FREE ESSAY ON MARK TWAIN AND CAROL SANDBURG

MARK TWAIN AND CAROL SANDBURG

There have been a number of influences that have shaped American literature. From the time
that Western Europeans founded the country to the inclusion of Native American lore to
the contributions of such literary giants as Mark Twain and Carol Sandburg, the
composition of American Literature has been both constant and ever changing. In deed as
much as America, itself, is a melting pot of diversity within a cultural concern, so too
is this considerable diversity a significant aspect of its emerging literature.
Grantland S. Rice, author of The Transformation of Authorship in America, contends that
the ultimate composition of American literature is fundamentally based upon a combination
of efforts involving gender, class, period and application. What is particualy,
interesting about Rice's observations is the manner in which he applies his theories to
literary considerations. According to Rice, there were a great many influences that
constructed American literature up through modern times; as much as writers were
"increasingly forced by social, political and economic changes" (Rice 159), it was
because of these modifications that the literary experience gained in substance. In their
attempts to uphold civic virtue, early writers "no doubt turned to the audience through
whom they 
felt they could still effect significant cultural changes" (Rice 159). It is this very
determination and knowledge of craft that eventually aided in the efforts of countless
writers -- both men and women -- to establish American literature as it has come to be
known:
The story I till here is thus far from the usual 
one of the 'progress' or 'rise' of American 
literature, an account which has come from an 
almost exclusive on the continuity of literary 
forms and the influence of the aesthetic heritage 
of Romanticism. (Rice 12)
Inasmuch as Rice attributes life's influences as an integral component of American
literature, so too does one of America's greatest authors: Mark Twain. His Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn, thought to be too racy for its own period, has always been received
with mixed acceptance even in contemporary times. Capturing the American soul at its
utmost depths, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn touches upon a number of unprecedented
issues because of the shock value such a book portrays, it has been both embraced and
banned for its content. However, it is this very content that has made it one of the most
essential aspects of American 
Literature, as Twain was not afraid to depict America without rose-colored glasses. It
has been called offensive, unpatriotic, racist and a whole host of other uncomplimentary
terms; however, it has been - and continues to be - instrumental in describing the
sometimes unsavory truth, As the author so eloquently stated to America: "This is how you
are, like it or not" (Smith). 
As difficult as it has been for Americans to accept the fact that Twain's account mirrors
a harsh reality, the implications of such social atrocities as racism are painfully clear
both in written representation as will as in real life. In fact, it can be argued that
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn not only symbolizes what it means to be part of the
American literary framework, but it also exemplifies the manner in which art truly
imitates life.
As essential as Twain was in establishing the very basis of American literature, he was
also instrumental in addressing issues which were - and are still - considered to be
beyond the realm of acceptance. Although Adventures of Huckleberry Finn makes free use of
the word nigger, it is not utilized in the same context it is today; by comparison, the
author meant it only as a 
description, as opposed to contemporary usage that focuses solely upon the words
disgracing aspect.
Inasmuch as Mark Twain weaved his literary magic in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to
depict American truisms, Carl Sandburg was just as much a fundamental part of the same
patchwork. Sandburg's writing addresses many of the same concepts as does Twain's with
regard to the human condition, even encouraging people to recognize themselves within his
prose. Characteristic of Sandburg's style is his approach to everyday existence as though
it were a matter of life and death. In a way it was just that, as the astute author wrote
of life's battles and the difficulties surrounding just staying alive. His works reflects
compassion and empathy that easily translates from the written page in such a way that
clearly associates him with the foundation of American literature.
They tell me you were wicked and I believe them, 
for I have seen your painted women under the gas
lamps luring the farm boys. And they tell me you 
are crooked and I answer: Yes, it is true I have
seen the gunman kill and go free to kill again. 
(Sandburg 44)
Sandburg's recognition of working girls, hungry men and wondering children represent a
staple in the American literary diet. The author's calculated ability to assess the human
condition is integral to his overall importance in American literature; to be sure, there
have been many more explosive writers who have helped shape America's literary landscape,
but few have truly captured the essence as well as Sandburg. His talent to make the most
simplistic and mundane stand out as extraordinary is indicative of his inherent
contribution to American literature.
A man saw the whole world as a grinning skull and 
cross-bones. The rose flesh of life shriveled 
from all faces. Nothing counts. Everything is 
fake. Dust to dust and ashes to ashes and then
an old darkness and a useless silence. So he saw 
it all. (Sandburg 110)
In spite of their success, men have not been the only ones who have helped influence
American literature. The famous, as well as the unknown, have graced page after page with
eloquence and education so as to move forward such an important literary concept. With
the world's very first writer having said to be a woman, it is no surprise 
to find some of the most influential American literary works have derived from the fairer
gender. High priestless Enheduanna was to have possessed such an intensity about her that
she was the "representation...of the fierce female energy found in spiritual traditions
throughout the world" (Halio, Siegal 72). Following in such grand style, women of modern
literature have also led with such fierceness in an attempt to cast the same broad brush
of Americana as the men have so successfully achieved.
The inherent obstacles women have faced in the literary world, just by the virtue of
being women, have given way to an abundance of influential, well respected and
accomplished female writers. Their inspiration upon American literature has been nothing
short of spectacular as the overwhelming odds and obstacles of the past "have grown less
stringent for those women who strive for literary expression" (Halio, Siegal 30). Indeed,
the innumerable contributions to American literature stand out as considerable and
for-reaching. By assessing the various factors each component has brought to the overall
composition, it is easily arguable that American literature is a compilation of many
foreign entities that ultimately embrace and represent the American way
WorksCited
Bibliography
Halio, Jay L., and Ben. Siegel. Daughters of Valor: 
Contemporary Jewish American Women Writers. GreenBay:
Jackson-Elliot, 1997.
Rice, Grantland S. The Transformation of Authorship in 
America. Chicago: Braxton, 1997.
Sandburg, Carl. Chicago Poems. New York: Henry Holt, 1916.
Smith, Joan. "Lessons of Huck Finn." San Francisco Examiner
Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Philadelphia: 
Courage Books, 1990.