PersonaandHumorinMarkTwain'sEarlyWritings"BetterthananybodyelseFlorenceidentifiesandarticulatesthedynamic,willful,spontaneous,andproteanqualitiesofTwain'shumor....BrilliantlyandeloquentlythisbookdrivestotheheartofTwain'sgenius.Thoughdirectlyconcernedwithhiswritingonlyuntil1872,ithelpsustounderstandandgraspappreciativelytheTwainphenomenonatanypointortextinhiscareer."--LouisJ.BuddInPersonaandHumorinMarkTwain'sEarlyWritings,DonFlorenceexplainsthatSamuelClemensdidmorethanusetheborrowednameofMarkTwaintosignhiswritings.Healsodevelopedaseparateidentity,orpersona,becoming"aliterarypersonalityinhisownright."ChallengingmainstreamTwaincriticismonmanyfronts,FlorencefocusesexclusivelyonTwain'searlywritings.HedemonstrateshowTwainevolvedinhisearlynarrativesintothe"MarkTwain"wenowrecognize.Florencemaintainsthatthisprocesswasevolutionary:AlthoughTwainmighthavebeendependentonClemensfortheinitialexperiences,theybecomeTwain'sexperiences,necessaryforhisdevelopmentasapersona.Traditionally,criticsofTwainhavebeenpreoccupiedwithdualities,butFlorenceseesthisemphasisuponpolaritiesasanoversimplification.HearguesthatmuchofTwain'shumorstrivestoshapemoreandmoreoftheworld,givingTwainmultiplenarrativevoicesandlettinghimbeinclusive,notexclusive.Finally,thisstudyassertsthatthereismorecontinuitytoMarkTwain'scareerthanhasbeengenerallyrecognized.ManyTwainscholarshavearguedthatTwain'slaterwritingsareradicallydifferentfromhisearlierwritingsbecauseoftheiremphasisuponillusionanddream.Florencearguesthatthepreoccupationwithillusionandfantasyisscarcelynew.WhetherTwain'smoodisexuberantordark,heemphasizessubjectivityoverobjectivity,thedominanceoffantasy,thecreativepowersofhumor,andhisabilityaspersonatodeterminewhatweconsider"reality."FlorencecontendsthatTwain'searlywritingsshowMarkTwaingraduallyevolvingintoamasterfullycomicpersona.Jargon-freeandeloquentlywritten,PersonaandHumorinMarkTwain'sEarlyWritingsprovidesafascinatinglookatMarkTwain'sdevelopinggeniusandwillbeawelcomeadditiontoTwainliterature.
