The Notorious Jumping Frog Of Calaveras County Summary

Analysis Of Humorous Text

Thousands of millions of people all over the world experience about the feeling of excitement when winning in either video gas or anything that one person may enjoy, and the disappointment of losing in such games or entertainments one endorses themselves in. But one peculiarly lucky person in Mark Twain's tall tale story known as Jim Smiley won all his bets, which later developed to his head and he became too boastful, and like countless others in the natural world, came to a crushing defeat. Not to mention, the story where Jim Smiley appears in “ The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” by Mark Twain is a high level comedy tall tale story. in which an unnamed narrator goes to gather information on a man known

as Leonidas Smiley, on a request from his friend, who he believes is a myth. But is instead told about a man named Jim Smiley by Simon Wheeler. This Jim Smiley, who was a notorious man in Calaveras County, betted on everything and would prepare for the bet so he never lost a bet, that is until one day he finally lost a bet on a frog race. The author of this story, Mark Twain, uses caricatures, comic situations, and hyperboles in this story to reveal his universal truth of being too prideful can lead to one's own downfall, though also being too oblivious plays a major role in determining if one wins or loses.
For instance, Twain uses numerous occurrences of caricatures in this one story, the main ones being found in Jim Smiley. In the first place, the author contains a caricature in his character Jim Smiley, who is a notorious better of Calaveras County. For example, a caricature is found when in the story when Smiley bets on the oddest thing in one instance, this happens when Smiley bets on whether a person's wife will overcome her illness or not.”Parson Walker's wife laid very sick once, for a good while, and it seemed as if they warn's going to save her[...]’Well, I’ll resk two-and-a-half she don’t anyway’ ”(687). Smiley is an exaggeration of a typical person who loves to bet. Smiley is an exaggeration of this thanks to people who love to bet will bet on plenty different odd instances, but smiley bets on even odder instances than normal hardcore betters. Also, Twain later exaggerates Smiley as a extremely hardcore better again later in the story. This appears when Smiley prepares for the occasions of him betting, this is either a dog fight, horse race, poker, or a frog race Smiley will either prepare or train the animal.” Well, thish-yer Smiley had rat terriers, and chicken cocks, and tomcats and all them kinds of things till you couldn’t rest, and you couldn’t fetch nothing for him to bet on but he’d match you.”(688). This is an exaggeration of Smiley being a extreme better since the fact that Smiley will be clever and always find a way to win one bet even if it’s something as ridiculous as betting a rat terrier and based on this Smiley might go as far as to bet his own life or put his family into debt if he had too just to match one little bit further exaggerate his character as a severe better . Furthermore, Twain also includes another caricature on Smiley. This happens when Smiley became too boastful and bragged about his frog to a stranger, which then he challenged him to race. As Smiley went off to catch a frog for the stranger, the stranger sabotage the frog with a double handful shot. “The new frog hopped off lively, but Dan’l give a heave[..]but it warn’t no use- he wouldn’t budge[...]‘Why, blame my cats if he don’t weigh five pounds!’ and turned him upside down and he bleached out a double handful shot”(689-690). Smiley in this instance is a exaggeration of a bashful and oblivious person. In this instance, Smiley was bashful due to he let all the winning acquire to his thoughts since nobody could beat him. Nevertheless, due to Smiley being bashful he became arrogant and oblivious in this part of the story, where Smiley had gotten a frog for the stranger, so they could bet was not capable of beating Dan’l, but the stranger was smart and clever, so he outsmarted Smiley, who was too oblivious to check his frog beforehand to see if the stranger did anything to it. As you can see, Twain includes caricatures in his stories to emphasize who his character are supposed to be in a humorous way. Not only does Twain include caricatures, to show that if you are too confident and not prepare you are basically doomed to fail, like in school essays or tests, and if you are too oblivious you will also fail due to you forgetting little details, in his writing. Consequently, Twain also includes comic situations, mainly situational irony in this story.
Moreover, Twain doesn’t just include caricatures in his stories, but also comic situations, such as situational irony, to create and convey his universal truth. Likewise, Smiley, who is a caricature of a inattentive better, bets on a frog race thinking he can win due to the fact of him winning every race he had betted on. To point out, Smiley owned a frog, which won all the races it was put in, became too prideful of it winning all the time challenged a stranger believing he could win the bet, but instead he loses it in utter humility.” I'll resk forty dollars that he can outjump any frog in Calaveras county. Well, I’m only a stranger here and I ain’t got no frog; but if I had a frog, I’d bet you[...] The feller took the money and started away”(689-690). This is situational irony since Smiley bets on the frog winning the race believing it will, but instead it turned out otherwise. To add on, Twain includes another comic situation in his story when the narrator goes to Simon Wheeler to find information on Leonidas Smiley but gets told about Jim Smiley instead. To clarify, the narrator is going to gather information on Leonidas Smiley on a request from a friend, after arriving at Calaveras County the narrator meets Wheeler, whom he asks about Leonidas Smiley, but instead he receives information on Jim Smiley instead of what he’s looking for.”Rev.Leonidas W. H’m Reverend Le- Well, there was a feller here once but the name of Jim Smiley”(686). This is situational irony as well due to occurrences don’t go as the narrator expected and he spent hours hearing about someone he doesn’t even need to know about. To send this off, the author uses comic situations along with caricatures to reveal his theme, but the author also includes hyperboles to go along with his caricatures to emphasize other occurrences beside his characters.
Accordingly, It’s important to realize that, the author also includes hyperboles to support and go alongside his caricatures.

For instance, a hyperbole can be found when Smiley chased the frog from his home all the way to Mexico to win a bet.” He would bet how long it would take him to get to-to wherever he was going to, and if you took him up, he would foller that straddlebug to Mexico”(686). The author includes this hyperbole to go along with the caricature of smiley being an extreme better, this is in behalf of it further conveys what Smiley would do to win a small bet. Another example is that, when Smiley train a frog he captured for three whole months. In other words, Smiley was so determined to win a frog race bet he sat there for three whole months just to train a frog to jump.” he ketched a frog one day and took him home, and said he cal’lated to educate him; and so he never done nothing for three months but set in his backyard and learn that frog to jump”(688). The author includes this hyperbole to exaggerate how determined Smiley is and how much he wants to win. This goes along with Smiley being a caricature of an extreme better who would do anything to win, even waste three months of his life just to win one or two frog races with that frog. Uniquely, the author includes hyperboles to further exaggerate his character and also to help his caricatures to further stand out so the reader can know what the character is suppose to be like in the modern

world.
Overall, in the story “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” Mark Twain uses caricatures, comic situations, and hyperboles in a humorous way to reveal his universal truth of being too prideful or oblivious can lead to one's own downfall. The author includes this to tell his audience to be alert of how far their pride may scratch, and to control this pride and not let it take over like it did with Smiley. The author also wants his audience to be aware of their surroundings and actions so it doesn’t have a horrible result like it had with Smiley.