Ira Fistell's Mark Twain - A Lesson In Literary Analysis and Criticism - Higher Education Students, Especially, Check it Out!

All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.--Ira Fistell

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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, then, belongs squarely in the mainstream of Mark Twain’s work, which is characterized by deflation of the pompous, compassion for the oppressed, and criticism of the unjust from his earliest writings onward.

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Note on Criticism:  Since this portion of Encounters With Mark Twain consists of commentary on a number of his works, it seems relevant to begin with a statement of my views on the function of literary criticism. I do not believe that criticism should be limited to “I liked it” or “I hated it.” That sort of commentary does nobody any good and may do the author much harm. Neither do I believe in the sort of criticism which relies on the obfuscation of jargon to conceal the lack of any serious ideas. Criticism must, I think, seek to explore the work to elucidate the author’s meaning and to raise questions which may help the reader formulate his own conception of the work in question. In the case of much of Mark Twain’s work, this kind of analysis is sadly lacking. To my mind, few of the many writers on Twain’s work have really explored his structures, explained his many paradoxes, or made an honest effort to achieve a cogent synthesis of his output as a whole. Too much Twain criticism goes off on tangents; too little is based on what Twain actually wrote and published as compared with common misconceptions about his books. For example, it is generally accepted that Tom Sawyer is a boys’ adventure story, that Huckleberry Finn degenerates at the end, and that A Connecticut Yankee is a burlesque of Malory’s tales of King Arthur and represents Mark Twain’s favorable defense of nineteenth-century American institutions. None of these ideas can be supported on the internal evidence of the novels if they are read carefully and with intelligence. It is my hope that my comments will lead to critical reassessment of Mark Twain’s novels, giving them at last the great stature that they so richly merit. 

Defining Literary Terms:  In the course of my discussion of Mark Twain’s works, I will refer frequently to his use of irony and satire. These two literary tools, coupled with his use of humor, are at the core of his writing technique; his work simply cannot be understood without them. It is well, then, to define specifically the meaning of these tools, which are so important in Mark Twain’s writing. Unfortunately, I find that frequently they are used (even by scholars in English) too loosely or even incorrectly. Irony and satire are clearly defined terms which should be used carefully, not tossed haphazardly about as if they had no precise meanings. Irony is the technique of making a point by saying the exact opposite of what is really meant. One of Mark Twain’s most pointed ironies is found in the “Notice” at the beginning of Huckleberry Finn (which I will refer to at length later on). It says in part, “Persons attempting to find a plot in this book will be banished . . .” Twain’s real meaning is that the reader should be aware that there is a plot, and that he should look out for it. 

Satire should not be confused with irony. While they are frequently employed together, they are quite different. Satire is the technique of attacking or deflating a particular object through indirection. A substitute object is attacked, and the reader is left to draw the deadly parallel by inference. One of many examples of satire in Twain’s work can be found in Chapter 33 of A Connecticut Yankee titled “Sixth Century Political Economy.” The apparent object of attack is the economic situation in Arthurian England; the real object is the foes of free trade in Victorian America. In fact, the whole of the Yankee is a satire; an indirect and surprisingly bitter attack on the world of Samuel Clemens, the United States in the last decades of the nineteenth century. Arthurian England is the straw man, the object of apparent attack. America, with its similar problems and equally corrupt institutions, is the real (though indirect) object. Given these specific definitions of “irony” and “satire,” the reader will be more easily able to comprehend both Mark Twain’s work and my observations about it.

Thanks to this sample video, I have now heard the voice of my friend, Jack Savage, as well as Ira Fistell's program talking about books...

Twain themes; over-romanticism and its crippling effects; the motif of escape; the overwhelming attraction of “getting up a dramatic effect,” the torpedoing of pomposity and sentimentality; the cowardice of mobs; the duality of human nature and its capability to reach the highest level of conduct or the lowest; and the one theme which is explored most completely in Tom—the consequences of thoughtlessness. Every one of these ideas reappears and is treated in greater depth in Twain’s later writing, especially in the twin masterpieces of his maturity, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Because they are eclipsed by the electrifying adventure stories, which dominate the novel, and because they are so often merely introduced rather than explored, the presence of these themes in Tom Sawyer is easily overlooked.

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...mulling over ever since (Tom Sawyer)—the theme of conscience, its formation, and its reliability as a guide to behavior.

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An avid readers often has no idea what they might find or get into when they look at a book cover and decide to buy it... In this case, I bought the book because of the cover... I had commented on the art work on Facebook by my friend Jack Savage, a very talented writer and artist... My comment was that I thought it looked like a woman praying... Jack sent me the cover of a book on which it was used... That's how I met Ira Fistell... And that's how I came to envision the writer, Mark Twain...

