All language subtitles for Mark Twain Part 2 - Ken Burns - DVDRip.HI.eng

Man as Twain: "I THINK WE NEVER

BECOME REALLY AND GENUINELY

OUR ENTIRE AND HONEST SELVES

UNTIL WE ARE DEAD--AND NOT THEN

UNTIL WE HAVE BEEN
DEAD YEARS AND YEARS.

PEOPLE OUGHT TO START DEAD,

AND THEN THEY WOULD BE
HONEST SO MUCH EARLIER."

MARK TWAIN.

Hal Holbrook, actor: YOU KNOW,

SOMETIMES WHEN I HAVE NOT FELT

LIKE READING TWAIN, OR I'D HAVE

TO, OR I-- THERE WAS YEARS AGO

WHEN I FELT REALLY LOUSY ABOUT

THINGS OR WHATEVER, AND I PICKED

UP A BOOK OF HIS, AND I
STARTED TO READ A PAGE.

"I'LL JUST READ A PAGE AND SEE

IF I CAN FIND SOMETHING."

BY THE TIME I'D GET TO THE
TOP OF THE NEXT PAGE,

I'M STARTING TO ENJOY IT,

BECAUSE I SEE ALL THIS STUFF

COMING BACK AT ME THAT SAYS,

"HEY, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

EVERYBODY DOES IT.

WE'RE ALL NUTS.

WE'RE ALL A LITTLE FOOLISH--
OR A LOT FOOLISH.

ISN'T THAT FUNNY?

AREN'T WE FUNNY ANIMALS?"

Narrator: BY AGE 50, SAMUEL
LANGHORNE CLEMENS HAD

COME A LONG WAY FROM HIS BOYHOOD

IN THE BACKWOODS OF MISSOURI.

AS MARK TWAIN, HE WAS

THE BEST-KNOWN WRITER ON EARTH--

THE AUTHOR OF A DOZEN BOOKS,

INCLUDING THE ADVENTURES

OF TOM SAWYER,

LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI,

AND HIS MASTERPIECE

HUCKLEBERRY FINN, THE FIRST

NOVEL TO TAKE THE WAY ORDINARY

AMERICANS SPEAK AND TURN IT

INTO GREAT LITERATURE--

A CUNNINGLY SUBVERSIVE ATTACK

ON SLAVERY AND RACISM.

TO PROMOTE HIS WORKS, HE HAD

STARTED HIS OWN PUBLISHING

FIRM--CHARLES WEBSTER AND

COMPANY--WHICH ALSO RELEASED

THE MEMOIRS OF ULYSSES S. GRANT,

SELLING MORE COPIES IN LESS TIME

THAN ANY OTHER BOOK IN THE

HISTORY OF AMERICAN
PUBLISHING AND MAKING HIM

ASTONISHINGLY RICH.

HE LIVED IN A PALACE OF A HOUSE

IN HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT,
WITH HIS WIFE LIVY

AND 3 YOUNG DAUGHTERS.

"IF THERE IS ONE [PERSON] WHO IS

MORE THOROUGHLY AND UNCEASINGLY

HAPPY THAN I AM," TWAIN WROTE

TO A FRIEND, "I DEFY THE
WORLD TO PRODUCE HIM."

Man as Twain: "I AM

A BORDER-RUFFIAN FROM
THE STATE OF MISSOURI.

I AM A CONNECTICUT
YANKEE BY ADOPTION.

IN ME, YOU HAVE MISSOURI MORALS,

CONNECTICUT CULTURE;

[AND] THIS... IS THE COMBINATION

WHICH MAKES THE PERFECT MAN."

Narrator: BUT THE YEARS TO COME

WOULD NOT BE PERFECT.

SAM CLEMENS WOULD FIND HIMSELF

INCREASINGLY TORN BETWEEN

THE TWO WORLDS AND THE TWO

IDENTITIES HE INHABITED--

TORN BETWEEN FAME AND FAMILY,

BETWEEN HUMOR AND BITTERNESS,

BOTTOMLESS HUNGER FOR SUCCESS,

AND HAUNTING FEARS OF FAILURE.

HIS RECKLESS PURSUIT OF WEALTH

WOULD LEAD HIM AND HIS FAMILY

TO HUMILIATION, TURN THEM

INTO EXILES, AND USHER IN

ONE MISFORTUNE AFTER ANOTHER.

IN THE 25 YEARS THAT
FOLLOWED HIS 50th BIRTHDAY,

MARK TWAIN WOULD BECOME
STILL MORE CELEBRATED...

BUT SAM CLEMENS WOULD LOSE

NEARLY EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE

THAT MATTERED TO HIM.

Arthur Miller, playwright:

I WONDER WHETHER IN HIM IS

SOME KIND OF A SYMBOLIZATION

OF THE AMERICAN CHARACTER.

THERE'S SO MUCH BOASTING

GOING ON THAT ALWAYS GOES ON.

WE'RE A GREAT COUNTRY
FOR SELF-ADVERTISING.

WE'RE GOD'S COUNTRY.

WE'RE A BIG SUCCESS.

AND HE HAD THAT ABOUT HIM.

HE WAS NOT HIDING HIS
LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL.

AT THE SAME TIME, UNDERNEATH

THERE, YOU SMELL SUFFERING.

AND, OF COURSE, THAT'S
THE AMERICAN DILEMMA.

WE'RE ALL GREAT SUCCESSES,

AND IF YOU PUSH A LITTLE BIT,

YOU CAN REACH THE ANGUISH

THAT'S UNDERNEATH IT ALL.

Man as Twain: "AH, WELL,

I AM A GREAT AND SUBLIME FOOL.

BUT THEN, I AM GOD'S FOOL,

AND ALL HIS WORKS MUST BE

CONTEMPLATED WITH RESPECT."

Narrator: IN 1885, THE SAME YEAR

HE PUBLISHED ADVENTURES OF

HUCKLEBERRY FINN, SAMUEL
CLEMENS MET A MAN

NAMED WARNER T. McGUINN DURING

A VISIT TO YALE UNIVERSITY.

McGUINN WAS A BRILLIANT

SCHOLAR--ONE OF THE SCHOOL'S

FIRST BLACK LAW STUDENTS--

BUT HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE
MAKING ENDS MEET.

HE BOARDED WITH THE COLLEGE'S

CARPENTER AND WAS WORKING

3 PART-TIME JOBS JUST TO GET BY.

WHEN HE LEARNED OF McGUINN'S

DIFFICULTIES, CLEMENS WROTE

THE COLLEGE DEAN, OFFERING

TO PAY THE MAN'S EXPENSES.

Man as Twain: "I DO NOT BELIEVE

I WOULD VERY CHEERFULLY HELP

A WHITE STUDENT, BUT I DO NOT

FEEL SO ABOUT THE OTHER COLOR.

WE HAVE GROUND THE MANHOOD OUT

OF THEM, AND THE SHAME IS OURS,

NOT THEIRS, AND WE
SHOULD PAY FOR IT."

Narrator: McGUINN GRADUATED

FROM YALE LAW SCHOOL IN 1887

AT THE TOP OF HIS CLASS

AND BECAME A RESPECTED LAWYER

IN BALTIMORE, WHERE HE WOULD WIN

A MAJOR COURT VICTORY,
OVERTURNING A LAW THAT HAD

ENFORCED SEGREGATED
HOUSING IN THAT CITY.

McGUINN, IN TURN, BECAME

A MENTOR TO A YOUNG LAWYER

IN AN ADJOINING OFFICE NAMED

THURGOOD MARSHALL, WHO WOULD ONE

DAY SERVE ON THE UNITED STATES

SUPREME COURT AND WHO ALWAYS
REMEMBERED McGUINN AS

"ONE OF THE GREATEST
LAWYERS WHO EVER LIVED."

Russell Banks, writer:

YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SAYING:

"LITERATURE DOESN'T CHANGE
THINGS AT THE CENTER."

IT CHANGES THINGS AT THE
EDGES, ON THE ONE HAND.

ON THE OTHER HAND, NOTHING
CHANGES AT THE CENTER.

CHANGE ONLY OCCURS AT THE EDGES

AND WORKS ITS WAY IN.

AND I THINK THAT TWAIN CERTAINLY

CHANGED THINGS OUT AT THE EDGES.

IN THOSE SMALL TOWNS OF AMERICA,

IN THOSE LIVING ROOMS, AND LATER

IN THE CLASSROOMS OF AMERICA,

HE INITIATED AND CONTINUES

TO CHANGE THINGS AT THE EDGES.

IF YOU HAVE A BOOK THAT CHANGES

A WHITE KID'S UNDERSTANDING OF

RACE IN AMERICA OR A BLACK

KID'S UNDERSTANDING OF RACE IN

AMERICA, THAT KID GOES OUT INTO

THE WORLD AND BECOMES, YOU KNOW,

A TEACHER, A JOURNALIST,
A DENTIST OUT THERE AT

THE EDGES AND STARTS CHANGING

THE PEOPLE WHO TOUCH HIS
LIFE IN THE SAME WAY.

SO I THINK, OF COURSE, TWAIN WAS

AN ENORMOUS FORCE FOR GOOD.

HE WASN'T A WRITER WHO WAS

ONLY READ BY OTHER WRITERS

OR ACADEMICS OR CRITICS.

HE WAS A WRITER WHO WAS
READ BY EVERYDAY FOLKS.

AND THAT'S WHERE CHANGE OCCURS--

IN THE LIVES OF EVERYDAY FOLKS.

Narrator: IN 1885, WHEN SHE WAS

JUST 13 YEARS OLD, SUSY CLEMENS

TOOK IT UPON HERSELF TO WRITE

A BIOGRAPHY OF HER FATHER.

EVERY NIGHT IN HER BEDROOM,

SHE WOULD ADD A LITTLE MORE

TO THE BIOGRAPHY--DETAILS ABOUT

HER FATHER AND THEIR FAMILY

AND THE LIFE THEY WERE LEADING

ON FARMINGTON AVENUE.

Woman as Susy Clemens: "WE ARE

A VERY HAPPY FAMILY.

WE CONSIST OF PAPA, MAMA,
JEAN, CLARA, AND ME.

IT IS PAPA I AM WRITING ABOUT,

AND I SHALL HAVE NO TROUBLE

IN NOT KNOWING WHAT TO
SAY ABOUT HIM, AS HE IS

A VERY STRIKING CHARACTER."

Narrator: SUSY TRIED TO
KEEP HER WORK A SECRET,

BUT HER MOTHER DISCOVERED IT

AND PRIVATELY SHARED
IT WITH HER HUSBAND.

"I HAD HAD COMPLIMENTS BEFORE,"

HE WROTE LATER, "BUT NONE

THAT TOUCHED ME LIKE THIS;

NONE THAT COULD APPROACH
IT FOR VALUE IN MY EYES."

SUSY HAD ALWAYS BEEN HIS

FAVORITE CHILD, AND FOR THE REST

OF HIS LIFE, PARTICULARLY
IN HIS DARKEST MOMENTS,

CLEMENS LIKED TO LEAF THROUGH

HER SLENDER MANUSCRIPT,

PAUSING HERE AND THERE TO RECALL

HIS FAMILY'S HAPPIEST DAYS.

Man as Twain: "TO US, OUR HOUSE

WAS NOT UNSENTIENT MATTER.

IT HAD A HEART AND SOUL
AND EYES TO SEE US WITH,

AND APPROVALS AND SOLICITUDES
AND DEEP SYMPATHIES.

IT WAS OF US, AND WE WERE

IN ITS CONFIDENCE AND LIVED

IN ITS GRACE AND IN THE
PEACE OF ITS BENEDICTION.

WE NEVER CAME HOME FROM

AN ABSENCE THAT ITS FACE DID NOT

LIGHT UP AND SPEAK OUT ITS

ELOQUENT WELCOME, AND WE

COULD NOT ENTER IT UNMOVED."

Narrator: EVERYTHING ABOUT

HIS HOUSE IN HARTFORD ASSURED

CLEMENS THAT AT LAST HE HAD

ACHIEVED THE KIND OF SUCCESS

THAT HAD ALWAYS ELUDED
HIS OWN FATHER.

AT A TIME WHEN THE AVERAGE

ANNUAL WAGE WAS LESS THAN $500,

HE WAS SPENDING $30,000 A YEAR

ON HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES ALONE.

THERE WERE PRIVATE TUTORS FOR

SUSY AND HER SISTERS, CLARA AND

JEAN; DAILY VISITS FROM A BARBER

FOR CLEMENS HIMSELF; AND A STAFF

OF 7 SERVANTS TO HELP LIVY WITH

EVERYDAY CHORES AND THE ENDLESS

STREAM OF GUESTS WHO
DINED AT THEIR TABLE.

John Boyer, historian: IT
WAS THE VERY INCARNATION

OF THE HIGH LIFE.

IT WAS REALLY SEEN AS AN
ENTERTAINMENT MACHINE BY

THIS YOUNG, UPWARDLY MOBILE, AND

CULTURALLY AMBITIOUS COUPLE.

CONSTANT ENTERTAINMENT WITH
FRIENDS AND VISITORS--

SOME OLD FRIENDS, SOME
ABSOLUTELY NEW FRIENDS.

AND IT WAS THE BEST OF

EVERYTHING--THE FINEST WINES,

THE RAREST DELICACIES, THE
BEST MENU, AND THE MOST

EXTRAORDINARY AMUSEMENTS.

Narrator: TWAIN WAS ALWAYS

THE CENTER OF ATTENTION--PACING

THE FLOOR, REGALING EVERYONE

WITH HIS STORIES, WAVING
HIS NAPKIN AS HE TALKED.

HE ENCOURAGED HIS CHILDREN

TO STAGE ELABORATE PLAYS

FOR HIS FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS,

INCLUDING A DRAMATIZATION
OF ONE OF HIS NOVELS,

THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER.

CLEMENS HIMSELF COULD

RARELY RESIST BEING ONSTAGE--

AND EMBARRASSING HIS DAUGHTERS.

HIS ANTICS SOMETIMES EMBARRASSED

LIVY, AS WELL, WHO WOULD

LATER REPRIMAND HER
HUSBAND FOR HIS OFFENSES.

SUSY HAD A NAME FOR
THIS, HE REMEMBERED:

"DUSTING OFF PAPA."

John Boyer, historian: CHRISTMAS

WAS THE APEX OF THE YEAR FOR

THE FAMILY AND FOR
ALL OF THEIR GUESTS.

