Mark Twain’s “The Story of the Good Little Boy Who Did Not Prosper”

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion

Introduction

What is funny about the story is how Mark Twain utilizes satire to mock moralist ideas promoted by society. Although the main character, Jacob, seems to have an impeccable personality, he is misunderstood by other people who think that Jacob is ridiculous and acts strangely. Therefore, the narrative is amusing in showing how the public perceives an individual of virtue.

Discussion

The story’s central irony is that the protagonist is not a good boy. Jacob’s attempts to do right deeds are oriented only at getting his name into a Sunday school book, so he is focused on presenting himself as a person of merit yet fails every time. Accordingly, the irony of the story is that good actions motivated by immoral purposes can lead to bad endings.

Sentences effective in mimicking books from Sunday school are the ones illustrating Jacob’s character as if he were a role model for other children. In comparison, passages that indicate Twain’s style are those describing the protagonist’s interior motives. The effect induced by the combination of two writing manners is a rather comical portrayal of Jacob.

The story’s main irony displays Twain’s attitude toward Jacob by showing the protagonist’s hypocrisy. A passage that depicts the author viewing the character as pretentious is the one discussing Jacob’s desire to rescue a dog only to have the animal’s everlasting gratitude. Another excerpt revealing Jacob’s duplicity is describing his longing to be glorified for giving a penny to a poor mother of six while also lecturing her.

The author’s version of Sunday school teaching instructs that one will be praised for their good deeds. Jacob believes that he will be rewarded for doing something useful, just like boys in Sunday school books are rewarded for their actions.

A serious point in the narrative is reflected through contradictions in Jacob’s personality. The story’s theme can be understood as good against evil, but the two opposing sides are rather within the protagonist.

The story’s theme can be viewed through the proposed statement by suggesting that virtuous people do not succeed as all good boys from Jacob’s favorite books are praised but end up dead when confronting wickedness.

Conclusion

The tone of the voice narrating the story appears as a combination of lecturing, confused, and cynical attitudes. The narrative seems instructional when presenting Jacob as a role model, perplexed when depicting the boy’s failures, and skeptical when illustrating the protagonist’s desires.

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Mark Twain’s “The Story of the Good Little Boy Who Did Not Prosper”

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