hroughout Roughing It, Twain’s language is mercurial as he bounces quickly back and forth between disgust and admiration, ranging from distaste for his discoveries and sights seen in California, Nevada, and Hawaii in one moment to adoration in the next. In chapter 60 of Twain’s semi-autobiographical account of his time exploring the vastness of Nevada, California, and Hawaii, he visits the bleak mining camp of Tuolumne, California and discovers the desolation the miners live in compared to the wonders the camp once was, gaining distaste for the camp. As Twain contemplates the mining camp of Tuolumne, he expresses a drab sentiment towards the torpid camp that has withered away in his eyes. However, underlying tone of reminiscence emerges out through his observations of the town, juxtaposing not only the town to its past, but also the miner’s fall from glory with the history of the ghost town. …show more content…
Despite the presence of the miners, “dead solitude” His dreary diction presents a town of desolation, save for the miners who never accepted that the “town fell into decay” and instead welcome their dim detachment from society. Each utterance of the town in the passage lends itself towards creating an image of misery. However, lying just around the edges of the bleak language are memories of luster and vivacity. Subtly, Twain pairs the dreary camp with images of a “verdant hillside” and the mining camp a, “teeming hive,” full of livelihood and allurement that once existed. Twain tells of how miners saw “the town… flourish in its pride” showing the reminiscence of what the mining camp once was in all its ephemeral glory and grandeur, yet still enveloping the brightness with