Final Post

Over the course of this semester we have looked at several different works by several different authors. Each story, poem, and drama helped me to better understand literature. The works we studied showed me how writers often write about what they know. Mark Twain wrote about the river and life in the towns along it. Fitzgerald wrote about people who struggled for wealth and lived unhappy lives because of it. Even Williams included much of his own personal struggles in his drama. This class has taught me that the some of the best fiction stories are founded in reality. In my last post I mentioned my writing class that I have been taking this semester. Being able to read these works and learn a little bit about there authors helped me to be able to write stuff for that class. This class has taught me a lot and I have really enjoyed being a part of it.

As I looked at the different authors we have read about this semester I believe there is a common theme between some of them. We read that F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in a way that reflected his own life. His relationship with his own wife and his quest for wealth are found in his stories, Mark Twain was the same way. His writings often reflected his own childhood and life on the river. I have also read that Mark Twain wanted to be rich. Unlike Fitzgerald he never gained the wealth he desired. These two did seem to have a lot in in common though and I think it was weird that they became writers for the money.

Novels, Dramas, and Poems

Over the last several months we have looked at many different types of writing. Everything from poems by Robert Frost to novels by people like F. Scott Fitzgerald. While taking this class I have also been taking a writing class online. In that class we have learned many of the different rules that go into writing each genera. I am glad I took these two classes at the same time because they help to explain each other very well. While learning how to write each of these genera's I have come to appreciate the stuff we have read even more. It takes more than just a good idea and a few characters to make something worth reading, this is why I enjoyed the writings in this class. Each of the authors wrote because they had a story worth reading.

Comparative Works

As I look at the different authors of stories we have read I still believe Mark Twain is my favorite. I have been comparing works like "The Great Gatsby" or "The Red Badge of Courage" to Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn". While each of these stories are enjoyable in their own way, "Huck Finn" is by far my favorite. Every time I read the novel it reminds me of the first time I read it as a child. Mark Twain's stories have that feeling to them. He has a way of bringing out the child in a reader. I have really enjoyed being able to compare these stories and authors. 

Post #3

As we look at Mark Twain I think we can all see his exceptional skills as a writer. What many people do not see or know are all the struggles that he faced in his life. Mark Twain took on his fathers dream of being a wealthy man at an early age. This was a dream that like his father he did not accomplish. Along with this dream came the fear that he was too western. Mark Twain was afraid that his western mannerisms would cause him to be looked down on by others. Interestingly it was his western mannerisms that made him so popular as a writer. It was that American voice that made his stories so universal.

 

http://www.biography.com/people/mark-twain-9512564#later-work

Post #2

When I think of Mark Twain I instantly think of his ability as a writer. What I don't think about are all his other various jobs such as a river boat pilot or a newspaper printer/writer. He also had a very short career with the confederate army during the Civil War. It was jobs like these that helped to shape Mark Twain as a person and as a writer. His career as a writer however will always be the one he is most famous for. Twain's work on the novel Huck Finn, is what has inspired writers for generations now.

http://www.biography.com/people/mark-twain-9512564#personal-struggles

Post #1 Writing Style

Mark Twain was one of the greatest American authors of all times. His work as an author is some of the greatest work I have ever read. My favorite work of his has got to be Huckleberry Finn. His writing style is what makes the book so great to read. As you read through Huckleberry Finn, you find all the elements of a good story. He creates a setting that is both detailed and interesting. I think the reason for this is that he wrote about places he had lived and seen with his own eyes. Being a river boat pilot he was able to write very believably about life on the river. He also saw many of the people he wrote about. What I mean by this is that the places he lived as a child were full of the type of people he usually wrote about. People who were poor, often drunk, and sometimes violent. This attention to detail is just one of the many things that made Mark Twain such a good writer.

http://www.biography.com/people/mark-twain-9512564