Personal Opinions Are personal opinions made up from your own personal thoughts or are they developed from what others think or feel? The essay Corn-pone Opinions by Mark Twain, shows how corn-pone or every day opinions are formed. It was written in 1901, but was not published until after his death in 1923, in Europe and Elsewhere. The author’s main argument is that opinions are developed from conformity with what their family, neighbors, and society around them thinks. In general, people have a need for self-approval. As a very gifted writer and philosopher, Mark Twain, maintains his audience with the use of humor. He starts the essay out by saying, “You tell me whar a man gits his corn pone, en I’ll tell you what his ‘pinion is” (1). The …show more content…
Society did not like the hoopskirt at first, but Twain says, “Six months later everyone is reconciled; the fashion has established itself; it is admired, now, and no one laughs” (2). He is telling us that public opinion approved of the hoopskirt through conformity. Women especially have the need to be accepted and have the approval of other women. The hoopskirt was introduced by an empress, so the author feels if an important person introduces something new, the whole world will like it quicker than if it was introduced by an ordinary person. Twain says, “… In the first place, by the natural instinct to passively yield to that vague something recognized as authority, and in the second place by the human instinct to train with the multitude and have its approval” (3). Again, Twain is telling us society thinks in order to be accepted it has to be through …show more content…
People really do not have individual thoughts and just go along with the general opinions of others. Twain’s use of humor, rhetorical questions, everyday life examples, manners, literature, and outside influences present an effective argument for conformity. He believes that people like to imitate each other, so they can be accepted by the rest of society and agree with the public opinion. Without self-approval a person does not feel good about themselves and must always resign to be different. A person needs to conform to be a part of
When one is young they must learn from their parents how to behave. A child's parents impose society's unspoken rules in hope that one day their child will inuitivly decerne wrong from right and make decisions based on their own judgment. These moral and ethical decisions will affect one for their entire life. In Mark Twains, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck is faced with the decision of choosing to regard all he has been taught to save a friend, or listen and obey the morals that he has been raised with. In making his decision he is able to look at the situation maturely and grow to understand the moral imbalances society has. Hucks' decisions show his integrity and strength as a person to choose what his heart tells him to do, over his head.
Mark Twain’s use of humor in the story mocks and shines light on the issues of our society’s political system from back then that continue
It seems like a never-ending question. When will we ever let it rest? You know the question I'm talking about; should the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn be banned from American Literature courses? It's been argued from so many different standpoints, but it has never been settled. Is Huckleberry Finn really a controversial book?
By writing this, Twain has demonstrated a social class element found in many of his stories. He wanted to express the different types and attitudes from these different social classes. In his days, Mark was fortunate enough to provide and thrive in a corrupt society, while many could not. Many of his jobs (such as a entrepreneur and a journalist) may have exposed him to the blend of culture and wealth found in the corrupted, gilded age of the 19th century. Being emotionally locked with these unfortunate situations in society, Mark may have been compelled to incorporate this into his
“Things like morals, religion, and politics, get their following from surrounding influences and atmospheres.” (pg. 4) Twain says this to show that anything you can possibly think of, even things commonly found in everyday life stemmed from some sort of opinion. Furthermore, he asserts that self-approval is achieved mainly through public approval, which is the definition of conformity. Paragraph seven states that political emergencies create the greatest example of conformity because being in the majority means that you’ll never be in the wrong.
Conformity and the causation thereof is a common theme Mark Twain uses in his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Throughout the story the main character, Huck, enters different settings in which he is either taught how to think or left to his own devices to come to his own conclusions. He struggles to identify with the morals presented to him by society and as a result, cannot determine whether he should follow his own moralities. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain utilizes the characterization of Huck in and out of nature to demonstrate the psychological effects of nature versus nurture
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, is a novel that is read by many students in high school classes all across America every year. However, when you have a book that popular among schools, you will start to gain some controversy over it. There has been a recurring debate over the topic of banning this novel from being read in schools due to its 'offensive racial epithets' and other reasons, like poking fun at religion and challenging authority. I disagree with those who say the novel should be banned, and believe that schools should continue to read it and disregard those who say otherwise.
Mark Twain writes this essay in order to shed light onto his belief that people’s thoughts and actions are influenced by those around them. His belief that people conform to the rest of society fuels his essay. This can be seen when Twain includes his idea that “It is our nature to conform; it is a force which not many can successfully resist” (718). Twain shows that people are beginning to conform without using their own minds to process their decision.
Mississippi Twain tells us of a man with a dream. As imperfection has it this
...he refused to acquiesce to convention in his writings. Though he viciously attacked the wrongs that permeated his world, he did not solve the problems of humanity with his literature. But the vital voice of his literature is not dead, and it offers guidance for those seeking to fathom Twain's mark.
Mark Twain’s purpose in “Corn-Pone Opinions” is to inform the reader that it is human nature to conform to the rest of society. According to Twain,”self-approval is acquired mainly from the approval of other people. The result is conformity.” (Twain 720). While humans provide opinions, many of them are based from the association with others. Twain claims that it is a basic human instinct to receive approval, mostly that of others. In his essay, Furthermore, Twain is attempting to persuade the reader to stop conforming to what society wants. It is through this process that many individuals abandon their own beliefs and principles.
One device Twain uses to develop his view on conformity is repetition. While discussing man’s inability of having a self-created opinion, but rather conforming to another opinion, he uses the phrase, “he must” (Twain, 718) five separate times. By repeating those two words, Twain shows how conformity is a requirement, not an option. Instead of reasoning out personal thoughts on a subject, people conform to the majority’s belief on that subject. People base opinions off on other people, which is Twain’s main point in his essay. Later on, he uses repetition once again to discuss the common changes in manners and man’s inability to think for themselves. Twain uses the pronoun “we” (719) to include everybody in his perspective on conformity. By ranging the settings, “…table manners, and company manners, and street manners…” (719), he shows how conformity impacts every aspect of life. Also, any...
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by the pseudonym Mark Twain, has been central to American literature for over a century. His seemingly effortless diction accurately exemplified America’s southern culture. From his early experiences in journalism to his most famous fictional works, Twain has remained relevant to American writing as well as pop culture. His iconic works are timeless and have given inspiration the youth of America for decades. He distanced himself from formal writing and became one of the most celebrated humorists. Mark Twain’s use of the common vernacular set him apart from authors of his era giving his readers a sense of familiarity and emotional connection to his characters and himself.
There are certain obvious trends in society that beg interpretation. Fashions, for example. Haven't we all disliked one new fashion or another, then find ourselves starting to like it the more we see others liking it? It seems that we often accept others' opinions as our own. Why do we do that? Why are we so fickle, so easily influenced? People's tendency to esteem others' opinions as their own comes in one of two forms, both stemming from a need to conform. Either they have no opinion on the matter and so choose the most socially acceptable belief, or they do have a real understanding but also choose the most socially acceptable belief because they want approval from others.
Writers of great intelligence often have many different works for which they are famous for. Throughout life, some specific moments in one’s life can be more impactful than others when someone decides on a future career. For authors, what may seem more often than not, their works are written because of an inspiration from something that happened during the author’s lifetime. That moment could be a personal achievement, a passionate belief of theirs in history (such as slavery or woman’s suffrage), or even a devastating loss of a family member. An author’s childhood roots from where they come from can often help paint the setting in their works. Mark Twain was no exception. Mark Twain wrote many exemplary novels throughout his life, many