美国文学之马克吐温,亨利詹姆士 Mark Twain and Henry James演示课件

美国各文学时期重要作家及其主要作品美国文学的发展历史虽然只有200多年，但是它在这段时间里所取得的成就却是十分辉煌的。

美国文学业已形成的民族性、时代性和社会性，使它成为世界文学的重要组成部分。

美国文学的发展和美国历史的发展几乎是平行的。

美国殖民主义时期三个代表诗人1.安妮·布雷兹特里特Anne Bradstreet （1612-1672）美国第一位作品得以发表的女诗人。

她出生于英格兰，1630年时随父亲和丈夫来到北美马萨诸塞湾殖民地。

诗的风格与同时代的英国诗人John Donne、Edward Taylor有相似之处。

她最著名的诗集是《第十位缪斯》(The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung up in America,1650)，这也是她生前出版的唯一诗集。

一般认为，她最优秀的诗作，主要收录于她去世后由罗杰斯选编的《布雷兹特里特诗集》(Several Poems 1678)。

《写在我家失火之际》On the Burning of Our House）反映出殖民时期生活的侧面，《灵与肉》（The Flesh and the Spirit）向读者展示了作为一名虔诚的清教徒，在面临新大陆恶劣的生存环境时，诗人内心深处肉体与灵魂、世俗与信仰之间的斗争。

2.爱德华·泰勒(Edward Taylor，1644?-1729年)美国清教派牧师和诗人。

他被公认为美国19世纪前最重要的诗人。

在他有生之年仅发表过两首诗歌，直到1937年人们研究他的手稿时才认识到他那虔诚的诗歌的优美绝伦。

像约翰·多恩和乔治·赫伯特以及其他英国玄学派诗人一样，泰勒擅长运用精心选择的暗喻和丰富而唯美的比喻，也采用日常生活中的寻常措辞和比喻。

《爱德华·泰勒诗集》(1939年)收录了他的杰作，包括写于约1685年的《上帝对其选民有影响的决定》，和写于1682-1726年的《内省录》（Preparatory Meditation）中的部分。

History And Anthology of American Literature （6）附：作者及作品一、殖民主义时期The Literature of Colonial America1．船长约翰·史密斯Captain John Smith《自殖民地第一次在弗吉尼亚垦荒以来发生的各种事件的真实介绍》“A True Relation of Such Occurrences and Accidents of Note as Hath Happened in Virginia Since the First Planting of That Colony”《弗吉尼亚地图，附：一个乡村的描述》“A Map of Virginia: with a Description of the Country”《弗吉尼亚通史》“General History of Virginia”2．威廉·布拉德福德William Bradford《普利茅斯开发历史》“The History of Plymouth Plantation”3．约翰·温思罗普John Winthrop《新英格兰历史》“The History of New England”4．罗杰·威廉姆斯Roger Williams《开启美国语言的钥匙》”A Key into the Language of America”或叫《美洲新英格兰部分土著居民语言指南》Or “A Help to the Language of the Natives in That Part of America Called New England ”5．安妮·布莱德斯特Anne Bradstreet《在美洲诞生的第十个谬斯》”The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America”二、理性和革命时期文学The Literature of Reason and Revolution 1。

第一部分殖民主义时期the colonial period1.Hard work, thrift, piety and sobriety were the Puritan values that dominated much of the earliest Americanwriting.代表人物: cotton mather 科顿.马瑟Jonathan Edwards 乔纳森.爱德华兹Anne brandstreet 安妮.布雷斯特里特殖民时期第一位诗人，《最近在北美出现的第十位缪斯》第二部分理性和革命时期文学reasoning and revolution1、Benjamin Franklin 本杰明.弗兰克林代表作：Poor Richard’s Almanac穷人理查德的年鉴annual collection of proverbs 流行谚语集Autobiography 自传 18世纪美国唯一流传至今的自传2、Thomas Paine 托马斯.潘恩Rights of man 人的权利The age of reason 理性时代American Crisis《美国危机》, signed “Common Sense”.署名为“常识”3、Philip Freneau 菲利浦.弗瑞诺the most outstanding writer of the post-Revolutionary period（18th century）. 是革命战争后期（18世纪）最杰出的作家。

the “Father of American Poetry”美国诗歌之父poet of American revolution4、Thomas Jefferson 托马斯.杰弗逊drafted the Declaration of Independence. 起草了独立宣言第三部分浪漫主义文学/Romanticismtranscendentalism超验主义：1、Ralf Waldo Emerson拉尔夫·沃尔多·爱默生be responsible for bringing Transcendentalism to New England, 是把超验主义引入新英格兰的先驱。

