I was just wondering after reading one email saying a
Hi All Twainiacs
I was just wondering after reading one email saying about Sam rejecting Presbyteran/Calvinist values. It made me wonder was he religious and if so then what? My Great Grandma and I am guessing her husband where Mormons and as they were Clemens I just guessed it came from being related to Sam. Any thoughts.
I think it is great that all you people are so into Mark Twain. I am hoping that when my exam is over at the end of the month I can have some time to read some of his books and learn more about him. My son Samuel has just started reading Adventures of Tom Sawyer and I want to pass onto my children some knowledge of Mark Twain. Once we get our family tree done that will be a help as how we are related to him.
Cheers
Sheryl
(My Grandfather is a Clemens and from what I have been told his mother met Mark Twain when he came to New Zealand)
Basically, Sam rejected early on Presbyterian/Calvinist values of
> his upbrin=
Sheryl Squier
79a Farquhar Road
Glendene, Waitakere 0602
Auckland
----- Original Message ----
From: Crawford Steve <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, 3 October, 2007 8:21:39 PM
Subject: Re: The Trouble Begins at Eight audio file posting
Thanks for your reply, David.
My interpretation of Twain's positions toward society in his youth
and middle years has me to believe that although he was often deeply
effected and decidedly outspoken, he also maintained something of an
idealist's perspective about many issues. I think perhaps he felt
that he could help society by pointing out the worms in the apple.
I believe that the formation of cynicism typically begins from just
such an idealistic youthful perception of life and its challenges.
Over time setbacks accumulate, and at the end the cynic more-or-less
accepts the futility of the situation and here the slippery slope
becomes ever steeper. What happened to Twain happens to a lot of
people, in his case we just happen to be able to peek through the
peephole at his personal life while reading his texts at the same
time. I would also have to add that his increasingly large public
persona probably put a lot more pressure on Twain than most anyone
might tolerate..
Also problematic to any discussion about cynicism is that the term
is
interpreted and employed in different ways. And I certainly would not
consider Twain to be a modern Diogenes. Perhaps at the end but
certainly not throughout his life-span. I would be interested in
hearing your views about this, and would be happy to send you my
paper on between-cynicism offline. Twain's in there...
I find your comment about the study of Twain being oriented toward
literary types quite interesting. I am conducting a sociological
investigation of Twain's life and times, and I certainly do not know
that much about literary theory. I wonder if this spells trouble ahead.
Steve Crawford
On Oct 1, 2007, at 8:12 PM, David H Fears wrote:
> Steve,=20
>
> While I agree that cynicism CAN develop over time, it is not
> inevitable, nor=
> did Sam's brand evolve gradually when it came to religion, know-it-
> alls, st=
> uffed-shirts, and the like develop over time. He had privately held
> views ab=
> out religion, for example, that scoffed at piety, even if he
> grudgingly admi=
> red a few for their faith (Rising, Twichell, etc.) Howells famous
> analysis t=
> hat under Sam's writing was rage says a lot here. How is rage at
> the way thi=
> ngs are much different in effect than cynicism?
>
> Basically, Sam rejected early on Presbyterian/Calvinist values of
> his upbrin=
> ging. The tone of *Innocents Abroad* was in part anti-religious;
> his praise=20=
> and support for Robert Ingersoll--even his failed attempts to
> become "a good=
> Christian."=20
>
> I've come to the conclusion that Sam worshipped wealth
> and=C2=A0respectibili=
> ty--these were his=C2=A0"gods." To the extent that both wore thin
> and proved=
> hollow for lasting peace, he became discontented. Some point to
> the loss of=
> Susy as the turning point in his cynicism, yet others, Howells for
> example,=
> also=C2=A0bore such losses without=C2=A0similar results. Or,
> perhaps the=
> =C2=A0burdens of guilt he carried from boyhood,=C2=A0and which
> continued to=20=
> accumulate in adulthood, simply wore him down.=C2=A0
>
> But then, much of such analysis falls to verbose, all-knowing,
> inscrutable l=
> iterary critic-types. I should stick to historical fact and
> research. Thanks=
> for the thought-provoking
post. I didn't have to bite my tongue on
> this one=
> .
