Mark Twain, "New York Times", on Quotes

A collection of quotes by Mark Twain, "New York Times", on.

Mark Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was an American writer and humorist best known for his novels, including "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Born on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri, Twain grew up in Hannibal, a town on the Mississippi River, which would later inspire the settings for many of his stories.

After a brief stint as a printer, Twain worked as a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River, which further fueled his fascination with the South and its cultural dynamics. In 1861, when the American Civil War broke out, he briefly joined a Confederate militia but left after only a few weeks.

Twain's career took off when he began writing newspaper columns and travelogues. His witty and satirical style captured the attention of readers, eventually leading him to become one of the most renowned humorists of his time. In 1865, he published "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," a short story that brought him national fame.

Throughout his life, Twain had an insatiable appetite for travel, and his journeys around the world provided inspiration for his works. Known for his keen social commentary and sharp wit, he often criticized societal norms and advocated for human rights.

Mark Twain's works continue to be celebrated and studied as classics of American literature. He passed away on April 21, 1910, leaving behind a legacy of timeless literature that continues to captivate readers worldwide.

Mark Twain, in an interview today, spoke about hazing at West Point, and denounced the practice as a brutal one and men who indulge in it as bullies and cowards. Why, he said, the fourth class man who is compelled to fight a man from the first class hasn't a show in the world, and it is not intended that he should. I have read the rules provided to prevent such practices, and they are wholly deficient, because one provision is omitted. I would make it the duty of a cadet to report to the authorities any case of hazing which came to his notice; make such reports a part of the vaunted West Point 'code of honor' and the beating of young boys by upper class men will be stopped. I am not opposed to fights among boys as a general thing. If they are conducted in a spirit of fairness, I think it makes boys manly, but I do oppose compelling a little fellow to fight some man big enough to whip two of him. When I was a boy, going to school down in the Mississippi Valley, we used to have our fights, and I remember one occasion on which I got soundly trounced, but we always matched boys as nearly of a size as possible, and there was none of the cowardly methods that seem to prevail at West Point.

Mark Twain, "New York Times", on

Hazing