I've found this question online as both an open-ended question and a multiple choice question. In case it is supposed to be the multiple choice one, I'll provide the options:
3. How does the diction of Simon Wheeler and the narrator contribute to the development of the story?
A) Simon and the unnamed narrator are from different regions.
B) Simon and the unnamed narrator have different speech patterns.
C) The different types of characters sets up the deception presented in the story.
D) The two speech patterns distinguish the two men as different and vulnerable.
C) The different types of characters sets up the deception presented in the story.
Explanation:
In "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County", by Mark Twain, the narrator makes the mistake of asking Simon Wheeler to tell him what he knows about a man called Leonidas Smiley. However, all Wheeler does is waste the narrator's time with a fantastic story about a man named Smiley who trained a frog to jump higher than any other frog in the county.
The story's themes concern deception and humor. While the narrator uses high diction, Wheeler's low diction makes his story quite compelling and fun to listen to. Yet, that is not how the narrator feels. The contrast in their diction shows precisely that the narrator would never enjoy listening to that kind of story told in that manner. As a matter of fact, Wheeler even tries to tell one more story, but the narrator simply leaves, disappointed with the result of the first one.
