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Mark twain character traits
The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County
One major characteristic of Mark Twain’s fiction
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Mark Twain’s “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” is an example of regionalism because Twain provides the reader with information that suggests the atmosphere of a specific area or region. Twain employs this type of literature through the description of the setting, the dialect for the region and the attitude and mannerisms of the characters. The regional area for the western setting of this short story, located in an old mining town, is revealed to the reader through short phrases and descriptions. Textual evidence to support this statement is found in the second paragraph which states, “a friend of mine, who wrote me from the east. . .” (Twain 115) shows that the narrator is from the east but must currently be somewhere out west. The narrator goes on to say that in order to find Simon Wheeler he visits a tavern which is located, “in the decayed mining camp of Angel’s. . .” (Twain 115). Another clue to support that this is a mining town is shown in the statement, “the big flume wasn't finished when he first came to the camp” (Twain …show more content…
116). A flume is a narrow channel that contains water and was used for mining (Twain 116). Additionally, Angel’s camp is probably not far from the Mexican border because when Wheeler was describing Jim Smiley to the narrator he said, “If he even see a straddle-bug start to go anywheres . . . he would foller that straddle-bug to Mexico. . .” (Twain 116). These statements support that Angel’s camp was a mining town located in a western region near Mexico and represents regionalism. Through the use of regional dialect Twain enables the reader to better understand the characters in the area. This can be seen in the text, “He was always ready and laying for a chance. . .” (Twain 116) which describes a person who is willing to bet for the chance to win something. This would be indicative of people, typically found in a mining town, that had moved west in hopes of finding a quick fortune. The dialect Twain used also helped the reader to imagine situations that would be found in this culture, such as betting on animal fights, which is illustrated in the quote, “if there was a dog-fight, he’d bet on it; if there was a cat-fight, he’d bet on it. . .” (Twain 116). The rural feel of the area was also stressed through the informal speech and southern accent unique to the people located in this area. Words such as fellow sounded like “feller” and banana was pronounced “bannanner” (Twain 116; Twain 119). Statements like, "Well, I don't see no p'ints about that frog that's any better'n any other frog," allowed the reader to comprehend how people in this region would actually speak. Twain also depicted characters in the story to have traits that were specific to folks living in this geographical area.
For example, Simon Wheeler was, “fat and bald-headed, and had an expression of winning gentleness and simplicity. . .” (Twain 115). This laid-back description was typical of folks in Angel’s Camp. Also, Twain portrayed the individuals as uneducated. This was evidenced by Wheeler’s statement that Jim Smiley, “ketched a frog one day, and took him home, and said he cal'lated to educate him” (Twain 117). Since frogs have the innate ability to jump it is rather preposterous to believe that an educated man would attempt to train a frog to jump. Another characteristic of folks in this camp was that they had a great deal of leisure time to sit and talk. This was supported by the narrator’s statement that Wheeler, “backed me into a corner . . . sat me down and reeled off the monotonous narrative. . .” (Twain
115). Describing a setting with features distinct to an area, such as those found in the Angel’s Camp, is one component of regionalism. Another significant element was Twain’s use of dialect to help the reader better understand the characters, the cultural aspects and the spoken language of the region. The behavioral characteristics Twain assigned to the characters also provided evidence to support that Twain’s story, “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” is an example of regionalism.
The story is taking place in a prairie. The first line of pg. 47 declares that. The same page is talking about a storm might be coming. I guess, there is a ocean near the prairie. On pg. 48, I found that the prairie landscape is discomforting due to the fact that it seems alive. It also talks about the farmsteads are there to intensify the situation. That same page talking about putting fire. It is taking place during winter, and may be somewhere during December. I think, the time is during the Great Depression of 1930's. In pg. 51 we found that John's farm is under mortgage. The same page tells, He works hard too much to earn some dollars. From pg. 52, I also found, he does not appoint any helper. In pg. 52, Ann remembers about their good time as well. Now, they are not having that of a easy life. They are tired by the labour. These all quotations proves that, the setting of the story is in a hill during the great depression of 1930's.
The story takes place in Annadel, a rural town seated in Justice County of southwestern West Virginia, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The author does a fantastic job bringing the reader to the setting through the story being depicted by four different characters’ self narrated stories, which effectively puts the reader in the character’s shoes. In addition, a unique trait is added, with the dialogue being written in a presumably region and period specific style southern dialect. This feature not only makes the reader feel as though they are there at that time and place, but also provides for a more interesting read. While the unique style added to the dia...
Guttmann, Allen. “Mark Twain’s Connecticut Yankee: Affirmation of the Vernacular Tradition?” in Critics on Mark Twain, pp.103-107. Edited by David B. Kesterson. Coral Gables: University of Miami Press, 1973.
