlight about Mark Twain is that he had a unique ability to use humor and satire to point out the absurdity of the society around him. He was able to provide insightful commentary on issues of race, class, and morality in a way that was accessible and entertaining to a broad audience. Additionally, Twain's work often challenged conventional wisdom and forced readers to question their own assumptions and beliefs. Despite being a product of his time, Twain's work has continued to be relevant and influential, inspiring generations of writers and thinkers to use their writing as a means of social and political critique. Regarding Buck Fanshaw's funeral, I really loved the story due to the description of the funeral because it serves as a commentary on the absurdities of human behavior and how we often attach great importance to superficial customs and rituals. It is also an example of the satirical style and humor that Mark Twain is known for.
ResponderEliminarIn "Buck Fanshaw's Funeral" by Mark Twain, the story touches on social justice issues of its time. Twain humorously criticizes the hypocrisy and moral judgment of society by portraying the absurdity of a funeral held for a criminal. This satirical commentary sheds light on the flaws in the justice system and society's tendency to condemn individuals without understanding their circumstances. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, suicide was a highly stigmatized topic, and individuals who died by suicide often faced posthumous exclusion from traditional funeral ceremony. Twain's story reflects the prevailing social attitudes and highlights the need for more compassionate and understanding perspectives on such issues.
ResponderEliminar-Amy Buelvas
ResponderEliminarMark Twain portrayed social justice in his stories by exposing societal absurdities and hypocrisies. Through works like "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson," he tackled racism, slavery, and class distinctions, laying bare the contradictions between professed ideals and harsh realities. Twain used humor and satire to criticize norms and challenge the status quo, inviting readers to question the fairness of societal systems.
Gissel Pestana
ResponderEliminarMark Twain, the renowned American author and humorist, was celebrated for his distinctive way of writing that skillfully blended humor, satire, and keen observations of society. Twain's works, such as "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," are notable for their exploration of social justice and the stark differences within society. Through his characters and narratives, Twain confronted the prevailing issues of his time, particularly slavery and racial inequality. His keen wit and clever storytelling shed light on the injustices and hypocrisies of the era, using humor as a vehicle for social commentary. Twain's legacy endures as a powerful testament to his ability to both entertain and challenge readers with thought-provoking narratives that continue to resonate with issues of social justice and societal disparities.
One of the most remarkable aspects of Twain's storytelling is his use of humor and satire to address serious and controversial topics, such as slavery and the human condition. This ability to combine social commentary with entertainment made his stories both thought-provoking and engaging, and they continue to be studied and enjoyed by readers of all ages.
ResponderEliminarIn many ways, Mark Twain's stories remain timeless, as they continue to resonate with readers today, providing valuable insights into the human experience and the enduring relevance of his work in the literary canon, and also gives us perspective about relevant topis for us as teachers.
Mark Twain's portrayal of social justice in his stories looks for readers to open their critical thinking, since the representation of real life rely on what everyone experiences.
ResponderEliminarIt is interesting how he represents through the characters emotional and complex situations that impact in the thoughts of his generation, and the next that came later. We can say that many things have changed, based on the history and stories.
Mark Twain was the pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, a well-known 19th-century American writer and humorist. Twain is famous for works such as "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," which capture the essence of life in the American South during his time.
ResponderEliminarIn his short stories, Mark Twain satirically and often critically addressed various aspects of the society of his time, including hypocrisy, racial and social injustice, political corruption, and ignorance. Twain used humor and irony to highlight these issues, often presenting colorful characters and absurd situations that revealed the contradictions and failings of the society in which he lived.