Mark Twains Roughing It - Term Paper Example

?Mark Twain’s ‘Roughing It’ Literary critics have recognized Mark Twain’s ‘Roughing It’ as an interesting story which facilitates a charming fusion of innocence and human experience. In this narrative story, Mark Twain talks about the story of a tender shoot’s initiation into the terrific realities of Western world. The story describes the callous deflating of that tender shoot’s romantic outlook into the world. Mark Twain’s work keeps a different status from other comedies because of its specific structure. Author generates humor through perfect characterization and well structured plot. Considering its authenticity, innocent portrayal and sophisticated style, one can accept Mark Twain’s ‘Roughing It’ as a masterpiece of comedy. Reader can become aware of the elements of comedy in the language used by different characters, their manners, and attitudes. Nothing like other comedies, ‘Roughing It’ constitutes real humor from real life’s experience. In ‘Roughing It’, Twain practices literary techniques like exaggeration, understatement and anti-climax. All the way through the novel, Mark Twain ridicules the Western attitude to become rich without a serious effort from their part. In addition, author breaks the concept of false romanticism and false dignity of Western people through a series of events having autobiographical coloring. The story narrates Young Mark Twain’s journey through the Wild West during the time of 1860s. Author gives an innovative style in presenting humor through variety of literary devices such as characterization, specific dramatic monologues, and long tales. The joking tone of the story is grounded in the errors of judgment, many misfortunes, and growing mistakes that preventing the hero from acquiring his goal. Mark Twain executes his self- image as a powerful technique to explore comedy in his novel ‘Roughing It’. As a narrator, novelist himself creates circumstances which cause criticism. Luis J. Budd comments; “Besides, their impact on Twain’s self-image, as well as his income, they guided his sense of how successfully he was connecting with his public” (Budd). Through presenting some characters and their miner movements, Mark Twain promotes humor. It also endow with a variety of humor through the narrator’s experience. In Chapter II, reader can see author’s efforts to demonstrates the movements of a woman by observing “I sat by this grim Sphynx and watched her kill thirty or forty mosquitoes--watched her, and waited for her to say something, but she never did” (Twain 7-8). At this juncture, it is obvious that in real life, author and the young generation which he represents the novel often act as careless and irresponsible people. They always search for easy way to become rich. The whole journey of Mark Twain and his friends reveals instances for Mark Twain’s use of understatement. Reader can find that novelist successfully utilizes various writing techniques for his novel. In Europe, industrialization paved the way for substantial changes in social, political, cultural and economic life of the people. Rapid development in economic fields changed Europeans more ridicules and they often expose their hypocrisy. In the beginning, reader can find that the protagonist was not an educated man but his growth as an editor of a popular newspaper promotes some marvelous examples for comedy. Adventurous journey of the hero and other characters in the novel is portrayed through ironic background and it reveals the attitude of Western people towards the society and these attitudinal changes often create humor. It is noting worth that “he reveals in the West’s incongruities and ironies, confident in his ability to convert confusion into game-or at least into amusing confusion” (Florence 94). The changes in their social, cultural and economic life contributes some humorous situations in the novel and one can find some relevant examples for a great comedy in it. Analyzing the novel, it is clear that reader often fails to find verbal jocks and other comic instances in Twain’s ‘Roughing It’. In spite of these jocks, author gives complex character sketches, animal fables, tall tales and dramatic monologues. The image of Mines, American Indians, and ancient cities and streets facilitate humorous situations. The web article entitled The Innocents Abroad and ‘Roughing It’ rightly comments that “The plot is relaxed enough to accommodate some immensely funny and random character sketches, animal fables, tall tales, and dramatic monologues” (The Library of America). In addition, ‘Roughing It’ often permits the reader to think about the