he would go to work and bore me nearly to death with some infernal reminiscence of him as long and tedious as it should be useless to me. If that was the design, it certainly succeeded.
Twain's famous short story opens with a reasonable statement of fact in the first paragraph then descends--or rises, depending on one's perspective--to hyperbole fit to set the stage for more to come. Hyperbole is a rhetorical term for a device that is used in literary works to elaborate on points made; expand upon characterizations; enlarge imagery; and in general add greater flavor and breadth through the fine art of exaggeration. In Twain's hands, the literary device (being a figurative word scheme) of hyperbole adds humor and comedic effects. [Just as a point of contrast, in Shakespeare's hands, the same device of hyperbole can intensify drama and enhance tragic effects; recall the hyperbole in Hamlet.]
The hyperbole--the exaggeration--in the section quoted above lies here:
- bore me nearly to death
- infernal reminiscence
The first is hyperbole (i.e., exaggeration) because surely the tale did not bring about our frame-narrator's death (the story is first narrated by the friend of the man who wrote from the East, then narrated by Simon Wheeler: "I let him go on in his own way, and never interrupted him once:").
The second is hyperbole because the allusion to infernal Hell fire in describing the recollection of a memory is too strong and surely chosen by the narrator to express his exaggerated annoyance rather than to actually describe the "reminiscence."
Wheeler is no less agile as a narrator in his use of hyperbole. In fact, it is in Wheeler's hyperbole where Twain excels in this literary device. A hardy example, and easy to comprehend, lies in Wheeler's early discussion about Smiley's propensity to bet and to hang onto a bet until its results are fairly determined. Wheeler, speaking as the second narrator, says that Smiley would go to great extremes to determine the legitimate outcome of a bet and emphasizes his point with the following hyperbole:
he would foller that straddle-bug to Mexico ....
Other hyperbolic (exaggerated) statementsin the story are:
- After being fed lead"quail shot" (ammunition) Wheeler said Daniel the frog was "planted as solid as an anvil."
- Earlier in the story, Wheeler describes Smiley's bull pup, saying that when money was bet on him "his underjaw'd begin to stick out like the fo'castle of a steamboat."
What are three examples of exaggeration in the short story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"?
Three examples of exaggeration in the short story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” by Mark Twain include:
1. The narrator revealing what will be in store for him if he inquires of Simon Wheeler on behalf of his friend
He says about Simon Wheeler: “…and he would go to work and bore me nearly to death with some infernal reminiscence of him as long and tedious as it should be useless to me.”
The exaggeration here is that the narrator will be unable to withstand the boring treatise from Wheeler; it will...
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be unbearable and unprofitable to listen to Wheeler’s long-winded, tiresome words.
Yes, people can be excruciatingly boring and tax our time. However, we are not bored to the point of death when this happens. This exaggeration here, though, reveals Simon Wheeler’s character.
2. Simon Wheeler waxing on about Jim Smiley and his gambling
Simon Wheeler embarks on a winding discourse on Jim Smiley’s gambling habits. He basically says that Smiley would gamble on anything, even:
“…if there was two birds setting on a fence, he would bet you which one would fly first.”
The exaggeration here is that Jim Smiley would find a way to make a bet out of anything. It wouldn’t matter how trivial something was; he would see a way to turn the situation into a way to make money and satisfy his gambling urge.
Again, the exaggeration here is used to reveal Jim Smiley’s character. In turn, this exaggeration continues to reinforce Simon Wheeler’s character as noted in the first point above.
3. Simon Wheeler talking about Smiley’s bull pup
Wheeler notes that Smiley’s dog had teeth that “would uncover, and shine savage like the furnaces.”
This exaggeration further reveals Wheeler’s character and his propensity to embellish his stories greatly. However, this exaggeration does serve a purpose in the story. It reveals the eccentricity of Jim Smiley. It shows what he had among his possessions. Along with the dog, he owned a mare, as well as “rat-tarriers, and chicken cocks, and tom- cats.”
Exaggeration is an excellent way to bring out the idiosyncrasies of characters, settings, and events in a story to dramatically reveal information to the reader, whether the story is a humorous or more serious one.
What are three examples of exaggeration in the short story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"?
There are numerous examples of Mark Twain's use of exaggeration in his short story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." One comes early in the story when Simon Wheeler tells one of his many stories about Jim Smiley (not the Reverend Leonidas Smiley of whom the narrator requested). Wheeler claims that Jim Smiley was such a gambler that he would
"... foller that straddle-bug to Mexico but what he would find out where he was bound for and how long he was on the road."
There are exaggerations in Wheeler's story of Jim Smiley's bullpup, Andrew Jackson, and how
"... his underjaw'd begin to stick out like the fo'castle of a steamboat, and his teeth would uncover, and shine savage like the furnaces."
The whole story about the bullfrog, Dan'l Webster, is filled with exaggerations, including how, when filled with the quail shot, the frog
"... hysted up his shoulders so like a Frenchman, but it warn't no use he couldn't budge; he was planted as solid as an anvil, and he couldn't no more stir than if he was anchored out."