Literature Network » Mark Twain

'A Difficult Case': W.D. Howells's impression of Mark Twain.

Content courtesy of

From: Studies in Short Fiction
Date: 19940922
Author:Berkove, Lawrence I.

Writer William Dean Howells painted a literary portrait of Mark Twain for his main character in the story 'A Difficult Case.' The story revolves around an obstinate, outwardly simple yet very erudite man who challenges a young minister to return him to the Christian faith. The two men engage in a battle of intellect on the need for faith, which ends in the death of the doubter. Howells' story also owes some of its plot to Twain's 'The Man Who Corrupted Hadleyburg.'

There is little doubt today about the nature and extent of the influence of William Dean Howells on Mark Twain, but what of the ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

Other Articles on Mark Twain

About Our Articles: We've partnered with Highbeam Research to provide these article excerpts for your research needs. However, due to copyright laws, we cannot publish the whole article. To view these articles in full length you'll need to use the link above to access the free trial at Highbeam.