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what is the basic plot of the frame story in the celebrated jumping frog

by Dr. Dominic Kutch DVM Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago

The outer story, the frame story, is the story of the narrator's interaction with Simon Wheeler

Simon Wheeler

Simon Wheeler is a British screenwriter and television producer who created the ITV1 drama Kingdom. He has also written for Wire in the Blood, a series that formerly starred his future wife Hermione Norris. Norris and Wheeler have two children together, Wilf and Hero.

. This story has its own conflict--the narrator vs. Simon Wheeler--and its own story arc. The inciting incident is where the narrator meets Simon Wheeler as a result of a friend's practical joke.

Wheeler starts telling a story about a man named Jim Smiley who liked to bet on anything and everything. Smiley trained a frog, and was challenged by a stranger passing through town in a frog-jumping contest. While Smiley found the man a frog, the man filled Smiley's frog with quail shot, so his frog would lose.Dec 3, 2021

Full Answer

When was the Jumping Frog of Calaveras County written?

Originally published in the New York Saturday Press in 1865 under the title ‘Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog’, Mark Twain’s short story ‘The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County’ was one of his earliest pieces of writing and is probably his best-known short fiction. The story is widely studied and analysed in schools and universities.

How did Smiley teach the frog to jump?

After using various animals in his money-making schemes and bets, Smiley found a frog which he taught to jump. He named this frog Daniel Webster, after the nineteenth-century politician. The frog proved very lucrative for Smiley, since it could jump as no other frog could and so Smiley would easily win bets he had with people.

Can Dan’L jump higher than the other frog?

As Smiley goes out to find another frog to prove this, the stranger feeds quail shot to Dan’l. When Smiley comes back with another frog, the stranger and Smiley test to see if Dan’l could jump higher than the other. As they do, Dan’l was unable to even jump.

What happened to Daniel Webster’s Frog?

When they put the two frogs down and encourage them to jump, the stranger’s frog jumps, while Daniel Webster, weighed down with quail-shot, cannot move. The stranger takes his forty dollars in prize money and departs, leaving Smiley to wonder how his celebrated jumping frog could have failed to perform.

What is the basic plot of The Celebrated Jumping Frog?

Summary: “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” by Mark Twain, is a tall tale about a man who bets on anything and wagers that his frog can out-jump a stranger's frog, with surprising results.

What is the frame story in Jumping Frog of Calaveras County?

Through a frame narrative, the narrator (clearly an educated man from the East) presents the story of Jim Smiley, told in Simon Wheeler's uneducated dialect.

What is the climax of The Celebrated Jumping Frog?

The climax is the part when they start the race and Daniel(Smiley's Frog) can't move from the ground. The falling action is when Smiley picks up his frog and realizes that he had around 5 pounds of quail shot in his stomach.

What is the setting of the celebrated jumping frog?

Angels Camp is California's most famous Gold Rush town, thanks to writer and humorist Mark Twain, who made the town in Calavares County the setting for his 1865 short story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County."

What is the best way to describe a frame story?

As its name suggests, a frame story is a narrative that frames or surrounds another story or set of stories. It usually appears at the beginning and end of that larger story and provides important context and key information for how to read it.

Who is the main character in the celebrated jumping frog?

Simon WheelerDan’l WebsterJim SmileyThe StrangerThe NarratorThe Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County/CharactersThe story includes only three main characters: the narrator, Simon Wheeler and Jim Smiley. The narrator talks to Simon Wheeler, whom his friend asked him to talk to about the whereabouts of the Reverend Leonidas Smiley. Wheeler is a good-natured man who has the gift of gab.

What is the conflict in the celebrated jumping frog?

Dan'l Webster- Jim Smiley's frog is named Daniel Webster and he is supposedly the best jumper and the world and catch reach up and catch any fly. Internal Conflict: Jim Smiley believes he can win every bet and that nobody can beat him. He thinks his frog, Dan'l, is better and wants to bet on him.

What happens at the end of the celebrated jumping frog?

At the end of "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County", Simon Wheeler gets called away, but the unnamed narrator runs into him on his way out. Simon dives back into another story about Jim Smiley, but the unnamed narrator stops Simon from continuing and leaves.

What is the central idea that emerges through the characterization of Smiley as a clever businessman?

