From the famous episodes of the whitewashed fence and the ordeal in the cave to the trial of Injun Joe, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is redolent of life in the Mississippi River towns in which Twain spent his own youth. A somber undercurrent flows through the high humor and unabashed nostalgia of the novel, however, for beneath the innocence of childhood lie the inequities of adult reality—base emotions and superstitions, murder and revenge, starvation and slavery. In his introduction, noted Twain scholar John Seelye considers Twain’s impact on American letters and discusses the balance between humorous escapades and serious concern that is found in much of Twain’s writing.
作者簡介
Mark Twain (1835–1910) was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Missouri. He became celebrated for his uncompromising stands against injustice and imperialism and for his invariably quoted comments on any subject under the sun.
John Seelye is a graduate research professor of American literature at the University of Florida. He serves as consulting editor of Penguin Classics.
Guy Cardwell has written several books on Mark Twain and is emeritus professor of English at Washington University
