The Autobiography of Mark Twain · Chapter
Tuesday, March 27, 1906 explained
Twain reflects on his time in Nevada with Higbie, who supported him while he lived as a gentleman of leisure.
What happens
Twain reflects on his time in Nevada with Higbie, who supported him while he lived as a gentleman of leisure. He then recounts his scheme for getting a job without a letter of introduction, which he successfully tested on a young man in St. Louis and later on his nephew, Samuel E. Moffett, detailing Moffett's rise from menial labor to a high-salaried editorial position.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak of Twain's moral out…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Character and Morality
Twain's scheme tests character, emphasizing humility, patience, and the moral value of proving oneself through work rather than relying on connections.
- The American Experience
The narrative of self-made success through ingenuity and perseverance reflects the American Dream, as Moffett rises from sweeping floors to a high salary.
Characters to notice
- Mark Twain
Narrates his past in Nevada and his scheme for securing employment without letters of introduction.
- C. H. Higbie
Twain's companion in Nevada who supported him financially; Twain parted from him in 1862-63 and never saw him again.
- Samuel E. Moffett
Twain's nephew who successfully followed Twain's job scheme, rising from menial work to editorial positions at the Examiner and later Collier's Weekly.
Key passages
“Higbie supported me handsomely, never once complained of it, never once suggested that I go out and try for a job at no wages and keep myself.”
Higbie generously provided for Twain without complaint or pressure for him to find work.
Highlights Higbie's generosity and Twain's leisurely lifestyle in Nevada.
“I wrote him and said I would get him a place on any newspaper in St. Louis; he could choose the one he preferred, but he must promise me to faithfully follow out the instructions which I should give him.”
Twain offered to help the young man get a job at any St. Louis newspaper, on the condition that he follow Twain's specific instructions.
Introduces Twain's scheme for securing employment without letters of introduction.
“He followed the instructions strictly. He went to work in the Examiner, a property of William R. Hearst. He cleaned out the editorial rooms and carried on the customary drudgeries required by my scheme.”
Moffett obeyed Twain's instructions exactly, starting at the Examiner by performing menial tasks like cleaning.
Describes Moffett's initial humble role in implementing Twain's scheme.
