Although this last reading may not have been as funny as some in the past it is probably my favorite book from this semester. Maybe it is because I didn't have to read it cover to cover, maybe it is because each section was short, maybe it is because it read like a bunch of clever jokes. However, I think when it comes down to it, it is the satire that won me over. The wit of Twain and his strong commentary on humanity, religion, and society is what appeals most strongly to me. As I close off this amazing semester in Literature and Civilizations, I will it say again, it is the intellectual and relatable humor that really gets me. This book really delivered in that department.
I get my books from the athletic department and I can genuinely say that I will be sad to return this book to them. I even took a picture of the cover so I could remember this book on a later day. Twain relays an interesting reflection of my own mental musings. Many of the ideas he holds, rest strongly in my own opinions. Twain's support of women's equality and his criticism of man kind are real and honest. There is no topic that he leaves unturned. His commentary on the nature of religion reveals taboos and ideas that most people leave untouched.
Many comedians are stereotypical in their commentary on women, relationships, America, and life. Twain takes a completely different approach though. Twain focuses on all of human's faults and folly, the things we keep hidden and don't want to admit. He takes all these things and puts them out in the open, he forces the reader to be aware of the very hypocrisies that human kind holds so dearly. While some people may not want to hear this I personally love this sort of witty satire and criticism of a species that thinks so highly of itself. Our brains, our thoughts, our intelligence - they are both a gift and a curse.
As Twain states, no human can beat nature's design. I love the comic above, especially after noticing Twain's criticism of America throughout the book. Nationalism can be a good thing, and the American spirit is strong. However I think I can see where Twain is going with his commentary. Americans have a sense of more than just pride. It is almost an ignorant attitude of being better than everyone else and right about everything. No one can really say who is right and who is wrong but our system has flaws just like everyone else and it is not right to put ourselves so ahead, not only of nature, but of other nations and peoples as well. I am happy to be human and proud to be an American, but I think Twain was definitely getting at something.
I strongly agree with your second to last paragraph. Twain’s humor is entirely different to comedians today. I feel his sarcasm is also approached in a wiser way than the few comedians who do the same today.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I loved this as the final read. I like to flip around in books and be able to read short quips. Luckily, I bought mine so I know I will flip through it again!
I would agree that Mark Twain was not the funniest book that we have read all semester; however, it is one of the most enjoyable. Mark Twain has a humor and wit that is impossible to imitate, and everything he writes seems to have a point to it. It is humor with a purpose behind it, which is the most powerful type of humor.
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