Mark Twain's Influence in Literature

              Mark Twain is a very familiar name in American Literature. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are still on multiple lists as required reading assignments in schools. Twain was responsible for the introduction of the use of “local color”. Twain used this form of dialect to bring the southern characters in his stories to life. This made a huge impact on readers and literary critics.
              Twain has been and still remains the subject of multiple biographies and works of literary analysis. His stories are a big part of American popular culture. His works have been used as influences for other writers and works. Twain is still considered one of the most essential writers this country has ever published. Mark Twain is such a familiar name in American Literature. His writings occurred during both the Romantic and Realist time eras in American Literature. His novels however don’t seem to fit into either of the two categories. Twain has however been categorized in the literary movement called, “The New Order”.
               Twain was the subject of many author’s discussions and quoted him in their writings. One of the earliest examples of Mark Twain’s influence appeared in Ernest Hemingway’s “Green Hills of Africa” (1935): “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. . . .[I]t’s the best book we’ve had. All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since.” Ralph Ellison, who’s “Invisible Man” (1952) was considered one of America’s greatest novels since World War II. Ellison explains how Twain’s writings affected American Literature when he made the statement: “Mark Twain … transformed elements of regional vernacular speech into a medium of uniquely American literary expression and thus taught us how to capture that which is essentially American in our folkways and manners. For indeed the vernacular process is a way of establishing and discovering our national identity.”  Mark Twain never hesitated to speak his mind and his writings just brought that idea to life. He will always be remembered as someone who took chances and expressed what no one else would.

Sources:
Alan Greenblatt, “Why Mark Twain Still Matters” NPR.com, public broadcasting PBS, 21 April, 2010, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126135081
“Mark Twain’s Literary Influence”, THE BIG READ , National Endowment for the Arts. Pg. 16
http://www.neabigread.org/teachers_guides/handouts/theadventuresoftomsawyer/theadventuresoftomsawyer_handout_1.pdf