Advice to Youth, Essay Example

Question 1, what generic conventions does Twain set up in the beginning of his essay?

Answer: Twain’s agreements involved telling youth a set of things to do in order to live the life that is expected of them. Twain makes it his life’s work to do this because it is obvious that this is the life that he lived as well as the things that he was told to adhere to when he was being given this same advice. For example, According to Twain (52) “I have a few things in mind which I have often longed to say for the instruction of the young” (Twain, 52). Mark Twain basically wanted to convey a message to youth about how important it is to follow these set rules. Back in those days, it was imperative that all children do exactly as they were told because it often led to longevity and ultimately, maturity. People can agree that life was simpler back in Mark Twain’s time because there were only two things to generally live by, do what you’re told and respect your elders; doing this awarded youth with praise from adults and likeminded peers.

Question 2, how does Twain subvert the reader’s expectations?

Answer: Mark Twain subverts the reader’s expectations issuing specific examples of what to do in certain situations, situations that warrant common sense so as to not cause offense to anyone. For example, Mark Twain mentioned that the young should do everything that their parents tell them even it seems that the parent’s logic in it is illogical; for lack of a better word. People look at Twain’s works like it is something that they should take to heart but he is saying and making it known that young people sometimes have better insight than their parents even though their parents have lived longer and have endured more.It is a known fact that from the time that people are born into families, the basic rule is that because parents are who they are, their children should listen to them always. However, Mark Twain also subverts the reader’s expectation by acknowledging that some children are born with exceptional instincts which sometimes can conflict with a parent’s rule or authority of something.

Question 3, why does Twain use humor in his essay (besides being funny) rather than simply providing straightforward advice?

Answer: Mark Twain chose to use humor in his piece because he wanted to give the reader’s the impression that this is not just taken from an adult perspective, but it is also a lighthearted piece that people can relate to. Also, it can be argued that Twain took this path because he wanted his work to come off as not too serious but advice that should still be heeded even though it is advice from one adult to youth. Theoretically, Twain’s advice is pretty straightforward but the examples he uses are meant to come off as a little humorous so as to keep readers hooked and well attentive to the message that he is trying to convey. It is a known fact that youth or young people tend to look at some things one-dimensionally, but Twain’s goal isn’t just to keep young people hanging on his every word but to make sure that they are readily paying attention to his message by seeing the humor in his words. Straightforward advice to any young person might come off as the adult telling them what to do and for the most part, it is. However, the humor of straightforward advice can make a young person laugh as well as see the humor in doing what they’re told to do. As young people know, being told what to do can be one of the hardest things they have ever dealt with in their lives but Mark Twain takes a lot of the command element out of that so young people can see the lightheartedness in being told what to do by adults.

Question 4, why does he use irony in his essay?

Answer: Mark Twain uses irony in his essay to illustrate that the reader or the youth in mind do not have to do as he is saying so readily, Twain is basically putting the power and interpretation of his read into the hands of the young. Growing up, young people will frown and say that they feel like they do not have any power to call their own. Twain simply uses irony in his essay to point out that even though he’s an adult giving his young audience a lecture about the fine art of living, the power to do these things is theirs alone. The irony of an essay’s message can put power into a person’s hands so as to say that they are doing the things in the message, but only because they want to do it and not because they have to. Listening to good advice is good for the heart, mind and soul which is exactly how Mark Twain’s essay was coming off as.

Question 5, Twain’s work is clearly satirical. What is Twain trying to criticize and mock in his essay?

Answer: Twain is trying to criticize and mock the concept of getting up and going to bed early; with a lark no less. Twain criticizes and mocks this concept because he knows that larks are birds that can’t trained to do anything other than flying. Going to bed and getting up early is something that no child wants to do, waking up with a bird is likely to get young people ridiculed by their peers and adults. Oddly enough, Twain is saying that getting up with the sun is good for young people because it shows initiative and motivation to do positive things for the whole day but a young person’s body isn’t built to get up early in the morning. Twain was also criticizing that larks that can be trained in order to act as an alarm of sorts, but birds can’t be used to do one thing if they are meant to serve another purpose. Mark Twain put a little too much stock into his lark being trained to wake young people up at the break of dawn. This concept can be easily mocked because any young person will tell you that they want to sleep in well past the time that the sun comes up, sleeping well into the afternoon is more like it according to youth.

Work Cited Page

Twain, Mark. Advice to Youth. 1st ed. Vol. 1. 52. Print.