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Go E a s t , Y o u n g M a n : C l a s s C o n f l i c t a n d D e g e n e r a t e M a n h o o d in M a r k T w a i n ’s E a r l y W r i t i n g s J O S E P H L . C O U L O M B E M id w a y t h r o u gh R ough in g It (1 8 7 2 ), t h e c h a r a c t e r y o u n g Sa m d e c id e s t o giv e u p m in in g an d b e gin w r it in g fo r t h e V irgin ia City T erritorial En terprise. R e fle c t in g u p o n h is n ew p o sit io n , t h e a u t h o r T w ain w r ites, “ I se cu r e d a m o r e C h r ist ia n c o st u m e a n d d isc a r d e d th e r e v o lv er . I h a d n e v e r h a d o c c a sio n t o k ill an y b o d y , n o r e v e r fe lt a d e sir e t o d o so , b u t h a d w o r n t h e t h in g in d e fe r e n c e t o p o p u la r se n t im e n t ” (2 7 4 ). T o n gu e in ch e e k , h e e x p la in s h is su p p o se d t r a n sfo r m a t io n fr o m “a r u st y - lo o k in g cit y e d it o r ” in slo u c h h a t , w o o le n sh ir t, an d st u ffe d b o o t s t o a r e p u t a b le m a n a b o u t t o w n (2 7 4 ). A sc r ib in g h is r e v o lv e r t o “p o p u la r se n t im e n t ,” T w ain in fo r m s r e ad e r s t h a t h e h a d a d o p t e d c e r ­ t a in w e st e r n at t r ib u t e s m e r e ly as a co v e r . T h e d e sc r ip t io n e m p h asiz e s h is n e w r e sp e c t a b ilit y a n d su cce ss. H o w e v e r , t h e “C h r ist ia n c o st u m e ”— as T w ain la b e le d it in 1 8 7 2 — is e x a c t ly t h a t : a c o st u m e . F r o m 1 8 6 2 t o 1 8 6 6 , w h e n T w ain w r ite s fo r N e v a d a a n d C a lifo r n ia n ew sp ap er s, h e t ar ge t s a p r e d o m in an t ly w o r k in gc la ss w...

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