Two Views of the Mississippi by Mark Twain Essay - 1113 Words

Jerry Bradshaw Assignment #1 ENG 112 1-23-08 Two Views of the Mississippi One may argue that certain learned abilities become instinctual over time and through repeated practice. I do not believe there could be any solid proof for this theory. Instinct can be defined as something that we do without even thinking about it, yet when we are in a panicked state, we usually tend to forget some of those learned habits and react in a way that truly is pure instinct, having nothing to do with anything we had previously learned. Mark Twain writes of ceasing to note the beauty of the river while steamboating, implying that once you have learned certain practices, they become almost innate qualities. That is not to say that they become†¦show more content†¦After about half a dozen loaves, I was bored and ready to buy Aunt Millie’s all over again. The intricate details of recipe, water temperature and other variants became something I memorized. It no longer took any measure of time or celebratory ritual to do what once was so exciting. Twain discusse s his loss of excitement of what was once new and exciting. He gives the reader a chance to take in his first reaction and then he repeats his memory of that very same scene – only now he uses his current reaction. The second description is void of all poetic language. The river no longer has any human characteristics. Twain’s second description reads like a book of directions or an employee handbook. Twain’s use of language is quite effective in differentiating his newly acquired view of the once marvelous scenes he beheld. The beautiful â€Å"splendor that was flowing from the sun† is now only an indicator that this particular sun â€Å"means we are going to have wind tomorrow† . The â€Å"black and conspicuous† log is now just an indicator that the river is rising. An interesting distinction between descriptions in this piece appears in Twain’s use of the phrase â€Å"boiling tumbling rings† when talking about his first glimpse of them. In his practical view of the river he actually places the word ‘boils’ within quotations, whereas his first description leaves the word boiling just the way it is – to imply that this river wasShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Importance of Mark Twain in American Literature840 Words   |  4 PagesThe Importance of Mark Twain in American Literature Mark Twain is important to American literature because of his novels and how they portray the American experience. Some of his best selling novels were Innocents Abroad, Life on the Mississippi, Huckleberry Finn, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In these books, Mark Twain recalls his own adventures of steamboating on the Mississippi River. 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