The land of the free (except for slaves) and the home of the brave (and extremely violent and repressive) inculcated racial myths within Clemens during his antebellum childhood on the Mississippi that were slowly fractured, but never completely expunged, as he matured intellectually. ... Oftentimes the best way to approach seemingly unmentionable themes was through the side door of comedy and satire - areas where Mark Twain had few, if any, equals. ... In the public discourse this meant "coon- songs and shows that took the humiliation of the black race to a new level of cruelty, and the p...

• Word Count: 3141
• Approx Pages: 13
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate