Mark Twain's mysterious strangers

The discussion of "the stranger as traveller" centers around Twain's five travel books. Because Twain spent a great deal of his life travelling all over the world, he many times found himself cast in the role of an outsider. As this outsider, he could objectively observe and comment on some of the illusions that people cling to. Through his recorded observations Twain himself became a "mysterious stranger" who dispelled the illusions he perceived in order "to stir up" those around him and "make them healthy."

The discussion of "the stranger as joker" centers around the "mysterious strangers'" involvement with practical jokes. It includes examples of the stranger as the butt of practical jokes and as the perpetrator of them. In The Mysterious Stranger manuscripts Twain asserts that nothing can withstand the assault of laughter, and he chides the human race for not fully utilizing this powerful weapon. Even though Twain many times denounces practical jokes, he must have recognized that their aim is to achieve laughter.

The discussion of "the stranger as a nonhuman entity" centers around various "nonhuman" spokesmen utilized by Twain. These spokesmen include the Superintendent of Dreams, an old man who claims to be a messenger from God, a man recently deceased, a dead baby, a group of animal scientists, and various groups of human beings--Negroes, Chinese, Indians-who are treated as if they were subhuman creatures. All of these nonhuman strangers are spokesmen for Twain's "condemnations of human nature" and of life in general.

The discussion of "the stranger as savior" centers around a group of strangers who offer some type of salvation to the areas which they visit. This assemblage includes a group of saviors who produce positive consequences, a group of saviors who produce negative consequences, Hank Morgan (A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court), David Wilson (Pudd'nhead Wilson), a large group of missionaries, and a large group of imperialists. In most cases, the results of these strangers' offers of salvation are more harmful than beneficial.

The discussion of "the stranger as Satan" centers around Twain's lifelong interest in Satan. It includes Twain's shorter pieces dealing with Satan, "Letters from the Earth," "The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg," and The Mysterious Stranger. In most of these works Twain uses Satan as a spokesman for his condemnations of "the damned human race." It should be noted that the Satan Twain applauds is not the traditional malcontent devoted to mankind's destruction but an idealized savior devoted to mankind's amelioration.

The recurrence of the "mysterious stranger" figure is one of the most dominant elements in Twain's writings. In most cases, these strangers are either objective outsiders who reveal illusions held dear by mankind or they are outsiders who hold information necessary for mankind's salvation. Because Twain wished to formulate his own bible, and because these strangers work for the betterment of mankind, one can conclude that they are disseminators of "The Gospel According to St. Mark."