‘Advice to Youth’ is Twain’s address to youth, to those who are on the threshold of meeting the world. For the author, the most important stage of development is youth - the stage when people, like clay, begin to cement their habits, values, and character, which will remain for the rest of their lives. Therefore, given the opportunity, he decided to share his wisdom in the form of a unique strategy for the youth to help them successfully pass this stage.
Twain’s first pearl of wisdom is to be obedient to your parents, but only when they can observe you; it helps keep them satiated and serves well in the future.
Save your time!
We can take care of your essay
- Proper editing and formatting
- Free revision, title page, and bibliography
- Flexible prices and money-back guarantee
He also talks about respecting others, but in his opinion, it should be done to a certain extent. Moreover, if someone has hurt or offended you, Twain advises you to wait for the most favorable moment to strike back, while avoiding sudden and quick reactions. Being explosive and belligerent, in his opinion, is outdated and primitive, but cunning and trickery are exactly what is needed to take revenge on people.
I really liked his idea that lies are immortal and survive even the truths of the age. However, at the same time, he speaks about the importance of being able to lie with impeccable skill, because an imperfect lie can have consequences for a young person, for example, his reputation. That is why Mark Twain advises young people not to lie and to be honest in those cases when they cannot do it flawlessly.
In his ‘Advice to Youth’ Mark Twain also talks about punctuality, emphasizing the importance of establishing a proper sleep regime and developing the habit of waking up early. The ability to teach the bird to wake up as late as possible in the morning is what he finds even more impressive because it will allow sleeping longer, at the same time boasting a disciplined person.
One more topic that Twain raises is the topic of weapons. He advises the youth to whom he addresses to stay as far as possible from dangerous weapons because, in the hands of the untrained, they can only cause destruction.
And the last advice for young people is to get involved in books and thereby replenish the stock of knowledge. The author encourages reading works on religion, spirituality, and morality, while carefully considering your choice.
Mark Twain ends his essay quite sarcastically. He predicts that once young people have fully developed their personality and character according to his advice, they will be amazed to see how much they are like the rest of the people. After all, society exists precisely on sameness and lack of uniqueness.
Stuck on your essay?