FOR WEEKS BEFORE THE HOLIDAY,

THEY WOULD BE INVOLVED IN

THE SHIPPING AND RECEIVING

OF PACKAGES, THE WRAPPING OF

PRESENTS, THE DECORATING OF THE

HOUSE, THE PRACTICING CHRISTMAS

TUNES, THE PREPARATION FOR

ELABORATE MEALS, THE WELCOMING

OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE TWAIN

REFERRED TO IT AS "THAT INFERNAL

CHRISTMAS SUICIDE."

BUT TWAIN WAS ALSO THE
KIND OF HUSBAND AND FATHER

WHO WOULD LITERALLY DRESS UP

AS SANTA CLAUS EARLY IN

THE MORNING OF CHRISTMAS DAY

AND GO DOWNSTAIRS AND MEET

HIS DAUGHTERS AND HIS WIFE
AND DISTRIBUTE PRESENTS

TO THEM WHILE DRESSED
AS SAINT NICHOLAS...

AND THEN SUDDENLY RUSH OFF

WITH A GREAT SENSE OF URGENCY,

AND A FEW MINUTES LATER RETURN

TO THE FAMILY, DRESSED IN HIS

NIGHTSHIRT, RUBBING HIS
EYES, ASKING, "WHAT'S ALL

THE COMMOTION ABOUT?"

LIKE SO MANY OTHER ASPECTS

OF THEIR LIFE, CHRISTMAS WAS

AN ELABORATE PERFORMANCE PIECE

THAT EVERYBODY LOVED.

Narrator: "IT WAS LIKE A DREAM

HOUSE," THEIR IRISH MAID
KATY LEARY REMEMBERED.

"HAPPINESS BUDDING ALL OVER...

[AND] NOT A BIT OF
SADNESS OF ANY KIND."

IT WAS A DREAM HOUSE,

BUT CLEMENS WOULD ALWAYS CLING

TO AN IDEALIZED IMAGE OF
HIS FAMILY THERE, HOPING

HIS DAUGHTERS COULD SOMEHOW

REMAIN LITTLE GIRLS FOREVER,
OVERLOOKING HIS OWN

UNPREDICTABLE BEHAVIOR...

AND IGNORING HIS COMPULSIVE NEED

TO MAKE HIMSELF RICHER
THAN HE ALREADY WAS.

Man as Twain: "I WAS BORN

MODEST, BUT IT DIDN'T LAST.

GOOD BREEDING CONSISTS IN

CONCEALING HOW MUCH WE THINK

OF OURSELVES AND HOW LITTLE

WE THINK OF THE OTHER PERSON."

Narrator: IN 1886, MARK TWAIN

BEGAN WORK ON A NEW BOOK--
A FANCIFUL TALE ABOUT

A NEW ENGLANDER WHO FINDS
HIMSELF TRANSPORTED BACK

TO MEDIEVAL ENGLAND.

HE CALLED IT A CONNECTICUT

YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT.

ITS HERO IS HANK MORGAN,

A FACTORY FOREMAN AND INVETERATE

TINKERER WHO BELIEVES THAT

"A COUNTRY WITHOUT A PATENT

OFFICE [IS] JUST A CRAB,

AND [CAN'T] TRAVEL ANY WAY

BUT SIDEWAYS OR BACKWARD."

MORGAN'S YANKEE INGENUITY

SOON MAKES HIM A COURT WIZARD,

AND HE SETS ABOUT BRINGING
EVERYTHING UP-TO-DATE.

HE INTRODUCES KING ARTHUR'S
KNIGHTS TO THE BICYCLE

AND TALKS THEM INTO USING THEIR

ARMOR AS ADVERTISING SPACE...

BUT EVENTUALLY ENDS
UP DESTROYING SOCIETY

INSTEAD OF REFORMING IT.

John Boyer, historian: IT'S ONE

OF THE FULLEST EXPRESSIONS
OF TWAIN'S FASCINATION

WITH TECHNOLOGY AND MONARCHY

AND GOVERNMENT AND THE
TELLING OF HISTORY.

BUT ON THE HUMAN LEVEL,

CONNECTICUT YANKEE IS

THE BEGINNING OF THE END.

INSTEAD OF GOING FROM
GREAT WORK TO GREAT WORK

EVERY 18 MONTHS,
CONNECTICUT YANKEE

TAKES FOUR AND A HALF YEARS.

IT WAS TO HAVE STARTED,
AS TWAIN PUT IT

"AS A SUMMER'S AMUSEMENT"

THE FIRST CHAPTERS ARE
SHORT FULL OF WORD PLAY

AND PRATFALLS...
AND AT THE END,

IT IS THIS DARK, APOCALYPTIC,

TECHNOLOGICAL VERSION OF HELL.

IT IS A REMARKABLE STATEMENT

ABOUT HIS LIFE, AND IT SIGNALS

A GREAT CHANGE IN HIS WORK.

Narrator: MOST
CRITICS DISLIKED THE

BOOK AND IT DID NOT SELL WELL.

TWAIN PROFESSED NOT TO CARE.

"IT'S MY SWAN SONG" HE SAID.

MY RETIREMENT FROM
LITERATURE PERMANENTLY.

HE WAS TIRED OF WHAT HE CALLED,

"THE SLAVERY OF PEN AND PAPER".

AND INTENDED TO
WRITE ONLY FOR HIS

OWN AMUSEMENT, INSTEAD
OF FOR MONEY.

HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT HE
HAD FOUND A BETTER WAY TO

SUPPORT HIS FAMILY AND HIS
LAVISH WAY OF LIVING.

AS A BUSINESSMAN,

RATHER THAN AS AN AUTHOR.

ON THE STRENGTH OF THE SALES OF

GRANT'S MEMOIRS, HIS PUBLISHING

FIRM WAS BUSILY SIGNING UP OTHER

CELEBRATED SUBJECTS TO WRITE

THEIR AUTOBIOGRAPHIES--

WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN...
THE WIDOW OF

GEORGE ARMSTRONG CUSTER...
EVEN POPE LEO XIII,

WHOSE BIOGRAPHY CLEMENS INSISTED

BE TRANSLATED INTO 6 LANGUAGES
BECAUSE HE WAS SURE

EVERY CATHOLIC ON EARTH
WOULD WANT A COPY.

HE BOUGHT AND SOLD STOCKS, TOO.

"I MUST SPECULATE IN SOMETHING,"

HE SAID, "SUCH BEING MY NATURE."

Man as Twain: "OCTOBER--

THIS IS ONE OF THE PECULIARLY

DANGEROUS MONTHS TO
SPECULATE IN STOCKS IN.

THE OTHERS ARE JULY, JANUARY,

SEPTEMBER, APRIL, NOVEMBER, MAY,

MARCH, JUNE, DECEMBER,
AUGUST, AND FEBRUARY."

Narrator: INVENTIONS WERE
HIS GREATEST WEAKNESS.

NEW MECHANICAL DEVICES WERE

EVERYWHERE, MAKING THINGS

EASIER, FASTER, MORE EFFICIENT,

TRANSFORMING THE LIVES
OF ORDINARY AMERICANS,

AND CREATING A WHOLE NEW CLASS

OF WEALTHY ENTREPRENEURS.

CLEMENS INVESTED $25,000 EACH

IN A STEAM GENERATOR, A STEAM

PULLEY, A MARINE TELEGRAPH;

TWICE THAT AMOUNT IN
AN ENGRAVING PROCESS

CALLED "KAOLATYPE."

HE BOUGHT A TYPEWRITER...

AND CLAIMED TO BE THE FIRST

AUTHOR EVER TO SUBMIT A
TYPEWRITTEN MANUSCRIPT.

AND HE INSTALLED A TELEPHONE IN

HIS MANSION--THE VERY FIRST ONE

IN A PRIVATE HOME IN TOWN.

John Boyer, historian: HERE IS

A MAN WHO WAS COMPLETELY
FASCINATED BY MODERNITY

AND INVENTION, AND AT THE
SAME TIME, FASCINATED

BY COMMUNICATION, AND THIS
WAS THE PERFECT HYBRID.

AND YET, HERE'S A MAN WHO WAS

APPROACHED BY THE AGENTS

OF BELL, SEEING IF HE WOULDN'T

BE INTERESTED IN INVESTING
IN THE TELEPHONE.

AND APPARENTLY TWAIN THOUGHT

ABOUT IT BACK AND FORTH,

AND HE THOUGHT, "WELL, YOU KNOW,

I'LL HAVE ONE AND THE NEWSPAPER

WILL HAVE ONE AND MY LAWYER WILL

HAVE ONE, BUT, YOU KNOW,
WHERE'S THE MARKET?"

SO TWAIN NEVER INVESTED
IN THE TELEPHONE.

Narrator: WITH 3 PATENTS UNDER

HIS OWN NAME, CLEMENS CONSIDERED

HIMSELF AN INVENTOR, TOO,

AND WAS CONSTANTLY COMING UP

WITH MORE IDEAS, INCLUDING

A CLAMP TO KEEP CHILDREN FROM

KICKING OFF THEIR COVERS.

BUT IT WAS THE INVENTION
OF ANOTHER MAN THAT

OBSESSED HIM MOST.

JAMES W. PAIGE'S AUTOMATIC
TYPESETTING COMPOSITOR,

WITH ITS 18,000 SEPARATE PARTS,

PROMISED TO SET TYPE AS QUICKLY

AS 6 MEN AND TO REVOLUTIONIZE

THE NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY.

IT COULD DO EVERYTHING A HUMAN

COULD DO, CLEMENS BRAGGED,
EXCEPT DRINK, SWEAR,

AND GO ON STRIKE.

BY 1885, HE HAD BOUGHT
HALF-OWNERSHIP IN PAIGE'S

COMPOSITOR FOR $30,000

AND WAS BUSILY FILLING NOTEBOOKS

WITH CALCULATIONS:

HOW MUCH MONEY A NEWSPAPER

COULD SAVE WITH A SINGLE

MACHINE; HOW MANY MACHINES
EACH MAJOR PAPER WOULD

WANT; HOW MANY MACHINES
WOULD BE REQUIRED TO FILL

THE WHOLE WORLD'S NEEDS.

Arthur Miller, playwright:

I'M SURE THERE ARE WRITERS

WHO ARE GREAT BUSINESSMEN,
BUT I NEVER MET ANY.

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT

THE ARTIST THAT'S ANTIPATHETIC

TO MAKING A PROFIT...

EXCEPTING MAYBE ON HIS OWN WORK.

BUT AS A SPECULATOR, IT
DOESN'T WORK, AND IT'S

BECAUSE THERE'S AN EXCESS

OF IMAGINATION IN WRITERS.

THEY CAN FORESEE THIS THING

BEING A MASSIVE SUCCESS
ALL OVER THE WORLD,

WHEN IT HAS FATAL FLAWS,

IT WILL NEVER WORK, AND THE

CAREFUL BUSINESSMAN, OF COURSE,

WOULD HAVE LOOKED AT IT AND

SEEN, "IT AIN'T GONNA WORK."

IT WAS PATHETIC THAT HE
WOULD TAKE IT UPON HIMSELF

TO INVEST SO MUCH IN
THIS HOPELESS MACHINE.

IT JUST INGRATIATES HIM MORE

IN YOUR IMAGINATION THAT HE WAS

HOPELESS AS A BUSINESSMAN.

Narrator: NONE OF HIS
INVESTMENTS PAID OFF.

NONE OF THE NEW MEMOIRS
HIS COMPANY PUBLISHED--

NOT EVEN THE POPE'S--CAME CLOSE

TO MATCHING THE SUCCESS
OF GRANT'S RECOLLECTIONS.

AND PAIGE'S COMPOSITOR CONTINUED

TO REQUIRE INFUSIONS OF

$3,000 TO $5,000 EVERY MONTH.

BY DECEMBER OF 1887, CLEMENS

COULD SEND HIS SISTER PAMELA'S

FAMILY ONLY $15 FOR CHRISTMAS.

HE WAS FEELING "A LITTLE
CROWDED," HE WROTE HER,

BECAUSE OF THE TYPESETTER.

CHRISTMAS OF 1889 ARRIVED.

TWAIN SENT HER $5.00,
ALONG WITH AN APOLOGY.

"THE MACHINE," HE WROTE,

"STILL HAS A GRIP ON OUR PURSE."

BY CHRISTMAS OF 1890,

CLEMENS HAD LOST MOST OF LIVY'S

INHERITANCE, BORROWED AGAINST

THE ASSETS OF HIS PUBLISHING

COMPANY, TRIED IN VAIN
TO INTEREST FRIENDS

IN BUYING SHARES.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU,"

HE WROTE AN ASSOCIATE,
"AND I WISH TO GOD I COULD

HAVE ONE MYSELF BEFORE I DIE."

Man as Twain: "NOW, HERE IS

A QUEER FACT: I AM ONE OF
THE WEALTHIEST GRANDEES

IN AMERICA--ONE OF THE
VANDERBILT GANG, IN FACT--

AND YET IF YOU ASKED ME

TO LEND YOU A COUPLE OF DOLLARS,

I SHOULD HAVE TO ASK YOU
TO TAKE MY NOTE INSTEAD."

Narrator: CLEMENS WOULD HAVE TO

RELY ON HIS WRITING ONCE AGAIN

TO SUPPORT HIS FAMILY.

HE THREW HIMSELF INTO A NEW

NOVEL--ANOTHER SOCIAL SATIRE,

CALLED THE AMERICAN CLAIMANT--

THAT ALSO FAILED TO SELL.

HE HAD WRITTEN IT DESPITE

EXCRUCIATING PAINS THAT HAD

BEGUN TO SHOOT UP HIS ARM WITH

EVERY PEN STROKE AND FINALLY

FORCED HIM TO LEARN TO WRITE

WITH HIS LEFT HAND TO KEEP
PUMPING OUT THE WORDS.

LIVY'S HEALTH WAS
DETERIORATING, TOO.

HER DOCTORS DIAGNOSED
A "HEART DISTURBANCE"

AND RECOMMENDED REST AND

TREATMENT FOR HER IN EUROPE.

CLEMENS WAS INITIALLY RELUCTANT

TO GO, BUT A TEMPORARY REMOVAL

TO EUROPE, HE REALIZED, COULD

PROVIDE HIM WITH LUCRATIVE

TRAVEL-WRITING ASSIGNMENTS,

AND IF THEY CLOSED THE HARTFORD

HOUSE FOR A WHILE, IT COULD

ACTUALLY SAVE THEM MONEY.

STILL, FOR THE MAN WHO HAD SPENT

MOST OF HIS LIFE ON THE ROAD,

HAVING TO LEAVE THE FIRST REAL

HOME HE'D HAD SINCE HANNIBAL

WAS PAINFUL AND EMBARRASSING.

BY LATE SPRING, THEY
WERE READY TO GO.