英国1. Geoffrey Chaucer, 1343-1400 乔叟Mediaeval Realism (Narrative Poetry)2. William Shakespeare, 1564-1616 莎士比亚T udor Lyric Poetry3. John Donne, 1572-1631约翰·多恩Metaphysical Poetry•4. John Milton, 1608-1674 约翰·米尔顿Epic in English•5. Daniel Defoe, 1661-1731 丹尼尔·笛福Rise of English Realism•6. Oliver Goldsmith, 1728-1774 奥利弗·哥德史密斯Sentimentalism•7. William Wordsworth, 1770-1850 华兹华斯Romanism in English Poetry•8. Charles Dickens, 1812-1870 狄更斯Victorian Critical Realism•9. Thomas Hardy, 1840-1948 托马斯·哈代Critical / Pessimistic Realism•10. E.S. Eliot, 1888-1965 艾略特Naturalism•11. Oscar Wilde 1854-1900 王尔德Aesthetic Movement & Decadents•12. James Joyce, 1882-1941 詹姆斯·乔伊斯Stream of Consciousness 意识流•13. Somerset Maugham, 1874-1965 毛姆Continuity of Critical Realism•14. D.H. Lawrence 1885-1930 劳伦斯Psychological Penetration•15. George Orwell, 1903-1950 乔治·奥威尔Social Satire1、Unit 2 William Shakespeare知识点：英国文学史简介、英国文艺复兴文学特征、人文主义的定义、莎士比亚戏剧和诗歌写作特点,莎士比亚在英国文学史上的地位重点：选读《哈姆雷特》第三幕第一场，赏析莎士比亚十四行诗第十八首难点：《哈姆雷特》主题及哈姆雷特的个性、莎士比亚十四行诗的韵式、人文精神在莎士比亚诗歌和戏剧中的体现2、Unit 3 Francis Bacon知识点：培根的文学地位及其散文风格，《论说文集》的特点、培根的格言名句重点：选读《论婚姻和单身》及《论读书》难点：培根散文的语言特色、修辞手法及理念；人文精神在培根的箴言中的体现3、Unit 4 17th-century British Poets知识点：十七世纪英国资产阶级革命及复辟时期社会背景、十七世纪英国文学特点、弥尔顿诗歌作品的文学特征重点：选读《失乐园》第一部难点：《失乐园》的文学特点、《失乐园》的修辞手法分析、“撒旦”形象分析、古希腊罗马文学和文艺复兴文学传统在《失乐园》中的体现4. Unit6 Romantic Poets（I）& Unit8 Romantic Poets（II）知识点：浪漫主义文学的特征、浪漫主义文学流派、浪漫主义诗歌特征及代表诗人、彭斯的诗歌风格、华兹华斯的诗歌特点、雪莱的诗歌成就、济慈的主要诗作的主题思想、语言风格、艺术特色。

英美文学选读-阶段测评4成绩：30分一、Multiple Choice 共 40 题题号: 1 本题分数:2.5 分( )is generally regarded as the forerunner of the 20th—century “stream—of—consciousness” novels and the founder of psychological realism.A、Theodore DreiserB、William FaulknerC、Henry JamesD、Mark Twain(P498.para.2)亨利.詹姆斯是美国现实主义文学大师，他的作品往往涉及美国之外的主题，其作品的风格是“心理活动”。

被誉为20世纪美国意识流文学的先驱。

标准答案：C考生答案：D本题得分：0 分题号: 2 本题分数:2.5 分Closely related to Dickinson’s religious poetry are her poems concerning( ),ranging over the physical as well as the psychological and emotional aspects of death.A、love and natureB、death and universeC、death and immortalityD、family and happiness（P518para2）迪金森的诗歌涉及宗教和爱情两方面，而其涉及宗教的诗歌往往是以死亡和永恒为主题的，所以答案是C。