fact that even though, Twain’s work promotes a pleasant experience, light humor and also “Mere humor” results devastating effects. The story provides an interesting journey for its readers and it begins from tender shoot and ends in the old- timer through a series of gradually more comic episodes. Mark Twain executes narrative interruption as a major technique which promotes comedy in this work. Deviation and wanderings speckled throughout the story compose one of the more obvious aspects of author’s literary technique narrative interruption. The objective of such deviations is clearly humorous; Twain himself stated that these kind of deviations provide not only humorous situations, but also serious thoughts about their creation (Goliath). Generally, writers consume popular ways to enrich humor in their works, but Mark Twain breaks this conventional styles. Vern Crisler argues that “Nevertheless, even the literary comedians began to drop such techniques after awhile; instead they depended more on queer ways of putting things for comic effect” (Crisler). As a result of this, different from other popular comedies, ‘Roughing It’ asserts some difference in presenting comedy. Authors’ sincere approach in creating comedy through an unconventional way paved the way for severe criticism. A fatal shooting affray is occurred in a billiard saloon on C Street mentioned in chapter XLIX. The clash between Deputy Marshal Jack Williams and Wm. Brown caused the immediate death of the latter. Here, readers can simply notices that how people handle serious moments and the attitude of those people arise wonder and sarcasm. Consequently, some critics complained and made some harsh criticism against Mark Twain’s treatment of Western life in his novel. Louis J. Budd observes that “Even so, a minority of British critics would always deprecate Twain as a Yankee corrupting their language, flouting their manners and glorifying social irreverence” (Budd 9). The character of Slade, Marshal Jack Williams and Wm. Brown represents the Western people who keep false notions about human life and their follies contribute humorous situations. After reading the novel, one can easily examine that Mark Twain’s ‘Roughing It’ decorates the status of master piece in comic writing because of its sophisticated and innocent portraying. Each and every character in ‘Roughing It’ permits the readers to do a journey through the heart of Europe and its social and cultural diversity. The success of the novel is its ability to inspire its readers to find the truth behind these humors which mentioned in the story. James Melville remarks that “In a world of lies, the tall tale is the only true lie because it does not mask as the truth but moves the listener to ask what the truth is” (Cox 103). It is clear that a reader can receive this book a s masterpiece in comedy because of its innovative approach and reliable presentation. The novel bestows number of occasions which reveals the existing romantic revisions of the West. In the beginning of the novel, reader can see the comments made by the central character about his brother’s profession. Here, author permits the reader to find humor through criticism. The man says that he was young and ignorant and he felt envy towards his brother. In this Juncture, it is obvious that, Mark Twain tries to break some conventional norms about novel writing. People in the West always tried to make money without hard work and they made long journeys and explorations as a part of their searching wealth. Here, reader cannot ignore writer’s efforts to exaggerate the movements of minor characters. Author explains the state of mind of people who continue their searching for wealth. Twain underlines the fact that people never ready to spend their energy and time for better results in life. “Perhaps Twain’s anger was a result of his respect for facts after years spent as a reporter, or perhaps it was a result of Twain’s anger over the summary castration of the Wild West” (Jones 7). Even though, novelist provided some comic events, reader can simply identify the social criticism behind it. The over influence of false romanticism among the Western people often forced them to act as a person with overconfidence. In case of the protagonist, reader can find that his status had changed from the position of an uneducated fellow to the editor of a newspaper. At this point, novelist gives some examples for humor with the background of exaggeration. “His semi-official position was exchanged meanwhile for every variety of business and calling from that of editor of a miners' weekly news paper down to that of a ten-days-wild-cat