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Mark Twain

Dark, Depressive Streak

Twain's humor is always colored by the knowledge that horrible things can happen in life.

Aired 01/06/2012 | Rating NR

FromKen Burns

Mark Twain

Dark, Depressive Streak

Clip: Season 1 | 57sVideo has Closed Captions

Twain's humor is always colored by the knowledge that horrible things can happen in life.

Mark Twain's humor is always colored by the knowledge that horrible things can happen in life. The element gave depth to his work.

Aired 01/06/2012 | Rating NR

FromKen Burns

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Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback

Funding provided by General Motors Corporation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Connecticut Office of Tourism, CPB, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, Park Foundation

When Samuel Clemens Became Mark Twain

Video has Closed Captions

Clip: S1 | 53s | Sam Clemens decided to take on a new name: Mark Twain. (53s)

Huckleberry Finn

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Clip: S1 | 1m 21s | Huckleberry Finn is Mark Twain's masterpiece (1m 21s)

Triumph Through Tragedy

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Clip: S1 | 37s | Twain rallies through personal tragedies (37s)

Sage

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Clip: S1 | 43s | Twain was the sage of the country, everyone wanted a quote from him. (43s)

Problem of Race

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Clip: S1 | 27s | Twain knew for America to be great, race had to be discussed. (27s)

The Mississippi River

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Clip: S1 | 18s | The Mississippi River was a sacred place for Twain. (18s)

The Master of the Pause

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Clip: S1 | 1m 11s | Twain was a genius of the stage, where he use silence to his advantage. (1m 11s)

Mark Twain Goes Abroad

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Clip: S1 | 26s | Twain traveled abroad with the idea that America is the center of the universe, not Europe (26s)

Innocents Abroad

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Clip: S1 | 1m 4s | Innocents Abroad was a subscription book. (1m 4s)

Inclusion

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Clip: S1 | 33s | Twain always included himself in all his human ridicule. (33s)

Hartford House

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Clip: S1 | 47s | Twain wanted to be rustic and a rebel, but also wealthy and successful. (47s)

Hannibal, MO

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Clip: S1 | 38s | The idea of Place formed Mark Twain. (38s)

Dark, Depressive Streak

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Clip: S1 | 57s | Twain's humor is always colored by the knowledge that horrible things can happen in life. (57s)

Aren't we Funny Animals?

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Clip: S1 | 59s | Hal Holbrook discusses how Twain's writing makes him feel. (59s)

The Anguish Underneath the Man

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Clip: S1 | 51s | Under the boasting of Mark Twain was a great suffering. (51s)

American Speech

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Clip: S1 | 24s | Twain made American speech something to be admired. (24s)

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Funding provided by General Motors Corporation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Connecticut Office of Tourism, CPB, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, Park Foundation

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