The Adventures of The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnHuckleberry Finn

By By

Mark TwainMark Twain

Samuel Langhorne ClemensSamuel Langhorne Clemens, Mark , Mark Twain’s given name, was born on Twain’s given name, was born on November 30, 1835November 30, 1835 in the small in the small river town of river town of Florida, MissouriFlorida, Missouri..

Twain was the sixth child born to Twain was the sixth child born to JohnJohn MarshallMarshall ClemensClemens and and JaneJane

LamptonLampton..

At the age of four, Twain’s family At the age of four, Twain’s family moved to moved to HannibalHannibal, , MissouriMissouri in in hopes of improving their living hopes of improving their living

situation.situation.

As a young boy, Twain was As a young boy, Twain was mischievous and he was the mischievous and he was the

prototypeprototype of his character, of his character, TomTom SawyerSawyer. Although he experienced . Although he experienced poor health during his childhood, poor health during his childhood,

“by age nine he had already “by age nine he had already learned to smoke, led a small band learned to smoke, led a small band of pranksters, and had developed of pranksters, and had developed

an aversion to school.”an aversion to school.”

Twain's formal schooling ended Twain's formal schooling ended after age after age 1212, due to the death of his , due to the death of his

father. father.

Twain began working as an Twain began working as an apprenticeapprentice in a in a printer'sprinter's shopshop and and

eventually worked under his eventually worked under his brother, brother, OrionOrion, at the , at the Hannibal Hannibal

JournalJournal..

At the age of At the age of 1717, Twain , Twain publishedpublished his his first literary pieces.first literary pieces.

Twain eventually grew tired of his Twain eventually grew tired of his printing jobs and worked as a printing jobs and worked as a

riverboatriverboat pilotpilot on the on the Mississippi Mississippi RiverRiver for the next four years. for the next four years.

Twain was Twain was 24.24.

With the beginning of the With the beginning of the CivilCivil WarWar, , Twain gave up his “traveling Twain gave up his “traveling lifestyle” and enlisted as a lifestyle” and enlisted as a

ConfederateConfederate soldiersoldier. His military . His military career was short and he, along career was short and he, along

with many other young men, with many other young men, moved West to moved West to avoidavoid the draft. the draft.

Twain hoped to become rich from mining Twain hoped to become rich from mining silversilver and and goldgold, but after realizing the , but after realizing the

impossibility of his dream, he began to impossibility of his dream, he began to write again, and, in write again, and, in 18631863, he adopted , he adopted

the the pseudonympseudonym ( (penpen namename) Mark ) Mark Twain, a river pilot term that describes Twain, a river pilot term that describes

safesafe navigatingnavigating conditionsconditions. .

Twain was a man who was Twain was a man who was familiarfamiliar withwith hard times. He struggled hard times. He struggled financiallyfinancially during his literary during his literary

career and he experienced the loss career and he experienced the loss of his son of his son LangdonLangdon to to DiptheriaDiptheria. .

Twain died on Twain died on AprilApril 2121, , 19101910 a highly a highly acclaimed author of works such as acclaimed author of works such as

The Adventures of Tom SawyerThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer, , The Prince and the PauperThe Prince and the Pauper, and , and The Adventures of Huckleberry The Adventures of Huckleberry

FinnFinn..

The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is is an extremely an extremely controversialcontroversial piece of piece of

literature. In some literature. In some SouthernSouthern statesstates, the , the novel was novel was bannedbanned due to its “extensive due to its “extensive criticismcriticism of the of the hypocrisyhypocrisy of of slaveryslavery.” .”

Some circles feel that the novel is Some circles feel that the novel is racistracist because of the frequent use of because of the frequent use of

the word “the word “niggernigger.”.”

Sadly, many readers do not Sadly, many readers do not understandunderstand Twain’s Twain’s motivemotive in in

using this word which was for the using this word which was for the purpose of “simply projecting a purpose of “simply projecting a realistic portrayal of realistic portrayal of SouthernSouthern

societysociety” during the period ” during the period surrounding the surrounding the 1830s1830s..