A True story by Mark Twain is a short story that was posted in the Atlantic newspaper in 1874 , after the civil war. After the civil war many African - American become servants instead of slaves. The story illustrates the toll that slavery took on families , particularly on mothers whose children were snatched away from them.


The story begins by introducing " Aunt Rachel " a sixty year old ' coloured ' servant who is described as  "cheerful heartly soul " . The narrator identified only as ' Misto C.. '.
Aunt Rachel a servant aged about sixty , who seemed to be very happy , when asked how she could have lived so long with no trouble . She began a brief account of her life.

Her mother was born a slave in Maryland and she herself was raised in Virginia , where she married and seven children. Her mistress decide to sell the slaves. They were sent to a slave market in Richmond . Where Aunt Rachel separated from her husband and children. She becomes slave in Newborn , where she was the cook until the civil war end and the union soldiers invaded the town. She became a cook for the soldiers until her son Henry foifo her. As he had said before he was sold and separated from her.

Some literary devices Mark Twain used in this story are tone and flashback . Twain used tone by giving aunt Rachel an upbeat attitude and personality . Rachel had a flashback of every event that happened during the time.
Story connecting with history about slavery. This story has a strong illustration of mother's love for her children.

Mark Twain ' s  ' A true story '' is an interesting approach to the first person  narrator that contributes and elelavat the story as a whole . The story begins with first person from the point of view of Misto C. But then  transitions to the first person point of view of Aunt Rachel.