标准答案：C考生答案：A本题得分：0 分题号: 3 本题分数:2.5 分H.L.Mencken considered( )“the true father of our national literature”.A、Bret HarteB、Mark TwainC、Washington IrvingD、Walt Whitman(P477.para1)马克.吐温是美国文学巨匠，他以两部“历险记”创造可美国文学史上的一个奇迹，那就是开创了美国文学的一个新时代，所以将他誉为“真正的美国文学之父”。

美国文学知识一．殖民地时期（The Literature of Colonial American）北美的第一本书：《海湾圣诗》（The Bay Psalmbook）约翰·史密斯（John Smith）：被誉为美国文学的第一位作家。

代表作《关于弗吉尼亚的真实叙述》（A True Relation of Virginia）是美国文学第一书。

纳撒尼尔·沃德（Nathaniel Ward）：被誉为“北美讽刺文学第一笔”。

代表作《北美的阿格瓦姆鞋匠》（The Simple Cobbler of Aggawam in America）。

威廉·布拉福德（William Bradford）：被誉为“美国历史之父”。

代表作《普利茅斯种植园史》（History of Plymouth Plantation）。

安妮·布拉德斯特里特（Anne Bradstreet）：殖民地时期的第一位诗人。

代表作《最近在北美出现的第十位缪斯》（The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America）。

迈克尔·威格尔斯沃斯（Michael Wigglesworth）：诗人。

代表作《判决日》（The Day Of Doom）。

爱德华·泰勒（Edward Taylor）：诗人。

代表作《上帝对其选民有影响的决定》（Gods Determinations Touching His Elect）。

乔纳森·爱德华兹（Jonathan Edwards）：“大觉醒”（The Great Awakening）运动中的主要思想家。

代表作《愤怒是上帝手中之罪人》。

二．独立战争到南北战争（American Literature between the War of Independence and the Civil War）本杰明·富兰克林（Benjamin Franklin）：美国启蒙运动的开创者、科学家、实业家、政治家和革命家，参与撰写了《独立宣言》（Declaration of Independence）。

朱永涛《英语国家社会与⽂化⼊门》配套题库【课后习题】（美国⽂学）第7章美国⽂学Ⅰ. Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F):1. American literature is mainly about the seeking of the American people for success and happiness. _____【答案】T【解析】美国⽂学主要是关于美国⼈民追寻成功和幸福。

2. Rip Van Winkle was a character created by James Fenimore Cooper. _____【答案】F【解析】《瑞普·凡·温克》是⼩说家及历史家华盛顿·欧⽂（Washington Irving）的名篇。

故事主要讲述主⼈公瑞普·凡·温克喝醉之后在梦中的奇遇，然后顿悟过了⼀⽣。

3. The Leather-Stocking Tales consist of five novels depicting the American West. _____【答案】T【解析】《⽪袜⼦故事集》是美国作家詹姆斯·费尼莫尔·库柏（James Fenimore Cooper）的系列⼩说，共包含《杀⿅者》（The Deerslayer）、《最后的莫希⼲⼈》（The Last of the Mohicans）、《探路⼈》（The Pathfinder）、《拓荒者》（The Pioneer）和《⼤草原》（The Prairie）等五部⼩说。

4. Before Mark Twain, all major American writers were born on the East Coast. _____ 【答案】T【解析】马克·吐温（Mark Twain），美国作家、演说家，⽣于美国密苏⾥州佛罗⾥达。

History And Anthology of American Literature (VolumeⅡ)美国文学史及选读2PartⅣ The Literature Of Realism现实主义文学1.美国国内战争Civil War 1861-1865.美国现实主义文学：他们寻找描写美国人真实生活的方法，他们声称平凡的、就近的事件同重大的、遥运的事件一样都是艺术创作的源泉they sought to portray American life as it really was,, insisting that the ordinary and local were as suitable for artistic portrayal as the magnificent and the remote.2.现实主义一词来源于法语realism, 她是一种文学原则，她强调描写平凡的生活，强调其“真实性和现实性”。

