The contributions that Mark Twain made to society and literature are remarkable.
America was defining itself into an influential nation; through Mark Twain's writings he gave definition to what it meant to be an American. Using cutting and accurate humor, he attracted a range of readers and audiences. Twain stunned the world with his brilliance and talent. Ernest Hemingway, a fellow American author, felt that all American fiction was influenced by The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and called the book the finest American novel ever written.
Growing up on a farm in Florida, Missouri, Samuel Clemens enjoyed the delightfulness of the country life. At the age of six, Sam's best friend was a slave girl, who he spent many hours wadding in brooks and picking wild blackberries with her. Sam's favorite slave "Dan"l become the role model for Jim in Huckleberry Finn" (The Importance of Mark Twain 11). Telling stories and entertaining the family, Sam was intrigued and interested by his friend's ability. His family soon moved to Hannibal, Missouri, where Sam found a completely new way of life. Witnessing prejudice concerning the African Americans, "Sam began to question the righteousness of slavery" "Living in a bigger city and observing his father's law practice exposed young Sam to .
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crime- even murder" (13). Hannibal severed as an inspiration for his book Huckleberry Finn. Just as Tom Sawyer spent his days fishing on the river and hunting, these adventures were from real-life escapades of Sam and his friends.
Due to the loss of his father, Samuel Clemens worked as an apprentice for the Journal to support his family. Little did he know that this would be the start of a ten-year career in newspapers "that would include being a full-time apprentice, Orion's assistant editor, and a journeyman printer around the world (The Importance of Mark Twain 16).
Twain started writing stories about Hannibal and he succeeded in publishing a few nonfiction stories for Philadelphia's Saturday Evening.