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Chapter companions for The Autobiography of Mark Twain by Mark Twain.

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  1. Chapter 1

    Early Fragments

    Mark Twain reflects on the nature of biography and autobiography, arguing that a person's true life is internal—their thoughts and inner experiences—rather than their external actions and words. He suggests that biographies only capture the superficial 'clothes and buttons' of a person, not the hidden, volcanic inner world that constitutes their real history.

  2. Chapter 2

    The Autobiography of Mark Twain

    Mark Twain begins dictating his autobiography, reflecting on the nature of autobiographical writing and his motivations for sharing his life story. He discusses his early life, family background, and the influence of his childhood experiences on his later work.

  3. Chapter 3

    The Tennessee Land

    Mark Twain recounts his father's purchase of 75,000 acres of Tennessee land for about $400, a purchase that was meant to secure the family's wealth but instead became a burden. After financial ruin in the crash of 1834, the family moved to Missouri, and the land remained unsold for decades, a constant source of hope and disappointment.

  4. Chapter 4

    Early Years in Florida, Missouri

    Mark Twain describes his birthplace, the small village of Florida, Missouri, detailing its modest infrastructure, the local economy, and the cost of goods and labor in the 1830s compared to his present-day life in Hartford, Connecticut. He also recounts his father's ownership and hiring of enslaved people, providing specific wages and clothing allowances.

  5. Chapter 5

    The Grant Dictations

    Mark Twain recounts his involvement in the publication of General Grant's memoirs, describing the dictation sessions, the financial arrangements, and the personal interactions with Grant and his family during Grant's final illness.

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  1. Chapter 6The Chicago G.A.R. Festival
  2. Chapter 7Grant and the Chinese
  3. Chapter 8A Call with W. D. Howells on General Grant
  4. Chapter 9About General Grant's "Memoirs"
  5. Chapter 10Gerhardt and the Grant Bust
  6. Chapter 11The Reverend Doctor N⸺ Visits General Grant
  7. Chapter 12The Machine Episode
  8. Chapter 13Chapters Begun in Vienna
  9. Chapter 14Early Days
  10. Chapter 15Jane Lampton Clemens
  11. Chapter 16Playing "Bear"—Herrings—Jim Wolf and the Cats
  12. Chapter 17Jim Wolf and the Cats
  13. Chapter 18Macfarlane
  14. Chapter 19Old Lecture Days in Boston
  15. Chapter 20Ralph Keeler
  16. Chapter 21Beauties of the German Language
  17. Chapter 22A Viennese Procession
  18. Chapter 23Comment on Tautology and Grammar
  19. Chapter 24Private History of a Ms. That Came to Grief
  20. Chapter 25The Letter
  21. Chapter 26Chapters Added in Florence 1904
  22. Chapter 27Author's Note
  23. Chapter 28Villa Quarto
  24. Chapter 29Villa Quarto (Continued)
  25. Chapter 30A Memory of John Hay
  26. Chapter 31Notes on “Innocents Abroad”
  27. Chapter 32Stevenson, Aldrich, etc.
  28. Chapter 33Henry H. Rogers
  29. Chapter 34Henry H. Rogers (Continued)
  30. Chapter 35Interval of Two Years
  31. Chapter 36January 9, 1906
  32. Chapter 37New York, January 10, 1906
  33. Chapter 38New York, January 12, 1906
  34. Chapter 39The Prophetic Dream
  35. Chapter 40New York, January 15, 1906
  36. Chapter 41Mrs. Morris's Illness Takes a Serious Turn
  37. Chapter 42New York, January 15th, Continued
  38. Chapter 43About General Sickles
  39. Chapter 44New York, January 16th, Continued
  40. Chapter 45New York, Thursday, January 18, 1906
  41. Chapter 46About Dueling
  42. Chapter 47Mark Twain
  43. Chapter 48The Character of Man
  44. Chapter 49New York, Wednesday, January 24, 1906
  45. Chapter 50New York, Thursday, February 1, 1906
  46. Chapter 51New York, February 1, 1906
  47. Chapter 52New York, Friday, February 2, 1906
  48. Chapter 53New York, Monday, February 5, 1906
  49. Chapter 54Playing 'The Prince and the Pauper'
  50. Chapter 55Wednesday, February 7, 1906
  51. Chapter 56New York, Thursday, February 8, 1906
  52. Chapter 57New York, Friday, February 9, 1906
  53. Chapter 58New York, Monday, February 12, 1906
  54. Chapter 59New York, Tuesday, February 13, 1906
  55. Chapter 60New York, Wednesday, February 14, 1906
  56. Chapter 61New York, Thursday, February 15, 1906
  57. Chapter 62Friday, February 16, 1906
  58. Chapter 63Tuesday, February 20, 1906
  59. Chapter 64New York, Wednesday, February 21, 1906
  60. Chapter 65New York, Thursday, February 22, 1906
  61. Chapter 66Friday, February 23, 1906
  62. Chapter 67Monday, February 26, 1906
  63. Chapter 68Monday, March 5, 1906
  64. Chapter 69Tuesday, March 6, 1906
  65. Chapter 70Wednesday, March 7, 1906
  66. Chapter 71Thursday, March 8, 1906
  67. Chapter 72Friday, March 9, 1906
  68. Chapter 73Monday, March 12, 1906
  69. Chapter 74Wednesday, March 14, 1906
  70. Chapter 75Monday, March 5, 1906
  71. Chapter 76Friday, March 16, 1906
  72. Chapter 77Wednesday, March 21, 1906
  73. Chapter 78Friday, March 22, 1906
  74. Chapter 79Friday, March 23, 1906
  75. Chapter 80Monday, March 26, 1906
  76. Chapter 81Tuesday, March 27, 1906
  77. Chapter 82Wednesday, March 28, 1906
  78. Chapter 83Thursday, March 29, 1906
  79. Chapter 84Friday, March 30, 1906
  80. Chapter 85Monday, April 2, 1906
  81. Chapter 86Wednesday, April 4, 1906
  82. Chapter 87Thursday, April 5, 1906
  83. Chapter 88Orion Clemens Resumed
  84. Chapter 89Friday, April 6, 1906
  85. Chapter 90Orion Resumed
  86. Chapter 91Monday, April 9, 1906
  87. Chapter 92Tuesday, April 10, 1906
  88. Chapter 93Wednesday, April 11, 1906
  89. Chapter 94Endnotes