Realism had originated in France asrealism, a literary doctrine that called for “reality and truth” in the depiction of ordinary life. “现实主义要求创作素材绝对真实，即不能夸张，也不能缩小”,William Dean Howells(豪厄斯) defined realism as “nothing more and nothing less than the truthful treatment of material”.他反对那些表现失意和绝望类苍白无力的小说，他强调现实主义作品要发掘出生活中微笑的一方面，因为美国人都坚信自己的国家是一个充满希望，什么奇迹都有可能发生的一个国家，作为文学也应该把这些特征表现出来he spoke out against the writing of a bleak fiction of failure and despair. He called for the treatment of the “Smiling aspects of life” as being the more “American”, insisting that Americ an was truly a land of hope and of possibility that should be reflected in its literature.3.美国现实主义文学总体说来对生活的表面现象进行了乐观的处理，这是其局限，然而最伟大的现实伟大的现实主义大师亨利·詹姆斯、马克·吐温则摆脱了对十九世纪美国进行肤浅描写的局限，詹姆斯对他作品中的人物个性心理进行了深度探讨，他运用深厚的和复杂的写作方式对复杂的个人经历进行了揣摩。

Part Four THE AGE OF REALISM(1860-1910)Chapter 21 Mark TwainI. Background Information1. Two literary forces in 19th CenturyEastern gentlemen literatureWestern frontier spirit2. Social changes1). 1880’s industrialization and urbanizationLose the sense of independence, pride, integrityextremes of wealth and poverty.Immigration and Migration (1865-1900)Gradually abandon transcendentalism and old moral values, No longer romantic, idealistic, not so optimistica shameless lust for money and power.life was not so good, man was not, and God was not.2). Ceasing of isolationtelegraph lines, a trans-Atlantic cable, the first transcontinental railroad Preserve the local color3). American frontierthe frontier was people’s hope to realize American Dream.Lost hope to go to west, end of westward expansionDisillusioned and frustrated, more practical to daily life.3. Time:Civil War to World War 1; From Romanticism to Realism; 1865-1914 Name: the Age of Realism the Gilded Age镀金时代,4. The schools of American realism:Frontier HumorMidwestern realism (Howells)Cosmopolitan and psychological realism (James)Regionalism, local colorism (Mark Twain)Naturalism (Dreiser)5. American RealismA reaction against the “lie” of Romanticism and sentimentalismSubject matter: Slice of lifeTheme: the world of experience of the commonplace and the familiar and the low; real characters; real scenes; real incidents; look for truth in everyday life, Features: more objective than idealistic and subjective, more descriptive than symbolicCharacter: studied in depth, more important than action, plot; typical character under typical circumstanceRepresentatives:WilliamDeanHowells, Mark Twain, Henry James7. Local colorism:1)1) In late 1860s, peak in 18802)An important part of realistic movement3)Influenced by frontier humorists.4)Differences existed between different parts of the country.5)Emphasis on local peculiarities of speech, dress and habits.6)Idealize and glorify, give true color of local life7)Representative Mark TwainII. Mark Twain 马克.吐温（1835-1910）1. Contributions:Father of American LiteratureForerunner of American RealismHumorous colloquial styleLocal colorist2. Life:Samuel Langhorne Clemensmoved with his family to Hannibal, a port on the Mississippi RiverAt 12, Worked as a printer, a steamboat pilot, Served as a volunteer soldier, reporter and writerAfter marriage , famous graduallyTragic later life3. 3 phases of career1) . 1865-around 1880s Period of light-hearted, humorous descriptionRather confident and optimisticCriticize the society with light-hearted humor and satireThe Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County《卡拉韦拉斯县驰名的跳跳蛙》1865The Adventure of Tom Sawyer 《汤姆.索亚历险记》2) . 1880s-1900sPeriod of bitter and sharper criticismSociety turned deaf ear to his advices, a combination of romanticism and realism, return to the pure and natural lifeRepresentatives: The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn 《哈克贝利.费恩历险记》Life on the Mississippi，18833) . 1900-1910Period of pessimism and fatalismIII . The Adventures of T om Sawyer3. Writing Style1) Satirical Humor;Influenced by Frontier HumorIt is generated by the westward expansion in the late 18th and the 19th centuries.Frontier humor appears mainly in tall tales of exaggerated feats of strength, rough practical jokes (especially on sophisticated Easterners and greenhorns), and realistic story of encounters with bears, and snakes.These tales are filled with rough, homely wisdomWhat Mark Twain laughs at?•Education Teacher’s physical punishment, Way of examination, Composition format Education=disciplines=bondages → no freedom2) Subject matter:his own experience along the Mississippi River, less influenced by foreign Culturesfrom everyday life, lower strata of society , Mississippi River3) language:create a real and genuine American style, colloquial styleinformal, oral, easy, unaffected, wild and humorous; regional language: dialect, slangsentence structure: simple, compound, a series of “than” and “and”, semi-colons, ungrammaticalDialogues: real to the reader, background information, advance the action 4) . ThemeAs a journey of boy’s growthConflict between civilization and "natural life"The seek for freedomFreedom leads to responsibility and can have negative consequences.Mockery of Religion and educationPeople who are respected in society don’t always deserve it. It’s humannature to be drawn toward those who have money and power.5) Bildungsroman成长小说The initiation story tells about the growing up or coming of age of a sensitive person who is looking for answers and experience. Usually in the beginning of the story, there is an emotional loss which makes the protagonists leave on his journey. In a Bildungsroman, the goal is maturity, and the protagonist achieves it gradually and with difficulty. The genre often features a main conflict between the main character and society. Typically, the values of society are gradually accepted or assimilated by the protagonists as their disappointment and confusions are over.The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is categorized into Bildungsroman (novel of initiation, growth story). In Bildungsroman, the protagonist will experience 4 phases of growth, temptation, departure, confusion and epiphany. Can you find them in the story?IV Assignment Henry JamesChapter 23 Henry JamesⅠWriters of American RealismWriters: Howells Twain James Subject matter: Middle class Lower class Upper class Genteel Realism only good side Local colorism Psychological realismⅡHenry James亨利.詹姆斯(1843~1916)1. Contributions: a "writer's writer,"Forerunner of stream of consciousnessFounder of Psychological realismInitiator of the international theme and novel.2. Life and Careerborn in a wealthy and cultured family New York on April 15, 1843His father, a philosopher ; his brother William, an outstanding philosopher and psychologist.educated in unorthodox circumstances; attended Harvard Law School but read literary works theretoured in Europe and met many famous writers, Flaubert, Maupassant, Zola wanted to be a critic in New York but could not endure the prevailing materialism; left for England and became an English citizen in 1915 Remained single, few close friends3. Literary WorksFirst period: International theme《黛西·密勒》（Daisy Miller，1878)《贵妇人的画像》（The Portrait of a Lady，1881)《美国人》(The American 1877)Second Period (1882-1895) : studies of interpersonal relationships 《波士顿人》（The Bostonians，1886)Third Period(1895-1905):added complexity and profundity to his international themeThe Wings of the Dove鸽翼The Ambassadors专使The Golden Bowl金碗4. Writing StyleTheme: International themeAmerica Europeinnocent sophisticatedindividualism social customs✧Question1Why Isabel obey the European social convention?1. Conscious commitment to individualism2. unconscious desire for safety , comfort and stability of social custom.✧Q2: Why the book is named “The Portrait of a Lady”•Osmond’s profession•The way to understand a man and a portrait•Psychological portrait–Before marriage:•Self-evaluation and meditation on the world•Contradictory personality–After marriage:•Awakening•Self-reflection, husband’s nature5. Subject matter:Upper reaches of American societyAn imaginative treatment of reality or psychological realismClash between Am. & Europe6. Language:Written, abstract, nouns; long sentence 35.1 (Lawrence 19.8) Clauses;Periodic sentence 圆周句, Adjective and adverbsobscure, round-about way, Highly refined, Elaborate, insightful ，ambiguous 19世纪末20世纪初西欧一些文学家的确有类似印象派绘画和音乐的那种创作方法，即致力于捕捉模糊不清的转瞬即逝的感觉印象later works has been compared to impressionist painting.7. Narrative “point of view.”stories told not by author but by different minds from different perspectivesInternal monologue; the inward movement of character in face of outside occurrences.elliptical technique.3 Assignment Dreiser。

