Mark Twain and the Drama

Abstract

Q UESTIONS of literary influence probably never admit of a final satisfactory answer, but, perhaps for this very reason, they continue to attract considerable scholarly speculation in the study of most authors. Commentaries on Mark Twain have been no exception; indeed, almost every attempt to understand his art has ultimately come to some concern with the amount and quality of particular influences upon this humorist and his achievement. The frontier, his early reading, his mother and his wife, Southwest humor, and a host of others have received varying amounts of attention in proportion as they have appeared to be significant. In this critical canon, however, there seems to be an important oversight. Little attention has been given to the possible influence of the drama upon Twain and his literary development. The present study is an attempt partially to fill this gap by examining Twain's interest in the drama and discovering what possible effect it might have had. Edward Wagenknecht's opinion seems generally accepted. In his book Mark Tuain: The Man and His Work he says, Like most persons of literary bent, Mark Twain enjoyed the theater, though he was not a consistent theater-goer, and the stage was in no sense an abiding passion with him, as it was with Dickens.' There follows only a scant paragraph listing Twain's theatrical experience without suggesting that it played any role at all in his artistic achievement. On the other hand, nearly all of Twain's critics, including Mr. Wagenknecht, comment upon the theatrical element in Twain's personality-his fondness for distinctive costume, his white suits and crimson Oxford robe, his tendency to dramatize himself, and his skill in engaging his audience, public or private. There would seem to be considerable of the theatrical in the make-up of Sam Clemens, and it would be curious, indeed, if some of it were not reflected in the writing of Mark Twain.