Man as Twain: "TRAVEL HAS

NO LONGER ANY CHARM FOR ME.

I HAVE SEEN ALL THE FOREIGN

COUNTRIES I WANT TO SEE,

EXCEPT HEAVEN AND HELL--AND

I HAVE ONLY A VAGUE CURIOSITY

AS CONCERNS ONE OF THOSE."

Narrator: THE CLEMENSES SPENT

MOST OF THE NEXT DECADE

IN EUROPE, MOVING FROM COUNTRY

TO COUNTRY, RENTED QUARTERS
TO RENTED QUARTERS...

YEARNING ALWAYS TO
RETURN HOME TO HARTFORD.

LIVY AND THE GIRLS TRIED
TO MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR

IMMERSION IN EUROPEAN CULTURE.

TWAIN DID NOT.

AT AN OPERA FESTIVAL IN GERMANY,

HE WROTE, THE "BANGING AND

SLAMMING AND BOOMING AND

CRASHING" OF WAGNER'S LOHENGRIN

BROUGHT BACK "THE MEMORY OF

THE TIME I HAD MY TEETH FIXED."

Man as Twain: "NOTHING CAN MAKE

A WAGNER OPERA ABSOLUTELY
PERFECT AND SATISFACTORY

TO THE UNTUTORED...
BUT TO LEAVE OUT

THE VOCAL PARTS.

I WISH I COULD SEE A WAGNER

OPERA DONE IN PANTOMIME ONCE."

Chuck Jones, cartoonist:

HE SAID, "WAGNER'S MUSIC IS

BETTER THAN IT SOUNDS."

AND I THOUGHT, "NOW,
IS THAT POSSIBLE?"

AND, OF COURSE, IT ISN'T

POSSIBLE, BUT IT IS GREAT.

AND HE SAID HE LIKED PARSIFAL...

EXCEPT FOR THE SINGING.

AND HE WAS TALKING ABOUT
THE GERMAN LANGUAGE,

AND HE SAID, "GERMAN LANGUAGE
IS THE ONLY LANGUAGE

WHERE THE WORDS ARE SO LONG,

THEY HAVE PERSPECTIVE."

THEY HAVE PERSPECTIVE,
THEY'RE SO LONG.

AND HE SAYS, "IF A CAT GETS

AHOLD OF THE GERMAN IRREGULAR
VERB, GOOD-BYE CAT."

[LAUGHS]

Narrator: EUROPEANS HAD BEEN

READING HIS BOOKS IN TRANSLATION

FOR YEARS, AND WHEREVER HE WENT,

THEY HAILED HIM AS A GREAT

AUTHOR AND A FASCINATING
AMERICAN CELEBRITY.

GERMANY'S EMPEROR,
KAISER WILHELM II,

INVITED HIM TO DINNER IN BERLIN

AND TOLD TWAIN HE HAD
READ ALL OF HIS BOOKS.

LATER THAT EVENING, THE
PORTER AT TWAIN'S HOTEL

TOLD HIM THE SAME THING.

"WHY, PAPA," HIS YOUNGEST
DAUGHTER, JEAN, SAID ONE

MORNING, "IF IT KEEPS GOING ON

LIKE THIS, PRETTY SOON THERE

WON'T BE ANYBODY FOR YOU TO GET

ACQUAINTED WITH BUT GOD."

THE FAMILY SPENT THE WINTER OF

1892 IN FLORENCE, WHERE LIVY'S

HEALTH GRADUALLY IMPROVED.

TWAIN WAS FEELING BETTER, TOO.

HIS ARM NO LONGER HURT, AND

HE WAS WRITING STEADILY AGAIN--

1,800 PAGES IN 5 MONTHS:

A BOOK CALLED TOM SAWYER ABROAD;

AND ANOTHER NOVEL WITH ECHOES

OF HIS EARLIER GENIUS,

PUDD'NHEAD WILSON, IN WHICH

A LIGHT-SKINNED SLAVE MOTHER
SWITCHES HER OWN BABY

WITH HER WHITE MASTER'S.

IT EXPOSES WHAT TWAIN CONSIDERED

THE IDIOCY OF DEFINING
HUMAN BEINGS BY RACE.

Ron Powers, writer:

PUDD'NHEAD WILSON GIVES US

THE ONLY TRULY TEXTURED FEMALE

CHARACTER MARK TWAIN EVER WROTE.

SHE IS ROXANNE-- 1/16
BLACK, BUT VERY BLACK

IN HER IDENTITY AND SPEECH.

THE MIXED IDENTITIES
ALWAYS FASCINATED TWAIN.

AND AS THESE TWO SWITCHED
INFANTS GO THEIR

SEPARATE WAYS THROUGH
LIFE, WE SEE VERY CLEARLY

THE TRAGEDY OF IDENTITY.

WE SEE THE TRAGEDY--THE STIGMA--

OF BEING BORN BLACK,

BECAUSE NOW THESE BLACK THINGS,

THESE BLACK FATES, ARE HAPPENING

TO A WHITE PERSON.

THAT'S A FAIRLY
INGENIOUS DEVICE.

AND WE SEE IN ROXANNE THE
CAPACITY FOR SUFFERING

AND THE CAPACITY FOR DIGNITY

AND THE CAPACITY FOR SORROW THAT

A WOMAN AND A BLACK ENDURES.

Narrator: IN MARCH OF 1893,

LEAVING HIS FAMILY IN EUROPE,

CLEMENS SAILED FOR AMERICA.

NO AMOUNT OF WRITING FEES

COULD OFFSET HIS MOUNTING DEBTS,

AND HE WAS GOING HOME TO SEE

IF HE COULD TURN THINGS AROUND.

BUT BACK IN THE UNITED STATES,

THE GREAT ECONOMIC BOOM THAT HAD

BEGUN AFTER THE CIVIL
WAR SUDDENLY WENT BUST.

HE MOVED FROM FRIENDS' HOMES TO

HOTEL ROOMS, PACED THE FLOOR AT

NIGHT, TOTALED UP HIS DEBTS ON

THE MARGINS OF HIS MANUSCRIPTS--

MORE THAN $200,000.

"THE BILLOWS OF HELL HAVE BEEN

ROLLING OVER ME," HE WROTE LIVY.

"A BODY FORGETS PRETTY MUCH

EVERYTHING THESE DAYS, EXCEPT

HIS VISIONS OF THE POORHOUSE."

Man as Twain: "IN MY AGE,

AS IN MY YOUTH, NIGHT BRINGS ME

MANY A DEEP REMORSE.

I REALIZE THAT FROM

THE CRADLE UP, I HAVE BEEN LIKE

THE REST OF THE [HUMAN] RACE--

NEVER QUITE SANE IN THE NIGHT."

Narrator: IT WAS AT THAT DARK

MOMENT THAT CLEMENS MET THE MAN

HE WOULD LATER CALL "NOT
ONLY THE BEST FRIEND

I EVER HAD, BUT THE BEST
MAN I HAVE EVER KNOWN."

HENRY HUTTLESTON ROGERS

WAS VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR

OF THE VAST STANDARD OIL TRUST,

A RUTHLESS BUSINESSMAN
PERSONALLY WORTH

AT LEAST $100 MILLION,

WHO SAW NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE

FOR HOW HE HAD MADE ANY OF IT.

Ron Powers, writer:

HENRY HUTTLESTON ROGERS
EMBODIED THE VERY KIND

OF PREDATORY, PLUTOCRATIC
WEALTH AND ACQUISITION

THAT TWAIN ABHORRED AND
WROTE SAVAGELY ABOUT.

AND IN FACT, WHEN ONE OF HIS

FRIENDS SAID TO MARK TWAIN,

"ISN'T--DON'T YOU THINK THAT

THE ROGERS' WEALTH IS TAINTED?"

TWAIN SHOT BACK, "YES, IT IS.

T'AINT YOURS, AND T'AINT MINE."

SO--SO AT THE SAME TIME THAT

HE ABHORRED IT, HE LOVED IT.

Narrator: MARK TWAIN WAS
ROGERS' FAVORITE AUTHOR.

HE READ TWAIN'S BOOKS
ALOUD TO HIS CHILDREN,

AND WHEN HE LEARNED WHAT
HAD BEFALLEN CLEMENS,

HE OFFERED TO HELP.

HE APPROVED A LOAN OF $8,000

TO PROVIDE THE PUBLISHING

COMPANY WITH BREATHING ROOM

AND AGREED TO LOOK INTO ALL

OF CLEMENS' BUSINESS AFFAIRS,

INCLUDING THE COMPOSITOR, AND

TRIED TO MAKE THEM PROFITABLE.

MEANWHILE, HE TOLD CLEMENS,

"YOU STOP WALKING THE FLOOR."

BUT NOT EVEN HENRY
HUTTLESTON ROGERS COULD

UNTANGLE CLEMENS' FINANCES.

VOLUNTARY BANKRUPTCY
WAS THE ONLY OPTION.

BACK IN EUROPE,
LIVY GOT THE NEWS.

Woman as Livy Clemens:

"THE HIDEOUS NEWS OF
WEBSTER & CO.'s FAILURE

REACHED ME BY CABLE ON THURSDAY.

I HAVE A PERFECT HORROR AND
HEARTSICKNESS OVER IT.

I CANNOT GET AWAY
FROM THE FEELING THAT

BUSINESS FAILURE
MEANS DISGRACE."

Narrator: THE BANKRUPTCY
WAS A HUMILIATION

FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY,

BUT ROGERS HELPED THEM HOLD ONTO

THEIR TWO MOST IMPORTANT ASSETS.

HE INSISTED THAT SINCE THE
HARTFORD HOUSE HAD BEEN

BUILT WITH LIVY'S INHERITANCE,

IT COULD NOT BE AUCTIONED OFF

TO PAY HER HUSBAND'S DEBTS.

AND SINCE LIVY HAD LENT

THE PUBLISHING FIRM
$60,000, HE DECLARED HER

A PREFERRED CREDITOR--
THEREFORE RETAINING

THE INVALUABLE COPYRIGHTS
ON HER HUSBAND'S WORKS.

THERE WAS EVEN A
GLIMMER OF HOPE.

ROGERS HAD PERSUADED
THE CHICAGO HERALD

TO TEST PAIGE'S COMPOSITOR.

IF IT PERFORMED AS WELL

UNDER REAL WORKING CONDITIONS

AS IT HAD IN PAIGE'S SHOP,

THE CLEMENS FAMILY WOULD
BE WEALTHY ONCE MORE.

BUT THE MACHINE, WITH ALL
ITS COMPLICATED PARTS,

KEPT BREAKING DOWN.

ROGERS WAS NOW CONVINCED

IT WOULD NEVER MAKE A DIME.

THE NEWS, CLEMENS WROTE
BACK TO HIS FRIEND,

"HIT ME LIKE A THUNDERCLAP

AND KNOCKED EVERY RAG OF
SENSE OUT OF MY HEAD."

IN MARCH 1895, BEFORE
HE WENT BACK TO EUROPE,

CLEMENS STOPPED BRIEFLY
IN HARTFORD TO LOOK IN

ON THEIR OLD HOME.

Man as Twain: "LIVY, DARLING,

WHEN I ARRIVED IN TOWN,
I DID NOT WANT TO GO

NEAR THE HOUSE, AND
I DIDN'T WANT TO GO

ANYWHERE OR SEE ANYBODY.

I SAID TO MYSELF, IF
I MAY BE SPARED IT,

I WILL NEVER LIVE
IN HARTFORD AGAIN.

BUT AS SOON AS I ENTERED

THIS FRONT DOOR, I WAS SEIZED

WITH A FURIOUS DESIRE TO HAVE US

ALL IN THIS HOUSE
AGAIN AND RIGHT AWAY,

AND NEVER GO OUTSIDE THE GROUNDS

ANYMORE FOREVER...
YOU DID IT ALL,

AND IT SPEAKS OF YOU AND
PRAISES YOU ELOQUENTLY

AND UNCEASINGLY.

IT IS THE LOVELIEST
HOME THAT EVER WAS...

IT SEEMED AS IF I HAD BURST

AWAKE OUT OF A HELLISH DREAM

AND HAD NEVER BEEN AWAY,
AND THAT YOU WOULD COME

DRIFTING DOWN OUT OF THOSE
DAINTY UPPER REGIONS,

WITH ALL THE LITTLE
CHILDREN TAGGING AFTER YOU.

SAMUEL."

Woman as Susy Clemens:

"MARK TWAIN.

HOW I HATE THAT NAME!

I SHOULD LIKE NEVER
TO HEAR IT AGAIN!

MY FATHER SHOULD NOT
BE SATISFIED WITH IT!

HE SHOULD NOT BE KNOWN BY IT!

HE SHOULD SHOW HIMSELF

THE GREAT WRITER THAT HE IS,

NOT MERELY A FUNNY MAN.

FUNNY!

THAT'S ALL THAT
PEOPLE SEE IN HIM--

A MAKER OF FUNNY SPEECHES."

SUSY CLEMENS.

Narrator: IN THE SPRING OF 1895,

SAM CLEMENS WAS NEARLY 60

AND BANKRUPT.

LIVY'S PRIDE--AND HENRY ROGERS'

CONCERN FOR MARK TWAIN'S

REPUTATION--HAD PERSUADED HIM

PUBLICLY TO PROMISE TO PAY

ALL HIS CREDITORS IN FULL,
EVEN THOUGH HE WAS NOT

LEGALLY REQUIRED TO DO SO.

BUT THERE WAS ONLY ONE WAY

FOR HIM TO MAKE MONEY QUICKLY,

AND IT WAS SOMETHING HE HAD

SWORN TO HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY

HE WOULD NEVER DO AGAIN--

RETURN TO THE LECTURE CIRCUIT.

IT WAS A "HEART-TORTURING IDEA,"

CLEMENS ADMITTED,
BUT IN LATE APRIL,

HE SIGNED A CONTRACT
FOR THE MOST AMBITIOUS

LECTURE TOUR OF HIS LIFE,
ONE THAT WOULD BEGIN

WITH A CROSS-COUNTRY
TOUR OF NORTH AMERICA

AND EVENTUALLY TAKE HIM

ALL THE WAY AROUND THE WORLD--

NEARLY 150 APPEARANCES
ON 5 CONTINENTS.

CONCERNED ABOUT HER HUSBAND'S

SPIRITS AND HIS HEALTH,
AND DREADING ANOTHER

PROLONGED SEPARATION,

LIVY INSISTED ON COMING ALONG.

SO DID THEIR MIDDLE
DAUGHTER, CLARA.

SUSY AND JEAN WERE TO REMAIN

WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY
IN THE UNITED STATES.

