The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County - Analysis

The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County is quite a change of pace from our usual stories during the realism literary period. The story is what is known as a "frame story," where the narrative begins and then another story is "framed" inside it (Bloom). The story begins with the narrator of the tale going to meet a man by the name of Simon Wheeler (Bloom). When the two men meet, a mix up with the name of a past friend gets the narrator telling a story about a man named Jim Smiley (Twain). Smiley was a man who had a gambling problem, but it always seemed to work out perfectly. Smiley was able to gamble on horses, dogs and chickens, and he always won the bets. One day, Smiley caught a frog, and for three months, he dedicated himself to training the frog to jump (Twain). Once again, Smiley was very successful with the bets he placed on his frog, and even named him Dan'l Webster (Twain). One day, a stranger came to the mining camp that Smiley lived on and challenged Dan'l Webster to a jumping contest. He bet that there was a frog in the county that could out jump Dan'l Webster. Since the stranger didn't have a frog, Smiley placed the $40 wager down and went to find a frog to compete with. While Smiley was gone, the stranger filled the frog with lead, and when Smiley returned, Dan'l Webster didn't jump at all. The stranger took his money and left, and Smiley then realized that his frog was full of bird shot (Twain). The narrative inside the narrative ends with Smiley running after the stranger, full of anger.

This story seems to be a stray away from realism writing simply because of the silly subject matter. Upon further investigation, however, the story is based on a similar event that occurred at a mining camp in 1865 (Rasmussen). Realism writing tells the story of events that actually occurred, which is why this story is closely related to realism writing.




Bloom, Harold, ed. "'The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County'." Mark Twain, Bloom's Major Short Story Writers. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 1998. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= BMSSMT03&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 29, 2012).


Rasmussen, R. Kent. "'The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County'." Critical Companion to Mark Twain: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007.Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CCMT0347&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 29, 2012).


Twain, Mark."The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009.498-502. Print.

The Red Badge of Courage - Analysis

Realism was a style of writing that became prominent after the Civil War, in the period of 1865 to the mid 1890's (Barney). Realism writing has the distinct characteristic that it depicts events in time as they literally happened, not as an author wanted them to happen (Werlock). Realist writers experimented with setting, points of view and symbols to create stories that accurately described the world they were living in (Werlock). While the object of realist writers was to depict the world around them in a very accurate way, they wrote about events through their perspective of them, not purposely changing details but writing them from their influence (Maunder). A famous realism writer was Stephen Crane, who wrote The Red Badge of Courage. The story depicts a specific Civil War battle, even though it was never named, and is told from the perspective of Henry Fleming, a Union Soldier (Smith). As he entered the war, he soon realized that it was not as glamorous as the stories that he had read (Smith). The Red Badge of Courage is an example of Realism writing for many reasons. The author wrote the story from the view point of Henry Fleming, who discovered the hardships of the war. Realist writers wrote about the world around them with only their own influence, which was prominent through out this story. To some, the novel can be seen as the story of a boy becoming a man through out the war experience (Hafer). Perspective is a large part of realism writing which is why this story is filled with irony. The badge that Henry received was not a badge of courage, but a badge of shame that he received after being struck by one of his own comrades in battle (Hafer). Henry also only depicts courageous acts when he is not feeling well. He only stays in battle when he isn't completely aware of his surroundings, which shows that he really isn't a courageous person. Realism writing is only seen through the eyes of the beholder, and while realism writing is supposed to depict life events in an unbiased way, The Red Badge of Courage can be read from a very different point of view.




Barney, Brett, and Lisa Paddock, eds. "realism." Encyclopedia of American Literature: The Age of Romanticism and Realism, 1816–1895, vol. 2, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= EAmL0738&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 27, 2012).


Maunder, Andrew. "realism." Facts On File Companion to the British Short Story. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CBSS456&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 27, 2012).


Smith, Joyce. "The Red Badge of Courage." McClinton-Temple, Jennifer ed. Encyclopedia of Themes in Literature. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2011. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= ETL0268&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 27, 2012).


Werlock, Abby H. P. "realism." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= Gamshrtsty0575&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 27, 2012).

