ISC English Literature, Notes of Advice to Youth, Mark Twain

 

Chapter 2: Advice to Youth

Mark Twain

 

 

1.    What did the organisers ask Mark Twain to speak about? 

They said that the talk should be something didactic, instructive, or something in the nature of good advice.

2.    Briefly describe Twain's advice on obeying parents. 

He is sarcastic in his advice and says that the young should always obey their parents when they are present. He feels that this is the best policy because if they don’t obey the parents when they are present, they will force them to do so. He says that it is more beneficial to go along with the belief that the parents know better than the young and pretend to agree with their opinions or superstitions, rather than acting on one's own better judgement. The underlying idea is that conforming to the parents' views may bring more advantages or rewards than asserting one's own independent thinking.

3.    Briefly describe Twain’s on being respectful.

He says that the young should be respectful to their superiors, strangers, and others. If a person offends the young and they are not sure if it was intentional or not, he advises that they should not resort to extreme measures but wait for their chances and hit him with a brick. Later on, if you find that the offence was not intentional, be frank and confess your mistake without any inhibition. You can tell him you made the wrong impression when you struck him. He concludes his advice with a sarcastic note: Avoid violence because we live in an age of charity and kindness.

 

 

4.    What is Twain’s opinion about getting up early?

He says that it is wise to get up early. There are many instructions regarding the same given by the wise men: Get up with the sun, get up with one thing, get up with another, etc. Twain feels that a lark is the best thing to get up with because it gives you splendid reputation that you get up with the lark. He further says that if you get up with right kind of lark, and train it well, you can wake up at half past nine with the lark.

5.    Briefly describe Twain’s opinion on the art of lying.

He opines that the young should be very careful about lying because they can be easily caught. If they are caught, they will never again be, in the eyes of the good and pure, what they were before. Many have lost their reputations through a single clumsy and ill-finished lie. He does not agree with the opinion that the young should not lie, but rather he feels that the young ought to be temperate in the use of this great art until practise and experience give them confidence, elegance, and precision. Patience, diligence, and painstaking attention are the most important requirements for crafting an enduring lie. The truth is not hard to kill, and a lie well told is immortal. The young should avoid feeble, leaky lies because such a lie has no more real permanence than an average truth. A feeble, stupid, or preposterous lie will not live more than two years, except a slander. A lie that is a slander against someone will be very difficult to disprove, and it can be very damaging to the person who is slandered.  Twain also says that a slander is "indestructible." This means that it can never be truly forgotten. Even if the person who was slandered is able to clear their name, the slander will always be there in the minds of some people. young should begin the practise of this great art as early as possible.

6.    What is Twain’s comment on the monument in Boston?

The sentence is referring to the Ether Monument in Boston, which is a monument to William T. G. Morton, who is credited with discovering the anesthetic properties of ether. However, there is some debate about whether Morton was actually the first person to discover the anesthetic properties of ether. Some historians believe that the credit should go to Crawford Long, who used ether to perform surgery in 1842, two years before Morton's famous demonstration at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Twain's point in the sentence is that even though there is a monument to Morton in Boston, many people now know that he did not actually discover anesthesia. This is a reminder that even the most famous and respected people in history can be flawed. It is also a warning to young people not to be too quick to believe everything they hear.

The sentence is also a humorous way of pointing out the irony of the situation. A monument is a symbol of honor and respect, but in this case, the monument is honoring a man who may not have deserved it. This is a reminder that even the most well-intentioned actions can have unintended consequences.

7.    Briefly explain the expression ‘The most majestic compound fracture of fact which any of woman born has yet achieved.

The sentence "the most majestic compound fracture of fact which any of woman born has yet achieved" is a humorous and ironic statement that makes a point about the dangers of believing false statements. Twain is suggesting that people should be skeptical of statements that sound too good to be true, and that they should not blindly believe everything they hear.

The phrase "compound fracture" refers to a bone that is broken in multiple places. A "majestic" fracture would be one that is large and impressive. By saying that the statement "Truth is mighty and will prevail" is "the most majestic compound fracture of fact which any of woman born has yet achieved," Twain is saying that it is a lie that is so big and obvious that it is almost impressive.

Twain is also using the word "fact" in a double sense. In the literal sense, "fact" means something that is true. However, in the context of the sentence, "fact" can also mean a statement that is made to seem true, but is actually false. By using the word "fact" in this way, Twain is highlighting the fact that the statement "Truth is mighty and will prevail" is a lie.

8.    Describe the scene of the grandmother and the armed  grandson in your own words taking into account Twain’s humour.

Four days ago, adjacent to the farm house where Twain was summering, an old and sweet grandmother, one of the loveliest spirits in the land, was sitting at her work when her young grandson crept in and pointed at her an old and rusty gun that was not supposed to be loaded, laughing and threatening to shoot. In her fright, she ran screaming and pleading towards the door on the other side of the room, but as she passed him, he placed the gun almost against her breast and pulled the trigger. And nothing unexpected happened, as the boy believed the gun was not loaded.

