The Celebrating Jumping Frog

Chelsey Wilkins
AP English III
The Jumping Frog… 2 pg. lit.
11/30/09

Mark Twain is a famous writer of the late nineteenth century. Writing in the realist era, he created short stories about events in everyday life. During his early years of writing, “the Celebrated Jumping Frog helped establish his reputation as a humorist. “The Celebrated Jumping Frog,” was a short story told by a bartender in a tavern, about a compulsive gambler.

Mark Twain used imagery throughout his short story. Introducing the bartender as... “I found Simon Wheeler dozing comfortably by the bar-room stove of the old, dilapidated tavern in the ancient mining camp of Boomerang,” immediately gave the audience a mental picture of Simon Wheeler. The short story also stated that he was fat and bald-headed which also allowed the audience to have a visual idea about his qualities as well as his characteristics. From the opening imagery, it left the audience to believe maybe Simon was a drunk, and possibly very unattractive. Twain used very vivid imagery to describe the setting and how the story of Jim Smiley was told.

Mark Twain used very vivid diction when it came to describing Jim Smiley. He used numerous examples to show the extent of Smiley’s gambling. “If there was a horse-race, you’d find him flush, or you’d find him busted at the end of it; if there was a dog-fight, he’d bet on it; if there was a cat-fight he’d bet on it; if there was a chicken fight, he’d bet on it….etc.,” these were all examples used to show how gambling was a must for Smiley. To further the extent of gambling, Twain also told some examples of weird animals Smiley had and bet on. Twain even mentioned how Smiley bet on the life of Parson Walker’s wife.

I noticed the irony of this short story. Twain noted the purpose of the trip to the tavern was to inquire information about Leonadis W. Smiley, and how he doubted the existence of this man. I don’t understand why one would go through so much to hear a tale about another man. Why not go to the tavern and ask about Jim Smiley? I really didn’t understand what was so special about Jim Smiley.

To conclude, Mark Twain wrote in the realist era. He wrote a short story about the gambling life of Jim Smiley. “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” wasn’t the best short story but showed Twain’s passion for writing.