LIVY ASSURED THEM
THAT THEY WOULD ALL

SOON BE TOGETHER AGAIN
AND LIVING IN THEIR

HARTFORD HOUSE ONCE MORE.

Man as Twain: "WHEN WE STARTED

WESTWARD UPON OUR LONG TRIP,

SUSY STOOD ON THE PLATFORM,

WAVING HER GOOD-BYES TO US

AS THE TRAIN GLIDED AWAY,

HER MOTHER THROWING BACK
KISSES AND WATCHING HER

THROUGH HER TEARS."

Narrator: "PRAY FOR ME,"

TWAIN WROTE TO HENRY ROGERS

AS HE SET OFF ON THE FIRST LEG

OF THE TOUR--A GRUELING
SUCCESSION OF 22 CITIES,

FROM CLEVELAND TO VANCOUVER,
IN LESS THAN A MONTH.

Woman as Clara Clemens: "IT WAS

SURELY A TRIUMPHAL MARCH.

MY FATHER DETESTED THE
THOUGHT OF LECTURING

AT ALL TIMES OF HIS LIFE,
AND YET, WHEN ACTUALLY

ON THE STAGE,

HE ALMOST ALWAYS SUCCEEDED
IN ELECTRIFYING HIMSELF

TO THE POINT OF PLEASURE."

CLARA CLEMENS.

Man as Twain: "THE FIRST TIME

I EVER STOLE A WATERMELON,

I CARRIED THAT WATERMELON
TO A SECLUDED BOWER IN

THE LUMBERYARD AND BROKE IT

OPEN, AND IT WAS GREEN.

I BEGAN TO REFLECT, AND I SAID

TO MYSELF, I HAVE DONE WRONG.

IT WAS WRONG IN ME TO
STEAL THAT WATERMELON...

THAT KIND OF WATERMELON.

I WAS SPIRITUALLY STRENGTHENED

AND REFRESHED, AND CARRIED THAT

WATERMELON BACK TO THAT WAGON

AND GAVE IT TO THE FARMER.

AND I TOLD HIM HE OUGHT
TO BE ASHAMED OF HIMSELF,

GOING AROUND WORKING OFF

GREEN WATERMELONS IN THAT
WAY ON PEOPLE WHO HAD

CONFIDENCE IN HIM.

AND I TOLD HIM, IN MY PERFECTLY

FRANK MANNER, IT WAS WRONG...

AND MADE HIM GIVE ME A RIPE ONE.

TO BE GOOD IS NOBLE,
BUT TO SHOW OTHERS

HOW TO BE GOOD IS
NOBLER AND NO TROUBLE."

MARK TWAIN.

Narrator: BY THE TIME HE WAS

READY TO SET SAIL ACROSS

THE PACIFIC, TWAIN HAD SENT

$5,000 BACK TO HENRY ROGERS
AS THE FIRST PAYMENT

TOWARD RETIRING HIS DEBT.

IF MORE MONEY KEPT COMING IN AT

THAT RATE, TWAIN TOLD REPORTERS,

HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT "IF
I LIVE, I CAN PAY OFF

THE LAST DEBT WITHIN 4 YEARS,

AFTER WHICH, AT THE AGE
OF 64, I CAN MAKE A FRESH

AND UNENCUMBERED START IN LIFE."

GOING AROUND WORKING OFF

Man as Twain: "LECTURING IS

GYMNASTICS, CHEST-EXPANDER,
MEDICINE, MIND-HEALER,

BLUES-DESTROYER, ALL IN ONE.

I AM TWICE AS WELL AS I
WAS WHEN I STARTED OUT.

I HAVE GAINED 9 POUNDS

IN 28 DAYS AND EXPECT TO WEIGH

600 POUNDS BEFORE JANUARY.

MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER ARE
ACCUMULATING HEALTH

AND STRENGTH AND FLESH
NEARLY AS FAST AS I AM.

WHEN WE REACH HOME, TWO
YEARS HENCE, WE THINK

WE CAN EXHIBIT AS FREAKS."

Narrator: THEY STOPPED
BRIEFLY AT HAWAII,

THEN ON TO THE BRITISH COLONIES

OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND,

WHERE NIGHT AFTER NIGHT,
FOR NEARLY 4 MONTHS,

MARK TWAIN SPOKE
TO PACKED HOUSES,

READING ALOUD FROM HIS BOOKS,

LIKE HUCKLEBERRY FINN,
AND TELLING HIS

OUTRAGEOUS STORIES.

Man as Twain: "DR. RICE'S
FRIEND CAME HOME DRUNK

AND EXPLAINED IT TO HIS WIFE,

AND HIS WIFE SAID TO HIM,

JOHN, WHEN YOU HAVE DRUNK ALL

THE WHISKY YOU WANT, YOU OUGHT

TO ASK FOR SARSAPARILLA.

HE SAID, YES, BUT WHEN I HAVE

DRUNK ALL THE WHISKY I WANT,

I CAN'T SAY SARSAPARILLA."

Narrator: AT NEARLY EVERY STOP,

LIVY KEPT THE TWO GIRLS
BACK HOME UP-TO-DATE

ON THE TOUR'S PROGRESS.

Woman as Livy Clemens: "SUSY,

DARLING, DEAREST CHILD:

TONIGHT WE WERE AT HORSHAM.

I THINK PAPA NEVER TALKED

TO A MORE ENTHUSIASTIC AUDIENCE.

THE HOUSE WAS PACKED--
PEOPLE SITTING ON THE STAGE

AND STANDING AROUND THE
SIDES OF THE HALL.

A YOUNG FELLOW WHO
SAT NEXT TO ME,

BEGAN TO POUND HIS SIDES

AS IF TROUBLED WITH STITCHES

IN THEM AND, TURNING TO ME SAID,

WELL, IF IT IS ALL

AS FUNNY AS THIS, I SHALL DIE!"

Narrator: AFTER CELEBRATING

HIS 60th BIRTHDAY, TWAIN AND HIS

ENTOURAGE SAILED ON TO INDIA--

"THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY
COUNTRY," HE WROTE,

"THAT THE SUN VISITS
ON HIS ROUND."

FOR NEARLY 3 MONTHS,
HE CRISSCROSSED

THE SUBCONTINENT,

FROM BOMBAY TO RAWALPINDI,
DARJEELING TO CALCUTTA,

SPEAKING TO LARGE, ADORING,

AND MOSTLY WHITE CROWDS
OF BRITISH COLONIALS.

THE TAJ MAHAL WAS BEAUTIFUL,

HE SAID, THOUGH NOT QUITE AS

BEAUTIFUL AS THE ICE-COVERED
TREES IN HARTFORD

AFTER A WINTER STORM.

AT THE SACRED CITY OF BENARES,

HE SPENT AN AFTERNOON WITH

A HINDU HOLY MAN SAID TO HAVE

REACHED PERFECTION THROUGH

INNUMERABLE REINCARNATIONS.

TWAIN GAVE HIM A COPY

OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, SAYING,

"I THOUGHT IT MIGHT REST HIM UP

A LITTLE TO MIX IT IN ALONG
WITH HIS MEDITATIONS."

AND AT JAIPUR, TWO MONKEYS

SLIPPED INTO HIS HOTEL ROOM

THROUGH AN OPEN WINDOW.

ONE GROOMED ITS FUR WITH HIS

HAIRBRUSH, HE CLAIMED.

THE OTHER PICKED UP
HIS HUMOROUS NOTES

AND BEGAN CRYING OVER THEM.

"I DID NOT MIND THE ONE WITH

THE HAIRBRUSH," HE WROTE
LATER, "BUT THE CONDUCT

OF THE OTHER ONE HURT ME.

IT HURTS ME YET."

Man as Twain: "I COULD EASILY

LEARN TO PREFER AN ELEPHANT
TO ANY OTHER VEHICLE,

PARTLY BECAUSE OF THAT
IMMUNITY FROM COLLISIONS

AND PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE FINE

VIEW ONE HAS FROM UP
THERE AND PARTLY BECAUSE

OF THE DIGNITY ONE FEELS
IN THAT HIGH PLACE

AND PARTLY BECAUSE ONE CAN
LOOK IN AT THE WINDOWS

AND SEE WHAT IS GOING ON

PRIVATELY AMONG THE FAMILY."

Narrator: FROM INDIA,

TWAIN SAILED FOR SOUTH AFRICA,

FOR TWO MONTHS OF PERFORMANCES

IN PRETORIA, CAPE TOWN,

JOHANNESBURG, AND MORE THAN

HALF A DOZEN OTHER TOWNS.

EVERYWHERE IN AFRICA,

EUROPEAN POWERS WERE CARVING UP

THE CONTINENT, EXTENDING
THEIR COLONIAL EMPIRES.

TAKING SOMEONE ELSE'S LAND

WAS NOTHING NEW IN THE WORLD,

TWAIN NOTED, BUT THIS MODERN

IMPERIALISM CLOAKED
ITSELF IN A HYPOCRITICAL

SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT

HE FOUND PARTICULARLY GALLING.

EVEN MORE TROUBLING TO
HIM WAS THE TREATMENT

OF NATIVE PEOPLES HE HAD

WITNESSED THROUGHOUT HIS TOUR,

FROM AUSTRALIA TO
INDIA TO AFRICA.

IT AWAKENED IN CLEMENS POWERFUL

AND DISTURBING MEMORIES
OF WATCHING THE TREATMENT

OF SLAVES DURING HIS YOUTH IN

MISSOURI BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR,

AND IT MADE HIM ANGRY AND
ASHAMED OF HIS OWN RACE.

Man as Twain: "IN MANY
COUNTRIES, WE HAVE CHAINED

THE SAVAGE AND STARVED
HIM TO DEATH.

IN MORE THAN ONE COUNTRY,

WE HAVE HUNTED THE SAVAGE

AND HIS LITTLE CHILDREN
AND THEIR MOTHER,

WITH DOGS AND GUNS THROUGH
THE WOODS AND SWAMPS

FOR AN AFTERNOON'S SPORT.

IN MANY COUNTRIES, WE HAVE
TAKEN THE SAVAGE'S LAND

FROM HIM AND MADE HIM OUR SLAVE

AND LASHED HIM EVERY DAY
AND BROKEN HIS PRIDE

AND MADE DEATH HIS ONLY
FRIEND AND OVERWORKED HIM

TILL HE DROPPED IN HIS TRACKS.

THERE ARE MANY HUMOROUS
THINGS IN THE WORLD,

AMONG THEM THE WHITE MAN'S

NOTION THAT HE IS LESS SAVAGE

THAN THE OTHER SAVAGES."

Russell Banks, writer:

NOTHING HUMAN SHOCKED TWAIN,

EXCEPT SLAVERY AND RACISM.

I THINK THAT THAT SHOCKED HIM.

AND WHEN YOU READ HIS WORK,

THERE'S A KIND OF SHOCK
THAT RUNS THROUGH IT,

A HORROR ALMOST,
THAT'S NOT JUDGMENTAL.

IT'S JUST--HE'S JUST REPELLED,

THROWN BACK ON HIMSELF.

Narrator: ON JULY 15, 1896,
ONE YEAR AND ONE DAY

SINCE STARTING OUT ON THE TOUR,

CLEMENS, LIVY, AND CLARA

SET SAIL FROM SOUTH
AFRICA FOR ENGLAND.

HE WAS EXHAUSTED.

THE TRIP, HE SAID, SEEMED
AS IF IT HAD ALREADY

LASTED A THOUSAND YEARS.

BUT IT HAD BEEN A GREAT
SUCCESS, NETTING $35,000

TOWARD HIS DEBTS, PROVIDING
TWAIN WITH MATERIAL

FOR STILL ANOTHER TRAVEL BOOK

AND EXTENDING HIS FAME

TO EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE.

BETTER YET, IN ENGLAND,

THE FAMILY WOULD BE REUNITED.

Woman as Susy Clemens:

"DEAR MAMA AND PAPA AND CLARA,

I AM MISSING YOU SO TERRIBLY!

WHY DID I EVER LET YOU GO?

IT IS A MISTAKE TO SEPARATE

FROM THE PEOPLE WE LOVE
AND WHOM WE BELONG TO.

I DO NOT REALLY LOVE ANYBODY
BUT YOU DEAR THREE,

AND OF COURSE, NOBODY
ELSE LOVES ME.

SUSY."

Narrator: UPON ARRIVAL IN
SOUTHAMPTON, SAM, LIVY,

AND CLARA CABLED TO THE STATES

FOR SUSY AND JEAN TO PREPARE

TO SAIL FROM NEW YORK.

BUT A LETTER ARRIVED

FROM HARTFORD, SAYING THAT SUSY

HAD FALLEN ILL WITH A FEVER.

THE DEPARTURE WAS POSTPONED.

THEN CAME A TELEGRAM.

SUSY'S RECOVERY WOULD BE LONG,

IT SAID, BUT CERTAIN.

LIVY IMMEDIATELY SET SAIL

FOR HOME, TAKING CLARA WITH HER.

CLEMENS STAYED BEHIND

TO WORK ON HIS TRAVEL BOOK AND

TO FIND MORE SUITABLE LODGINGS

FOR THE FAMILY WHEN LIVY
AND THE GIRLS RETURNED.

THREE DAYS LATER, ON AUGUST 18,

HE RECEIVED ANOTHER
TELEGRAM FROM THE STATES...

SUSY WAS DEAD.

LATER, HE WOULD GATHER
THE GRIM DETAILS.

SUSY HAD BEEN SPENDING
THE SUMMER IN HARTFORD,

STAYING WITH THE CLEMENS'

FRIENDS, THE WARNERS,

BUT OFTEN GOING TO THE FAMILY'S

OLD HOME TO PLAY THE PIANO

AND PRACTICE HER SINGING.

NEIGHBORS SOMETIMES GATHERED

OUTSIDE THE OPEN WINDOWS
TO ENJOY THE MUSIC.

BUT THEN SHE DEVELOPED
A MYSTERIOUS FEVER.

DOCTORS DIAGNOSED
SPINAL MENINGITIS.

FOR TWO WEEKS, HER
FEVER SPIRALED

AND SHE GREW DELIRIOUS,
SOMETIMES WANDERING

THROUGH THE EMPTY HOUSE.

SHE FOUND A GOWN BELONGING

TO LIVY HANGING IN A CLOSET AND,

CONVINCED IT WAS HER MOTHER,
KISSED IT AND CRIED.

SHE WATCHED THE TRAFFIC PASSING

ON FARMINGTON AVENUE
AND SANG OUT,

"UP GO THE TROLLEY CARS FOR
MARK TWAIN'S DAUGHTER.

