Horatian Rhetorical Techniques Used In Adam And Eve

Throughout the diaries of both Adam and Eve, Mark Twain uses the rhetorical techniques of well-known biblical stories, Horatian satire, and different points of view over time to convey his purpose of contradicting common gender stereotypes to his 19th century religious audience. Twain uses all for the sake of creating a credible, logical, and emotionally evoking argument for his traditional audience. Before his audience reads any of his short story, Twain’s readers recognize the all too common biblical story of Adam and Eve. By using a well-known religious story as a platform for his deeper purpose, Twain is able to establish credibility with his religious audience of the 19th century. Audience members who can understand and have a personal connection to the story of Adam and Eve are more likely to listen to Twain’s deeper critique of the gender stereotypes found within the biblical story. Specifically, Twain using common names such as “The Garden of

For example, when Adam is learning names for different objects, he uses phrases such as “WE? Where did I get that word-- the new creature uses it.” He pokes fun at the confusion Adam experiences throughout the story and also explores the idea of men’s role in society. He wants his traditional audience to see his reversed gender roles in the well-known story. By portraying Adam as a less intelligent, curious, or personable character and Eve as a strong, smart, and curious woman, he contradicts the stereotypical gender roles that his audience is familiar with. Twain wants to open his audience up to new ideas about gender through humorous takes on a traditional biblical story. Through the use of humorous and light-hearted tactics, Twain effectively disarms his audience and introduces a different take on the traditional story with reversed gender