millionaire” (etext.virginia.edu). His growth as a socially acceptable fellow promotes a strange experience for readers. Similarly, author introduces the character Slade in chapter X. He killed a person in his twenty six years of age and his growth as a powerful ruler is presented with some exaggerated statements. Mark Twain cleverly consumes the possibility of irony in his work through portraying the character of Slade. Reader can get an opportunity to understand the change in Slade’s character through the following comments made by the writer. Author describes that “It is said that in one Indian battle he killed three savages with his own hand, and afterward cut their ears off and sent them, with his compliments, to the chief of the tribe” (Twain Ch. X). It is significant to notice that the novel explains how Western society exploits its colonies through political, social, and economic al interference. In the end, author gives a striking anti-climax which emerges some serious humor among the mind of the readers. The inevitable fall of the hero gives sufficient answers for the questions that rose among the mind of the readers. Here, Novelist breaks the conventional success myth about Western people through the failure of the protagonist. “I could not wait for half-past seven--I wanted to face the horror, and end it--the feeling of many a man doomed to hang, no doubt” (Twain Ch. LXXVIII). His material status in the end arises some relevant thoughts about false romanticism and dignity of Western community. Conclusion In the final analysis, it is evident that Mark Twain’s ‘Roughing It’ portrays comedy in a different and sophisticated manner. Mark Twain uses the literary technique digression and wanderings for creating humor. The protagonist and his friends represent a generation which constitutes hypocrisy in life. Author criticizes the attitude of Western people who kept false beliefs in romanticism and dignity. Mark Twain uses self- image as a major literary techniques in writing comedy. Literary techniques like exaggeration, understatement and anti-climax ensure real comedy in ‘Roughing It’. Novelist exposes the danger of false romanticism which was common in Western society during the time of 1860s. Twain harshly ridicules his own generation who kept an irresponsible attitude towards life and also breaks the success myth of Western people. It’s sophisticated structure, writing techniques, language styles and social relevance of the theme forced the reader to receive this novel as a masterpiece in comedy. Works Cited Budd, Louis J. Mark Twain: The Contemporary Reviews. Cambridge University Press. 1999. Web. Nov. 27. 2011. http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam032/98038097.pdf Budd, Louis J. Mark Twain: the contemporary reviews. Cambridge University Press, 1999. Print. Cox, James M. Mark Twain: the fate of humor. Illustrated edn. University of Missouri Press, 1966. Print. Crisler, Vern. The Comedy of Mark Twain. Wordpress.com. 1997. Web. Nov. 28. 2011 http://venerable.wordpress.com/literature/mark-twain/ etext.virginia.edu. Utica Morning Herald and Gazette [unsigned]. etext.virginia.edu. Feb. 23. 1872. Web. Nov. 27. 2011. http://etext.virginia.edu/railton/roughingit/rirev04.html. Florence, Don. Persona and humor in Mark Twain's early writings. Illustrated edn. University of Missouri Press, 1995. Print. Goliath. The poetics of interruption in Mark Twain's ‘Roughing It’. The Gale Group: Cengage Learning. 2008. Nov. 27. 2011. http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-5733405/The-poetics-of-interruption-in.html. Jones, Andrew C. Exposing Romantic Folly: Comic Performance in Mark Twain’s Foreign Travel Writing. Nov. 16. 2009. Web. Nov. 27. 2011. http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1119&context=masters&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.in%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3Dis%2Btwain%2527s%2Broughing%2Bit%2Ba%2Bcomedy%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D40%26ved%3D0CF4QFjAJOB4%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fdigitalcommons.liberty.edu%252Fcgi%252Fviewcontent.cgi%253Farticle%253D1119%2526context%253Dmasters%26ei%3DTCzQTqKAAY7OrQf1ssUL%26usg%3DAFQjCNH_Mc1RaXCFbSFPBRAho0UQaNiOdw#search=%22twains%20roughing%20comedy%22 The Library of America. Mark Twain: The Innocents Abroad and ‘Roughing It’. Literary Classics of the United States, Inc. 2011. Web. Nov. 27. 2011. http://www.loa.org/volume.jsp?RequestID=84 Twain, Mark. ‘Roughing It’: Easyread Edition. ReadHowYouWant.com, 2008. Print. Twain, Mark. ‘Roughing It’. Digireads.com Publishing, 2007. Print. Read More