MarkTwain-MirrorofAmericaByNoelGrove1. MostAmericansrememberMarkTwainasthefatherofHuckFinnsidylliccruisethrougheternalboyhoodandTomSawyersendlesssummeroffreedomandadventure。Indeed，thisnationsbestlovedauthorwaseverybitasadventurous,patriotic,romantic，andhumorousasanyonehaseverimagined。IfoundanotherTwain-onewhogrewcynical，bitter，saddenedbytheprofoundpersonaltragedieslifedealthim，amanwhobecameobsessedwithfrailtiesofthehumanrace,whosawclearlyaheadablackwallofnight.2. Trampprinter，riverpilot，Confederateguerrilla，prospector,starryeyedoptimist，acid-tonguedcynic：themanwhobecameMarkTwainwasbornSamuelLanghorneClemensandherangedacrossthenationformorethanathirdofhislife，digestingthenewAmericanexperiencebeforesharingitwiththeworldaswriterandlecturer.Headoptedhispennamefromthecryheardinhissteamboatdays，signalingtwofathoms（12feet）ofwateranavigabledepth。Hispopularityisattestedbythefactthatmorethanascoreofhisbooksremaininprint,andtranslationsarestillreadaroundtheworld。3. Thegeographiccore,inTwainsearlyyears，wasthegreatvalleyoftheMississippiRiver，mainarteryoftransportationintheyoungnationsheart.Keelboats,flatboats，andlargeraftscarriedthefirstmajorcommerce.Lumber,corn,tobacco,wheat，andfursmoveddownstreamtothedeltacountry;sugar,molasses，cotton,andwhiskeytravelednorth.Inthe1850s，beforetheclimaxofWestwardExpansion，thevastbasindrainedthreequartersofthesettledUnitedStates。4. YoungMarkTwainenteredtheworldin1857asacubpilotonasteamboat.Thecastofcharacterssetbeforehiminhisnewprofessionwasrichandvaried-acosmos。Heparticipatedabundantlyinhislife,listeningtopilothousetalkoffeuds,piracies，lynchings,medicineshow，andsavagewatersideslums。Allwouldresurfaceinhisbooks,togetherwiththecolorfullanguagethathesoakedupwithamemorythatseemedphonographic。5. Steamboatdecksteemednotonlywiththemaincurrentofpioneeringhumanity,butitsflotsamofhustlers，gamblers，andthugsaswell.FromthemallMarkTwaingainedakeenperceptionofthehumanrace,ofthedifferentbetweenwhatpeopleclaimtobeandwhattheyreallyare。Hisfourandahalfyearsinthesteamboattrademarkedtherealbeginningofhiseducation,andthemostlastingpartofit。InlaterlifeTwainacknowledgedthattheriverhadacquaintedhimwitheverypossibletypeofhumannature.Thoseacquaintanceshipsstrengthenedallhiswriting,butheneverwrotebetterthanwhenhewroteofthepeoplealongthegreatstream.6. WhenrailroadsbegandryingupthedemandforsteamboatpilotsandtheCivilWarhaltedcommerce,MarkTwainlefttherivercountry.HetriedsoldieringfortwoweekswithamotleybandofConfederateguerrillaswhodiligentlyavoidedcontactwiththeenemy。Twainquitafterdeciding,“Iknewmoreaboutretreatingthanthemanthatinventedretreating。7. HewentwestbystagecoachandsuccumbedtotheepidemicofgoldandsilverfeverinNevadasWashoeregion.Foreightmonthsheflirtedwiththecolossalwealthavailabletotheluckyandthepersistent，andwasrebuffed。Brokeanddiscouraged，heacceptedajobasreporterwiththeVirginiaCityTerritorialEnterprise,toliteraturesenduringgratitude.8. Fromthediscouragementofhisminingfailures,MarkTwainbegandigginghiswaytoregionalfameasanewspaperreporterandhumorist.Theinstantrichesofaminingstrikewouldnotbehisinthereportingtrade，butformakingmoney，hispenwouldprovemightierthanhispickax。Inthespringof1864，lessthantwoyearsafterjoiningtheTerritorialEnterprise，heboardedthestagecoachforSanFrancisco,thenandnowahotbedofhopefulyoungwriters.9. MarkTwainhonedandexperimentedwithhisnewwritingmuscles，buthehadtoleavethecityforawhilebecauseofsomescathingcolumnshewrote。Attacksonthecitygovernment，concerningsuchissuesasmistreatmentofChinese，soangeredofficialsthathefledtothegoldfieldsintheSacramentoValley。HisdescriptionsoftheroughcountrysettlersthereringfamiliarlyinmodernworldaccustomedtotrendsettingontheWestCoast.“Itwasasplendidpopulation-foralltheslow，sleepy，sluggishbrainedslothsstayedathomeItwasthatpopulationthatgavetoCaliforniaanameforgettingupastoundingenterprisesandrushingthemthroughwithamagnificentdashanddaringandarecklessnessofcostorconsequences,whichshebearsuntothisday-andwhensheprojectsanewsurprise,thegraveworldsmilesasusual,andsays“Well，thatisCaliforniaallover.”10. Inthedrearywinterof186465inAngelsCamp,hekeptanotebook。Scatteredamongnotationsabouttheweatherandthetediousmining-campmealsliesanentrynotingastoryhehadheardthatday-anentrythatwoulddeterminehiscourseforever:“Colemanwithhisjumpingfrogbetstranger50-strangerhadnofrog,andColemangothimone-inthemeantimestrangerfilledC.sfrogfullofshotandhecouldntjump.Thestrangersfrogwon.”11. Retoldwithhisdescriptivegenius,thestorywasprintedinnewspapersacrosstheUnitedStatesandbecameknownas“TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty。”MarkTwainsnationalreputationwasnowwellestablishedas“thewildhumoristofthePacificslope.”12. TwoyearslatertheopportunitycameforhimtotakeadistinctlyAmericanlookattheOldWorld.InNewYorkCitythesteamshipQuakerCitypreparedtosailonapleasurecruisetoEuropeandtheHolyLand。Forthefirsttime，asizablegroupofUnitedStatescitizensplannedtojourneyastourists-amilestone，ofsorts,inacountrysdevelopment.Twainwasassig