Putting the Jump in a Frog

Paper Summary:

This paper introduces and discusses the short story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" by Mark Twain. Specifically it analyzes the dialect of the story and examines how it adds dimension and depth to the characters.

From the Paper:

"From the time Wheeler takes over the narration, Twain's tone is casual and humorous. Wheeler begins characterizing Smiley as a man who would bet on anything, even whether a preacher's wife would die or not. "Lots of the boys here has seen that Smiley, and can tell you about him. Why, it never made no difference to him--he'd bet on any thing--the dangdest feller" (Twain 1262). Already the reader has an idea about Smiley and his wagering. Wheeler's words are simple and sound uneducated, but it is clear he is shrewd and knowledgeable about many subjects; he just wants to appear simple. He sets up the scene for Smiley to teach a frog to jump, and because of his clear and affable explanations, the reader fully believes that Smiley can and will teach the frog to jump, and win yet another bet. "He got him up so in the matter of catching flies, and kept him in practice so constant, that he'd nail a fly every time as far as he could see him" (Twain 1263). The frog is smart, and the reader cannot see how this agile creature can lose any race, until a stranger with a trick up his sleeve comes to town."

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