Mark Twain's Rhetorical Analysis
Twain’s philosophical beliefs are most valid because he highlights how animals indeed avoid revenge; they in fact are not even aware it exists. Twain additionally states that humans willingly created evil in the form of cursing, racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. “Indecency, vulgarity, obscenity--these are strictly confined to man; he invented them. Among the higher animals there is no trace of them. They hide nothing; they are not ashamed.” Animals, being subjects of nature, naturalize each and every aptitude and sense they carry. Twain, in the contents of his essay, mentioned how, unlike animals, humans tend to kill for leisure; hunters will strike down twenty buffalos, use one for nutrition, and abandon the other to rot to their cores. Twain’s ideal that humans are the lowest of all animals oppose Gould’s belief that unnoticeable acts of kindness redeem humanity; however, Gould’s notion is flawed once questioned on the value of a human life. For example, how many acts of kindness must be made to
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equate to one human life? Are the scales balanced once an act of compassion are made? And if so, does that counteract terror that takes multiple lives?
It is transparent that, scientifically and socially, humans may hold physical differences, but we are conjoined to create one race not confused with any other.
Human nature is unavoidable; what we mindfully feel is right will be acted upon. Gould states that “... every spectacular incident of evil will be balanced by 10,000 acts of kindness, too often unnoted and invisible as the ‘ordinary’ efforts of a vast majority.” With that being said, if positivity continues to express its superiority to the wicked, why is there still a demand for people to flood the earth with optimism? Seeing that sin is balanced and overruled by obvious virtue. Has 9/11 ever truly been forgotten? Has the corrupt conduct of the attackers ever sincerely been absolved? Are the “rare acts of evil” that Gould referenced really all that infrequent? Humans are naturally prone to be selfish, to create insensitivity based on that evil, and to imagine and define previously-nonexistent, foolish
behavior.
Even in biblical times man willingly selected evil. The supposed precursors of the human race, according to the creation theory, craved a rebellious desire. Once Eve lusted for the forbidden fruit, human fate was predetermined and they were bound to live a life of covetousness. Twain states, “Indecency, vulgarity, obscenity--these are strictly confined to man; he invented them.” It was man who began a life of conscious sin and it is man who continues the life of conscious sin. The loss of an earthly Eden was not made up for by trivial tenderheartedness; the loss of an earthly Eden due to a grave act of selfishness was what, in fact, bound humans to sin. Jesus of Nazareth was the only man to have reopened the gates of a spiritual heaven and even with Jesus of Nazareth the supposed son of the Christian god. Man could not regain a visible Eden for themselves, therefore, man cannot write his wrongs.
Continuing with religious beliefs, if one were to believe in a human soul, then the value of a human life is incalculable. Gould stated that acts of kindness often go unnoticed and proceeded to site food that was brought to the firemen of the September 11th attacks as an example. The casualties of the September 11th attacks total to nearly three thousand deaths and six thousand injuries (“Statistic”); twelve “apple brown betties” cannot and will not balance out one life, let alone the thousands lost in September 11th massacre. The optimistic belief that the negatives of the world are compensated by the positives are therefore rebutted once examining the true worth of the negative action.
Gould’s belief that humans are not cold creatures is thwarted once questioned the amount of goodness needed to rectify wrongdoings. Twain’s philosophical beliefs are most valid considering the emphasis placed on human’s cognizant actions and are then supported by a sociocultural analysis, biblical reference, and analyzation of a human life. Once Twain’s essay is deciphered it is clearly evident that Twain’s belief is least flawed.
equate to one human life? Are the scales balanced once an act of compassion are made? And if so, does that counteract terror that takes multiple lives?
It is transparent that, scientifically and socially, humans may hold physical differences, but we are conjoined to create one race not confused with any other.
Human nature is unavoidable; what we mindfully feel is right will be acted upon. Gould states that “... every spectacular incident of evil will be balanced by 10,000 acts of kindness, too often unnoted and invisible as the ‘ordinary’ efforts of a vast majority.” With that being said, if positivity continues to express its superiority to the wicked, why is there still a demand for people to flood the earth with optimism? Seeing that sin is balanced and overruled by obvious virtue. Has 9/11 ever truly been forgotten? Has the corrupt conduct of the attackers ever sincerely been absolved? Are the “rare acts of evil” that Gould referenced really all that infrequent? Humans are naturally prone to be selfish, to create insensitivity based on that evil, and to imagine and define previously-nonexistent, foolish
behavior.
Even in biblical times man willingly selected evil. The supposed precursors of the human race, according to the creation theory, craved a rebellious desire. Once Eve lusted for the forbidden fruit, human fate was predetermined and they were bound to live a life of covetousness. Twain states, “Indecency, vulgarity, obscenity--these are strictly confined to man; he invented them.” It was man who began a life of conscious sin and it is man who continues the life of conscious sin. The loss of an earthly Eden was not made up for by trivial tenderheartedness; the loss of an earthly Eden due to a grave act of selfishness was what, in fact, bound humans to sin. Jesus of Nazareth was the only man to have reopened the gates of a spiritual heaven and even with Jesus of Nazareth the supposed son of the Christian god. Man could not regain a visible Eden for themselves, therefore, man cannot write his wrongs.
Continuing with religious beliefs, if one were to believe in a human soul, then the value of a human life is incalculable. Gould stated that acts of kindness often go unnoticed and proceeded to site food that was brought to the firemen of the September 11th attacks as an example. The casualties of the September 11th attacks total to nearly three thousand deaths and six thousand injuries (“Statistic”); twelve “apple brown betties” cannot and will not balance out one life, let alone the thousands lost in September 11th massacre. The optimistic belief that the negatives of the world are compensated by the positives are therefore rebutted once examining the true worth of the negative action.
Gould’s belief that humans are not cold creatures is thwarted once questioned the amount of goodness needed to rectify wrongdoings. Twain’s philosophical beliefs are most valid considering the emphasis placed on human’s cognizant actions and are then supported by a sociocultural analysis, biblical reference, and analyzation of a human life. Once Twain’s essay is deciphered it is clearly evident that Twain’s belief is least flawed.