Deosreviews

Decoding the Enigma of ‘Natural Man’ in Mark Twain’s Works by Taro Maeyashiki provides a scholarly analysis of Mark Twain’s aesthetical and metaphysical world and places it in the perspective of philosophical underpinnings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. This analysis is segmented into several informative sections of the book that addresses various aspects of this analysis.
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Maeyashiki starts with a philosophical mode of analysis of the ‘natural man’, the object which revolves around Rousseau’s thought and symbolizes simplicity, freedom and inherent justice. In this section it is shown how Twain’s characters are in possession of these ideals and have to cope with the difference between the positive impulse of the heart and the evil of society. This study highlights the notion of Twain’s discontent with modern vices, aligning with Rousseau’s pessimism regarding the advancement on people.
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The author also gives a good literary analysis explaining Twain’s characters based on manners of the ‘natural man’ to their behaviors and worldviews to their characters. The relationships depicted in the book are mostly complex, and these characters possess certain primordial moral compass that makes them compassionate and connected to nature. These aspects indicate that Twain did not fully accept the social norms and roles, and indeed, depicted them as a confinement of one’s freedom.
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Biographical perspective of Twain adds value to the process if one relates the writer’s life experiences and beliefs to the works. This section of the book adds another dimension to the reader, as a close look at Twain not only as a writer but as a philosopher with a powerful pen on many moral issues of his day, bringing one closer to the author and his work than ever before.
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In the implications section, Maeyashiki goes further to consider other issues of philosophy and morality and engages the readers in a reflection about freedom, justice and human nature. This work pressures the modern readership to think about timelessly pertinent query regarding human nature and development, thus recommending itself for discussion as an philosophical novel.