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Historically famous critics

Mark Twain

1835-1910 · American · 19th century

American humorist whose satire skewered racism, empire, and pious hypocrisy

Mark Twain wrapped devastating social criticism in comedy that a whole nation would read. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn exposed the cruelty of slavery and the moral cowardice behind it, while his later essays attacked American imperialism, racism, and religious hypocrisy with growing fury. He defended Black Americans, Native Americans, and the working class even as he mocked the vanity of the powerful. His gift was making readers laugh and then realize what they had been laughing at.

Essays to read on AltWoke

55 essays, full text, free. Grouped by the collection they appeared in.

Europe and Elsewhere (35)

King Leopold’s Soliloquy (1)

Wrote against

  • slavery and racism
  • American imperialism
  • religious hypocrisy
  • Gilded Age greed
  • political corruption
  • human vanity

Books

Complete bibliography. Public-domain titles link to the full text; others link out to read, borrow, or buy.

Sources

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