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