Lit 216 - The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

I'm a pretty big fan of comedy, especially satire, so this short story was right up my alley. Although the humor is a bit dated, there were definately a few parts that made me chuckle; especially the unrefined way Wheeler told the antics of Smiley's animals. I think with this story Twain was just poking a bit of fun at the differences between the attitudes of New Englanders and Pioneers at the time. You can pick apart the little details of this story all you want, but I don't think there is much underlying meaning to this story other than entertainment, considering that it was mainly written to be published in journals and newspapers. Because much of the humor is specific to that time period, it can be hard to pick up on unless you use a little imagination. Regardless, I laughed when the narrator didn't get any of the information he wanted and was so fed up he left.