Some will say that you can never know more about Mark Twain than that he wrote Tom Sawyer (but do you know that a song was created based upon his story?) and Huckleberry Finn (which was made into a movie, starring Mickey Rooney) ...and then stop. But wait,  Then you learn, for instance, that he also wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (also made into a movie with Bing Crosby...)

But, there is so much more to learn! Tom Sawyer, it is noted by Ira Fistell was really more of a memoir of his youth, intended to be read by adults, but the publisher overrode his opinion and published it as a children's story... Who was right? Probably both. As his first full-length book, Tom Sawyer, was somewhat like the cover used for the book, at least in my opinion. There is definitely a figure of an individual kneeling... But after reading this book, the many offshoots seem to represent all that was produced by this one man who was, actually, quite extraordinary, especially when, in real life, Samuel Clemens, actually was not a very good man with his money...and lost everything in a scam of those days, where Clemens was willing to continue to invest, even when another invention had already surpassed the model he was supporting...

Bottom line for me? You may learn much more about Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain than you ever wanted to know... On the other hand, this book may be just what you want to read if you enjoy reading and reviewing... and, sometimes, doing more of a critical analysis of a body of writing...

Fistell takes readers through Tom Sawyer, for what it was... An adventure story; however, if you "really" read it, you will discover that Sawyer was touching on many issues of the day that had began to bother him, including slavery... and the Society of those living then. The book moves deeply into the stories, pointing out how the writer would move back to those major issues that were given only minor attention in Tom Sawyer, but were covered in later stories and books.

Fistell breaks the book down into three parts:

• Encounters of the First Kind: Mark and Me
• Encounters of the First Kind: Reading Mark Twain's Major Novels
• Encounters of the Second Kind: Following the Leader

I found I got a little confused until I honed in on these three sections more carefully. The process seems sound for presentation. But it does result in some repetition. However, considering what this writers was attempting to do, that can easily be understood. In fact, if I were younger, I think I might try to copy his entire process, although I in no way consider myself capable of a critical analysis as undertaken in this book. One of the reviewers on Amazon said it first: Read all of the works of Mark Twain before you read this book... I found not having done this was a problem in fully capturing the value of this comprehensive work. While I was able to grasp what was being said because of my knowledge from years past of the overall storylines, I know there is much more than I was able to grasp without a fresh read of at least the top three books mentioned.

On the other hand, I feel quite confident in pointing out that this book could very well be (1) the beginning thought process for students working on degrees in English Literature (2) any higher education students who need to develop critical thinking skills. And, possibly, also of benefit to (3) history students who are looking for works related to a certain period of time in America and writers who were presenting thoughts, satire, and the use of irony in talking about the social lives during the periods covered by Twain.

I think what I enjoyed most was the last part of the book as Fistell conducts onsite visits spotlighting this well-known early American author. The author wrote like he is talking about a friend of his, thinking about what he is feeling and what his friend might have seen. It was quite easy to see that Ira Fistell totally enjoyed the monumental time that must have been involved in submerging himself into the life of another, in order to comprehend and share his findings with others, even to include a historical perspective of the surrounding geographical areas...

Kudos to Fistell for this exceptional analysis...

GABixlerReviews

Former KABC Talk Radio Host Ira Fistell has died at the age of 81, his family said. Fistell was at KABC radio from 1977-95; KKGO/KNNS, 1996-98; KRLA, 1999-2000; KABC, 2000-06. He was at times, a newspaper editor, adult education educator, newswriter, radio and tv personality, lecturer and writer. Fistell grew up fascinated by the radio industry and as a child enjoyed pretending to be on the radio. Coupled with his affinity for reading, he found that in college he could combine his interests and hone them in the field of broadcasting. After earning an AB from the University of Chicago with honors in 1962, he earned a JD from the institution in 1964. Ira continued his journey with learning by earning a Master of Arts in the United States and American history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1967. Though he earned a law degree, his true passion aligned with broadcast, and in 1968, he joined WKOW-Madison, Wisconsin as a radio personality. He went on to be an on-air radio personality at WEMP-AM in Madison from 1971 to 1977 and then KABC. In addition to these roles, Ira was a national radio personality with the TalkAmerica Radio Network from 1998 to 2001 and an editor for the LA Jewish News from 1995 to 1996. He's been a faculty member at the University of Phoenix and as an English instructor for Concord Prep High School. Re-examining Twain's work, Clemens' life, Jonathan Kirsch wrote in July 2012. "Ira Fistell is a familiar and even beloved figure in the Los Angeles radio market, where he long served as an exceptionally amiable, thoughtful and well-informed talk-show host on subjects ranging from politics and religion to vintage trains and Mississippi steamboats. Along with Dennis Prager, he was a host of \"Religion on the Line,\" a Sunday evening colloquy that brought clergy of various faiths together and proved that theological shoptalk could be compelling to a general audience."