“The Celebrated Jumping Frog
of Calaveras County”
By Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Video to watch before reading:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuQMBWjmlHk
Mark Twain
 His real name is Samuel Clemens.
 He was an American author and humorist.
 He wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which later became
known as “The Great American Novel.”
 He was lauded as the "greatest American humorist of his
age,“ and William Faulkner called Twain "the father of
American literature.“
 "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," was
published based on a story he heard at Angels Hotel in
Angels Camp California where he had spent some time
as a miner.
Twain’s Style
• As an American writer and humorist, Twain’s best work is
characterized by broad, often irreverent humor or biting
social satire.
• Twain's writing is also known for realism of place and
language, memorable characters, and hatred of
hypocrisy and oppression.
Literary Devices within Frog
• REALISM
• Local Color—the inclusion of dress, mannerisms,
customs, character types, and speech from a particular
region.
• Dialect—a form of a language that is spoken in a
particular area and that uses some of its own words,
grammar, and pronunciations.
• Accent—a distinctive way to pronounce a language.
• Colloquialisms—words or phrases used in conversation.
• Idioms—expressions whose meaning is not predictable
from the usual meanings, as “kick the bucket” or “under
the weather”.
Literary Devices within Frog
• TALL-TALE: a distinctively American form
of storytelling featuring outlandish
characters and events, often with a
comic effect. Based on oral tradition,
the tall tale generally aims to fool or
impress the listener or reader, using
various devices.
• Hyperbole—a figure of speech
exaggerating the truth.
• Understatement—a figure of speech
that intentionally makes a situation
seem less important than it is.
• Skepticism—too unbelievable to be
true?
Literary Devices within Frog
• HUMOR
• Irony
• Situational—the exact opposite of what is expected
happens
• Dramatic—we know something the character does not
• Verbal—the exact opposite of what is meant is said
• Tone—Does having a serious tone add to the humor?
Frame Story
• “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras
County” is a frame story.
• In a frame story, two plots exist. The outer story
establishes a situation that leads to the plot of
the inner story. When the inner story’s plot is
resolved, the outer story resumes. The two
stories provide support or contrast to one
another.
• Can you think of an example of a frame story
you have seen or read before this one? Discuss
with a partner.
Mark Twain
Remember to look for the following while we read:
Irony
Frame story
Tall-tale characteristics (like hyperboles and understatements)
Realism (like accent, dialect, idioms, colloquialisms, and local
color)
Think about the tone too (are the characters serious or silly?
happy or frustrated?)
Let’s read 
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwHZ4DPgb2o