The Damned Humans Race

The Damned Human Race
Mark Twain

Subject:
The subject is the moral de-evolution of the human race.

Occasion:
Twain uses Darwin's theory of the evolution of man as a pretext to put forward his opposite theory.

Audience:
Twain speaks to the entire human race and/or the general public.

Purpose:
Twain wants to challenge the accepted view that humans are superior to animals and make people think about their collective behavior.

Speaker:
Twain appears thoughtful and intelligent; he is also cynical and exhibits a keen sense of humor. He often uses witty writing and proposes a scientific point of view.

Tone:
He has a negative tone shown by words such as: damned, incurably foolish
Gloomy: He makes it sound like the point of no return is approaching, says things like the descent of man from the higher animals
Hostile: He attacks the subject harshly, "indecency, vulgarity, obscenity--these are all strictly confined to man."
Sarcastic: The whole piece has a sarcastic tone-"seems to suggest that the earl was descended from the anaconda and ha lost a good deal in the transition."

Organization/Narrative Style:
It is organized as an argumentative essay. It starts with the main idea and backs it up with reasoning and evidence. It is written to be attention grabbing and dramatic.

Evidence:
Satire: Used to draw attention the main ideas of the piece
Irony: Goes beyond what is needed to convey his point to the audience
Hyperbole: All of the 'experiments' he conducts are exaggerated for effect, as are many of his statements.
Metaphor: He makes opposite metaphors, comparing animals to the ideal view of man and men to the stereotypical animal.