Mark Twain: A Child's Biography Flashcards
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Flashcard Review
Flashcards: Mark Twain: A Child's Biography
Where was Samuel Clemens born?
In the small town of Florida, Missouri, where his father was a farmer, merchant, and postmaster.
Why did Mrs. Clemens insist on spending summers at the Quarles farm?
Because Florida agreed so well with "little Sam," who was a delicate child the neighbors doubted would survive.
How did Sam's father once forget him as an infant?
While waiting for Sam to wake from a nap, John Clemens got lost in thought about his invention and rode off on horseback without him.
What happened when nine-year-old Sam ran away on a steamboat?
The captain discovered him and put him ashore, his father was sent for, and Sam received a whipping he remembered for a long time.
What two school subjects did Sam excel at?
Spelling, where he won the weekly medal, and composition, which made teachers and students laugh until they cried.
What trade did Sam learn after his father died?
The printer's trade. He was quick and accurate at setting type and helped his older brother start a newspaper.
Where did Sam go after leaving home at eighteen?
St. Louis, then New York and Philadelphia. He was heading to South America when he got the chance to become a Mississippi River pilot.
How does the biography contrast John and Jane Clemens's personalities?
John was solemn, sickly, and never once laughed in his life. Jane was spirited and fun-loving, eager to finish chores so she could "have a real frolic."
Who was Uncle Ned, and why did Sam admire him?
A farm-hand and famous storyteller whose tales of witches and goblins captivated the Clemens children every evening by the fire.
Who was Jennie in the Clemens household?
A slave girl who, along with Uncle Ned, told stories to the children around the open fire at night.
Who were Will Bowen and John Briggs?
Sam's two best childhood friends in Hannibal. The three spent their time fishing, swimming, running, and exploring a cave together.
What role did Mr. Quarles play in Sam's childhood?
He was the fun-loving relative who built the children swings, let them ride ox-teams and horses, and tumble in hayfields all they wished.
What was Sam's physical appearance at age nine or ten?
He had an oversized head with a lot of waving sandy hair, fine gray eyes, and a slow drawling voice that made everything he said sound droll.
How does the biography show that storytelling shaped Sam's future?
From Uncle Ned's fireside tales to his school compositions that made people cry with laughter, Sam was drawn to narrative from his earliest years.
What does the Tennessee land symbolize in the biography?
The gap between American dreams and reality. John Clemens spent his life counting on it, but it sold for less than the accumulated taxes.
How does the biography portray the tension between duty and adventure?
Sam's teachers urged him toward writing, but he dreamed only of piloting a steamboat. His mother extracted a moral oath before letting him leave home.
What picture of frontier childhood does the biography paint?
One of freedom and risk — children roamed the countryside unsupervised, swam in dangerous rivers, explored caves, and were raised partly by the stories of enslaved people.
What is ironic about John Clemens's dying words?
He urged the family never to sell the Tennessee land, promising it would make them rich, but it eventually sold for less than the taxes owed on it.
How does the author use direct address to engage young readers?
With exclamations like "Think of it!" and invitations like "If you want to know what happened, you must read..." that pull children into the narrative.
What narrative technique structures the biography?
A series of vivid anecdotes — the forgotten nap, the steamboat stowaway, the spelling medal — rather than a dry chronological account.
What does "frolic" mean in the context of Jane Clemens's personality?
A lively, playful outing or good time. Jane liked to finish her housework quickly so she could enjoy herself.
What does "droll" mean when describing Sam's manner of speaking?
Funny in a quiet, understated way. Sam's slow, drawling delivery made ordinary remarks seem humorous.
What is a "tract" of land as used in the biography?
A large area or expanse. John Clemens bought seventy-five thousand acres — a huge tract — of Tennessee land.
Who said "I do solemnly swear that I will not throw a card or drink a drop of liquor while I am gone"?
Sam Clemens, repeating the oath his mother Jane made him swear on a Bible before he left home at eighteen.
What were John Clemens's last words according to the biography?
"Don't sell the Tennessee land! Hold on to it, and you will all be rich!"