Recently I come across a number of references to Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) and I have been reminded that he is not just "that guy who wrote Huckleberry Finn" but was a social and political activist and was far more prolific in his outspoken and controversial opinions than the average person is taught to believe. Here's Wikipedia's summary:
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910),[1] better known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an Americanhumorist, satirist, lecturer and writer. Twain is most noted for his novels Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which has since been called theGreat American Novel,[2] and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. He is also known for his quotations.[3][4] During his lifetime, Twain became a friend to presidents, artists, industrialists and European royalty.
Twain enjoyed immense public popularity, and his keen wit and incisive satire earned him praise from both critics and peers. American author William Faulkner called Twain "the father of American literature."[5]
Alas, like so much of what is said in the world, America has chosen to pick the idyllic and beautiful things to commemorate and brushes the realistic and sometimes ugly truths under the rug of time and sheer mass of human accomplishments. In Mark Twain's own words:
I can just taste the sarcasm in that quote . . . yum!
About the tenth thing in the past few months that I have run across by Mark Twain is this cartoon clip from a claymation film titled
The Adventures of Mark Twain.
Where I saw it originally, the author remarked that "it is definitely not for children." I very much disagree. Hiding the truth and "all things in the least bit unpleasant" from our children does them no favor.
I feel that much of the time people use that as an excuse because they don't want to take the time to sit with their children and talk to them about it. Give the children a chance to give their own thoughts about the story, and to speculate about what the author might have had in mind. Discuss it. And, Oh my God, THINK ABOUT IT!
I believe doing that gives the next generation an opportunity to create their own thoughts and opinions -- instead of having ours forced upon them. It gives them the opportunity also to see and understand moral questions and to gain the experience to make their own decisions of what is right and what is wrong.
Now, don't get me wrong, there are some things kids do not need to see . . . gratuitous violence and most erotica are some of those things. But this piece doesn't fall into those categories by any stretch.
Mark Twain titled this unfinished story
The Mysterious Stranger. It is a moral story. It is a comment on the "damned human race." When a stranger with unusual powers comes to town, be careful what you wish for . . . you may get it.
It is a beautifully done animation. And even though it is adapted and presented in another media, I believe it keeps to the spirit of Twain's original:
There you have it. Mark Twain. One of my heroes.