DOWN GO THE TROLLEY CARS

FOR MARK TWAIN'S DAUGHTER."

THE INFECTION SPREAD
DEEPER INTO HER BRAIN.

SHE LOST HER SIGHT,
LAPSED INTO A COMA.

WHEN SHE DIED, SHE WAS
ONLY 24 YEARS OLD.

JUST AS HE HAD HELD HIMSELF

GUILTY FOR HIS YOUNGER
BROTHER'S ACCIDENTAL DEATH

38 YEARS EARLIER, JUST
AS HE HAD BLAMED HIMSELF

FOR THE LOSS OF HIS 19-MONTH-OLD

SON LANGDON IN 1872,
CLEMENS NOW BLAMED HIMSELF

FOR SUSY'S DEATH.

THE STRAIN OF HIS BANKRUPTCY
AND THE TOUR THAT HAD

PULLED HIS FAMILY APART

WERE HIS DOING, AND HE WAS SURE

THAT, TOGETHER, THEY HAD KILLED

HIS BELOVED DAUGHTER.

MEANWHILE, LIVY WAS ON A BOAT,

HALFWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC,
STILL UNAWARE OF WHAT

HAD HAPPENED.

Man as Twain: "DEAREST LIVY,

OH, MY HEARTBROKEN DARLING--

NO, NOT HEARTBROKEN YET,

FOR YOU STILL DO NOT KNOW--
BUT WHAT TIDINGS ARE

IN STORE FOR YOU!

WHAT A BITTER WORLD, WHAT
A SHAMEFUL WORLD IT IS.

I LOVE YOU, MY DARLING.

I WISH YOU COULD HAVE BEEN

SPARED THIS UNUTTERABLE SORROW.

SAMUEL."

Narrator: CLEMENS POURED OUT

HIS HEART TO HER IN A STREAM

OF LETTERS TO BE DELIVERED

TO HER AFTER HER
ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK.

Man as Twain: "I HAVE SPENT

THE DAY ALONE, THINKING...

SOMETIMES BITTER THOUGHTS,

SOMETIMES ONLY SAD ONES.

REPROACHING MYSELF FOR
LAYING THE FOUNDATION

OF ALL OUR TROUBLES.

REPROACHING MYSELF FOR A
MILLION THINGS WHEREBY

I HAVE BROUGHT MISFORTUNE

AND SORROW TO THIS FAMILY.

IT RAINS ALL DAY.

NO, IT DRIZZLES AND
IS SOMBER AND DARK.

I WOULD NOT HAVE IT OTHERWISE.

I COULD NOT WELCOME
THE SUN TODAY.

BE COMFORTED, MY DARLING.

WE SHALL HAVE OUR
RELEASE IN TIME.

BE COMFORTED, REMEMBERING
HOW MUCH HARDSHIP,

GRIEF, PAIN SHE IS SPARED,
AND THAT HER HEART

CAN NEVER BE BROKEN NOW
FOR THE LOSS OF A CHILD.

I SEEM TO SEE HER IN HER COFFIN.

I DO NOT KNOW IN WHICH ROOM.

IN THE LIBRARY, I HOPE,

FOR THERE SHE AND CLARA AND I

MOSTLY PLAYED WHEN WE WERE

CHILDREN TOGETHER AND HAPPY.

SHE DIED IN OUR OWN
HOUSE, NOT IN ANOTHER'S.

DIED WHERE EVERY LITTLE THING'S

FAMILIAR AND BELOVED.

DIED WHERE SHE HAD SPENT

ALL HER LIFE, TILL MY CRIMES

MADE HER A PAUPER AND AN EXILE.

HOW GOOD IT IS THAT
SHE GOT HOME AGAIN.

GIVE MY LOVE TO CLARA AND JEAN.

WE HAVE THAT MUCH OF
OUR FORTUNE LEFT."

Narrator: SUSY WAS BURIED

IN THE FAMILY CEMETERY PLOT

IN ELMIRA, NEAR LANGDON,
THE OLDER BROTHER SHE HAD

NEVER KNOWN.

HER FATHER WAS TOO
FAR AWAY TO ATTEND.

Ron Powers, writer: SUSY'S DEATH

WAS THE CULMINATING BLOW.

IT WAS THE GRIEF THAT TRUMPED

ALL OTHER GRIEFS IN HIS LIFE.

AND WHEN THAT HAPPENED, I
THINK IT WAS THE FINAL

COLLAPSE OF HIS FAITH
IN A BENEVOLENT GOD.

HE SAID LATER, "IT IS
IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE

HOW A MAN COULD EXPERIENCE
A THUNDERCLAP LIKE THAT

AND STILL LIVE."

THAT LAUNCHED MARK TWAIN INTO

THE HOT, DARK YEARS OF HIS LATE

LIFE AND THE WRITINGS IN WHICH

HE TURNED THE UNIVERSE OF
MAN AND GOD ON ITS HEAD.

Narrator: AFTER SUSY'S FUNERAL,

LIVY, CLARA, AND JEAN SAILED

BACK TO EUROPE TO REJOIN
THEIR GRIEVING FATHER.

THE FAMILY WOULD REMAIN ABROAD

FOR NEARLY 4 MORE YEARS,
WANDERING FROM ONE CITY

TO ANOTHER--LONDON, LUCERNE,

VIENNA, BUDAPEST, PRAGUE,
AND LONDON AGAIN.

THEY SPENT A CHRISTMAS WITHOUT

EVEN MENTIONING THE HOLIDAY,

BECAUSE OF THE MEMORIES
IT BROUGHT BACK OF SUSY.

ON OTHER DAYS, CLARA
CLEMENS WROTE,

"FATHER'S PASSIONATE NATURE

EXPRESSED ITSELF IN THUNDEROUS

OUTBURSTS OF BITTERNESS,

SHADING INTO RUGGED GRIEF."

"IT WAS A LONG TIME," SHE ADDED,

"BEFORE ANYONE LAUGHED
IN OUR HOUSEHOLD."

Laura Skandera-Trombley, Twain

scholar: AFTER SUSY'S PASSING,

THIS SIGNALED THE DEATH KNELL

TO THE LIFE THAT THEY ONCE

TREASURED AND HELD SO
DEARLY AS A FAMILY.

THAT WAS PART OF JUST

A GHOSTLY PAST, AS IT RECEDED,

AND AS MUCH AS TWAIN TRIED,

AND HE DID TRY, UP UNTIL THE END

OF HIS LIFE, TO RECREATE THAT ON

DIFFERENT LEVELS, IT WAS GONE.

THEY HAD LOST THEIR HOME.

THEY HAD LOST THEIR COUNTRY.

THEY HAD LOST THEIR DAUGHTER.

WHAT THEY HAD WAS MONEY,
BUT MONEY DIDN'T MATTER.

Man as Twain: "LAKE OF
LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND.

AUGUST 18, 1897.

ONE YEAR TODAY SINCE THE
GREAT DISASTER FELL.

LIVY WENT AWAY TO BE ALONE.

SHE TOOK THE STEAMER AND
SPENT THE DAY SOLITARY

IN AN INN IN AN UNKNOWN
TOWN UP THE LAKE.

I SPENT THE DAY ALONE UNDER

THE TREES ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE...
WRITING."

Narrator: WORK BECAME
TWAIN'S SOLACE.

HE FINISHED A BEST-SELLING BOOK

ABOUT HIS WORLD LECTURE TOUR,

CALLED FOLLOWING THE EQUATOR,

FILLED WITH BITING
SOCIAL CRITICISM

AND HILARIOUS OBSERVATIONS,

ALL THE WHILE WONDERING AT HIS

OWN ABILITY TO BE FUNNY IN

THE MIDST OF PERSONAL TRAGEDY.

Russell Banks, writer:

HIS NEED TO READ THIS WORLD

THROUGH THE PRISM OF HUMOR WAS,

I THINK, THE ONLY WAY IT
WAS TOLERABLE FOR HIM.

I MEAN, THERE WAS PROBABLY NO

OTHER OPTION OTHER THAN SUICIDE

IF HE DIDN'T--IF HE DIDN'T

HAVE THAT--DIDN'T SEE
IT THROUGH HUMOR.

IT ISN'T JUST SOMEONE WHO

IS TRYING TO ENTERTAIN YOU.

IT'S SOMEONE WHO IS TRYING

TO KEEP FROM KILLING
HIMSELF, I THINK.

Narrator: BY THE FALL OF 1900,

ALL THE FAMILY'S DEBTS HAD
FINALLY BEEN PAID OFF.

CLEMENS FELT PROSPEROUS ENOUGH

TO TURN DOWN LUCRATIVE OFFERS

FOR TOBACCO ENDORSEMENTS
AND ANOTHER LECTURE TOUR,

EVEN STARTED SPECULATING
AGAIN IN NEW INVENTIONS.

WHEN A RUMOR STARTED
THAT HE WAS GRAVELY ILL,

A NEWSPAPER MAN WAS DISPATCHED

TO CONFIRM THE STORY.

"THE REPORT OF MY DEATH,"

TWAIN SAID, "HAS BEEN
GREATLY EXAGGERATED."

Hal Holbrook, actor: HE REFUSED

TO LIE DOWN AND DIE.

HE JUST KEPT MOVING FORWARD
AGAIN, GETTING UP,

GOING AT IT AGAIN.

HE WAS A LIFE FORCE.

HE WAS A POWERFUL LIFE FORCE,

A FORWARD-MOVING ONE.

AND...HE WASN'T A QUITTER.

Narrator: SAM CLEMENS WAS

64 YEARS OLD AND WEARY OF WHAT

HE CALLED HIS
"EVERLASTING EXILE."

IT WAS TIME TO GO HOME.

Man as The New York World

reporter: "OCTOBER 16, 1900.

THERE WAS THE FAMILIAR
BUSHY HAIR; THE TWINKLING,

SEMI-MYSTERIOUS EYES;

THE PECULIAR DRAWLING VOICE--

HALF YANKEE, HALF SOUTHERN;

THE VERY LOW TURN-DOWN COLLAR

OF THE WEST; AND THE IMMACULATE

SHINY SILK HAT AND LONG FROCK

COAT OF THE EFFETE EAST.

HE LOOKED AS YOUNG AS HE DID

20 YEARS AGO AND YOUNGER THAN

HE DID WHEN HE SHOOK AMERICAN

DUST OFF HIS FEET IN 1891."

THE NEW YORK WORLD.

Narrator: MARK TWAIN
RETURNED TO NEW YORK

TO A TUMULTUOUS WELCOME.

THE WHOLE COUNTRY HAD
SYMPATHIZED WITH HIS SORROW

AT SUSY'S DEATH, AND EVERYONE

NOW ADMIRED HIM FOR HAVING

WORKED HIMSELF OUT OF DEBT.

NEWSPAPERS HAILED THE
RETURN OF "THE BRAVEST

AUTHOR IN ALL LITERATURE."

"OUR FRIEND ENTERED THE FIERY

FURNACE A MAN," ANDREW CARNEGIE

SAID, "AND EMERGED A HERO."

"THE AVERAGE AMERICAN
LOVES HIS FAMILY,"

SAID THOMAS ALVA EDISON.

"IF HE HAS ANY LOVE LEFT OVER

FOR SOME OTHER PERSON, HE

GENERALLY SELECTS MARK TWAIN."

TWAIN LOVED THE ATTENTION,

AND THE PRESS LOVED HIM.

"I NEVER TOLD THE TRUTH IN MY

LIFE THAT SOMEONE DIDN'T SAY

I WAS LYING," HE TOLD REPORTERS

WHO MET HIM AT THE PIER,
"AND I NEVER TOLD A LIE

THAT SOMEBODY DIDN'T
TAKE IT AS A FACT."

UNABLE TO BEAR THE THOUGHT

OF EVER LIVING IN THE HARTFORD

HOME WHERE SUSY HAD DIED,
THE FAMILY MOVED INTO

A RENTED HOUSE AT
14 WEST 10th STREET

IN NEW YORK CITY.

A STEADY STREAM OF REPORTERS

CAME KNOCKING AT THE DOOR,

SEEKING TWAIN'S OPINIONS

ON EVERY IMAGINABLE TOPIC.

Man as Twain: "I WAS BORN LAZY.

I AM NO LAZIER NOW THAN
I WAS 40 YEARS AGO,

BUT THAT IS BECAUSE I REACHED

THE LIMIT 40 YEARS AGO.

YOU CAN'T GO BEYOND
POSSIBILITY."

"AS AN EXAMPLE TO OTHERS,
AND NOT THAT I CARE

FOR MODERATION MYSELF, IT
HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY RULE

NEVER TO SMOKE WHEN ASLEEP

AND NEVER TO REFRAIN WHEN AWAKE.

AND I HAVE MADE IT A RULE
NEVER TO SMOKE MORE THAN

ONE CIGAR AT A TIME."

"IT COULD PROBABLY BE SHOWN
BY FACTS AND FIGURES

THAT THERE IS NO
DISTINCTLY NATIVE

AMERICAN CRIMINAL CLASS...
EXCEPT CONGRESS."

Hal Holbrook, actor: HE OFTEN

REFERRED TO THE CONGRESS

AS "THE GRAND OLD, BENEVOLENT
NATIONAL ASYLUM FOR

THE HELPLESS."

I THINK ANOTHER TIME, HE SAID...

"IMAGINE THAT YOU ARE AN IDIOT,

AND THEN IMAGINE THAT YOU ARE

A MEMBER OF CONGRESS.

WAIT A MINUTE.

I REPEATED MYSELF."

Narrator: "FIRST, GOD
MADE IDIOTS," TWAIN SAID.

"THAT WAS FOR PRACTICE.

THEN HE MADE SCHOOL BOARDS."

Hal Holbrook, actor: I LOVE, UH,

"THE TROUBLE IS NOT THAT

THE WORLD IS FULL OF FOOLS,

IT'S JUST THAT LIGHTNING
ISN'T DISTRIBUTED RIGHT."

Man as Twain: "TRUTH IS THE MOST

VALUABLE THING WE HAVE.

LET US ECONOMIZE IT."

Hal Holbrook, actor:

WELL, HE WAS ONE OF US.

HE DIDN'T EXCLUDE HIMSELF.

HE SAID, "THE HUMAN RACE IS

A RACE OF COWARDS, AND I AM

NOT ONLY MARCHING IN THAT

PROCESSION, I AM
CARRYING A BANNER."

Arthur Miller, playwright:

HE NEVER EXEMPTED HIMSELF

FROM THE TRAVAILS OF THE PEOPLE

HE WAS CRITICIZING.

