Twain needed acceptance by an overwhelmingly Christian community. Even though it’s been decades since I’ve read St. Joan or a Conn. Yankee (not to mention Letters which I finally forced myself to get through), I remember well the almost uncountable snide comments he managed to insert about the Church—notoriously, of course, the Catholic Church, but just as often Christianity as a whole. If he respected Joan, it was because of the strength of her belief ridiculous as it was. Satire? Of course. But it’s Bill Maher’s version rather than Jonathan Swift’s.
He was practically worshipped and prodigiously used by communists—Ho, in particular, who cited in On Revolution whole passages as fact, proof of the evils of American democracy and hypocrisy of Christianity.
Most importantly, though, his life with all its intentions and philosophy ended. His works survive. The words are all that’s left, and the words point to his obvious disdain for what de Tocqueville found redeeming about America.
You should read Huckleberry Finn if you think Twain hated America. Who the hell are you to attack Mark Twain? He grappled with slavery and the conscience of America for his whole life and was brilliant. He actually lived through it.
You are nothing more than a guy arguing with me. Who is smarter than you. How do you feel about that. Who the hell am I?