The Tremors Of The Earthquake Mark Twain Analysis

When in danger people tend to peel back there persona.There carefully crafted personality like an ornate statue shattering under pressure. Can that idea be taken to its logical extreme? Can a situation put someone under enough stress that they are left with nothing but their instincts? Mark Twain hypothesis that it can and in his writing attempts to show that an earthquake is the perfect situation. Set the scene on San Francisco where an average day turns to carnage in front of Mark Twain’s very eyes.

Mark Twain is doubtlessly a writer who often comes off as comedic to show his point. Make no mistake when Mark Twain makes a joke it is not the best idea to take it at face value. When describing the events which surrounded the tremors of San

Mark Twain is an experienced writer and knows that when one writes the words are a tool not only to craft a story with their simple meaning but can evoke something simply by the way they are structured. If someone were to expect the worst of Mark Twain and his writing they may say that his story on the earthquake becomes unfocused as it goes on and no longer narrates his experience in an order like the first half. They would emphasis that his narration becomes scattered as he lists these so called “Curiosities” of the earthquake with no obvious structure which in any way fits the first half. In his writing Mark Twain outlines the start of the fabled day of the “‘great’ earthquake.” as though the earthquake is the last thing he expects to occur. And why shouldn’t he “it was just afternoon, on a bright october day.” hardly the setting for such an event. Before and as the earthquake occurs the writing plays out on a classical narrative structure, events stay in order and constantly relate back to Mark Twain. But as the city crumbles around Mark Twain so does the prior structure of the essay. No longer does he refer to himself but goes from event to event with seemingly little care to how they are connected. Before judging any further take a step back. If a person were to find themselves in a disaster how would they process it? Before it occurred it would be likely to play out similar to the thoughts of any other day. And even as it begins one may hold together there composure but soon it is likely to fall apart. What they take in may become scattered, the proper way of thinking falls apart. The structure of the writing does not have a loss of focus in the sense that the author himself loses focus well writing but in the author losing focus during the event itself. And when proper thought falls apart what is left? Instinct. Throughout the latter half of the writing Mark Twain does not once