美国文学史American Literature in the colonical and Revolutionary:1.Benjamin Franklin(本杰明.富兰克林)2.hilip Freneau 菲利普·费瑞诺Benjamin Franklin(本杰明.富兰克林)1)"Poor Richard's Almanac" 穷人查理德的年鉴(以笔名Richard Sunders)2)“annual collection of proverbs “流行谚语集(It soon became the most popular bookof its kind, largely because of Franklin's shrewd humor, and first spread his reputation) 3)The Way to Wealth (Father Abraham’s Sermon)致富之道(as the “perface to Poor RichardImproved)4)The Autobiography自传(18世纪美国唯一流传至今的自传)5)Founded the Junto, a club for informal discussion of scientific, economic and politicalideas. 建立了一个秘密俱乐部，讨论的主题是政治、经济和科学等时事方面的问题.6)established America's first circulating library, founded the college--University ofPennsylvania. 建立了美国第一个可租借的图书馆，还创办了一所大学——就是现在的宾夕法尼亚大学.7)first applied the terms "positive" and "negative" to electrical charges.8)Writer,printer,publisher,scientist,philanthropist,and diplomat,he was the most famousand respected private figure of his time.The Rising Glory of America蒸蒸日上的美洲；The British Prison Ship英国囚船；To the Memory of the Brave Americans纪念美国勇士-----同类诗中最佳；The Wild Honeysuckle野生的金银花；The Indian Burying Ground印第安人殡葬地(1)poet and political journalist 诗人和政治方面的新闻记者(2)perhaps the most outstanding writer of the post-revolutionary period.(3)has been called the "Father of American Poetry" 美国诗歌之父(4)Imaginative and melancholy treatment of nature and human life,and sharp satire against the British tyranny19th Century American LiteratureWashington Irving(华盛顿.欧文)1．James Fenimore Cooper(詹姆斯.芬尼莫.库珀)2．Nathaniel Hawthorne(纳萨尼尔.霍桑)3．Edgar Allan Poe （埃德加.阿伦.坡）4．Henry Daived Thoreau(亨利.戴维.梭罗)5．Herman Melville(赫尔曼.麦尔维尔)6．Walt Whiteman(沃尔特.惠特曼)The Rise of American Romanticism• One of the most important periods in the history of American literature, stretches from the end of the 18th century to the outbreak of the Civil War(1861-65).• It started with the publication of Washington Irving's e T he h Sketch Book(1820) and ended with Whitman's s Leaves f of Grass(1855)..Romanticism的特点：frequently shared certain general characteristics, moral enthusiam,faith in the value of individualism and intuitive perception, and apresumption that he natural world was a source of corruption.浪漫主义之间大多是相通的，都注重道德，强调个人主义价值观和直觉感受，并且认为自然是美的源头，人类社会是腐败之源。