When she emerges as an unlikely winner, Smiley is able to win money from his opponents. This illustrates that Smiley is a clever but honest businessman; he relies on other people's biases (and his animals' extensive training) to make his money.

What is the narrator's purpose in going to see Simon Wheeler?

The narrator goes to see Simon Wheeler to learn about Jim Smiley. Simon Wheeler tells his story to Jim Smiley.

How does the narrator hear the story of the jumping frog?

How does the narrator hear the story of the jumping frog? The narrator hears the story from old Simon Wheeler.

Is The Celebrated Jumping Frog a true story?

Several of his books and short stories were based on actual events or people that Clemens had met. One of his more amusing short stories was “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Despite what you may have heard, Clemens/Twain didn't write about an established event or witness a frog jumping contest.

Why might Twain have chosen this structure?

why might Mark Twain have chosen this structure? the frame structure permits twain to comment on wheeler and his story. what role does the narrator play? Twain contrasts Wheeler's colorful regional language with the narrators dry Standard English, the narrators departure also provides a logical conclusion.

What principle of naturalism is found in this excerpt?

What principle of Naturalism is found in this excerpt? The universe is an uncaring, unfeeling force.

What is one key feature Simon Wheeler's storytelling?

In “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” what is one key feature of Simon Wheeler's storytelling? He acts out all of his story's characters.

How did Jim Smiley's Bulldog win him money?

How did Jim Smiley's bulldog win him money? The dog always gave up for the first part of the fight, letting the other dog win. People would double their bets against it, and Jim would bet even more money that his dog would win.

Who is the author of the celebrated jumping frog of Calaveras County?

Plot Analysis of "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County", by Mark Twain. The author’s friend has asked the author to find Simon Wheeler and ask him about Reverend Leonidas W. Smiley.

Who catches a frog in the movie?

Jim Smiley catches a frog and names it Dan’l Webster. He teaches the frog to jump higher and faster than any other frog. After awhile, Smiley begins to bets over Dan’l. Smiley meets a stranger and bets 40 dollars that Dan’l could beat any frog.

What happens when Smiley comes back with another frog?

When Smiley comes back with another frog, the stranger and Smiley test to see if Dan’l could jump higher than the other. As they do, Dan’l was unable to even jump. The stranger leaves with the 40 dollars.

Who is interrupted from continuing his story and asks the author to wait?

answer. Simon Wheeler is interrupted from continuing his story and asks the author to wait. The author decides that hearing about Jim Smiley’s adventures wouldn’t help him get information about Reverend Leonidas W. Smiley, and begins to leave only to meet Wheeler at the doorway.

What does Jim Smiley do?

Jim Smiley is shown to have a love for gambling , as shown when he makes bets. He usually bets on the underdog, like when his old horse doesn’t look like it has a chance of winning, it pulls through during the last few seconds of the race. Jim Smiley catches a frog and names it Dan’l Webster.

1.What is the plot of "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of …

Url:https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-plot-celebrated-jumping-frog-calaveras-county-169149

18 hours ago The humorous story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" by Mark Twain has a plot structure using a literary device known as a frame, …

2.A Summary and Analysis of Mark Twain’s ‘The Celebrated …

Url:https://interestingliterature.com/2022/03/mark-twain-celebrated-jumping-frog-of-calaveras-county-summary-analysis/

19 hours ago ‘The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County’: plot summary The story is narrated by a man, presumably Twain himself, who has gone to California from the East at the behest of his friend, who wanted Twain to find man named Simon Wheeler and enquire about an old childhood friend of his named Leonidas W. Smiley, who is thought to have become a reverend and moved out …

3.Plot Analysis of "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of …

Url:https://studyhippo.com/plot-analysis-of-the-celebrated-jumping-frog-of-calaveras-county-by-mark-twain-50882/

9 hours ago Smiley meets a stranger and bets 40 dollars that Dan'l could beat any frog. As Smiley goes out to find another frog to prove this, the stranger feeds quail shot to Dan'l. When Smiley comes back with another frog, the stranger and Smiley test to see if Dan'l could jump higher than the other. As they do, Dan'l was unable to even jump.

4.Why is the story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of …

Url:https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/why-is-the-story-the-celebrated-jumping-frog-of-654280

31 hours ago  · Expert Answers. This humorous story by Mark Twain is considered a frame narrative because it consists of a story within a story. The outer story, the frame story, is the story of the narrator's ...

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