First Students' Classics

 Christened Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Mark Twain was born on November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri. He was one of America’s greatest humourist, and a satirist and writer. He is best known for his novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

As a writer, Mark Twain enjoyed immense popularity. Even the critics praised him for his wit and incisive satire. He was called “father of American literature” by William Faulkner.

Mark Twain was born to a country merchant, John Marshall Clemens and Jane Lampton Clemens. He was the sixth of seven children. His family moved to a small port town, Hannibal, along the Mississippi river, when he was four. The port town later became the inspiration for the fictional town St. Petersburg in his two famous novels. His first major work, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, was first published in November 18, 1865. After its success, Twain was asked by the Sacramento Union to write letters about his travel experiences. Later, a pleasure trip resulted in The New Pilgrims’ Progress.

Twain later wrote Life on the Mississippi. This was followed by the publication of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, which drew on his youth in Hannibal. Later, Tom Sawyer was followed by a sequel called Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This book, first published in 1885, established him as a major American writer. Also since its publication, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been termed the Great American Novel.

Mark Twain’s humour and wit were often a thin veil of his criticisms of society. He is remembered as a writer who has made significant contributions to American literature.