The two books are both narratives and fiction stories teaching us about life issues. At the end of both of the narrations, we find disappointed people. In The celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras county Mark Twain narrates that Jim made a bet of 40$ with a stranger to go for a competition of jumping frogs and see whose frog could jump higher than the other. When the stranger’s frog won, Jim had to concede defeat and give out the money while being very disappointed. On the other story of the Return of a Private,we find Mr. Smith complaining while in the train with his companions. When he arrived home, he really gets disappointed that he had forsaken his role as a father.
The two stories differ in that they have a totally different approach. “Return of a private” is more of a real life situation rather than a narrative because it addresses actual life issues. While responding to the young man, Mr. Smith tells him that he cannot understand anything about hardship not unless he has a family to cater for. Contrary to this, “The Celebrated Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County” talk of Jim training a frog for a period of about three months and engaging the two frogs in a competition. This is much more of fiction than a true story.
In the return of the private, Smith goes home to look for his family while in the Jumping frog story, the narrator is sent by a friend to look for Leonidas W. Smiley where he goes to meet Simon Wheeler. The two therefore are similar in a way but differs more.
Works Cited
Newlin, Keith. Hamlin Garland: A Life. Press, 2008.
Webb, C.H. The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, and Other Sketches. New York:, 2003.
