Mark Twain

Twain's writings capture the energy and colour, the cruelty and hardship, of the post-pioneer years of the American mid-west. Drawing on first-hand experience, Twain was able to offer his nation a glimpse of its own centre through his focus on the individuals and communities gathered about the 'str [...]
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Twain's writings capture the energy and colour, the cruelty and hardship, of the post-pioneer years of the American mid-west. Drawing on first-hand experience, Twain was able to offer his nation a glimpse of its own centre through his focus on the individuals and communities gathered about the 'strong brown god' of the Mississippi river that bisects the land. With Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain achieved an enduring place in American literary history. He presented for the first time the vernacular of the river regions, explored the myths and fables of the nation's past and looked to the choices facing a rapidly changing society. In this Readers' Guide, Stuart Hutchinson analyses the most significant writings on Twain's great works. Moving from a discussion of the novels' early reception, the Guide explores late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century criticism by T.S. Eliot, Van Wyck Brooks, Bernard De Voto, Booker T. Washington and Ralph Ellison.In its final section, the book provides students with important material on the contemporary debates on race and gender in the novels, so that new perspectives on Twain's place in American literature may be fully understood.