Samuel Clemens: His Autobiography and Famous Quotes

As we near the 100th anniversary of Samuel Clemen’s death, his autobiography is scheduled to be published. Most historians agree that there won’t be any new information or revelations in his autobiography, but because Samuel Clemens is regarded as one America’s finest authors, this should still be an interesting read. He is certainly the most quotable, and in some cases one of the more controversial.

I had my first encounter with Samuel Clemens, or Mark Twain as he is more commonly known, during my first year teaching high school English. I began with one of his lesser known works, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” I didn’t have much of a reason for making this choice, other than that it was required reading. The story was light reading for my students, and they enjoyed the flow and banter. As with any short story by Mark Twain, there were many humorous quotes. So, with this success under my belt, I felt fairly confident that I could tackle something more difficult with my students.

I decided that we would read "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." I was more nervous about this task since the book is controversial in its subject matter and choice of language. However, the book depicts an important time in American history. I began our study of the novel by having students perform research on the time period. We looked at how slaves were treated and depicted during the time the book was written, so students would understand why Twain chose the type of language and imagery depicted in the book.

One of the reasons that Mark Twain is one of the great American authors is his ability to transcend the ordinary. "The Adventures Huckleberry Finn" tells the story of a journey taken by a slave and a boy down a river, yet it becomes so much more! The story is funny, tragic, and iconic all at once. Mark Twain is able to wrap all of these themes into one package. To help my students understand the significance of the novel as a whole, I had them chart Jim and Huck’s journey down the river. Each student created a river and shore map. I had my students pick evidence that they believed best exemplified the different experiences that Jim and Huck had on the river versus the shore, then had them place their choices on the map.

There are many activities that you can do regarding Mark Twain. Even if you aren’t teaching a piece of his literature, just posting one of his quotes on the board as a teaching tool is an excellent way to start lively discussion. Some great ones to get students thinking are, “A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read” or, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” These great quotes provide a terrific way to get students writing and discussing issues and themes that you want to introduce in your class. There are so many wonderful resources to use if you want to introduce Mark Twain in your classroom. Here are just a few.

Samuel Clements: His Autobiography and Famous Quotes:

Critical Ways of Seeing Huckleberry Finn in Context

This is a great resource that has many links to help students understand the time period that the novel was written. There are some critical essays that review the novel for students to analyze.

Mark Twain: His Life and Works

This month-long unit has great lessons that give students the opportunity to explore Samuel Clemen's life, and how he evolved into becoming Mark Twain.

Mark Twain and American Humor

This lesson plan helps students analyze Mark Twain's sense of humor. This lesson specifically looks at Twain's short story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County."

Writing Biography - Mark Twain

This lesson helps students look at how to write their own biography by analyzing Mark Twain's biography.