ipl-logo

Similarities Between Mark Twain And The Baron Of Grogzwig

623 Words3 Pages

Renowned writers Mark Twain and Charles Dickens bear similarities in portraying humor in their stories “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” and “The Baron of Grogzwig” respectively, although their method and execution differ in lots of ways. Twain used a small dash of satire with how he named the animals of Mr. Smiley after American politicians, drawing a caricature of prominent American symbols. Twain also utilizes the frame story form when he ends the story and we humorously learn that the long, dragged on narrative about Rev. Leonidas Smiley given by Simon Wheeler just wasted the time of the narrator. Dickens on the other hand uses a multitude of techniques and brings comical scenarios to life, a few being the silly descriptions in the narration, the slapstick-like antics of …show more content…

Dickens distributes the hilarity throughout the story and narrative, and it can get a good laugh out from the reader from time to time as they progress through it. Moreover, I found that the story sets in the mood of humor immediately in the first few paragraphs with a funny narration about the Baron. In contrast, Twain’s “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” starts out without a hint of the story’s supposed mood. Furthermore, the story’s humor rests in the situation of the narrator and the story, and for some readers, the humor may go over their heads, requiring understanding of the whole situation to let the humor sink in. It is also worth noting that if the reader doesn’t know who Daniel Webster or Andrew Jackson are, they will be indifferent to the names, not knowing that they were actually names of historical figures. Missing that point will drastically lessen the humor for the

Show More
Related

The Jumping Frog Of Calaveras County Summary

324 Words | 2 Pages

Along with the regionalistic narrators, both stories show regionalistic qualities in their themes. In “The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” the theme is cunning and cleverness. Jim Smiley shows he is cunning and clever by winning every bet he ever made. Although, after making a bet with a stranger in which he believes knows nothing about frogs, he bets him forty dollars that his frog can outjump any frog in Calaveras county, but he surprisingly doesn't win. After making the bet, the stranger claims he doesn't have a frog, so Simley leaves his frog and the forty dollars he bet behind with the stranger to go down to the swamp to fetch him a frog.

Read More

The Outcasts Of Poker Flat Compare And Contrast

832 Words | 4 Pages

In the other story the narrator has received a letter from a friend asking him to look into someone named Leonidas W. Smiley. The narrator asks an old man, Simon Wheeler, what hen knows of the name and Wheeler goes off on a completely unrelated story about another

Read More

The Celebrated Jumping Frog Of Calavers County Summary

307 Words | 2 Pages

The folktale, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”, written by Mark Twain, is about a self-centered man named Smiley who was finally tricked out of his money after winning multiple bets. Twain presented tone in a cocky and arrogant manner, helping us better understand the personality and logic of Smiley. The arrogance displayed in the tone implied that Smiley was stubborn and had an excessive amount of confidence in his actions and intuition. He spoke as if there was no need for anyones opinion and as if he could care less about the input of others. The way he incorporates the word “Anyways” into his speech provides the reader with an understanding that he disregards everything that individuals say.

Read More

Similarities Between Twain And Frederick Douglass

425 Words | 2 Pages

For example, Twain creates humor by using hyperboles and understatement, while Douglass uses no emotional words or word choice. Twain used a lighthearted yet semi-serious tone in his writing to give the best description of the story as possible. “[...] instantly a negro drayman, famous for his quick eye and prodigious voice, lifts up the cry, "S-t-e-a-mboat a-comin'!" and the scene changes!” This shows the semi-serious tone of Twain’s text.

Read More

Figurative Language In The Notorious Jumping Frog Of Calaveras Country

957 Words | 4 Pages

Twain: In “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras Country” the tone of the narrator’s relationship began on the very first page. The narrator says that he has a “lurking suspicion” that Leonidas W. Smiley is made up and that Wheeler would “bore me to death with some exasperating reminiscence of him as long and as tedious as it should be useless to me” (Twain 1285). The narrator says that Simon Wheeler’s story telling is a “monotonous narrative” with no expressions (Twain 1285). Wheeler tells a Story about a man named Jim Smiley and uses figurative language to portray imagery throughout.

Read More

Satire In A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court

471 Words | 2 Pages

Many a time I had seen a couple of boys, strangers, meet by chance, and say simultaneously, “I can lick you,” and go at it on the spot; but I always had imagined until now that that sort of thing belonged to children only, and was a sign and mark of childhood; but here were these big boobies sticking to it and taking pride in it clear up into full age and beyond. (23) The type of action that the people were engaging in was childish, and in the Yankee’s eyes, it had to be only the young doing it. To conclude, in order to get satiric effect, Mark Twain uses three tools of satire; exaggeration, parody, and

