Twain’s masterful use of the vernacular portrays the speech of early rural America. His use of the vernacular lets the reader read more smoothly since they do not have to pay attention to the structural significance of the word. Throughout his story Old Times on the Mississippi, there are countless examples of Twain’s use of vernacular. Here are a few examples: “Look-a-here! What do you suppose I told you the names of those points for?” (p. 341), “Whar ‘n the---you goin’ to! Cain’t you see nothin’ you dash-dashed aig-suckin’, sheep-stealin’, one-eyed son of a stuffed monkey!” (p. 365). This shows the rural, uneducated portion of
America. Before Twain, no other author has ever written in such a manner. By doing so he makes it possible for all readers to feel as if they are in the book, living the story along with the characters. This enriches American literature, because it is a clever way, and the only way to make the reader actually seem to hear and feel the sounds the writer is trying to convey.
Contrary to what may be believes, this is actually a very intelligent style of writing, for it is difficult for an author to write in a different level of dialect than they actually speak. The reader can tell that this dialect isn’t Twain’s own, since he doesn’t write with it in every part of the book. In his writing Twain quickly shifts gears from narrating the story to careless dialect of his characters.
Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi, dramatizes his recognition that signs constitute rather than represent, that we occupy worlds fashioned from words, images, dreams, and memories; the static, obscure signs that define experience. In all of Mark Twain’s writings, especially Old Times on the Mississippi, he relates the story to his life or what is happening in the world around him. Although we did not read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer, Twain’s writing style still shows great examples of vernacular, along with satire.
Mark Twain’s writing style is different from the other authors we have read in several ways. The greatest way, is Twain’s choice of words and dialect he uses throughout his story, Old Times on the Mississippi. Unlike Twain, Ben Franklin, and Fredrick Douglass don’t make you feel as if you’re living the story. Franklin and Douglass simply tell their story, with emotion, but not nearly as much as Twain. Twain’s choice of writing style makes him more entertaining, and shows his humerous and fun side. He writes what comes into his mind without fear, feeling no need to prove his intelligence through his writing, because he knows, as well as the reader.
Using satire, single-minded words, and writing in the vernacular has all helped Mark Twain to become the classic American icon that he is today. He left behind a legacy of unmatched ingenuity to think of sharp, efficient satire in many of his writings. Twain’s use of single-minded words captures the reader’s attention, making them feel almost as if they are in the book themselves. His masterful use of the vernacular portrays the speech of early rural America. Twain’s use of the vernacular lets the reader read more smoothly since they do not have to pay attention to the structural significance of the word. Since Mark Twain was the first truly great western author to define American writing, he has opened the way for many future authors to come.