The Notorious Jumping Frog Of Calaveras Irony

An Analysis of Setting, Satire, and Symbolism Mark Twain is an acclaimed American writer for his humor and witty social criticism. Twain grew up along the Mississippi River in Hannibal, Missouri; as a result, many of his works are inspired by the river and his travels. The works of Twain are classified into the literary period of Realism. “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” is considered Twain’s first successful work. In the tall tale, a man travels to a western mining town where he is told a story of Jim Smiley, and he is depicted as a man who would make a bet on anything. However, Smiley loses a bet on how high his frog can jump because his opponent fills the frog with quail shot. In “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras …show more content…
The story is set in a “… barroom stove of the dilapidated tavern in the decayed mining camp of Angel’s…” (1285). This mining camp is located in the western part of the United States. To better comprehend the story’s setting, one must be aware of the social and geographical circumstances. The eastern part of the United States is industrialized and more formal; while the western part of the United States is an unknown frontier and boisterous. The occupants of the mining camp will primarily be uneducated, crude men. Without the setting, the roles of the refined narrator and the unpolished Simon Wheeler would not have had the same …show more content…
The dog’s name is Andrew Jackson, and the dog is described as being “…a little small bull-pup, that to look at him you’d think he warn’t worth a cent but to set around and look ornery and lay for a chance to steal something” (1286). Andrew Jackson served as the seventh president of the United States, and he is considered to be the president of the people and a war hero. The dog’s name symbolizes that he is a fighter and appealing even though he is the unlikely winner; moreover, the dog represents the true attributes of the western people. The frog is named Dan’l Webster, and Jim Smiley educates the frog by “….learn the frog to jump” (1287). Daniel Webster was never elected as president, and he is considered a respectable story teller and a foe of the common people. The frog’s name symbolizes that intelligence and being well versed does not always ensure virtuous character. However, the common frog having to cheat to beat Dan’l Webster symbolism that people from the east and west are not equal. This short story’s meaning is expanded through