The Autobiography of Mark Twain

[Student Name] AP Language and Composition [Teacher Name] January 8, 2012

Autobiography of Mark Twain Twain is viewed by many as the greatest author in American history. His regional style and unique perspective are unmistakable, and his works have been recognized as literary classics. In the epilogue of his autobiography, Twain examines himself and his character rather than his accomplishments. He tries to look at himself honestly in the mirror, but does he even remember what honesty looks like? When a person's reputation is held higher than their moral compass, honesty takes a back seat and lies can take on a life of their own or even become a twisted form of the truth, as was the case for Mark Twain "I was fourteen or fifteen years old, the age at which a boy is willing to endure all things, suffer all things" said Twain, referring to his excitement towards a "mesmerizer" who came to town with dishonest intentions. Twain saw this as his chance to get ahead in life. "When I saw the subjects perform their foolish antics on the platform and make the people laugh and shout and admire I had a burning desire to be a subject myself." He recognized, even at his young age, just how foolish these antics were. Still, he wanted to be a part of the act because of the way the people reacted. He wanted to impress people. He knew it was dishonest, but that was less important to him. He liked the feeling that with being admired by people and mesmerizing them, or, as he later saw it, lying to them.

"When people asked me, "How can you tell what he is willing you to do?" I said, "It's just as easy," and they always said admiringly, "Well, it beats me how you can do it." Twain took this stretching of the truth pretty far by his standards. While some might just have called him an entertainer, he saw himself as a liar. He got to a point where the lies took on a life of their own. Twain's creative mind had gotten the best of him. The stories he was telling almost seemed like they...