In the compact town of Florida, Missouri, Samuel Longhorne Clemens, also known as Mark Twain, was born on November 30, 1835 making him the sixth child of John and Jane Clemens. Mark Twain’s father was employed as a storekeeper, lawyer, judge and land speculator, constantly striving for wealth and support for himself and his family. Growing up with great despair, degrading racism and financial struggles, Twain was exposed to extreme loneliness, poverty and alcoholism within his household and town. In 1847, Twain’s father died unexpectedly, making his benevolent mother the head of the household with no source of income. Because of this great tragedy, Mark Twain was only educated until the age of 12 and was forced to become employed as an “apprentice printer at the Hannibal Courier” where he composed numerous sketches and articles. This job birthed his adoration and passion for writing, eventually leading to his famous literary works.

Mark Twain's most notable literary novels are both "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." These novels both demonstrate the hardships and struggles Twain encountered during his younger years of boyhood, including the prejudice and racist concept of slavery.

An excerpt from Mark Twain’s illustrious, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” distinctly represent the heavy issue of racism as Huck Finn declares how “Human beings can be awful[ly] cruel to one another” (239).
In addition to consequential quotes, Twain also includes the importance of childhood and freedom within his novel, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” As the protagonist within the novel describes his point of view