>
> David H Fears
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Crawford Steve <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 11:43 pm
> Subject: Re: The Trouble Begins at Eight audio file posting
>
>
>
> I have been interested in how between-group cynicism develops, and
> in =20
> y literature review I studied cynicism across a wide range of =20
> isciplines. In psychology, cynicism is often described as a
> distrust =20
> n the motivations of others. Cynicism develops in the individual =20
> ver time as a consequence of continued and ongoing personal =20
> etbacks. When I examine Twain's life I see a general trend across =20
> he lifetime toward the development of cynical views toward =20
> overnments, institutions, imperialism, business, medicine, life in =20
> eneral and finally, humanity. This all corresponds with setbacks in
> =20
> ach area that affected Twain directly and as a public citizen. The =20
> ysterious Stranger for me culminates Twain's experiences into a
> sort =20
> f philosophical examination of his views toward humanity and =20
> eligion. Clearly by then he fit the formula for the development of =20
> eep cynicism, having suffered through many personal and ideological
> =20
> etbacks. If we live long enough, and hard enough, perhaps there is =20
> o escaping such an end, at least to some significant degree. The =20
> ecent news about Mother Teresa's challenges in her faith as a
> result =20
> f her own personal challenges and observations over time perhaps =20
> rovides us with one other notable example.
> To be a public figure associated with and outspoken about so many =20
> ocial concerns, while managing his own acutely personal setbacks, =20
> as perhaps just too much for one person. After all that happened, =20
> ould we really expect a happy and sappy ending? His readers, I =20
> hink, can empathize with Twain's ending, one that supplied us with
> a =20
> ealth of lessons to learn should we choose to pursue them.
> Steve Crawford
> yv=C3=A4skyl=C3=A4, Finland
> On Sep 28, 2007, at 6:10 PM, Indian Stuff wrote:
>> I've wrestled with the images of Sam Clemen's long descent into =20
> twilight since I became serious about his old age & began mine.
>
> Having read God's Fool, more than once, I have been at odds =20
> putting together the man who wrote Joan of Arc & Huck Finn with =20
> this report of his last ten years. Certainly, his bitterness =20
> accompanied by unbearable loss would have altered his writing & =20
> darker thoughts could have found their way to the top of the pool.
>
> Hamlin Hill's reports of the old man surrounded by harpies as he
> =20
> degenerated into a misanthrope have always felt false to me ... =20
> that & the slightly hidden aspersions of a burgeoning alcoholism &
> =20
> Twain's acute mind crumbling into senility. I never have believed =20
> it & prefer to think of Sam Clemens as a man growing wiser in age,
> =20
> hurt by loss & overcoming.
>
> I'll continue to believe it.
>
> Thank you for sending this link to Laura Skandera Trombley's =20
> audio file describing Mark Twain's Annus Horribilis of 1908 =20
> presented at Quarry Farm, September 19th, 2007.
>
> Is there a written copy available either electronically or via =20
> the mails of this presentation for those of us who are more than =20
> uncomfortable listening to a talking computer.
>
> And one personal note ... & a question ... is Laura Skandera =20
> Trombley the same Mark Twain authority who migh have married a =20
> fellow from a little town called Tupper Lake ... his name was =20
> Nelson Trombley. We were boys together & Tupper Lake was Hannibal =20
> with a French-Canadian accent.
>
> Regards
> Charles R Dunning
>
> Twain Center <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> The Center for Mark Twain Studies is pleased to announce the =20
> posting of
> the following audio file:
>
> Mark Twain's Annus Horribilis of 1908
> Laura Skandera Trombley; President, Pitzer College
> Presented at Quarry Farm, September 19th, 2007
>
> Since the early days of Twain biography there have been great debates
> about the nature of Samuel Clemens' final years. Scholars have
> speculated whether Clemens' last decade was ruled by a growing
> misanthropy or if he retained his keen sense of humor and social
> commentary. The era of Mark Twain scholarship began when Clemens'
> last
> decade was first examined in depth by Hamlin Hill in his Mark Twain:
> God's Fool (1973). Hill created a furor in Twain circles with his
> portrayal of Clemens as a misguided King Lear spewing bitterness and
> alienating those closest to him with the exception of the few =20
> sycophants
> able to weather his storms. Hill's work was groundbreaking and Twain
> critics have reacted to it, positively and negatively, ever since..
> =20
> Most
> recently Karen Lystra has argued in Dangerous
Intimacy (2004) that
> =20
> Hill
> erred in his characterization about the bleakness of Clemens' last
> =20
> years
> and that this "myth" should be put to rest. In Lystra's view,
> Clemens'
> optimism and wit remained intact until the end. As interesting as =20
> these
> diametrically opposed and impassioned arguments have been, what has
> misinformed them is that to date no one has ever determined what
> actually happened during Clemens' annus horribilis of 1908-1909.
>
> To access the audio file, go to:
>
> http://www.elmira.edu/acade
mics/distinctive_programs/twain_center/=20
> troubl
> e_at_eight/recordings
>
>
>
> Free Leonard Peltier!
> http://www.leonardpeltier.net
>
> ---------------------------------
> Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s =20
> user panel and lay it on us.
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> __
> Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL
> Mail! - http=
> ://mail.aol.com
|
