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Analysis Of Mark Twain 's ' The Five Boons Of Life '

Satisfactory Essays

Value in Life Mark Twain was one of many great authors of his time. Twain was born November 30, 1835 (“Literary Analysis”).Twain had grown up in Missouri, one of only fifteen slave states, during the Civil War. He was one of eleven children. He spent most of his childhood ill and confined to bed (“Literary Analysis”).Twain’s father died when he was twelve, leaving him to have to search for a job to care for his family (“Literary Analysis”). During these times all were experiencing, racism, lynch mobs, hangings, and general inhumane oppression of African Americans (“Mark Twain”). His biographical information might lead one to be more understanding of his open mindedness in his short story “The Five Boons of Life.” This story of the wisdom gained through experience is one that leaves the reader feeling doubtful and left to question the true purpose of life.
The overall theme of this story is to make careful decisions in life, and for one to be careful what they wish for, twain used a lot of irony to show this. The expectation is happiness, the reality is sadness. The male character goes through the different gifts one by one and then the now old man wishes the final gift of death but cannot have it because the fairy gave it to a little child. When the old man asked the fairy what was left for him she replied saying, "What not even you have deserved: the wanton insult of Old Age"(Twain). In the story the man says “Curse all the worlds gift, for mockeries and gilded lies! and

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