马克吐温的简介马克·吐温的成就主要体现在其文学作品上，在对于美国的文学界，有着举足轻重的作用，也被人称为“美国文学之父”。

下面是店铺搜集整理的马克吐温的简介，希望对你有帮助。

马克吐温的简介马克·吐温(Mark Twain)，(1835年11月30日-1910年4月21日)，原名塞姆·朗赫恩·克列门斯(Samuel Langhorne Clemens);是美国的幽默大师、小说家、作家，亦是著名演说家。

40年的创作生涯，写出了10多部长篇小说、几十部短篇(文章转载自: /Mingren/03/ 请保留此标记)小说及其他体裁的大量作品，其中著名的有短篇小说《竞选州长》、《哥尔斯密的朋友再度出洋》和《百万英镑》等，长篇小说《镀金时代》、《汤姆·索亚历险记》、《王子与贫儿》等。

《哈克贝利·费恩历险记》是他的最优秀的作品，曾被美国小说家海明威誉为是“第一部”真正的“美国文学”。

马克吐温的成长经历虽然马克·吐温的财富不多，却无损他高超的幽默、机智与名气，被称为美国最知名人士之一，曾被推崇为“美国文坛巨子”，擅长写讽刺小说。

其交友甚是广泛，迪士尼、魏伟德、尼古拉·特斯拉、海伦·凯勒、亨利·罗杰诸君，皆为其友。

他曾被誉为文学史上的林肯。

海伦·凯勒曾言：“我喜欢马克·吐温——谁会不喜欢他呢?即使是上帝，亦会钟爱他，赋予其智慧，并于其心灵里绘画出一道爱与信仰的彩虹。

”威廉·福克纳称他为“第一位真正的美国作家，我们都是继承他而来”。

他于1910年4月21日去世，享年七十五岁，安葬于纽约州艾玛拉。

马克·吐温于1835年11月30日出生在美国密苏里州佛罗里达的乡村的贫穷律师家庭。

他是家中7个小孩的第6个小孩。

他只有两个兄弟姊妹可以在童年过后幸存下来，他的那两个兄弟姊妹就是哥哥奥利安·克列门斯(Orion Clemens)(1825年7月17日- 1897年12月11日)和姊姊帕梅拉(Pamela)(1827年9月19日- 1904年8月31日)。