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge - Analysis

"An Occurrence at Owl Creek" was a very interesting story by Ambrose Bierce, who was a Civil War veteran. He was wounded in battle and after his injury, he went to California to study (Bierce 387). His war experiences helped him to

The Story of an Hour - Analysis

"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin was a very feminist influenced story. The story began with the introduction of Mrs. Mallard as a very unstable woman who had heart issues (Chopin 554). Her husband had just died in a train accident, and her sister was the one to tell her the news. As soon as she heard, she wept profusely in her room (Chopin 554). She spent a great deal of time sitting, slumped in her chair thinking back on the fact that she was alone (Chopin 554). Suddenly, a thought rushed into her head, and she realized she was free. She muttered under her breath "free, free, free!" (Chopin 554). She realize that she was no longer under the control of her husband. She did acknowledge that she would be sad again when she was forced to see his dead body at his grave, but she knew that she would spend the rest of her life in happiness (Chopin 555). Mrs. Mallard wouldn't ever have a man to control her. The story ended with Mrs. Mallard opening the front door, to reveal her husband, unharmed from the accident that he was not even near (Chopin 555). She then died from what the doctor claimed to be "the joy that kills" (Chopin 555).

This story is a true reflection of women's rights during the time period. Even though is was perceived that Mrs. Mallard died from the joy she felt from seeing her husband again, there is another take on the event. She actually died from the shock of seeing her husband again, but not in happiness. She was so ecstatic that she would be able to be a free and powerful woman, and the thought of her husband being back in her life caused her to die. Since she was a powerful woman, she would rather die than give up her freedom as a woman. Chopin translated her ideas as a feminist into her story "The Story of an Hour."


Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 551- 555. Print.

A Wagner Matinee - Analysis

Willa Cather's writing style was very obviously influenced by transcendentalist period philosophers. Her short story "A Wagner Matinee" takes place mostly in Boston. The narrator Clark became in charge of looking after his aunt when she came into town for a legal matter. Many years before, she left the Boston Conservatory, where she was a teacher, to get married and move to Nebraska. Since then, she had never been 50 miles from her farm. Aunt Georgiana had always been nice to Clark, and he remembered that from his childhood, so he decided to take her to a concert because of her past love for music. At the concert, Aunt Georgiana was moved by the music. She was reminded of the love that she once had with music, and it was almost like an "out of body experience" (Werlock).

Emerson and Thoreau were both known as very prominent transcendentalist philosophers during their lives. Breaking the story down into very simple aspects, even the name "Georgiana" is a form of the name "George," which is derived from a Greek word meaning "farmer" as well as "worker of the earth" (Werlock). Transcendentalists were known for their connection with nature, tying the simple name of the character into the influences of the author. Aunt Georgiana also left her job as a teacher at the Boston Conservatory to move out to a rural farm, yet another connection to nature as well as transcendentalist influence. Cather used nature to help set up the contrast in her story. Just like the music that Clark and Aunt Georgiana listened to at the concert, the contrasting landscapes of Nebraska and Boston helped to shape the contrast in the plot of the story (Werlock). Cather, along with her family, moved to Nebraska as well when she was nine years old. Her story may have come from her personal experiences in the move. The conflict between the opposing scenery in the different areas of the nation (rural and urban) were a major point in many of her stories, especially in "A Wagner Matinee."


Willa, Cather. “A Wagner Matinée.” Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 521-526. Print.


Werlock, Abby H. P. "'A Wagner Matinée'." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CASS846&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 21, 2012).

Letter to his Family - Analysis

And Ain't a Woman - Analysis

Sojourner Truth was a very well known prowoman spokes person from the mid nineteenth century. She was invited to speak at the Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York in 1851 (Truth 369). She chose not to prepare her speech ahead of time, and she was a strong voice for women everywhere.

Her speech began by saying that between the slaves in the South and the women in the North, the white man, who is responsible for creating the laws concerning civil rights, will soon be "in a fix" (Truth 370). She was saying that soon, the government would have to make decisions about the rights of both women and slaves (Truth 370). Sojourner's main point was that people treated the slaves very differently than free people, including women. She repeated through out her speech the phrase "and ain't I a woman?" (Truth 370). She made a valid point, saying that even though she is a woman, she is not treated the same as other women because she is a slave. She also brought religion into her speech, saying that God must have come from a woman in the beginning, so women should be equal to men.

