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The Invalid's Story Literary Devices

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In the last lines of Mark Twain’s “The Invalid’s Story,” he states, “This is my last trip; I am on my way home to die” (Twain 7). Twain’s writing incorporates dialect and satire- two things which make his writing distinct from other authors. The short narrative, “The Invalid’s Story,” provides readers with a storyline about a case of mistaken identity that leads to a man’s death. Various critics label this work as holding no literary value; however, many others consider it a prime example of his frontier-style humor for which he receives most of his fame. Although the story greatly focuses on death, Twain manages to leave the readers at ease using his authentic style of humor. “The Invalid’s Story” overflows with interesting themes and literary …show more content…

In this particular case, the narrator and Thompson believe they continually talk about a corpse, which can be considered an inanimate object; however, despite what they think, the two men actually describe two other objects: a box of guns and a piece of Limburger cheese. As the men begin their journey and the plot unfolds, the gunbox and cheese acquire a life of their own, distinctly stubbornness. The expressman, Thompson, points out the fruitlessness of their efforts to conceal the fragrance after each attempt only makes it worse. Thompson notes in “The Invalid’s Story,” “He just utilizes everything we put up to modify him with, and gives it his own flavor and plays it back on us” (Twain 6). David Galens provides another example of this literary device in Short Stories for Students when he remarks, “Ultimately, the ‘corpse’- which Thompson calls by a number of civil and military ranks, another human aspect- wins out, and Thompson notes that they can not beat him, and that they will have to stay outside the train all night” (Galens 151). He makes it seem as if the “corpse” willingly releases the stench, something that a corpse- or a gunbox and a piece of cheese- simply cannot do. Thompson also alludes to the “corpse” by several different military names: Colonel, Gen’rul, Commodore, and Governor. By simply giving nicknames to the “corpse,” it assigns yet another human-like characteristic to the inanimate

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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.

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Mark Twain is particularly expressive in his autobiography, especially when describing conversations between himself and other people in his life, “'What's that?’ He says, sort of pettish,— ‘Tain't nothing but an old empty bar'l.’ ‘An empty bar'l!’ says I, ‘why,’ says I, ‘a spy-glass is a fool to your eyes. How can you tell it's an empty bar'l?’” (Twain, Chapter 3).

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Diction is a common literary device which is included in every form of writing, in the case of this essay it’s two globally recognized texts which portray the idea of death in two different ways. Throughout the duration of the book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it is evident that the author Mark Twain uses long sentences enriched with immersive detail that gets the reading deeply enticed in the story. In regards to the subject of death, Twain uses lots of imagery in the long sentences which gives the reader a clear perspective that there is a negative feel toward death. For example, “The boy jumped or the river-both of them hurt- and as they swum down the current the men run along the bank shooting at them and singing out, “Kill them,

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Mark Twain, an 18th century humorist, was known for his critical and satirical writing. In one of his most famous essays, “ Fenimore Coopers Literary Offenses” Twain addresses Coopers inability to realistically develop a “situation” and his failure to effectively back up his stories in order for them to be more plausible. To dramatically convey his unimpressed and sarcastic attitude, he applies biting diction, metaphors and hypophora throughout this work . By continuously using biting diction, Twain develops a mocking tone towards Fenimore Cooper’s incapability to create even the simplest of storylines. In the title of the work a sarcastic tone is evident; the word choice is utilized to reinforce the argument stating how Coopers work is an offense to the world of literature.

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Twain sets up the story with Wheeler backing the narrator into a corner and blockading him with his chair (101), and picturing that can add a smile to the reader’s face. Wheeler “regarded [the story] as a really important matter” (102), for Wheeler believed the story and no part of it was humorous to him. When someone is telling a story that is ridiculous, yet truly believes it, then that is actually quite humorous. Sadly for the narrator this is just the beginning; he still has to endure the telling of betting on a fighting bull pup, a dying wife, and then finally the jumping

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For instance, “That slanting mark on the water refers to a bluff reef which is going to kill somebody’s steamboat one of these nights, if it keeps on stretching out like that; those tumbling ‘boils’ show a dissolving bar and a changing channel there…that tall dead tree, with a single living branch, is not going to last long, and then how is a body ever going to get through this blind place at night without the friendly old landmark?” (44-51). Here, the reader is able to comprehend that by contemplating about the negative aspects of the river and how it would result in certain obstacles for a pilot of a steamboat, Twains initial view of the Mississippi River was ultimately diminished. Therefore, the author contemplates whether possessing knowledge about the beauty of an aspect and its true connotation truly belittles it compared to only seeing its beauty without thinking. Likewise, Twain contemplates the position of doctors relating their possible viewpoints towards a patient with his circumstances.

