Mark Twain once said: “What is the chief end of man? - to get rich. In what way? - dishonestly if we can; honestly if we must. Who is God, the one only and true? Money is God. Gold and
greenbacks and stock – father, son and the ghost of same – three persons in one; these are the true and only God, mighty and supreme; and William Tweed is his prophet”1 Mark Twain is a man of honesty and pride who cares about the others and tries to battle corruption and greed and doesn't fear the rich and criticizes and attacks them in every possible way. This essay is going to be about Mark Twain and his political outlook in the time of the Gilded Age connected with his standpoint in
society.
How does he proceed in his battle against corruption, greed and dishonesty? Is he an active or passive man in connection with political matters? Is he a Republican or a Democrat or neither one of both? Is Mark Twain a man of the middle class or the upper class? Who are his enemies and victims? How does he present himself in society? All these questions are going to be answered in this essay.
To give a short overview and certain kind of basic knowledge of the time we are talking about and to understand Mark Twain's mindset and standpoint, this essay includes a short summary of the Gilded Age with its problems and typical characteristics. After that, we move on to the basic questions of the essay. We try to find out, if Mark Twain is a man of middle or upper class and how he deals with the topics he feels disgust against. We take a look into his political action, the way he handles topics like corruption and dishonesty in his literary writings and his battle against Tammany Hall. At the end of this essay we conclude the topics and try to sum up how far or whether the questions are answered.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Gilded Age
3. Mark Twain's political outlook during the Gilded Age
3.1 Mark Twain's position in the American social class
3.2 Mark Twain's critic on politics and society in his literary writings
3.3 Mark Twain's actions in politics
4. Conclusion
5. Works Cited
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This essay explores Mark Twain's political consciousness and social standpoint during the Gilded Age, examining how he balanced his middle-class identity with his complex relationship with the wealthy elite while actively opposing systemic corruption.
- Analysis of Mark Twain’s shifting political alignment and independent stance as a "mugwump."
- Investigation of the Gilded Age as an era of industrial growth, deep wealth inequality, and political corruption.
- Evaluation of Twain's critique of greed and hypocrisy in his literary works.
- Documentation of Twain's practical political activism, specifically his battle against Tammany Hall and local political machines.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Mark Twain's critic on politics and society in his literary writings
Mark Twain criticizes the ongoing grievances in his literary works many times. The topic of hypocrisy, for example, is discussed in the short story “The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg”. In this short story he also shows his aversion against bankers, in which the character “Banker Pinkerton” is described as a “mean, smirking, oily” man. But not only in this writing he chooses the bankers to be the villains as a part of the story. In “Making a Fortune” he chooses a lowly paid bank watchmen to be the protagonist,who robs the bank he works in out of revenge after not getting wage increase from his arrogant officals.
“The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg” is a perfect example for a society that claims to live in “the most honest and upright town in all the region”, but it is a region, in which actually everybody cares about themselves and tries to benefit from everything in every possible way. But at the hands of a stranger who brings a sack of gold - together with a written instruction of finding the man to reward the sack to him- into Hadleyburg, to the house of family Richards. At the end of the story, after everybody in Hadleyburg claims to be the right person the sack should be rewarded to, they find out that the sack is filled with nothing but lead discs and certainly everbody lied just to get the money. With this short story Twain criticizes society for being selfish, corrupt and dishonest and “that no one engaged in making or spending money can be innocent”.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces Mark Twain as a figure committed to exposing greed and corruption, setting the stage for an examination of his political and social views during the Gilded Age.
2. The Gilded Age: This section provides a contextual overview of the late 19th-century United States, highlighting the rapid industrialization, immigration, and the emergence of severe economic disparities and political machine corruption.
3. Mark Twain's political outlook during the Gilded Age: This chapter analyzes Twain's self-perception as a middle-class advocate, his complex admiration for commerce contrasted with his disdain for plutocrats, and his specific literary and political challenges against the status quo.
4. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes Twain’s lifelong commitment to fighting social injustices and assesses his unique position as a moral critic bridging the middle and upper classes.
5. Works Cited: This section lists the secondary literature and academic sources consulted for the research.
Keywords
Mark Twain, Gilded Age, Political Corruption, Social Justice, Middle Class, Tammany Hall, Mugwump, American Literature, Industrialization, Greed, Hypocrisy, Political Activism, Reform, Wealth Inequality, Capitalism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this academic paper?
The paper examines Mark Twain's political and social outlook during the era known as the Gilded Age, focusing on his personal values and his battle against societal corruption.
What are the core thematic areas discussed in the text?
Central themes include the industrialization of America, the rise of the "robber barons," political machines like Tammany Hall, and the intersection between Twain's literary critique of greed and his actual political involvement.
What is the main objective of this work?
The goal is to determine how Mark Twain reconciled his own social class identity with his vocal opposition to the corruption and moral decay of his time.
Which research methods does the author employ?
The author utilizes a qualitative analytical approach, examining secondary literature and historical accounts to contextualize Twain’s life, alongside a thematic analysis of his literary works.
What does the main body of the text cover?
It covers the historical context of the Gilded Age, an analysis of Twain's political shifts—including his support for and eventual dissociation from major political parties—and an exploration of his literary criticisms of social hypocrisy.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
The most relevant keywords are Mark Twain, Gilded Age, political corruption, Tammany Hall, social reform, and moral criticism.
How does the author define Twain's political alignment?
The author describes Twain as a complex, often volatile figure who identified with the middle class but held views that moved between liberalism and conservatism, eventually leading him to adopt the label of "mugwump."
What specific political action is mentioned regarding Tammany Hall?
The text details Twain's active campaigning and support for anti-Tammany reform groups, which were instrumental in the election of Seth Low as mayor of New York in 1901.
- Citation du texte
- Rafael Bokun (Auteur), 2013, Mark Twain & The Gilded Age. His Political Attitude and Battle against Social and Political Injustices, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/215874
