Mark Twain Case

The author Mark Twain’s story “Life on the Mississippi” in 1883 is a story of a boy who lives in a town by the Mississippi river. The boy has an ambition to make something of his life and has a dream to be a steam boat pilot. Mark Twain’s story is very American as in his story he writes of the culture and life of a steamboat traveling along the Mississippi River. In the story of the “Life on the Mississippi,” Mark Twain’s introduction is as a boy with high ambitions to become established and wealthy during his life. The boy has seen many fathers’ sons growing up to be a master of a trade. Mark Twain wrote “When I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village on the west bank of the Mississippi River. That was, to be a steam-boatman” (Twain, 1883/2009 p. 1064). Mark Twain writes how American boys have many dreams to make something grand of their lives. The Mississippi River inspires these young boys of their dreams to become something great and big like the Mississippi River.

Mark Twain describes how great the Mississippi River is. “ The great Mississippi, the majestic, the magnificent Mississippi, rolling its mile-wide tide along, shinning in the sun; the dense forest away on the other side; the “point” above the town, and the “point” below, bounding the river-glimpse and turning it into a sort of sea, and withal a very still brilliant and lonely one” (Twain, 1883/2009 pp. 1064-1065). He describes the town by the Mississippi River and how a steam-boat coming down the river gives excitement to the town. Mark Twain describes how the town goes bare after the steam-boat departs. “After ten more minutes the town is dead again, and the town drunkard asleep by the skids once more” (Twain, 1883/2009 p. 1064). During the time frame of 1800s The Mississippi River helped American life of transportation through steam boats and benefiting river cities (Bauer, pp. 158-160, 1910).

Mark Twain describes the American life of father’s and their sons growing up to be employed on a steam-boat. “Boy after boy managed to get on the river” (Twain, 1883/2009 p. 1064). The minister’s son became and engineer. The doctor’s and postmaster’s sons became mud clerks. The wholesale liquor dealer’s son became a barkeeper on a boat. The four sons of a chief merchant and two sons of the county judge had become pilots. The pilot position on a steam-boat is recognized as the most admirable job to the boy. “The comforting day-dreams of a future when I should be a great and honored pilot, with plenty of money, and could kill some of these mates and clerks and pay for them” (Twain, 1883/2009, p. 1066). Americans in that time frame had ambitious dreams to make a lot of money, and a reputable status.

Life on the Mississippi

Mark Twain read about an exploration of the Amazon that had still not completed the exploration planned. He was living

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