First, the situation itself is inherently humorous. A young boy, thinking that an old gun is not loaded, points it at his grandmother and pulls the trigger. The grandmother is understandably terrified, but the gun is not loaded, so no one is hurt. The juxtaposition of the boy's thoughtless actions and the grandmother's fear creates a sense of absurdity that is the source of much of the humor in the passage.

Second, Twain's language in describing the incident is often playful and ironic. For example, he describes the gun as "an old, battered, rusty gun which had not been touched for many years and was supposed not to be loaded." The use of the word "supposed" here suggests that Twain is aware of the danger that the gun poses, even though it is not loaded. This creates a sense of suspense that adds to the humor of the passage.

Finally, Twain's tone in describing the incident is one of bemused amusement. He does not condemn the boy's actions, but rather seems to find them mildly amusing. This tone helps to create a light-hearted atmosphere that makes the humor in the passage more enjoyable.

In addition to the humor in the situation itself, Twain also uses a number of literary devices to create a humorous effect. For example, he uses hyperbole when he describes the grandmother's reaction to being threatened with the gun. He says that she "ran screaming and pleading toward the door on the other side of the room," which is a bit of an exaggeration. This hyperbole helps to make the grandmother's fear more comical.

Twain also uses understatement when he describes the boy's actions. He says that the boy "placed the gun almost against her very breast and pulled the trigger." This understatement makes the boy's actions seem more innocent and harmless than they actually are. This contrast between the boy's actions and the grandmother's reaction helps to create the humor in the passage.

Overall, the humor in Twain's narration of the incident of the boy who threatens his grandmother with a gun is derived from a number of sources. The situation itself is inherently humorous, Twain's language is playful and ironic, and his tone is one of bemused amusement. These factors combine to create a humorous passage that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

9. Describe Mark Twain’s advice about the use firearms.

In his essay "Advice to Youth," Mark Twain offers some humorous but pointed advice about the use of firearms. He begins by telling a story about a young boy who points an unloaded gun at his grandmother. The boy believes that the gun is unloaded, and there is no harm done. However, Twain warns that even unloaded guns can be dangerous, and that young people should never point them at anyone.

Twain then goes on to describe the inaccuracy of young people with guns. He says that even a young person who cannot hit a cathedral with a Gatling gun can still "bag his grandmother every time" with an old musket. This is because young people are often careless and reckless when handling guns, and they do not take the time to aim properly.

Twain concludes his advice by saying that young people should stay away from guns altogether. He says that guns are "the most deadly and unerring things that have ever been created by man," and that they can cause "sorrow and suffering" to the innocent.

Twain's advice about firearms is still relevant today. Guns are still dangerous weapons, and young people should be careful when handling them. It is important to teach young people about gun safety, and to make sure that they understand the risks involved in using firearms.

 

 10.Briefly describe Mark Twain’s advice about reading.

In his essay "Advice to Youth," Mark Twain offers some advice about reading. He begins by saying that young people should read great works of literature, especially those that deal with morality and religion. He says that these works will help young people to build their character and to become better people.

Twain then goes on to warn young people about the dangers of reading "trashy" literature. He says that trashy literature is full of "falsehoods and obscenities," and that it can corrupt young people's minds. He urges young people to be selective about what they read, and to only read books that will enrich their lives.

Here are some specific books that Twain recommends:

Robertson's Sermons

Baxter's Saint's Rest

The Innocents Abroad

These books are all full of moral and religious instruction, and they can help young people to build their character. However, Twain also says that young people should not be limited to these books. They should read a wide variety of literature, and they should find books that they enjoy and that will challenge them intellectually.

 

 

Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each in brief.

 

1.    Mark Twain said that he had a  few things in my mind which he had often longed to say for the instruction of the young because ……………………………………………………………

It is in one’s tender early years that such things will best take root and be most enduring and most valuable.

2.    Mark Twain advised the young to always obey the parents, when they are present because…………………………………..

This is the best policy in the long run, because if don’t obey the parents they will make you do so.

3.    Mark Twain advised the youth to get up with the lark because…………………..

It gives a reputation  with everybody that you get up with the lark

4.    Mark Twain said that you get up with the lark; and if you get the right kind of lark, you can work at him right because …………………….

You can train the lark to get up at half past nine every time.

5.    Twain says that young should be very careful about lying because…………………

They can be easily get caught. Once you get caught, you can never again in the eyes of the good and the pure, what you were before.

6.    Twain says that many a young person has injured himself permanently through  a single clumsy  and ill finished lie because…..

Of carelessness born of incomplete training

7.    Twain says that the young should be temperate in the use of the art of lying because…………….

Because only practice and experience shall give them the confidence, elegance and precision which alone can make  the accomplishment through lying graceful and profitable.

8.    Twain says that never handle firearms carelessly because…………………………………………

The sorrow and suffering that have been caused through the innocent and careless handling of firearms are terrible.

9.    Twain says that the young shouldn’t meddle with old unloaded firearms because………….

They are the most deadly  and unerring things that have ever been created by man.

10.                       Twain says that the young should read books because….

They are great, an inestimable, and unspeakable means of improvement.

 

Johnichan J

Department of English

St. Francis Junior College

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