Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
Mark Twain is undisputedly one of the most prolific writers of all times. With an uncanny inability to see things as they were combined with an exceptional sense of humor, Twain's popularity transcended time and space. While all his writings left some impression on the readers, his travel books were so outstanding that they created a genre of their own. "The Innocents Abroad" and "A tramp abroad" were two important books that belonged to this genre with "A Tramp Abroad" being the less popular of the two. If Tramp was less successful than Innocents, it was primarily due to Twain's setting of standards with his other travelogues.
If ever an attempt to compare and contrast the two books is made, it is highly recommended that we start with the Innocents. The reason for this is obvious. 'Innocents' came before Tramp made its appearance and was definitely the more celebrated of the two books. 'Innocents' was derived from Alta letters but significantly changes were made to mitigate traces of resemblance with the source. New sections appeared which included the one on Paris and Egypt and the Sphinx. Apart from that, in this book his audience was the more sophisticated people on the Eastern side which was one reason why Twain removed coarse phrases such as "slimy cesspool" and "bawdy house" that appeared all too often in Alta letters. In Innocents which, is actually about Twain's highly disappointing trip to Europe, the author also tried to use expressions and comments that would appear less harsh even if the intent was just as cunning. For example in talking about the pilgrimages and the Holy Land, Twain was more careful since he was hoping to reach an audience that preferred sophisticated commentary and did not appreciate religion being the target of humor or satire. The
The disappointment, the sudden bursting of excitement bubble, the disbelief that reality could actually be so ordinary were some of the things that Twain talked about in this book. He explains that nothing that he saw in Europe was what it was made out to be. The Parisian gardens, or the Arabian stables or the Holy Land itself were all nothing but misinterpreted products created by false stories yearning and anticipation. Twain felt that even Jesus Christ wouldn't want to visit the Holy Land again since it was so disappointingly ordinary. The author gets a sense of revenge by exploring and denouncing the myths surrounding Europe:
After years of waiting, it was before me at last. The great face was so sad, so earnest, so longing, so patient. There was a dignity not of earth in its mien, and in its countenance a benignity such as never anything human wore. It was stone, but it seemed sentient. If ever image of stone thought, it was thinking. It was looking toward the verge of the landscape, yet looking at nothing -- nothing but distance and vacancy. It was looking over and beyond everything of the present, and far into the past. It was gazing out over the ocean of Time -- over lines of century-waves which, further and further receding, closed nearer and nearer together, and blended at last into one unbroken tide, away toward the horizon of remote antiquity. It was thinking of the wars of departed ages; of…
References
[1] SLC to JHT, June 2, 1879; Beinecke Lib
[2] MTB, II, 6-68.
Alice Walker & Ralph Ellison Character Analysis of Dee in Alice Walker's "Everyday Use" and the Narrator in Ralph Ellison's "Battle Royal" Works of literature by black American writers have evoked feelings of hopelessness and suffering of their fellow black Americans by putting them into context with the social changes happening in the American society. Take as an example the short stories "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker and "Battle Royal" by Ralph
Individualism vs. Collectivism One of the distinguishing factors in describing a culture, society, community, or groups is whether its members and the individuals in that organization adopt an individualistic or collectivist with regards to their roles and functions and their relationship with the other members of an organization. These two concepts, that is, individualistic and collectivist groups are important to discuss because they help other people understand an individual or a
Band Compare/Contrast The Beatles and The Rolling Stones are two of the most popular and prolific bands that emerged during the British Invasion of the 1960s. While they became popular around the same time, each band had a unique style and sound. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones helped revolutionize music by introducing audiences to music they had never heard or experienced before. The Beatles consisted of John Lennon and George Harrison
Car Commercial Compare/Contrast Comparing and Contrasting Two Car Commercials The 2011 commercial for the Dodge Charger integrates the release of Universal Pictures' Fast Five and a parody of high-brow art-house entertainment, appealing to fans of action/adventure, comedy, and car chases ("Car chases make movies better"). Meanwhile, the Chrysler 200 commercial that debuted during the 2011 Super Bowl incorporates images of Detroit and Eminem's Academy-Award winning track "Lose Yourself." This paper will compare
In terms of product line the similarities are only identified in terms of a large business segment namely food production industry. The business line of Dean Foods is milk and dairy and Kellogg is focused on cereals and related processed foods. Seaboard and Tyson has similarities in their business segment in relation to meet processing of pork. However Seaboard is pursuing a diversified portfolio in relation to wheat, sugar,
Sexual Education Compare contrast Sexuality education Social learning theory views education as an inculcation in social norms. Sexuality education requires the individual to learn the biological mechanics of sexuality, but also to understand the social assumptions connected to this facet of human life. Sexuality is not acquired instinctively, even though puberty is a biological phenomenon all adolescents experience. Sexuality is also about acquiring social norms and knowledge. Learning never takes place in isolation.