comment on theme

One of the most prevalent themes in Life on the Mississippi is the growth of America as a country, as well as the development of national and regional characteristics. Through the rise and fall of the steamship industry, Twain traces the development of a certain area of the United States. Thus, he begins his story by telling of the discovery of the Mississippi and of its early uses before giving the narrative its more personal tone. Here, we begin by seeing the Mississippi as an undiscovered resource, to be followed by a discussion of its uses for the growth of industry, as well as its mythical character in Twain's eyes. Not only does Twain discuss the steamboat as a part of his maturing, but he also shows how it allowed America to grow and develop, through trade and even during the Civil War. The two main parts of Twain's memoirs demonstrate this, as well: the lapse of twenty years in which Twain left the river and explored the rest of the world were a crucial twenty years in the development of many American cities, and here, Twain shows the reader how certain cities grew while others shrunk or even disappeared in the time since he'd last traveled. However, for the most part, the country has grown, including in the north () and developed different characteristics in its inhabitants. For example, Twain gives a lengthy description of how Minnesota has changed since he was a boy and remarks particularly on the speech.