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Mark Twain's "A Ghost Story" is a unique and entertaining twist on the traditional ghost story genre. Through his use of satire and wit, Twain challenges conventional expectations and explores deeper themes of loneliness, superstition, and the human experience. In this essay, I will analyze "A Ghost Story" in terms of its themes, messages, and the author's intent, and I will demonstrate how Twain's use of satire serves to challenge and subvert conventional expectations of the ghost story genre. The story begins with a narrator who has taken a room in a neglected building in Manhattan. The setting of the story immediately creates a feeling of loneliness and isolation, as the narrator describes his feelings of "superstitious dread.

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Mark Twain was a prominent humorous American writer in the late 19th century who was infamous for satirizing many elements of society and writing in a vernacular that most people could understand. He believes that humor is “strictly a work of art” and that it is much subtler than comedy which “shouts [the nub] at you … every time” (Source A). Using his sense of humor, Mark Twain writes “Cannibalism in the Cars” and uses repetition and irony to achieve a humorous effect. Throughout the whole story, Twain uses repetition through anaphora and alliteration which creates suspense by emphasizing certain parts of his story to make the end seem more humorous.

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He describes how the soldier is left to die in agony, with no one to comfort him or ease his pain. Twain's description of this scene is graphic and disturbing, and it serves as a stark reminder of the harsh realities of war. Through this example, Twain shows how the idealized version of war that the townspeople believe in is far removed from the actual reality of what happens on the battlefield. Another way that Twain conveys the main idea of the story is through the use of satire. Twain's satire is aimed at the hypocrisy of the townspeople who claim to be patriotic and virtuous, but who are actually eager for war and the chance to prove their patriotism.

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This story is a scathing commentary on the tendency of Americans to self- deception. It belongs to the genus "tall tale", a kind of humorous and exaggerated story, widely used by the Americans to show off their feats and fool the gullible people of this pioneer. Twain uses an epistolary format, where the narrator writes a letter that includes storytelling. The narrator is a man of the East (which is supposed twain) who does not believe in history and considers it an absurd story.

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Mark Twain, hailed as the first professional comedic genius, proved his worth in his short story “Cannibalism in the Cars” where he exhibited his own comedic tactics as shown in his guidelines for humorous stories named “How to Tell a Story”. In “Cannibalism in the Cars”, the audience is treated to such a humorous story where Mark Twain uses a simple story in a complex form, a subtle “nub”, and prominent symbolism in order to captivate the audience and keep them grasping at his every perfectly chosen word. In his rubric on how to tell a humorous story, aptly named “How to Tell a Story”, Mark Twain expounded on the idea of the content does not matter, but the delivery and form does. Twain puts his own idea to the test in his short story “Cannibalism

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Mark Twain’s The Invalid’s Story is a story of how something bizarre can have a lasting effect on someone’s life. The story appeals to the reader’s sense of smell. The story displays as humor when in reality, it is rather tragic. The wrong decision can have serious consequences.

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“Insanity: n. mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior” (Hill). This definition describes the narrator, a sweet yet deadly man, of “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe seamlessly. (Appositive) A few prominent characteristics demonstrate the narrator’s insanity, and those include his motives, his actions, and his thoughts.

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He believes “The great fundamental principle of my life is to take any kind I can get.” By taking what he can get, Twain explores not just the political aspects and ironic situations of Presidential campaigns, but he also explores the intellectual art. After telling about his aunt’s burial under a grape vine, Twain asks, “Does that unfit me for the Presidency?” While the question is rhetorical, it forces the reader to decide if Twain is eligible for the Presidential office based on his history and odd burial practices. He also becomes defensive by questioning, “Why should I be selected as the first victim of an absurd prejudice?”

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Throughout the novel, Twain implements the notion that society’s manipulative views must be overcome by following one’s heart and having moral strength. He enforces this by using literary devices such as satire, imagery, and individual motifs. The first literary device that Twain utilizes is satire. The author satirizes society and how many “civilized” people have twisted beliefs.

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