One of Ralph Waldo Emerson's accomplishments in his life was his speech that he gave at a women's rights convention in Boston on September 20, 1855 (Wayne). While he believed that group efforts usually hindered progress with reforms and thought that it should begin on a personal level (Wayne), he did speak at the convention. Emerson was also known for writing his essay Self-Reliance. The title implies that people need to rely on themselves more often. In Truth's speech, she claimed that "women need to be helped into carriages" (Truth 370). She wanted to push for women to rely on themselves, much like the philosophy of Emerson. He never specifically spoke out against the unfair treatment of women, but he was encouraged to speak about his philosophies on the "feminine genius" as well as the woman's "right to individuality" (Wayne).

Wayne, Tiffany K. "'Address at the Woman's Rights Convention'." Encyclopedia of Transcendentalism. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= ETRA002&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 15, 2012).

Truth, Sojourner. "And Ain‘t I a Woman?." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 368-370. Print.

Three Spirituals - Analysis

"Swing Low Sweet Chariot," "Go Down Moses" and "Keep Your Hand on the Plow" are all three African American spiritual songs. The songs were all from the time period before the Civil War, where the African Americans were enslaved. The songs were spread by word of mouth, so no author is specifically cited ("Three Spirituals" 344). The spirituals incorporated religious aspects, such as "the text of Christian hymns" ("Three Spirituals 344). The main purpose of the spiritual songs was to hide a hidden message in the lyrics.

"Swing Low Sweet Chariot" refers to the freedom of the slaves. It uses a biblical representation to hide the meaning from the slave masters. The poem contains a line that reads "I looked over Jordan and what did I see" ("Swing Low" 346). That line refers to the enslaved Jews, in the Bible, crossing the Jordan River on their way to freedom. The enslaved Africans were peering into the North in search of their freedom. Since Thoreau and Emerson were both transcendentalists, it is obvious that they were influences to the author(s) of the song. Transcendentalism includes a "belief in the presence of God in nature" (Quinn). This song relates religion into the lives of the enslaved Africans in their search for freedom. "Go Down, Moses" is once again another reference to the Bible, comparing the enslaved African Americans to the enslaved Hebrews. The line "Let my people go" is repeated many times throughout the song ("Go Down" 347). Thoreau believed that the people had a right to speak out against the government in times of unjust ruling, such as slavery. He voiced his opinions in his essay "Civil Disobedience." The song would have been written by a person who thought that the unjust government needed to be stopped. "Keep Your Hand on the Plow" is a song that tells the slaves to hold on and keep their faith, and that their freedom will come soon ("Keep" 348). The biblical reference refers to two apostles that were imprisoned and God sent an earthquake to set them free ("Keep" 348). Thoreau found himself in jail and was set free by another person in his essay "Civil Disobedience."

"Go Down, Moses." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 347. Print.

"Keep Your Hands on the Plow." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 348. Print.

"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 6. Print.

"Three Spirituals." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 344-345. Print.


Harding, Walter. A Thoreau Handbook by Walter Harding: pp. 131-173 (New York University Press, 1959). © 1959 by New York University Press. Quoted as "Thoreau's Ideas" in Harold Bloom, ed. Henry David Thoreau, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003.Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= BCHDT05&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 10, 2012).

Cavalry Crossing a Ford - Analysis

Walt Whitman's poem "Cavalry Crossing a Ford" is his perspective of the Civil War. Whitman was a nurse, and he cared for both Union and Confederate soldiers during the battles (Whitman 340). The poem is written in with a very free rhyme scheme. That characteristic can closely relate to the very free ideas that are associated with Transcendentalism. Ralph Waldo Emerson was a very well known Transcendentalist who influenced many writers. Whitman was first inspired by Emerson to become a poet after he read in one of Emerson's essays that "the perfect poet has a new thought; he has a whole new experience to unfold" (Whitman 340). The poem does tell of a Civil War battle, but he does not describe any fighting. Whitman's poem describes a "silvery river" as well as "a line in long array where they wind betwixt green islands" (Whitman 341). Whitman shared Transcendentalist views with Thoreau. Both men had a strong belief in the power of an individual. Thoreau believed that "there are, for Thoreau, only individuals" (Harding). The poem described the soldiers as "each person a picture, the negligent rest on the saddles" (Whitman 341). Whitman wrote about the importance of the individual in the civil war battle. Even though the soldiers knew they were going into a battle where men would die. Emerson was searching for an ideal poet, and Whitman was definitely that poet. All three of the men shared their transcendentalist views in their writing, and Whitman displayed it in his poem "Cavalry Crossing a Ford."

