Samuel Clemens represents a prominent American writer who used his writings as a tool to educate members of society, but who also did not plus the ability to fully understand particular events in history. . He enjoyed an advantageous life which established and intensified his literary skills. As a young boy, he lived in Hannibal, Florida, where his father was a judge and enrolled young Clemens in private school. At school he learned the basics of writing but wanted to continue his studies in literacy. After his father died, Clemens dropped out of school and apprenticed as a newspaper printer. The expertise he acquired from his master led him to join several newspapers and take up the position of editorial assistant. Once sufficiently exposed to writing, he decided to pilot riverboats, which helped him develop his famous pseudonym, Mark Twain. He continued to serve as a riverboat pilot until the American Civil War interfered with the river trade, persuading him to return to work for newspapers. Several newspapers in the United States hired Clemens as a reporter. He wrote short stories for newspapers, which brought him fame, immortalizing his pseudonym, Mark Twain. Clemens possessed the ability to discuss various topics in his works and make connections between events of the present and legends of the past. “A Connecticut Yankee in the Court of King Arthur” is a great example of how Twain connects current events to stories related to the past. Twain also possessed the ability to create fables tied to factual events with fictional characters, as demonstrated in "The Private History of a Failed Campaign." Mark Twain used both works mentioned to discuss the American Civil War, but both articles contain a different approach...... middle of paper...... danger. However, his opinion of the South quickly changed, leading Clemens to employ another literary style, one that compares past situations in history with current conflicts. In “A Connecticut Yankee…” Clemens references medieval icons such as Camelot, King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and Merlin to use them as a bridge to help ordinary people understand the American Civil War. In the tale, he connects several factors of the Civil War with the problems of medieval England, forming a simple comparison. Both approaches to writing helped American citizens understand the Civil War, but also showed southerners the error of their ways. Clemens compares the Confederacy to the corrupt government of 6th-century England. He showed the South that although he believed he was fighting for freedom, Southerners were really fighting for the right to oppress others..