Read More

Similarities Between Twain And Frederick Douglass

241 Words | 1 Pages

Mark Twain and Frederick Douglass are both the most renowned writers of their era, but their childhoods differed considerably; Twain's Life on the Mississippi portrays him as a mischievous boy whose deepest desire is to work on a steamboat in the Mississippi River, while Douglass's Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass provides an insight into the lives of slaves in the 19th century. Twain wrote Life on the Mississippi as a memoir of his life growing up and working alongside the Mississippi River. In order to emotionally connect us to his story, Twain uses colorful imagery, like when he describes a steamboat in handsome detail. Furthermore, his portrayal of his dialect and his use of a first person point of view make the memoir trustworthy

Read More

Compare And Contrast Twain And Black Elk Immigrants

441 Words | 2 Pages

Prompt 2 Twain and Negardt both describe experiences regarding western migration and anchor their opinions on the matter using their preferred assortment of stylistic techniques. Twain uses his humor to critique aspects of western culture by demonstrating the absurdity of certain situations. Similarly, Neihardt writes using his own strategic layout of Black Elk’s transcript in order to prove the hardships faced by the Lakota. In Roughing It, Twain uses an abundance of humor to mock things he sees or did. Twain crafts his humor to be obvious so the reader can reach the same conclusion he did.

Read More

Similarities Between Huckleberry Finn And The Great Gatsby

1078 Words | 5 Pages

Authors of classic American literature often utilize a character’s development to establish a worldview or opinion. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Great Gatsby, Mark Twain and F. Scott Fitzgerald use their narrators, Huck Finn and Nick Carraway, to suggest an argument about American society. Seeking adventure, both characters embark on a journey, but their encounters with society leave them appalled. While they each have personal motives for abandoning their past, both end up interacting with different cultures that lead them to a similar decision about society and their futures. Ultimately, they stray from the dominant culture in order to escape the influence of society.

Read More

Satire And Irony In Mark Twain's A Presidential Candidate

768 Words | 4 Pages

The “greatest American humorist of his age”, Mark Twain once said, “Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself.” From Missouri to Nevada, apprentice to father of American literature, short stories to novels—Twain became the well-known author he is today because of the impact his life adventures and trial had on him (5). Author of the excerpt from A Presidential Candidate, Twain often used humor and wit to illustrate his stories and make his point known. Through his use of satire, irony, and rhetorical questions, Twain exposes the perceived truths of the Presidential campaigns and candidacies. In his excerpt, Twain uses satire to illustrate how anyone can run for President regardless of experience (14).

Read More

Similarities Between Mark Twain And Frederick Douglass

594 Words | 3 Pages

He used humor in his writing’s to lighten up the mood but also remain realistic while doing so. For example in Twain’s memoir “Life on the Mississippi” he says, “When his boat blew up at last, it diffused a tranquil contentment among us such as we had not known for months.” Here Twain is using irony to add a sense of humor in his writing. Unlike Twain, Frederick Douglass was not as humorous in his writings.

Read More

The Vernacular Language In The Notorious Jumping Frog Of Calaveras County

496 Words | 2 Pages

His choice to do this only added to the significance of this story. If someone was to tell a story of a man who was “betting on anything that turned up” (102) it would not make sense for it to be in an educated tone. Twain uses the diction that one would expect out of a man lurking in a bar with the name Simon Wheeler. Wheeler tells his story of Leonidas Smiley using words such as “feller’d” (102), “reg’lar” (102), and “thish-yer” (103). While reading this story the reader already starts to see some comedy just in Twain’s vernacular word choice.

Read More

The Celebrated Jumping Frog Of Calavers County Analysis

310 Words | 2 Pages

In the story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog Of Calaveras County” by Mark Twain, the narrator allows readers to grasp a tiny portion of how different people are from west to east coast and their different sense of humor. Mark Twain was the epitome of what people could call the “southern gentleman” , he was a courteous and well-mannered man. The author is describing the appearance of the character in which he is talking about. For example, “he is a simple man, fat and bald- headed, and had an expression of winning gentleness and simplicity upon his tranquil countenance” the author is describing how the character’s body and appearance is, but he is also talking over his expressions and how he reacts towards certain situation which would be like

Read More

Mark Twain's Cannibalism In The Cars

411 Words | 2 Pages

According to Mark Twain, humorous stories are very different from comic and witty stories. Humor adds amusement and interest in the message that is being delivered. “Cannibalism in the Cars” delivers the humorous message by using irony, satire, and syntax. The irony in the short story is in the way that the senators speak so sophisticated.

Read More

Summary Of A Room Of One's Own By Virginia Woolf

1077 Words | 5 Pages

Virginia Woolf and T. Eliot Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own What is the meaning of the title of this piece? The title of the piece is a symbol in itself. The primary point of a room of one’s own is every woman needs a room of her own, which is something that men can enjoy without question. A room of her own provides the woman with space and time to enjoy the things she wants to do such as writing.

Read More

More about Similarities Between Mark Twain And The Baron Of Grogzwig

Related Topics

Open Document