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Mark Twain's legacy is an extensive canon of writings that includes some of the most widely read, staged, debated, reinterpreted, and filmed works ever. This introductory critical study helps students and general readers appreciate the myriad perspectives of the man, his life, and his contributions to American literature. A fresh biographical account traces Twain's colorful life through his varied careers and adventures, to his rise to national prominence as a writer of short stories, to the creation of masterpieces like Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . Also examined are the thematic concerns, plot structure, character development, and historical background in the travel narratives, a selection of short stories, and Twain's novels. A lively biographical chapter is followed by a section on Mark Twain's career and contributions to American literature, which situates Twain within the traditions of American humor writings. A selection of Twain's early short stories and sketches are examined, followed by the personal travel narratives. A full chapter on each of the five novels examines their important literary components, and also offers alternative critical perspectives. The final chapter surveys short writings from Twain's later years. A select bibliography cites sources for all of Twain's works, with numerous contemporary reviews, and general criticism of individual and collected works. As a scholar of Twain's writings and of American humor, David Sloane's insightful analysis illuminates how Mark Twain managed to fuse his irreverent humor with his deep seated concerns about humanity.

Product Identifiers

PublisherBloomsbury Publishing

ISBN-100313312192

ISBN-139780313312199

eBay Product ID (ePID)1820320

Product Key Features

Educational LevelHigh School, Elementary School

Number of Pages208 Pages

Publication NameStudent Companion to Mark Twain

LanguageEnglish

SubjectGeneral, American / General

Publication Year2001

TypeStudy Guide

AuthorDavid E. Sloane

Subject AreaLiterary Criticism

SeriesStudent Companions to Classic Writers Ser.

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height0.5 in

Item Weight16.2 Oz

Item Length9.2 in

Item Width6.1 in

Additional Product Features

LCCN00-049059

Dewey Edition21

Number of Volumes1 Vol.

Target AudienceElementary/High School

IllustratedYes

Dewey Decimal818/.409

Lc Classification NumberPs1338

Table of ContentSeries Foreword The Life of Mark Twain Mark Twain's Career and Contributions to American Literature Mark Twain's Early Short Stories and Sketches The Personal Travel Narratives: The Innocents Abroad (1869), Roughing It (1872), Life on the Mississippi (1882), and Others The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) The Prince and the Pauper (1881) Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894) Twain's Later Short Writings Bibliography Index