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Essay on Mark Twain's "Running For President"

In "Running for President," Mark Twain writes sardonically of the American political process which consists largely of investigating political candidates for the purpose of finding weaknesses or scandals in their past in order to defeat them in an election. In doing so, he takes the approach of reductum ad absurdum, i.e. taking the argument to absurd lengths, and verbally sketches a brilliant political cartoon whose imagery reduces the reader to wry chuckles of recognition.

Twain starts his essay with the announcement: "I have pretty much made up my mind to run for president." (80 Readings p.225) He then proceeds to argue that he is the best candidate because he has and will disclose all his weaknesses so that no derogatory revelations can come to light. One by one, the skeletons in his closet are paraded before the reader in their most exaggerated form. He first admits to attempted murder and inhumanity, writing that he has forced his old, rheumatic grandfather at gunpoint, to climb up a tree and stay there throughout a long winter's night. Moreover, he claims that he would do it again if he had another grandfather, proof


Quotes talked about in this paper

  • "Running for President," Mark Twain writes ...
  • He says that "I wanted my country saved, but I preferred to have somebody else save it."
  • he says, "I entertain that preference yet."
  • Twain continues and confesses to his avarice, admitting that his philosophy towards money is to "take any kind I can get."
  • He says that all poor people should be killed, stuffed into sausages, and exported to the natives of cannibal islands "to improve our export trade in that region." In selecting his imagery, Twain not only exhibits a wickedly funny sense of humor, but also zeros in pointedly on common vices of politicians and the hypocrisy of what are today referred to as "spin doctors."

Names mentioned in this research paper
Mark Twain,

Keywords talked about in this research paper
Twain, Mark Twain, political cartoon, attempted murder, political process, ad absurdum, total depravity, political system, cowardice, dead relatives, campaign slogan, a confession, spin doctors, American politics, poor people, satirical, the reader, essay, derogatory, fertilize, avarice, wickedness, the decision, chuckles, grapevines, fiendish, scandals, honestly, rheumatic, vices, skeletons, cannibal, revelations, hypocrisy, sausages, closet, the butt, honesty, fake, sardonically, the last, the argument, inhumanity, false, worst, characterization, infinite, demurs, my mind, the approach,

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Mark Twain's "Running For President". (1969, December 31). In DirectEssays.com. Retrieved 06:19, May 23, 2013, from http://www.directessays.com/viewpaper/11223.html
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