INSTEAD OF SAYING, "YOU ARE

DOING THIS," HE SEEMED TO BE

SAYING, "WE ARE DOING THIS,"

OR "WE ARE BEING SO SILLY

OR STUPID OR DESTRUCTIVE."

HE INCLUDED HIMSELF IN
WHAT WAS RIDICULOUS,

AND THAT'S A GREAT ART,

TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITHOUT

WEAKENING THE ACCUSATION.

Narrator: TWAIN ALSO BEGAN

SPEAKING OUT DIRECTLY ON

POLITICAL ISSUES: IN SUPPORT OF

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON'S EFFORTS

TO UPLIFT HIS RACE, AGAINST

THE CORRUPTION OF TAMMANY HALL,

AND THE RAMPANT ANTI-SEMITISM

OF THE DAY, IN FAVOR OF A
WOMAN'S RIGHT TO VOTE.

Man as Twain: "ALL THAT

WE REQUIRE OF A VOTER IS THAT

HE WEAR PANTALOONS INSTEAD

OF PETTICOATS AND BEAR, MORE

OR LESS, A HUMOROUS RESEMBLANCE

TO THE REPORTED IMAGE OF GOD.

FROM THE DAY THAT ADAM ATE

OF THE APPLE AND TOLD ON EVE,

MAN, IN A MORAL FIGHT, HAS

PRETTY UNIFORMLY SHOWN HIMSELF

TO BE AN ERRANT COWARD."

Narrator: HE WAS ESPECIALLY

OUTSPOKEN ON THE MOST DIVISIVE

ISSUE OF THE DAY--WHETHER OR NOT

THE UNITED STATES SHOULD FOLLOW

THE EXAMPLE OF THE GREAT POWERS

OF EUROPE AND ESTABLISH
ITS OWN EMPIRE.

"I AM AN ANTI-IMPERIALIST,"

HE TOLD THE PRESS.

"I AM OPPOSED TO HAVING
THE EAGLE PUT ITS TALONS

ON ANY OTHER LAND."

FRIENDS WARNED HIM THE
PUBLIC MIGHT BE OFFENDED.

HE DIDN'T SEEM TO MIND.

Man as Twain: "THIS NATION IS

LIKE ALL THE OTHERS THAT HAVE

BEEN SPEWED UPON THE EARTH,

READY TO SHOUT FOR ANY CAUSE

THAT WILL TICKLE ITS
VANITY OR FILL ITS POCKET.

WHAT A HELL OF A HEAVEN IT WILL

BE, WHEN THEY GET ALL THESE

HYPOCRITES ASSEMBLED THERE."

Narrator: HE RAILED AGAINST
AMERICAN MISSIONARIES,

WHOSE PRESENCE IN CHINA HELPED

BRING ON THE BOXER REBELLION;

CRITICIZED ENGLAND FOR
WAGING WAR ON THE BOERS

IN SOUTH AFRICA;

AND SO VIOLENTLY DENOUNCED
KING LEOPOLD OF BELGIUM

FOR HIS SAVAGERY IN THE CONGO

THAT NO AMERICAN PUBLISHER
DARED PRINT IT.

Hal Holbrook, actor:

HE IS FEARLESS.

HE'S FEARLESS AND
HE'S DANGEROUS.

HE SAYS, "I SUPPOSE AN HONEST

MAN SHINES MORE IN POLITICS

THAN HE DOES ELSEWHERE,

BUT SHOULDN'T A SENATOR KEEP

HIS WORD, OR A PRESIDENT?

SHOULDN'T HE SET A HIGH EXAMPLE?

IS KEEPING ONE'S WORD SO
EXTRAORDINARY...A THING,

WHEN THE PERSON ACHIEVING

THAT FEAT IS THE FIRST CITIZEN

OF A CIVILIZED NATION?"

OUCH.

Narrator: NO ONE WAS IMMUNE.

AFTER ATTACKING THE UNITED

STATES GOVERNMENT FOR TURNING

A WAR TO FREE THE PHILIPPINES

FROM SPAIN INTO THE BRUTAL

CONQUEST OF THE FILIPINOS,

TWAIN SET HIS SIGHTS ON A MAN

HE SAW AS AMERICA'S BIGGEST

IMPERIALIST--THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

HE RIDICULED THE PRESIDENT

SO PERSISTENTLY THAT, WHEN

YALE UNIVERSITY AWARDED TWAIN

AN HONORARY DEGREE IN 1901,

ROOSEVELT, WHO WAS GETTING

AN AWARD OF HIS OWN, WENT OUT

OF HIS WAY TO AVOID
SHAKING TWAIN'S HAND.

Man as Twain: "OURS IS A USEFUL

TRADE, A WORTHY CALLING.

WITH ALL ITS LIGHTNESS
AND FRIVOLITY, IT HAS

ONE SERIOUS PURPOSE, ONE AIM,

ONE SPECIALTY, AND IT IS

CONSTANT TO IT--THE DERIDING

OF SHAMS, THE EXPOSURE OF
PRETENTIOUS FALSITIES,

THE LAUGHING OF STUPID

SUPERSTITIONS OUT OF EXISTENCE.

AND THAT WHOSO IS, BY INSTINCT,

ENGAGED IN THIS SORT OF WARFARE

IS THE NATURAL ENEMY OF
ROYALTIES, NOBILITIES,

PRIVILEGES, AND ALL KINDRED

SWINDLES, AND THE NATURAL
FRIEND OF HUMAN RIGHTS

AND HUMAN LIBERTIES."

Russell Banks, writer:

WHEN YOU BECOME UNSURE
OF WHO YOU ARE NOW...

YOU GO TO WHO YOU WERE WHEN
YOU KNEW WHO YOU WERE,

AND TRY TO READ
BACK OUT OF THAT.

Ron Powers, writer:

MARK TWAIN CAME BACK TO HANNIBAL

FOR THE LAST TIME IN 1902.

IT WAS AN UNEXPECTED VISIT.

HE DIDN'T LET THE TOWN KNOW.

HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO COLUMBIA,

MISSOURI, TO RECEIVE A DOCTORATE

FROM THE UNIVERSITY,
AN HONORARY DEGREE.

AND HE SLIPPED INTO TOWN

ON A JUNE DAY, ACCOMPANIED
BY A REPORTER FROM

THE ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

NAMED ROBERTUS LOVE.

THE PEOPLE SAW HIM, IMMEDIATELY

RECOGNIZED HIM, AND BY 4:00

IN THE AFTERNOON, THE GIRLS

WERE ALL DRESSED UP LIKE

BECKY THATCHER, THE BOYS WERE

DRESSED UP LIKE TOM SAWYER.

HANNIBAL HAS NEVER STOPPED DOING

THAT SINCE, BY THE WAY.

SO HE WADED THROUGH THIS
GREAT BOUQUET OF PEOPLE.

HE WAS GIVEN A LUNCHEON WITH

THE OLD WOMAN WHO WAS THE MODEL

FOR BECKY THATCHER,
AND HE LOVED IT.

BUT AT ONE POINT TOWARD THE END

OF THE VISIT, WHEN HE WAS

CRACKING WISE AT
THE LABINNAH CLUB,

"HANNIBAL" SPELLED BACKWARDS

HE ERUPTED IN TEARS AND SOBBING,

ABSOLUTELY OUT OF THE BLUE

AND HIS ROBERTUS LOVE SAID, "IT
WAS THE CRYING OF AN OLD MAN

WHO REALIZES THAT WHAT HE IS
SAYING IS FAIRWELL, FAIRWELL"

ALL OF THE GHOSTS HAD RETURNED.

HE'D ENCOUNTERED
ALL THE GHOSTS OF

HIS BOYHOOD, AND
HAD HAD, I THINK,

HIS FINAL CATHARSIS.

MAYBE THIS WAS PUTTING

THE BOYHOOD TO REST AT LAST,
BECAUSE THE NEXT DAY,

HE WAS GREAT AGAIN.

WALKED THROUGH TOWN
ON THE ARM OF A PREACHER.

BOARDED THE STEAM TRAIN,
AND NEVER RETURNED.

Narrator: IN AUGUST OF 1902,

WHILE VACATIONING IN MAINE,

LIVY CLEMENS SUDDENLY BEGAN

TO SUFFER HEART PALPITATIONS

AND ATTACKS OF ASTHMA THAT LEFT

HER GASPING FOR AIR,
UNABLE EVEN TO LIE DOWN,

FOR FEAR OF SUFFOCATING.

HER DOCTORS BELIEVED THAT VISITS

FROM HER EXCITABLE, OVERDRAMATIC

HUSBAND WOULD ONLY WEAKEN HER

FURTHER AND RECOMMENDED THAT

HE SEE HER FOR NO MORE
THAN TWO MINUTES A DAY.

CLEMENS FELT HIS
BANISHMENT KEENLY.

LIVY WAS NOT ONLY HIS
WIFE, BUT HIS SOULMATE

AND HIS SOUNDING BOARD.

WITHOUT HER, HE FELT BEREFT.

HE PINNED NOTES TO THE
TREES OUTSIDE HER WINDOW,

WARNING THE BIRDS NOT TO SING

FOR FEAR OF DISTURBING LIVY'S

REST, AND SENT MESSAGES
TO HER SICK ROOM.

Man as Twain: "GOOD
MORNING, SWEETHEART.

IT IS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL,

AND I LOVE YOU MOST DEEPLY.

THIS DINING ROOM IS A PARADISE

WITH THE FLOODING SUNSHINE

AND THE INCOMPARABLE RIVER.

I WISH YOU WERE DOWN
HERE, SWEETHEART."

Woman as Livy Clemens: "YOUTH,

MY OWN PRECIOUS DARLING,

I FEEL SO FRIGHTFULLY BANISHED.

COULDN'T YOU WRITE
IN MY BOUDOIR?

THEN I COULD HEAR YOU CLEAR

YOUR THROAT, AND IT WOULD BE

SUCH JOY TO FEEL YOU NEAR.

I MISS YOU SADLY, SADLY.

YOUR NOTE IN THE MORNING GAVE ME

SUPPORT FOR THE DAY, AND THE ONE

AT NIGHT, PEACE FOR THE NIGHT.

WITH THE DEEPEST LOVE OF
MY HEART, YOUR LIVY."

Narrator: EVENTUALLY, LIVY'S

DOCTORS RECOMMENDED THAT CLEMENS

TAKE HIS WIFE BACK TO ITALY,

TO FLORENCE, WHERE THE CLIMATE

WOULD BE GOOD FOR HER HEALTH.

ON JUNE 5, 1904, LIVY
SEEMED ONCE AGAIN

TO BE ON THE MEND, WELL ENOUGH

TO PERMIT A LONGER THAN USUAL

VISIT FROM HER HUSBAND.

LATER, CLEMENS WENT TO
THE PARLOR, SAT DOWN

AT THE PIANO, AS HE OFTEN HAD

DURING THE 34 YEARS OF THEIR

MARRIAGE, AND BEGAN PLAYING.

AS HE PLAYED, LIVY SLIPPED AWAY.

Man as Twain: "VILLA
DI QUARTO, FLORENCE.

AN HOUR AGO, THE BEST HEART

THAT EVER BEAT FOR ME AND MINE

WAS CARRIED SILENT OUT OF

THIS HOUSE, AND I AM AS ONE WHO

WANDERS AND HAS LOST HIS WAY.

OUR LIFE IS WRECKED.

WE HAVE NO PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.

SHE ALWAYS MADE THE PLANS.

NONE OF US WAS CAPABLE.

WE SHALL CARRY HER HOME AND BURY

HER WITH HER DEAD AT ELMIRA.

BEYOND THAT, WE HAVE NO PLANS.

THE CHILDREN MUST DECIDE.

I HAVE NO HEAD."

Laura Skandera-Trombley, Twain

scholar: SHE WAS THE GLUE.

SHE KEPT EVERYONE TOGETHER.

SHE KEPT THE DAUGHTERS
FUNCTIONING.

SHE KEPT HER SPOUSE
ON AN EVEN KEEL.

WHEN SHE WAS GONE, THEY WENT

SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL.

Narrator: CLARA WAS AS
HEADSTRONG AS HER FATHER,

AND FOR YEARS HAD CHAFED UNDER

HIS DOMINATING PERSONALITY.

NOW SHE BEGAN TO BREAK AWAY.

JEAN, WHO SUFFERED FROM
EPILEPSY, BEGAN TO HAVE

SEIZURES MORE FREQUENT
AND MORE SEVERE

THAN EVER BEFORE.

THE VERY HAPPY FAMILY SUSY HAD

ONCE DESCRIBED LAY IN RUINS.

Laura Skandera-Trombley, Twain

scholar: WITH OLIVIA'S DEATH,

HE WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO WRITE

EXTENDED NARRATIVES, AND
HE TRIED TO COMPLETE

MANUSCRIPTS, BUT HE NO
LONGER COULD DO SO.

THE OTHER PART OF IT, THOUGH,

IS I BELIEVE HE DIDN'T WANT

TO WRITE AS HE USED TO--
TO CLOSET HIMSELF AWAY

AND WRITE ALONE, AND THEN COME

BACK AND READ HIS WORK, BECAUSE

HE FELT SO MUCH ALONE ANYWAY.

HE DIDN'T WANT TO
BE EVEN MORE ALONE.

Man as Twain: "THERE IS NOTHING.

THERE IS NO GOD AND NO UNIVERSE.

THERE IS ONLY EMPTY SPACE,

AND IN IT, A LOST AND HOMELESS

AND WANDERING AND COMPANIONLESS

AND INDESTRUCTIBLE THOUGHT,
AND I AM THAT THOUGHT.

AND GOD AND THE UNIVERSE

AND TIME AND LIFE AND DEATH

AND JOY AND SORROW AND PAIN ONLY

A GROTESQUE AND BRUTAL DREAM

EVOLVED FROM THE FRANTIC

IMAGINATION AND THAT
INSANE THOUGHT."

Ron Powers, writer: I THINK

WE SEE IN MARK TWAIN A MAN

WHO WAS CONSTANTLY GROPING

FOR AN ULTIMATE STANDARD
OF VIRTUE AND GOODNESS

AND NEVER FOUND IT.

AND I THINK HE WAS
VERY DISAPPOINTED IN

THE CHRISTIAN GOD.

I THINK HIS ANGER AT

THE CHRISTIAN GOD IS THE ANGER

OF A MAN WHO REALLY
WANTED TO BELIEVE.

Narrator: SINCE SUSY'S DEATH,

MUCH OF TWAIN'S WRITING HAD

TURNED DARK AND BITTER.

LIVY HAD PERSUADED HIM NOT
TO LET THE PUBLIC SEE

HIS MOST PESSIMISTIC WRITINGS.