Whitman and Thoreau were similar people. Thoreau was not afraid to perform manual labor or work (Harding). Whitman, even though he was an intellectual person, also was not afraid to work, as he was a nurse during the Civil War. Thoreau's philosophy on working was that "The aim of the laborer should be, not to get his living, to get a 'good job,' but to perform well a certain work" (Harding). Whitman was a nurse, but he was not a nurse for a specific side of the Civil War, and he treated people from both sides. Whitman was a supporter of not just doing his job, but doing his job well; the philosophy was also shared with Thoreau.

Whitman, Walt. "Calvary Crossing a Ford." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 340-341. Print.


Harding, Walter. A Thoreau Handbook by Walter Harding: pp. 131-173 (New York University Press, 1959). © 1959 by New York University Press. Quoted as "Thoreau's Ideas" in Harold Bloom, ed. Henry David Thoreau, Bloom's BioCritiques. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 2003.Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= BCHDT05&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 10, 2012).

The Gettysburg Address - Analysis

The Gettysburg Address was a speech given by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863 (Lincoln 401). He began the address by stating the date of foundation of our great nation, and began into a statement that "we are engaged in a great civil war" (Lincoln 402). The next lines of his speech stated that the war would be the true test of our nation's strength, and that the lost lives should be honored with a place of burial in our country (Lincoln 402). The main section of Lincoln's address closely related to some of the philosophies of Henry David Thoreau. In Thoreau's essay "Civil Disobedience," he describes a time where he spent a night in jail because he would not pay his poll tax (Barney). Thoreau was very outspoken on the issue of slavery, as was President Lincoln. Both men were very verbal with their anti-slavery ideas. Another similar philosophy that the two men shared was an idea that the American people needed to act in order to get things done. Lincoln's address said that "is is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced" (Lincoln 402). Lincoln wanted the Americans to act out and finish the work that was started by the early soldiers. Thoreau was a proponent that the citizens had a civil duty to act out against the government when it was necessary. Lincoln wanted America to make it through the civil war and become their own nation, much like when Thoreau wrote his essay "Self-Reliance." His essay was about becoming an individual and not striving to imitate others. Lincoln's address was aimed in the direction of creating a new, single union after the civil war. Thoreau wrote in his essay "Our houses are built with foreign taste" (Thoreau 181). He then finished the excerpt stating that all people should imitate nothing and should strive to be individual. Our country was struggling with the civil war in an effort to be individualist.

Lincoln, Abraham. "The Gettysburg Address." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 400-402. Print.


Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Self-Reliance." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 180-181. Print.

 Barney, Brett, and Lisa Paddock, eds. "'Civil Disobedience'."Encyclopedia of American Literature: The Age of Romanticism and Realism, 1816–1895, vol. 2, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008.Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= EAmL0453&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 8, 2012).

The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro - Analysis

Frederick Douglass's speech "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro" gave a very different perspective on a very common topic. In an excerpt from the speech, he began, "The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common" (Douglass 337). That statement set the tone for the rest of the excerpt, noting that July Fourth, while being a holiday to white men, is not a joyous occasion for all men. He even went as far as saying that "This Fourth July is yours, not mine (Douglass 337). Douglass made it very clear that because the African Americans were enslaved, they were not considered citizens of the United States and did not feel as passionately about the Fourth of July. One of Ralph Waldo Emerson's essays, Self-Reliance, is a clear message from Emerson that as Americans, even though we all originally came from another nation, need to strive to be individuals (Emerson 181). Douglass's essay touched on a similar idea. He discussed how the African American's did not see the holiday in the same way that white men did, and in a sense, he was asserting the difference between white men and African Americans. Emerson believed that Americans should "insist on yourself; never imitate" (Emerson 181). Douglass also discussed how a slave views the Fourth of July. He said that it is seen as "gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim" (Douglass 337). Douglass, a former slave, knew the hardships that the slaves faced, and was outraged that the slave owners could celebrate their holiday that was considered to him as "a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages" (Douglass 181). Douglass was overall very upset with the view that the nation had on July Fourth. With the ideas of Emerson in mind, Douglass made a statement for himself, as well as all slaves. Douglass made it known that the slaves did not share all ideals with the white men, setting them apart.

Douglass, Frederick. "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 336-337. Print.


Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Self-Reliance." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 180-181. Print.