Mark Twain’s childhood experiences along the Mississippi River undoubtedly influenced his iconic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which follows Huck and Jim as they raft the river and experience a variety of adventures. Growing up, Twain was exposed to southern dialects and accent that he was able to accurately replicate throughout his novel. Moreover, Twain’s own life struggles with racism are echoed in Huck’s gradual rejection of societal norms and Southern customs. Indeed, while Twain may have experienced racism firsthand, he never chose to follow hegemonic ideas but instead showed sympathy towards outsiders like Jim. In some ways, then, Huckleberry Finn can be seen as an autobiographical account in which a young adult seeks moral truths on what it means to break away from tradition and form one’s own identity.
Mark Twain’s family moved around a lot, and he had to adapt to different cultures and lifestyles. He was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in 1835 in Florida, Missouri. His father died when he was 4 years old, leaving his mother with seven children to raise alone.
Samuel did not get along with his stepfather, who was abusive toward him and his mother. When he was 11 years old, Samuel ran away from home to live with his brother Orion in Hannibal, Missouri. That same year, Samuel’s mother died of pneumonia.
Samuel Clemens used many different names during his lifetime including “Mark Twain” and “S.L. Clemens” (his full name). He chose the name “Mark Twain” based on a story about the steamboat “The Mark Twain”.
