Samuel Clemens The Father Of American Literature

American Literature is a literary genre that is one of the many branches formed from the much broader literary genre, English Literature. Stories such as The Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men, The Crucible, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer are all popular examples of American Literature. Many of the most well-known written works of American Literature can be funneled back to one person, Samuel Clemens. Many people might say, who is Samuel Clemens? However, if they are informed of his â€Å"pen† name, they may form connections. Clemens wrote under the â€Å"pen† name, Mark Twain. According to the Oxford University Press, it was in 1863 in which Samuel Clemens starting signing as Mark Twain. Clemens derived his name from â€Å"a river term meaning two fathoms†¦show more content†¦This novel is primarily about a boy, Tom, and his friend, Huck, who live in St. Petersburg along the Mississippi River. Their story is full of adventure such as witnessing a murder, catchin g a thief, and finding a large treasure. What makes this book unique, is the way in which Mark Twain incorporates the feeling of freedom and childhood into it. By doing this he reinforces what it means to be an American. Because this novel was one of the first to tell a reader about the life of an American, it was the reason Mark Twain is called â€Å"The father of American Literature†. Much of the uniqueness that is found in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is also found in its’ partner novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain is special in a way that he was able to incorporate the sense of freedom into a book while also addressing the topic of racism and slavery(Ziff-Oxford). Many of Twain’s literary works function as multi-purpose when it comes to addressing historical topics. According to the Minnesota English Standards, by the end of eleventh grade, students should have actively read multiple documents about historical events and their affects (Minnesota English). Because of the way in which Mark Twain revolves many of his works around historical events, he fulfills these standards and therefore, should be taught more in high schools, as a way to get more practice in these areas. Mark Twain has wrote a multitudeShow MoreRelatedEssay about Mark Twain1654 Words   |  7 PagesMark Twain Mark Twain is believed to be the father of all American literature. Twain was known for writing about issues of his time such as slavery, due to his style of honesty and truth he was known as one of the very first modernist writers. Mark Twain had many inspirations that motivated him to write his novels. The inspirations varied from events that he witnessed and experienced, people he met in his lifetime, other stories he read or heard about, and his environment. 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