Trudy Ring is a frequent writer, editor, and reporter on literary subjects. In the following essay, she discusses Twain's use of the frame narrative, satiric elements, and the significance of the character names in "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County."

' "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County " appears at first glance to be a simple, humorous story, but actually is a complex satire of American literature, social conventions, and politics. Like the land around the mining settlement of Angel's Camp, it has riches under the surface, and the patient and careful reader can tap into this vein.

Inspired by an anecdote Mark Twain heard while traveling in the western United States, the sketch was published in various forms and under various titles, including "Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog" and "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," but the basic story remains the same in...