Comparing HumorMark Twain v. Bill Bryson

Key Ideas and Details What specific regional elements of place

and time does Twain bring to light in Life on the Mississippi?o Twain evokes small-town life along the

Mississippi River in decades before the Civil War.

What specific place and time does Bryson bring to life?o Bryson evokes family life in an Iowa household

during the 1950’s. What do boys in these two different setting

have in common?o Both boys are observant of the details of their

settings; both seem to have happy childhoods.

Key Ideas and Details Identify a human foible, or flaw,

that is emphasized in Bryson’s memoir.o Eccentric food preferences

Identify a foible Twain spotlights in one of his works.o Smiley’s compulsion to bet on anything

For which foible do you have greater sympathy? Why?

Key Ideas and Details Note one example each of hyperbole and

incongruity in Bryson’s memoir. o Hyperbole: The fruitcake dates to the colonial

period.o Incongruity: The father prefers burned food.

Identify one example of each of these devices in Twain’s story “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.”o Twain’s father can hang anyone that offends

him.o The town boys envy the boy on the boat for

scrubbing rusty bolt. Which examples do you find funny?

Explain.