Life on the Mississippi, Part 7.

"Life on the Mississippi, Part 7" by Mark Twain recounts journeys along the Mississippi River in the late 1800s. The story explores the culture and social life of different areas along the river, and focuses on ideas like memory, loss, and time moving forward using personal stories and local histories. The main story involves a man known as Karl Ritter who shares a story of misery and getting even with wrongdoers. Ritter recalls a terrible robbery during which his wife and child are killed, which causes him to hunt down the people responsible for years. He talks about being disguised as a fortune-teller to get close to one of the killers, eventually getting his revenge during a scary meeting. Also, the history of several towns along the Mississippi, like Napoleon and Civil War impacts are discussed. As Twain travels the river, memories and how events affect what people think and do become clear.