Plot Structure: “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County
Calaveras County
Calaveras County, officially the County of Calaveras, is a county in the northern portion of the U.S. state, California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 40,171. The county seat is San Andreas. Angels Camp is the only incorporated city in the county. Calaveras is the Spanish word …
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.
Leonidas I
Leonidas I was a warrior king of the Greek city-state of Sparta, and the 17th of the Agiad line; a dynasty which claimed descent from the mythological demigod Heracles. He was the husband of Gorgo, the daughter of Cleomenes I of Sparta. Leonidas had a notable participation in th…
What is the basic plot in the celebrated Jumping Frog?
What is the basic plot of the frame story in The Celebrated Jumping Frog? 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, in which one story is told within another story.
What is the theme of the Jumping Frog of Calaveras County?
"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County", though short and satirical, explores a few important themes, such as underdogs winning, gambling, humor, and implausibility. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
What is the inciting incident in the plot of the frog?
The inciting incident, the conflict, in the plot is Jim Smiley making a bet with his "celebrated jumping frog." The rising action creates suspense for the reader when the challenger fills the frog with buckshot (little metal balls) in order to keep the frog from jumping.
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.
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 main idea of The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County?
One of the main themes in “Jumping Frog” is deceitfulness and lies as well as the fine line that exists between cunningness and deceitfulness. In the story, Jim Smiley often uses ordinary or unnoticeable animals to win his bets, underdogs that come back and win at the last minute.
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 Notorious Jumping Frog?
“The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” takes place in the mid-to-late nineteenth century, shortly after the California Gold Rush of 1849. Mark Twain's experience with Simon Wheeler and Wheeler's stories about Jim Smiley both occur in Angel's Camp, a mining camp located in Calaveras County, California.
Is the stranger in the story as innocent as he appears to be?
Q. Is the stranger as innocent as he appears? Yes, because he doesn't know anything about frog races.
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.
Who is the protagonist in The Celebrated Jumping Frog?
Local Legend. The 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 name of Smiley's frog?
frog Dan'l WebsterHe names the frog Dan'l Webster. Smiley bets a stranger that his frog can beat any other frog. The stranger takes the challenge, so Smiley goes off and catches a frog in the marsh for the stranger.
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.
Short Summary
The actual story is much more interesting than this study guide. The story’s really short and easy to understand. Read it. If you have
Theme and Other Literary Elements
Before taking a direct look at the theme of “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” a look at other literary elements is in order.
This post is part of the series: Short Story Study Guides, Part II
This look at commonly taught short stories will help you prepare for class discussion.