Mark Twain, one of America's greatest writers and humorists, died 100 years ago at the age of 75. Twain, whose real name was Samuel Clemens, had ordered that his autobiography not be published until a century after he died. Now, researchers and editors at the University of California-Berkeley are preparing to reveal Twain's take on his own life.
Twain grew up in Missouri along the Mississippi River and applied his boyhood experiences to the widely-read books "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "Tom Sawyer." He traveled around the world, writing about his trips to Europe, the Middle East and the South Pacific.
Some of Twain's writings were especially controversial in his day, such as essays criticizing Christianity and public figures who angered him. The editors of his autobiography plan to include those writings in a separate section of the work, since Twain ultimately left them out of the final version of his life's story.
Sally Fisher Fishkin, an English professor at Stanford University, says Twain did not exclude himself from criticism; instead, "he's always helping people look at themselves, look at their flaws, but not judging them in a way that exempts himself. He's always a part of the human comedy that he's portraying."
Quotes
"[Twain] struggled very much with the idea of self-revelation, his own self-accusations, the guilt that he felt. Part of him wanted to reveal all, and part of him was really never able to speak the truth, as he called it." - Harriet Elinor Smith, editor, "Autobiography of Mark Twain"
"Seeing the way [Twain] wants to put the parts together is brand-new to us. And I can't help feeling that it will be brand-new and interesting to the world." - Robert Hirst, general editor, Mark Twain Project
"[Twain] used the autobiography as a chance to disburden himself of a lot of feeling." - Benjamin Griffin, editor, "Autobiography of Mark Twain"
Warm Up Questions
1. What is an autobiography?
2. Who was Mark Twain?
3. What does a book editor do?
Discussion Questions
1. Based on what you saw in the video, why do you think Twain wanted to wait 100 years after he died to publish his autobiography? Do you think he made the right decision? Why or why not?
2. Twain attached a different name to his writings than his given name, Samuel Clemens. Why do you think he decided to do that? Can you think of examples of other authors who have written under different names (pen names)?
3. If you were going to write an autobiography about your life so far, what details would you include? Why?
4. Twain once called himself a "moralist in disguise." What do you think he meant by that? How is that reflected in his writings?
Additional Resources
Lesson Plan: Mark Twain Primary Source
Exclusive: Newly Published Mark Twain Essay, 'Concerning the Interview'
