The contrasting diction of Simon Wheeler and the narrator in Mark Twain's "The
Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" plays a crucial role in
developing the story's humor, characterization, tone, and themes. 1.
Characterization and Cultural Contrast
Simon Wheeler's diction is colloquial, informal, and vernacular, reflecting
his rural, uneducated Western background. He uses phrases like "dangdest
feller," "laid very sick," and "warn't," which paint him as a simple,
unpolished man steeped in local folk traditions. In contrast, the narrator
employs refined, formal, and educated language, using words like
"conjectured," which signals his Eastern, more sophisticated perspective. This
linguistic contrast highlights the cultural clash between the Eastern and
Western United States in the 19th century, with the East seen as civilized and
the West as rough and simple
. 2. Narrative Tone and Humor
The narrator’s formal diction underscores his skepticism and frustration with
Wheeler’s long-winded, meandering storytelling. Wheeler’s casual and rambling
speech creates a jovial, conversational tone full of local color. This
juxtaposition generates humor, as the educated narrator is repeatedly "bored
to death" by Wheeler's absurd and elaborate tale about Jim Smiley and his
jumping frog. The humor arises from the narrator’s discomfort and the
earnestness of Wheeler’s storytelling, making the story entertaining and
ironic
. 3. Conflict and Irony
The differing diction styles establish a subtle conflict: the narrator seeks a
straightforward story, but Wheeler insists on telling a tangential, elaborate
folk tale. This clash enhances the story’s irony-despite the narrator’s
supposed sophistication and superiority, he is outwitted and trapped by
Wheeler’s simple but cunning storytelling. This irony critiques assumptions
about education and sophistication, showing that the "unsophisticated"
Westerner ultimately dupes the educated Easterner
. 4. Thematic Development
The diction contrast also highlights the theme of storytelling itself.
Wheeler’s informal, vernacular speech reflects the oral folk tradition
essential to American culture, emphasizing storytelling as a communal and
cultural experience. Meanwhile, the narrator’s formal diction represents
literary expectations and the tension between highbrow literary culture and
folk narratives. This contrast enriches the story’s exploration of how stories
are told, shared, and received across different social and cultural contexts
. In summary, the contrasting diction between Simon Wheeler and the narrator deepens the story by vividly portraying their characters and cultural backgrounds, creating humor and irony, and underscoring themes about storytelling and cultural differences in 19th-century America
