Throughout the years, pen names have been used often and for various reasons. Historically, authors have used pen names to hide their identity or gender. Others might have used their pen names to take on a new persona entirely. More recently and with the changing times, pen names have been used more so to break out of a genre or to experiment with something new and unexpected. In this lesson, students will analyze the history and reasoning behind pen names, compare Samuel Clemens to his pen name, Mark Twain, and examine why Twain would take a pen name.

Students will aim to:

• Determine the reasoning behind the choosing of the pen name Mark Twain.
• Recognize the differences between Samuel Clemens and his pen name, Mark Twain.
• Analyze the differences in his personality and the reasons behind those differences.

About the Author:

Alexis Nelson is a middle school English and Reading teacher and has been in the education field for nearly ten years. Currently, she is designing English curriculum, developing and revising educational materials, and is involved in several other educational endeavors. She has resided in South Florida for her entire life.