Showing results by author "Mark Twain Charles Dudley Warner" in All Categories

The Gilded Age is the collaborative work of Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner that satirized the era that followed the Civil War. This period is often referred to as the “Gilded Age” because of this book. The corruption and greed that was typical of the time is exemplified through two fictional narratives: one, of the Hawkins, a poor family from Tennessee that tries to persuade the government to purchase their seventy-five thousand acres of unimproved land.

The Gilded Age A Tale of Today, co-authored by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in 1873, offers a sharp satire of the greed and political corruption that permeated post-Civil War America. The term Gilded Age, which has become synonymous with this era, derives from the title of this novel, inspired by Shakespeares King John (1595) To gild refined gold, to paint the lily... is wasteful and ridiculous excess. This phrase highlights the absurdity of embellishing something already beautiful, a fitting metaphor for the excesses of the time. The title also suggests a stark contrast between an ...

Originally published in 1873, The Gilded Age A Tale of Today stands as Mark Twains only co-authored novel, crafted alongside his close friend C.D. Warner. This collaboration ignited from a playful challenge posed by their wives. The title The Gilded Age has since become a powerful symbol of graft, materialism, and corruption in public life, themes that resonate profoundly in todays society. Twains keen observations and character-driven narratives draw from real-life events and relatives, a connection he later revealed in his 2011 Autobiography. Join us as we explore this timeless reflection of...