Twain and Adam & Eve

Journalism in Tennessee was a comical short story explaining biased tendencies in a small town. The exaggerations in this story definitely made the message easier to understand and also added more entertainment to the reading. Twain talks about his move to Tennessee for better health and how he seeks a job as an editor. I like how Twain vividly describes his workplace and chief editor. He talks about the room’s design and how it was filled with papers and a box of cigar stubs. Twain then describes in detail his chief editor by telling the reader how he was sitting, his facial expression, even how he was smoking his cigar. These descriptions helped me see Twain inside his new work environment and told me a lot about his chief editor.

I feel like Twain’s chief editor is much like the feared english teacher in that he completely belittles Twain’s writing. I personally have never had an experience where someone was as harsh as Twain’s editor, but I have definitely known people who have had these experiences.  I feel like Twain had done a good job on his writing of the railroad and the chief editor was the one at fault with his corrections. I feel like the small town wanted hear a different story than what Twain telling. A small town where everyone knows everybody sets itself up for heated emotions because of how close everyone is. Twain definitely exaggerates these emotions by having the towns people shoot at him and throw grenades down the chimney. However, these exaggerations add humor to the story and show how ridiculously people react to the press. Even when the chief editor corrects Twain’s paper, another town’s person throws a brick through the window and initiates conflict about a past article. The story continues with absurd violence and gunfights in the shop ending with multiple wounds on Twains part.

            The story ends with Twain talking about how he is not cut out to receive these kind of afflictions for his writing. He makes the comment that he moved to Tennessee for his health but now he has to move away for the same reason. These exaggerations show how brutal people can be to journalism. I feel that this topic is especially relevant to everyone’s opinions on the election. People don’t like to agree with people that have different opinions from them. Everyone seems to have the right answer and if we don’t hear the story we want to hear, massive uproar occurs. However, I also feel like journalists expect opposition to their writing because they know not everyone is going to agree with what they write. I feel like maybe Twain had had too much opposition to his writing and this story’s exaggerations communicated that clearly. I don’t blame Twain for moving away from Tennessee. I feel like I could only take so much scrutiny before I needed to get away as well.  

            The Diary of Adam and Eve was a different take on the biblical version that I have heard. I liked the dialogue between Adam and Eve because it showed their thoughts and how they felt about each other. This story made Adam and Eve seem like normal people that have normal tasks and issues. Adam had to name the animals and he got tired of Eves talking while Eve tries to make conversation with Adam and help him out with naming the animals.

            I liked how the story followed the original biblical outline but had different twist on each outcome. When Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit, the story talks about how the animals start eating each other and everything is in chaos. This painted a picture for me and I could imagine Adam riding his horse and then trying to take refuge from the tigers that attack him. After this point I thought the story was going to end in sadness and suffering like the normal story does. However, I liked how eating of the fruit brought Adam and Eve closer together. Adam comments how he now sees Eve as a good companion and that it would be a sad day when he could no longer hear her talk. Eve does the same thing by saying that she is simply in love with Adam and she needs no explanation for it. Even though the story eventually ends with old age and death, I like how the story emphasized the importance of human relationships. We are all powerfully connected to one another and this connection brings out the best of us. I feel like this is important and I am glad that this version of Adam and Eve capitalized on the relationship between the two individuals and not just the Fall.