NOW, WITH HER GONE, HE GAVE EVEN

GREATER VENT TO HIS DEEPENING
ANGER AND DESPAIR.

John Boyer, historian:

HE LOVED WRITING.

IT WAS HIS VOICE ON ALL THINGS,

AND HE WROTE RIGHT UP
TO THE END OF HIS LIFE.

HIS LATER YEARS WERE
DIFFERENT, THOUGH.

IT WAS A DIFFERENT KIND
OF WRITING ABOUT A MORE--

IT'S AN INNER WORLD OF
VISIONS AND HALLUCINATIONS.

HE QUESTIONS GOD.

HE TALKS WITH SATAN.

IT'S A DIFFERENT
AGENDA AT THE END.

Narrator: HE WROTE THE
MYSTERIOUS STRANGER

AND LETTERS FROM THE EARTH--

SCATHING ATTACKS ON GOD AND
CONVENTIONAL RELIGION,

STORIES IN WHICH SATAN OFTEN

APPEARS ON EARTH, TO REPORT

ON THE ABSURDITY OF HUMAN

BELIEFS--WORKS THAT EVEN TWAIN

THOUGHT SHOULD NOT BE PUBLISHED

UNTIL WELL AFTER HIS OWN DEATH.

Hamlin Hill, Twain scholar:

THE LAST CHAPTER OF

THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER,

WHERE THE GOD THAT HUMAN BEINGS

HAVE INVENTED IS INSANE--

IT HAS TO BE A NIGHTMARE.

WHY WOULD WE INVENT A GOD

WHO COULD MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY

AND DIDN'T MAKE A SINGLE
HUMAN BEING EVER HAPPY?

Man as Twain: "OUR BIBLE REVEALS

TO US THE CHARACTER OF OUR GOD

WITH MINUTE AND
REMORSELESS EXACTNESS.

THE PORTRAIT IS SUBSTANTIALLY

THAT OF A MAN, IF ONE CAN
IMAGINE A MAN CHARGED

AND OVERCHARGED WITH
EVIL IMPULSES FAR BEYOND

THE HUMAN LIMIT.

HIS ACTS EXPOSE HIS VINDICTIVE,

UNJUST, UNGENEROUS, PITILESS,

AND VENGEFUL NATURE CONSTANTLY.

HE IS ALWAYS PUNISHING:

PUNISHING INNOCENT CHILDREN FOR

THE MISDEEDS OF THEIR PARENTS;

PUNISHING UNOFFENDING
POPULATIONS FOR THE MISDEEDS

OF THEIR RULERS."

"IT IS, PERHAPS, THE
MOST DAMNATORY BIOGRAPHY

THAT EXISTS IN PRINT ANYWHERE.

IT MAKES NERO AN ANGEL
OF LIGHT, BY CONTRAST."

Arthur Miller, playwright:

IT'S THE DARK TRUTH, THE
BOTTOM FROM WHICH I THINK

HE WAS STRUGGLING
WITH ALL HIS LIFE.

A DESPAIR WHICH WAS PROFOUND.

I THINK HE WAS A
DEPRESSED PERSON.

I THINK HE WROTE
LIKE A DEPRESSIVE,

WHO WAS STRUGGLING TERRIBLY WITH

THAT SENSE THAT IT'S ALL FUTILE,

THAT WE CANNOT KNOW WHY WE'RE

HERE, AND THAT IT ALL MAKES VERY

LITTLE SENSE IN THE LONG RUN.

Narrator: TWAIN SPENT MOST
OF HIS TIME NOW WORKING

ON HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

HE TOLD HIS FRIEND WILLIAM
DEAN HOWELLS, "IT WAS

THE TRUEST OF ALL BOOKS,

BECAUSE IT CONSISTS MAINLY

OF EXTINCTIONS OF THE TRUTH,

SHIRKINGS OF THE TRUTH, PARTIAL

REVEALMENTS OF THE TRUTH,
WITH HARDLY AN INSTANCE

OF PLAIN, STRAIGHT TRUTH."

Man as Twain: "WHEN I WAS

YOUNGER, I COULD REMEMBER

ANYTHING, WHETHER IT
HAD HAPPENED OR NOT,

BUT MY FACULTIES ARE DECAYING

NOW, AND SOON I SHALL BE

SO I CANNOT REMEMBER ANY BUT

THE THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPENED.

IT IS SAD TO GO TO PIECES

LIKE THIS, BUT WE
ALL HAVE TO DO IT."

Narrator: CLEMENS HAD
SETTLED INTO A BROWNSTONE

ON NEW YORK'S FIFTH AVENUE,

AND TURNED OVER THE DAY-TO-DAY

MANAGEMENT OF HIS HOUSEHOLD

TO ISABEL LYON--A WORSHIPFUL

YOUNG WOMAN WHO TOOK
DICTATION, KEPT HIS ACCOUNTS,

AND SUPERVISED THE SERVANTS.

BUT HE FELT MORE AND MORE ALONE

AND INCREASINGLY ESTRANGED FROM

HIS TWO SURVIVING DAUGHTERS.

JEAN'S ILLNESS WAS
GROWING WORSE.

TWICE DURING SEIZURES,
SHE PHYSICALLY ATTACKED

THE FAITHFUL SERVANT KATY
LEARY AND WAS SENT AWAY

TO A SANITARIUM, FOR FEAR

SHE WOULD HARM SOMEONE ELSE.

CLARA JOINED CLEMENS
IN NEW YORK, BUT SPENT

AS LITTLE TIME AS SHE
COULD IN HIS COMPANY.

Woman as Isabel Lyon:

"NEW YORK, MARCH 24, 1906.

THIS IS THE WRETCHED DAY

WHEN MR. CLEMENS WENT DOWN

TO THE LIVING ROOM AND
THERE WASN'T ANYONE THERE.

FOR HALF AN HOUR, HE
WAITED FOR A HUMAN BEING,

AND NONE CAME TO STAY.

THESE ARE THE AGONY DAYS, WHEN

HE KNOWS MRS. CLEMENS IS GONE.

ISABEL LYON."

Laura Skandera-Trombley, Twain

scholar: HE RESORTED IN THE LAST

YEARS TO FALLING BACK UPON

THIS PERSONA, THIS THING THAT

HE HAD CREATED, THIS MARK TWAIN,

AND HE ATTRACTED PEOPLE TO HIM.

WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED

IN SAM CLEMENS--AN ELDERLY MAN

WHO WAS INCREASINGLY FRAIL,

WHO HAD OUTLIVED EVERYONE,

WHOSE DAUGHTERS DIDN'T FIND

A WHOLE LOT OF INTEREST IN HIM,

AND WHO WAS SO
EXTRAORDINARILY LONELY?

THAT WAS SAM CLEMENS.

AND SO, MARK TWAIN, I THINK,

BEGAN TO COME OUT MORE AND MORE.

THERE'S A LETTER THAT HOWELLS

ONCE WROTE TO HIM SAYING,

"I THOUGHT THAT YOU HAD
LEFT MARK TWAIN BEHIND."

BUT MARK TWAIN, AT THE END, WAS

IN SOME WAYS, ALL THAT WAS LEFT.

HE HAS ENTERED THE REALM
OF FAME WITHOUT FAMILY.

Jocelyn Chadwick, Twain scholar:

HE IS A PASSIONATE MAN,
NO MATTER WHAT, IN SPITE

OF HIMSELF, WHEN HE MIGHT
WANT TO JUST GIVE UP.

AND THERE ARE THOSE TIMES

WHEN HE'S WRITING HIS LETTERS

AND IN HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY THAT

HE JUST--YOU JUST THINK, "SAM,

YOU CAN JUST GO NO FURTHER.

THIS IS IT.

THIS IS THE MOST DEVASTATING

BLOW YOU COULD HAVE HAD."

YOU FEEL AS THOUGH HE'S GIVEN UP

ON GOD, LIFE, THE WHOLE BIT,

AND THEN HE COMES THROUGH.

HE RALLIES.

HE CONTINUES TO RALLY.

Man as Twain: "BEFORE 70, WE ARE

MERELY RESPECTED AT BEST, AND

WE HAVE TO BEHAVE ALL THE TIME.

BUT AFTER 70, WE ARE RESPECTED,

ESTEEMED, ADMIRED, REVERED,

AND DON'T HAVE TO BEHAVE

UNLESS WE WANT TO."

Man as reporter:

THE NEW YORK EVENING MAIL--

"THINGS HAVE REACHED THE POINT

WHERE IF MARK TWAIN IS NOT

AT A PUBLIC MEETING OR BANQUET,

HE IS EXPECTED TO CONSOLE IT

WITH ONE OF HIS INIMITABLE
LETTERS OF ADVICE

AND ENCOURAGEMENT.

WE MUST BE GLAD THAT WE
HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENTATOR

LIKE MARK TWAIN ALWAYS AT HAND

AND HIS WIT AND WISDOM
CONTINUALLY ON TAP.

HIS SOUND, BREEZY, MISSISSIPPI
VALLEY AMERICANISM

IS A CORRECTIVE TO ALL
SORTS OF SNOBBERY.

HE CULTIVATES RESPECT FOR HUMAN

RIGHTS BY ALWAYS MAKING
SURE THAT HE HAS HIS OWN."

Hal Holbrook, actor:

THERE IS NOBODY TODAY,

TRULY NO ONE, TO COMPARE HIM TO.

HE BECAME THE SAGE OF THE
COUNTRY, EVEN THE WORLD.

WHATEVER HAPPENED IN
THE MORNING'S PAPER,

YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD HAVE
A COMMENT ABOUT TWAIN.

SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN.

A WAR WOULD BREAK OUT
OR SOMEBODY WOULD DO

SOME STUPID THING, OR--LIKE
WHEN THE TAMMANY HALL

FELLOW DIED THE NIGHT BEFORE

ELECTION, YOU KNOW, HE'D
BE CONTACTED IMMEDIATELY

FOR A COMMENT.

THE POLITICO DIED, AND HE SAYS,

"WELL, I WON'T ATTEND HIS
FUNERAL, BUT I'LL WRITE

A VERY NICE LETTER SAYING
THAT I APPROVE OF IT."

Narrator: TWAIN NOW FOUND HIS

ONLY COMFORT AND
SATISFACTION IN CELEBRITY.

HE TOOK TO WEARING SCARLET SOCKS

AND ALL-WHITE SUITS YEAR-ROUND--

HIS "DON'T-CARE-A-DAMN SUITS,"

HE CALLED THEM.

ON SUNDAY MORNINGS, HE PARADED

UP AND DOWN BROADWAY

WHEN THE CHURCHES LET OUT, JUST

TO DRAW STILL MORE
ATTENTION TO HIMSELF.

HIS MERE APPEARANCE AT
A BILLIARDS TOURNAMENT

IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

BROUGHT THE CROWD TO ITS FEET.

A WOMAN BEGGED TO KISS HIS HAND,

SAYING, "HOW GOD MUST LOVE YOU."

"I HOPE SO," HE ANSWERED, BUT AS

SOON AS SHE WAS GONE, HE ADDED,

"I GUESS SHE HASN'T HEARD OF

OUR STRAINED RELATIONS."

STRANGERS BESIEGED HIM FOR

AUTOGRAPHS, PHOTOGRAPHERS BEGGED

HIM TO SIT FOR PORTRAITS.

MAIL ARRIVED FROM ALL OVER

THE WORLD, INCLUDING ONE LETTER

ADDRESSED SIMPLY TO "MARK
TWAIN, GODKNOWSWHERE."

HE HAD BECOME, HE SAID,

"THE MOST CONSPICUOUS
PERSON ON THE PLANET."

Ron Powers, writer:

WHEN HE TRAVELED BY TRAIN,

THE CONDUCTORS WOULD HOLD UP

THE TRAIN WHILE MARK TWAIN

RELIEVED HIMSELF IN THE GENTS'

ROOM, AND PEOPLE WOULD SCURRY TO

CARRY HIS BAGGAGE FOR HIM.

AND HE LOVED THOSE GREAT
BANQUETS OF OYSTERS

AND CHAMPAGNE.

AND HE REALLY BECAME INTIMATE

WITH MANY OF THE GREAT FIGURES

OF THE EARLY 20th CENTURY.

HE SUBSIDIZED HELEN KELLER.

HE INTRODUCED WINSTON CHURCHILL

TO HIS FIRST AMERICAN AUDIENCE.

HE VACATIONED IN BERMUDA
WITH WOODROW WILSON.

SO HE REALLY CROSSED WITH

THE CURRENTS OF THE GREAT POWER

ELITE OF THE 20th
CENTURY, AND HE LOVED IT.

Narrator: WHEN OXFORD UNIVERSITY

OFFERED HIM AN HONORARY DOCTOR

OF LETTERS IN 1907, HE EAGERLY

SET SAIL FOR ENGLAND.

IN LONDON, HE CHATTED WITH

THE KING AND QUEEN, MADE

HEADLINES SIMPLY BY STROLLING

ACROSS THE STREET IN HIS

BATHROBE, AND MET WITH THE IRISH

PLAYWRIGHT GEORGE BERNARD
SHAW, WHO CALLED HIMSELF

A "HUCK-A-MANIAC" AND CALLED

TWAIN "THE AMERICAN VOLTAIRE."

TWAIN, SHAW SAID, HAD TAUGHT HIM

THAT "TELLING THE TRUTH IS

THE FUNNIEST JOKE IN THE WORLD."

AT OXFORD, AFTER PUTTING ON HIS

CRIMSON-AND-GRAY GOWN, TWAIN

EXCLAIMED, "I LIKE THE DEGREE

WELL ENOUGH, BUT I'M CRAZY
ABOUT THE CLOTHES."

DURING THE CEREMONY, THE
BOY WHO HAD BEEN BORN IN

A TWO-ROOM SHACK IN THE
BACKWOODS OF MISSOURI

AND HAD LEFT SCHOOL AT 12

FOUND HIMSELF IN THE MOST

DISTINGUISHED POSSIBLE COMPANY:

THE WRITER RUDYARD
KIPLING, THE COMPOSER

CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS,

AND THE SCULPTOR AUGUSTE RODIN.

Man as Twain: "I WAS SORRY

TO HAVE MY NAME MENTIONED

AS ONE OF THE GREAT AUTHORS,

BECAUSE THEY HAVE A SAD
HABIT OF DYING OFF.

CHAUCER IS DEAD.

SO IS MILTON.

SO IS SHAKESPEARE.

AND I'M NOT FEELING
VERY WELL MYSELF."

Narrator: IN 1908, CLEMENS MOVED

INTO A NEW HOME BUILT FOR HIM

IN REDDING, CONNECTICUT.

