Mark Twain Influence On Pudd Nhead Wilson

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Mark Twain is regarded as one of the most influential writers in the history of American Literature. He has become so significant due to his incredible talent of incorporating his ideologies and life experiences into his work. Over the course of his life, he encountered many controversial and prominent events in history. He was able to effectively take his perspectives on these events and compose many different novels that convey his statements to society. Twain’s work has withstood the test of time and earned him fame and respect (Quirk). Pudd’nhead Wilson is a popular novel by Mark Twain that embodies his ideologies and personal experiences during a significant historical period. Many of Mark Twain’s novels and personal perspectives were influenced by his upbringing and childhood experiences. Twain was raised along the Mississippi river in the town of Hannibal, Missouri (Quirk). His childhood consisted of just as much adventure as it did tragedy. From a young age, …show more content…

He purposely placed the setting of the story in the 1830’s to make a statement to his readers. While he was writing it, America was experiencing the failure of Reconstruction (“Reconstruction”). Slavery had not ended and America was still faced with the harsh discrimination that was still very much present in the nation. The publication of this novel opened the public eye to slavery in the past. It also proved the reality that past treatment is still present, even after the Reconstruction period (Railton). Twain’s goal in this was to evaluate the present and reveal to the reader the causes of the situation. Along with the approval of Twain’s message and intentions for the novel, many readers admired the writing style, the humor, and the irony that he incorporates into his work (Railton). Pudd’nhead Wilson was well received due to its statement to society during the time period and its ironic

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