“Would you read more of Mark Twain’s writings even if they were not assigned in a course? Why or why not?”
Mark Twain’s literature captures the potential authors have but don’t utilize. Twain’s famously known, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, allows us to examine what good literature is. Books assigned to students are forgotten after papers and assignments are due. The classics that are praised endlessly can not seem to be read for pleasure. The classics remain classic, stuck in their grandiose achievement of time, but somehow, they are not timeless. Why do people still read and enjoy Mark Twain? What makes Mark Twain’s books so distinct?
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, his pen name known as Mark Twain, strayed from the customary literary techniques during the 1870s and ’80s. Philosophical, dark and moody, deep themes which was the ultimate downfall of the classics. You can study literature for their complex ideals, but you are not reading for the enjoyment of the book, you are simply analyzing for the complex issues. Why are the classics praised but never read? Because they were not written to be enjoyed. This is where Mark Twain was a misfit. He wrote for the readers’ pleasure, his books were relatable to a casual reader. Tom Sawyer is a lighthearted book that avoids incredibly philosophical ideas, the overarching theme being about a boy discovering manhood.
“I liked Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, and that is the kind of character that I would like to have played. That would have been more in tune with who I really was.” – Keith Thibodeaux
Twain’s writing is clever and funny but does not withhold meaning. While remaining true to his style he gives small ideas that are easily read, yet make you dig deeper. Mark Twain did not focus on the technicality of his writing, which is structurally admirable. He did not write for the critics, or literature professors, he wrote for the enjoyment of all, especially older children. Other classics failed to consider the inclusion of all people. The technique of a book can be so perfect and flawless that it no longer breathes life, which is why the majority of the classics souls have died.
“He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it — namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain.” – Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain.
Hannah Ludwig 