MARK TWAIN PRESENTATION .pdf - JacobEnglish11

Mark Twainand theMississippi RiverBy: Wonkyung (Alena) KooThursday, November 26, 2009

Brief Introduction:Mark Twain(Samuel clemens)Was born in Florida, Missouri however later moved toHannibal.From ages 4-15, he lived at his hometown of Hannibal,Missouri.First used the name “Mark Twain” in for his writing onFebruary 1863.Often spent time near the Mississippi River.Wanted to be a steamboatman.Before working on the river, he was employed to work forthe Hannibal Gazette.Thursday, November 26, 2009

ContinuedMemorized the river and eventuallyreceived a pilot’s license.Usually in thehighest position,the pilot’s job was todirect the boat accordingto the channels.Civil War shut downthe river and he couldno longer continuehis steamboat business.However, continued as a writer andjournalist.Link for the audio: http://www.pbs.org/marktwain/scrapbook/02_old_times/page1.htmlThursday, November 26, 2009

The Mississippi RiverOne of the longest rivers in the world.Divided into three parts, north, middle,and south.Unique resources and is a multipurposeriver.Home to various forms of fish andother animals.Had been the western border of theU.S.Thursday, November 26, 2009

The two connectMark Twain frequently wrote about theMississippi River.Two books that include many aspects ofthe river are Tom Sawyer, HuckleberryFinn, and Life on the Mississippi.Lived and spent his childhood near theriver at Hannibal, Missouri.Played with his friends near the river andwatched steamboats.MANY OF HIS WORKS ARE INSPIRED BY HISLIFE EXPERIENCES NEAR THE MISSISSIPPIRIVER.He also continued to visit the mississippiriver.Thursday, November 26, 2009

Any relation to Huck Finn?Well, yes!The hometown of Mark Twain and the theriver influenced many of his works. Forexample, in Huckleberry Finn and TomSawyer, many of the settings and plots werebased on the Mississippi River.Thursday, November 26, 2009

why is it important?The feelings and experiencesthat mark twain had about themississippi river, along withboats, are important becauseit influenced his stories,characters, and plots.Most of his ideas orbackgrounds for a story comefrom his life near the riverand various childhoodmemories.Without his prior connectionto the river or steamboats,his works would be verydifferent and his storiesmight not have been as greatas they are today.Thursday, November 26, 2009

Video Linkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL9VbG21l6c&feature=channelThursday, November 26, 2009

Quotes and analysis“I went up and set down on a log at the head ofthe island and looked out on the big river andthe black driftwood, and away over the town,three mile away, there were three or fourlights twinkling.” (Twain, 27)This quote is said before Huck leaves. Helooks at the town but also thinks about hisdecision to leave. His final choice is to justsail away, however, it can also show that theriver will take him places and change him.Thursday, November 26, 2009

Quote and AnalysisThursday, November 26, 2009“The river went on raising and raising for tenor twelve days, till at last it was over thebanks. The water was three or four foot deepon the island in the low places and on theillinois bottom.”With the rising river, it can show that therewill be a lot more things that are going tohappen to Huck. By overflowing and it’sincreased depth, it also shows that the plotcontinues to thicken.

QuestionsHow do you think the Mississippi River impactedMark Twain’s life?How do you think the author’s knowledge of theriver affected his writing?Why did Mark Twain continue to go back to visitthe mississippi river?Thursday, November 26, 2009

AnswersThe Mississippi River changedthe way Mark Twain thoughtabout different subjects andcreated the scene for most ofhis stories.The author’s writings includemany of his experiences andwithout the knowledge, hisworks would not have such acomplete background.Mark Twain continues to goback to the river because ofhis love for the area but alsoto receive new ideas and plotsfor his stories.Thursday, November 26, 2009

Extras :)“Mark Twain”, is a term from the MississippiRiver that means “mark number two”. This wasthe line that marked two feet which was a safedepth for steamboats.Mark Twain’s brother died due to a steamboataccident in pennsylvania.Some of the pranks that come out from TomSawyer are things that he had actually doneduring his childhood.It took two years for Mark Twain to memorizethe river from St. Louis to New Orleans.The pen name Mark Twain originally was fromthe a respected river pilot, Captain Sellers.Thursday, November 26, 2009

Bibliography- "Mark Twain: Old Times On The Mississippi: 1857-1860." PBS. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. .- "UMESC - About the Upper Mississippi River System." Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. .- "Mark Twain: Tom Sawyer Days: 1835-1853." PBS. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. .- "Mark Twain at Large: The Mississippi River." The Bancroft Library. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. .- ""Old Man River: Life Along the Mississippi River" an exhibit at the Hoover Library-Museum." The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. .- "Mark Twain: Chronology." PBS. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. .- "Mark Twain: Old Times On The Mississippi: 1857-1860." PBS. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. .- "YouTube - Mark Twain: Background For His Works (clip)." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. .- "Mark Twain: Old Times On The Mississippi: 1857-1860." PBS. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. .- "Mark Twain: Old Times On The Mississippi: 1857-1860." PBS. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. .- "Mark Twain: Old Times On The Mississippi: 1857-1860." PBS. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. .- "Mark Twain: Old Times On The Mississippi: 1857-1860." PBS. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. .- "Mark Twain: Old Times On The Mississippi: 1857-1860." PBS. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. .- "Mark Twain: Old Times On The Mississippi: 1857-1860." PBS. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. .- "Mark Twain: Old Times On The Mississippi: 1857-1860." PBS. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. .- "Mark Twain: Classroom Activities." PBS. Web. 25 Nov. 2009. .Thursday, November 26, 2009