One of the most distinguishable characteristics of local-color regionalism writing is the usage of authentic dialect based on the story’s setting. In Tennessee’s Partner, Harte uses this tactic best when quoting the title character. For example, when Tennessee’s Partner suddenly appears in court on behalf of his best friend, Tennessee, his words are carefully written based on how they sounded from his mouth – not on how they should be, grammatically speaking:
“The Goophered Grapevine,” written by Charles W. Chesnutt, is a perfect example of regionalism. Not only did the story take place in North Carolina specifically, but it also revolved
Mark Twain quickly rose to fame after the release of his story, “Jim Smiley and the Jumping Frog,” and he continued to make a name for himself through the release of stories such as The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Twain saw immense success and fame; he was easily recognizable and wildly popular, even to the point of being called “the greatest American humorist of his age” by the New York Times. In short, Twain was as close to being an international sensation as one could hope for in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. However, it wasn’t until the later days of his writing career that Twain became so well known. As photography was expensive and hard to come by, caricatures were the method of choice to portray celebrities. And, as
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
In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain illustrates several traits that are common in mankind. Among these traits are those that are listed in this essay. Through characters in the story Twain shows humanity's innate courageousness. He demonstrates that individuals many times lack the ability to reason well. Also, Twain displays the selfishness pervasive in society. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, many aspects of the human race are depicted, and it is for this reason that this story has been, and will remain, a classic for the ages.
In the well-received novel “Pudd’nhead Wilson,” Mark Twain skillfully addresses the ancient argument about the origin of one’s character and whether it’s derived from his nature or his surroundings. We can best see this battle between nature versus nurture by inspecting the plot lines that follow the characters Thomas a Becket Driscoll, Valet de Chambre, and Roxana the slave. Thomas was born into a wealthy white family while Roxy birthed Chambers into a life of slavery. It seemed as though each would have gone their separate ways into opposite walks of life, but Roxy secretly swapped the children, which destined each to their counterintuitive fates. Through their words and actions, Tom, Chambers, and Roxy have proven the idea that one’s behaviors and desires are a result of his upbringings and the environment he lives in rather than by his innate nature.
Mark Twain’s “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” is a short story with the lesson that what goes around comes around. In this short story, which first appeared in 1856 and his first successful story, Twain uses local customs of the time, dialect, and examples of social status in his story to create a realistic view of the region in which the story takes place. The way that the characters behave is very distinctive. Dialect is also used to give the reader a convincing impression of the setting in “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”. The social status of the main characters in this story also was something that Twain took into account in writing this story. Mark Twain is a realist who concentrates on the customs, dialect, and social status of specific regions of the country.
... is influenced my Mark Twain's interest in minstrelsy, and furthermore the stereotypical blackface characters represented in the increasingly popular minstrel shows that influenced a great deal in American society and culture, as well as created a very negative caricature of blacks during the time. Jim neglects the stereotype of the happy-go-lucky "Sambo" by running away from his master to obtain freedom, yet he also does not represent the "dandified coon," as he is fairly intelligent, selfless, and kind-hearted in all of his actions. Thus, as the growing popularity of minstrel shows continued and spread its influence among American culture, Mark Twain's depiction of Jim in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn offers a rejection of the blackface portrayals of minstrelsy.
Mark Twain, one of the most distinguished American authors in the 19th century, made his living by writing “light, humorous verse, but evolved this literature into a chronicler of the vanities, hypocrisies and murderous acts of mankind.” The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, written by Mark Twain, focuses on a narrator from the east suffering through a Westerner’s tale about a jumping frog as the author attempts to entertain the reader through its oddities in the short story, its humorous First, Mark Twain uses educated diction and obscure descriptions of Simon Wheeler in an attempt to entertain the general public reading the newspaper “The Saturday,” the newspaper where Mark Twain published his original version of his short story. To begin, Mark Twain uses the character of Jim Smiley to interest the reader and keep them hooked on the obscure personality of Mr. Smiley and his frog. Jim Smiley, a man addicted to gambling and competition, fools others through deception and false manipulations and gains the reader’s attention through his dedication to winning and competing. Through clever manipulation of words, Jim downplays the skill of his investments (his animals) and in this case, his frog, while failing to mention the skill of the frog and the months of training he put into training this particular animal.... ...
Thirdly, the setting of the story is set in Salinas, California. Ironically, the author was born in Salinas. It is the time of the Great Depression and middle-class has been hit hard. The story begins in Weed, a California mining town.
Harte ventured to California in 1854, briefly worked in mining, but later decided to become a writer. He flourished here, he said. According to Hurtado, “gold-rush stories like “The Luck of Roaring Camp” and “Outcasts of Poker Flat” were best – sellers that brought Harte to the favorable attention of eastern critics as well as western readers” (Hurtado, 137). Mark Twain ventured to California in 1861 where he continued his journalistic career. He wrote about the women’s attire.
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.