Mark Twain’s Writing Style

For my independent reading book I am reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer written by Mark Twain. One of the first things I noticed while reading this book is the point of view. This novel is written in third person limited omniscient, by writing it in this style, Mark Twain helps us understand not just Tom Sawyer as a character but also bits and pieces of everyone around him. Although since it is limited you do not get to know everything about everyone. However since you still get to know lots about Tom Sawyer it helps the reader develop a connection with him. You get to know more about this spunky kid ranging from his viewpoints with his life and family to little comments here and there about the newest girl that has caught his eye.

I really enjoy Mark Twain’s writing style because it’s very light hearted and fun in my opinion. Although this book is very old, it is a timeless classic however the language is extremely dated. In some parts I have read over it and then realized I have no idea what Mark Twain was trying to say causing me to have to reread lots of passages. Although there can be confusing areas due to how old this book is, I still find the book to be very enjoyable.

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  1. saranm2020 · February 5, 2019 at 1:50 am ·

    The way you point out Mark Twain’s point of view is very intriguing and makes me wonder how he envelops the reader within the book through the third person limited omniscient. I believe analyzing the point of view utilized within Sawyers writing is an interesting topic to choose because I feel that not many writers hone in on that type of topic. It would also be gripping if you highlighted/analyzed Tom Sawyer’s character and focus on his development within the story and as he continues to grow emotionally and personally. Or I enjoy the possibility of you focusing on Mark Twain’s writing style in general and I believe that will analyze much of the book and open new ideas up to the public!

  2. mattb2020 · February 8, 2019 at 1:51 pm ·

    Ellen, I like how your focus is straight to the point, but I think you should define Twain’s third person writing style a little more. For example, when you mention that Twain’s using a third person limited omniscient, you could add what exactly a third person limited omniscient view is, and it’s effect on the reader more so than what it does to the characters. Other than defining it, you should delve a little deeper and analyze Twain’s writing style a little more. Other than this, your response is great! Keep up the good work Ellen 😊
    -Matty B

  3. tlcteach · February 11, 2019 at 1:55 pm ·

    Ellen, I like how your focus is straight to the point, but I think you should define Twain’s third person writing style a little more. For example, when you mention that Twain’s using a third person limited omniscient, you could add what exactly a third person limited omniscient view is, and it’s effect on the reader more so than what it does to the characters. Other than defining it, you should delve a little deeper and analyze Twain’s writing style a little more. Other than this, your response is great! Keep up the good work Ellen 😊
    -Matty B

  4. seannr2020 · February 11, 2019 at 9:18 pm ·

    Ellen I agree with you that the novel’s narration is third person, limited omniscient, with Tom Sawyer as the central consciousness. This means that the story is told about Tom’s world and is particularly focused on him by a narrator who is able to understand the motivations and feelings of some of the characters. I think that Mark twain chooses this writing style to show how Tom sees the world. Using this viewpoint we are able to see how Tom is able to apply his wit to turn situations around him to his favor. If Mark Twain had used a different point of view such as Third person omniscient, then the reader would not be able to understand why Tom does the rebellious actions he does.

  5. pattyz2020 · February 15, 2019 at 4:44 am ·

    Ellen, I never really gave much thought into how Twain’s use of perspective impacted the story, but you have given very interesting points. It is so important that the story is not limited to only Tom’s perspective, as many characters have insight on Tom that tell us so much about how and why his character develops. Although I know it’s more of a struggle for you, I do not find the language to be too confusing. I can grasp the basic meaning of dialogue between characters, but it is only a tiny bit difficult to get a deeper understanding, and although I struggle with that with any book, it’s more so present in this book than ever.