Mark Twain: A Collection of Critical Essays

Henry Nash Smith the editor of this collection, in his essay gives an insightful look into the greatness of 'Huckleberry Finn' . He writes, "The use of Huck as a narrative persona, with the consequent elimination of the author as an intruding presence in the story, resolved the difficulties about point- of- view and style that had been so conspicuous in earlier books.But turning the story over to Huck brought into view previously unsuspected literary potentialities in the vernacular perspective, particularly the possibility of using vernacular speech for serious purposes and of transforming the vernacular narrator from a mere persona into a character with human depth." In another interesting essay Van Wyck Brooks tries to analyze the development of Twain's humor which is the aspect of his writing most appreciated by others but not necessarily valued most by himself. He focuses on the frontier life, the repressed life of the miner and fortune - seeker who needed an outlet for his suppressed goals and feelings. Brooks sees his humor as his 'chief- life saver' considering the reverses and disappointments and pressures he had in the world of business especially.