The Importance Of Life In Mark Twain's Life On The Mississippi

The Interesting Tale of Life on the Mississippi To begin, Life on the Mississippi is Mark Twain’s personal account of his life on the Mississippi in the 1800s. He begins by explaining the significance of the Mississippi and telling its importance to his life. He uses humor that draws the reader’s attention and shapes the foundation of the story. The book starts during his childhood, in the beginning of the Steamboat Era. He recalls the yearning he felt to become a steamboat pilot because of his love for the river, which became a highly paid and revered position. On his journey he meets a pilot, who gives in to his persistent begging of asking to “learn” him how to steer. The pilot teaches him and Twain successfully understands the ways

His family struggled with money, and when his father died when he was twelve they were in deeper financial problems. Twain took odd jobs to help support his family while attending school, and when he heard that one of the boys who worked on a steamboat made a salary of what a preacher made in a year in two months he desired to work on a steamboat also. Every boy wanted to work on a steamboat, because of the adventurous lifestyle and tremendous pay. Consequently, he ran away to pursue a career on a steamboat, never to return unless he became a glorified pilot who could easily support his family allowing his single mother to retire. Then months later he realized that this dream was unreachable and looked for another job of exploring the Amazon River to support his family. He had some money so he decided to head toward the Amazon to pursue his new career, but he realized that this was impossible also because he underestimated the fare of the steamboat and perceived that one didn’t traveled from Cincinnati to the Amazon River. He decided to go to New Orleans to find a new career on the “tub” The Paul Jones, and on the way he met a pilot named Mr. Horace Bixby, who grudgingly decided to teach him how to steer for five hundred dollars, which was to be paid after his career flourished. Mark Twain’s exhilarating career was beginning on the Mississippi River with Mr. Bixby’s