HIS DAUGHTERS RETURNED BRIEFLY

AND HELPED ISABEL LYON TURN IT

INTO A MUSEUM OF HIS MEMORIES.

TWAIN PRONOUNCED IT "A PERFECT

HOUSE" IN EVERY DETAIL AND NAMED

IT "STORMFIELD," AFTER THE HERO

OF ONE OF THE MANY STORIES

HE COULD NEVER QUITE COMPLETE.

THE OLD HARTFORD HOUSE--
THE SCENE OF SO MUCH JOY

AND SORROW--HAD BEEN SOLD

AT A LOSS 5 YEARS EARLIER,

BUT ITS MANTELPIECE HAD BEEN

SAVED AND WAS NOW INSTALLED

IN THE NEW LIVING ROOM.

AND HIS AND LIVY'S OLD BED,

WITH ITS HOST OF CARVED ANGELS,

WAS PLACED IN HIS BEDROOM.

HE SOON BEGAN GATHERING AROUND

HIM A GROUP OF YOUNG GIRLS,

ENCOURAGING THEM AND THEIR

MOTHERS TO VISIT HIM OFTEN,

OPENLY SEEKING THEIR PRAISE

AND ADMIRATION--JUST AS HE HAD

DONE IN HARTFORD WHEN HIS OWN

DAUGHTERS WERE LITTLE.

HE CALLED THEM HIS "ANGELFISH."

Man as Twain: "IN GRANDCHILDREN,

I AM THE RICHEST MAN THAT LIVES

TODAY, FOR I SELECT MY
GRANDCHILDREN, WHEREAS ALL

OTHER GRANDFATHERS HAVE TO TAKE

THEM AS THEY COME, GOOD,
BAD, AND INDIFFERENT."

Narrator: IN 1909, CLEMENS WAS

73--FRAIL, SOMETIMES BEFUDDLED,

AND SUFFERING FROM CHEST
PAINS, THE FIRST SIGNS

OF HEART DISEASE.

HE CALLED IT HIS "TOBACCO HEART"

AND CUT BACK FROM 40 CIGARS

A DAY TO 4, BUT HE KNEW HE WAS

"BEGINNING A HOLIDAY," HE
SAID, "WHOSE OTHER END

IS THE CEMETERY."

WHEN CLARA FINALLY MARRIED,

HER FATHER DID HIS BEST

TO STEAL THE SHOW BY
WEARING HIS OXFORD ROBES.

THE NEWLYWEDS IMMEDIATELY
MOVED TO EUROPE.

HIS CIRCLE WAS SHRINKING,

AND THERE WAS STILL ONE
MORE TRAGEDY TO ENDURE.

JEAN, NOW 29, ASKED TO BE

ALLOWED TO COME HOME TO LIVE,

AND HER FATHER AGREED.

"DEAR CHILD," HE WROTE TO HER,

"YOU WILL BE AS WELCOME AS IF IT

WERE YOUR MOTHER HERSELF CALLING

YOU HOME FROM EXILE!"

CHRISTMAS HAD ALWAYS BEEN

THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE CLEMENSES'

YEAR IN HARTFORD, JEAN
REMEMBERED, AND SHE WAS

DETERMINED TO CREATE FOR
HER FATHER SOMETHING LIKE

THE CHRISTMASES THEY HAD
ONCE KNOWN TOGETHER.

SHE WOUND THE OLD MANTLEPIECE

WITH GARLANDS OF
EVERGREEN, TRIMMED A TREE,

PILED BRIGHTLY WRAPPED
PACKAGES AROUND ITS BASE.

ON THE MORNING OF THE 24th, JEAN

ROSE EARLY AND DREW HER BATH.

IT WAS CHRISTMAS EVE,

AND SHE STILL HAD A LOT TO DO.

AN HOUR LATER, KATY LEARY

KNOCKED ON THE BATHROOM DOOR.

THERE WAS NO ANSWER.

JEAN CLEMENS WAS DEAD, DROWNED

IN THE BATHTUB DURING A SEIZURE.

Man as Twain: "FROM MY WINDOWS,

I SAW THE HEARSE AND THE
CARRIAGES WIND ALONG

THE ROAD AND GRADUALLY
GROW VAGUE AND SPECTRAL

IN THE FALLING SNOW AND
PRESENTLY DISAPPEAR.

JEAN WAS GONE OUT OF MY LIFE

AND WOULD NOT COME
BACK ANY MORE."

Russell Banks, writer:

AS TWAIN GETS OLDER,
YOU COULD SORT OF SEE

THE LIGHTS GOING OUT.

YOU KNOW, HE BEGINS HIS CAREER

AS A WRITER BRIGHTLY LIT,

SORT OF STANDING IN A BRIGHTLY

LIT STAGE, YOU KNOW, WITH

THE INNOCENTS ABROAD

AND THE EARLY JOURNALISM
AND SO FORTH.

THIS IS THE WISEGUY WITH

THE DEPTH, WITH THE PROFUNDITY

OF A GREAT AND WISE PERSON.

HE'S A WISEGUY WHO'S WISE,

AND ALL THE LIGHTS ARE ON.

AND THEN AS HE GROWS OLDER
AND PERSONAL TRAGEDIES

START TO STRIKE, YOU CAN
SEE THE LIGHTS GOING OUT

ONE BY ONE, UNTIL
IN LATE LIFE, HE'S

STANDING ALL BY HIMSELF ON

THE STAGE WITH JUST ONE LITTLE

READING LIGHT LOOKING UP FROM

THE PODIUM AND
SHINING ON HIS FACE.

AND THAT'S THE LAST LIGHT TO GO

OUT, AND THAT DOESN'T
GO OUT UNTIL HE DIES.

BUT IT CASTS A VERY DIFFERENT

TONE OVER ALL HIS
WORK AS HE WENT ON.

Man as Twain: "I AM
NOT AN AMERICAN.

I AM THE AMERICAN.

I AM THE HUMAN RACE COMPACTED

AND CRAMMED INTO A SINGLE SUIT

OF CLOTHES, BUT QUITE ABLE TO

REPRESENT ITS ENTIRE MASSED

MULTITUDE IN ALL ITS
MOODS AND INSPIRATIONS.

I AM ONLY HUMAN,
ALTHOUGH I REGRET IT."

MARK TWAIN.

Narrator: BY APRIL OF 1910,

NEWSPAPERS REPORTED MARK TWAIN'S

HEALTH WAS FAILING, AND
WELL-WISHERS FLOODED HIM

WITH HOMEMADE CURES.

Man as Twain: "DEAR MADAM,

I TRY EVERY REMEDY SENT TO ME.

I AM NOW ON NUMBER 87.

YOURS IS NUMBER 2,653.

I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO
ITS BENEFICIAL RESULTS."

Narrator: BUT HIS CONDITION
GREW STEADILY WORSE.

HE HAD TO BE DOSED WITH
MORE AND MORE MORPHINE.

"I HAD A PICTURESQUE NIGHT,"

HE TOLD A FRIEND.

"EVERY PAIN I HAD WAS ON

EXHIBITION, [AND] I AM LOSING

ENOUGH SLEEP TO SUPPLY
A WORN-OUT ARMY."

CLARA HURRIED HOME FROM
EUROPE TO BE WITH HIM.

AT HIS REQUEST, SHE SANG SOME

SCOTTISH AIRS TO COMFORT HIM.

HE GREW WEAKER, DRIFTED
OFTEN INTO SLEEP.

Man as Twain: "I CAME IN WITH

HALLEY'S COMET IN 1835.

IT IS COMING AGAIN,

AND I EXPECT TO GO OUT WITH IT.

IT WILL BE THE GREATEST
DISAPPOINTMENT OF MY LIFE

IF I DON'T GO OUT
WITH HALLEY'S COMET.

THE ALMIGHTY HAS SAID, NO DOUBT,

NOW HERE ARE THESE

TWO UNACCOUNTABLE FREAKS.

THEY CAME IN TOGETHER.

THEY MUST GO OUT TOGETHER."

Narrator: CLARA WAS WITH
HIM ON THE 21st OF APRIL.

Woman as Clara Clemens:

"HE AWOKE WITH MENTAL CLARITY

AND VIGOR, BUT NOT
INCLINED TO CONVERSE.

THEN HE DOZED OFF.

I WAS SITTING BY THE BEDSIDE

WHEN SUDDENLY HE OPENED HIS

EYES, TOOK MY HAND, AND LOOKED

STEADILY INTO MY FACE.

FAINTLY, HE MURMURED,

GOOD-BYE, DEAR, IF WE MEET.

AFTER THAT, HE SANK INTO SLEEP

THAT DEEPENED AND
POSSESSED HIM WHOLLY.

WHILE THE SUN DIMMED OUT ON

THE HORIZON, [HIS] GREAT SOUL

MELTED INTO THAT SPEECHLESS

STATE OF MAJESTY AND CALM HE HAD

SO FERVENTLY YEARNED FOR."

Narrator:

SAMUEL LANGHORNE CLEMENS
DIED PEACEFULLY AT 6:22

IN THE EVENING.

AS HE SLEPT AWAY, THE BRIGHT

GLOW OF HALLEY'S COMET COULD BE

MADE OUT JUST ABOVE THE HORIZON.

MORE THAN 3,000 MOURNERS

TURNED OUT TO SAY
GOOD-BYE TO MARK TWAIN

AT THE BRICK PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH IN NEW YORK.

THE REVEREND JOE TWICHELL--

WHO HAD PRESIDED AT CLEMENS'

WEDDING AND THE FUNERALS OF

LANGDON, SUSY, LIVY, AND JEAN--

OFFERED THE FINAL PRAYER

BEFORE THE MOURNERS SOLEMNLY

FILED PAST THE CASKET.

CLEMENS' OLD FRIEND
WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS

WAS AMONG THEM.

Man as Howells: "I LOOKED

A MOMENT AT THE FACE I KNEW

SO WELL, AND IT WAS PATIENT

WITH THE PATIENCE I HAD
SO OFTEN SEEN IN IT:

SOMETHING OF [A] PUZZLE, A GREAT

SILENT DIGNITY, AN ASSENT TO

WHAT MUST BE, FROM THE DEPTHS OF

A NATURE WHOSE TRAGICAL
SERIOUSNESS BROKE IN

THE LAUGHTER WHICH THE UNWISE

TOOK FOR THE WHOLE OF HIM.

EMERSON, LONGFELLOW, LOWELL,

HOLMES--I KNEW THEM ALL AND ALL

THE REST OF OUR SAGES, POETS,

SEERS, CRITICS, HUMORISTS.

THEY WERE LIKE ONE ANOTHER

AND LIKE OTHER LITERARY MEN.

BUT CLEMENS WAS
SOLE, INCOMPARABLE,

THE LINCOLN OF OUR LITERATURE."

Russell Banks, writer:

WHEN TWAIN DIES, THE PEOPLE

WHO LOSE SOMETHING ARE THOSE WHO

KNEW HIM PERSONALLY AND
WHO LOVED HIM PERSONALLY.

WE DIDN'T REALLY LOSE
ANYTHING WHEN HE DIED...

BECAUSE OF THIS FACT THAT

HIS WORK GOES ON ALTERING

OUR CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE WORLD.

THIS IS WHAT ANY WRITER

HOPES WILL HAPPEN--ANY WRITER

WHO'S A SERIOUS WRITER HOPES

WILL HAPPEN--IS THAT THE WORK

WILL GO ON ALTERING HUMAN

CONSCIOUSNESS INTO THE FUTURE.

YOU KNOW, HUMAN BEINGS--
WE'RE A STRANGE SPECIES.

WE'RE UNIQUE ALMOST, BUT MAINLY

INSOFAR AS WE HAVE TO LEARN

OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN

WHAT IT IS TO BE HUMAN.

WE HAVE TO BE TAUGHT SIMPLY

WHAT IT IS TO BE HUMAN.

OTHER SPECIES KNOW EXACTLY

WHAT IT IS TO BE A DOG, A
CAT, EVEN A CHIMPANZEE,

BUT WE'RE NOT DRIVEN BY
INSTINCTS TO THAT DEGREE

TO BE OURSELVES.

AND TWAIN-- WHAT ANY
GREAT WRITER DOES--

IS SHOW US, REMIND US, TEACH US

WHAT IT IS TO BE HUMAN:

THE WORST OF IT TO BE HUMAN

AND THE BEST OF IT TO BE HUMAN.

AND THIS IS THE GREAT GIFT OF

TWAIN HIMSELF IN HIS LIFETIME

AND IS THE GIFT OF HIS WORK.

THE REASON IT'S A GREAT GIFT IS

BECAUSE WE, 150 YEARS LATER OR

100 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH, ARE--

WE NEED, WE REQUIRE THAT
WORK IN ORDER TO BE TRUE

TO OUR OWN SPECIES.

Ron Powers, writer: I THINK

MARK TWAIN'S GREAT LEGACY IS

THE LEGACY OF LAUGHTER
FROM A FONT OF SORROW.

HE REALLY HAS GIVEN US
A POETRY OF LAUGHTER,

A REALLY--A HEALTHY, REIFYING,

ENSHRINING KIND OF LAUGHTER,

THE LAUGHTER THAT IS BORN OF

EXPERIENCES THAT ARE ALMOST

TOO MUCH FOR THE HUMAN
SPIRIT TO ENDURE.

Hal Holbrook, actor:

I DON'T KNOW, IT'S LIKE...
SOMEBODY...

REACHING HIS HAND OUT TO YOU...

IN COMRADESHIP, ALMOST.

SOMEBODY WHO REALLY UNDERSTANDS

WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT
TAKING YOU IN,

MAKING YOU A PARTNER
IN WHAT HE FEELS.

AND IT'S A POWERFUL
FRIENDSHIP TO HAVE, YOU KNOW?

Man as Twain: "UPON ARRIVAL

IN HEAVEN, DO NOT SPEAK

TO SAINT PETER UNTIL SPOKEN TO.

IT IS NOT YOUR PLACE TO BEGIN.

YOU CAN ASK HIM FOR HIS

AUTOGRAPH--THERE IS NO HARM IN

THAT--BUT BE CAREFUL AND DON'T

REMARK THAT IT IS ONE OF

THE PENALTIES OF GREATNESS.

HE HAS HEARD THAT BEFORE.

DON'T TRY TO KODAK HIM.

HELL IS FULL OF PEOPLE WHO
HAVE MADE THAT MISTAKE.

AND LEAVE YOUR DOG OUTSIDE.

HEAVEN GOES BY FAVOR.

IF IT WENT BY MERIT,
YOU WOULD STAY OUT

AND THE DOG WOULD GO IN."

MARK TWAIN.

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