logo

27 pages 54 minutes read

A True Story

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1874

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Essay Topics

1.

Content Warning: This section references racism and enslavement.

Misto C at one point restates his initial question, “[H]ow is it that you’ve never had any trouble?” (591), reframing it as, “[Y]ou can’t have had any trouble?” (591). What about Aunt Rachel makes Misto C doubt his first assumption?

2.

Mark Twain offers few details on Misto C and his family. With family a major note of Aunt Rachel’s story, why might Twain omit details of Misto C’s own family?

3.

Ernest Hemingway famously said that all American literature comes from one book: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Written nearly 20 years prior to that novel, “A True Story” features a similar setting and voice. What details of this story feel distinctly American and a precursor to Twain’s most famous work?

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 27 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,500+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools