We can infer an author's attitude toward a subject through his or her use of imagery. The author's attitude toward a subject is also known as tone. The word choices Twain made when writing this passage make his attitude about laziness clear.

Consider the connotation (the feeling) of the words used in the passage. The houses were "old" and "shackly" (like shacks). These words do not have a positive connotation. They make the reader think of old and rundown things.

The gardens raise nothing but weeds and ash. Ashes are the remains of a fire -- something dead. The gardens are also littered old shoes, broken glass, rags, and other trash. Pigs often enter the garden because the people have not erected a fence good enough to keep them out. When the reader imagines this scene, the effect is sad and pathetic, for there is no reason not to pick up one's trash.

The fences likely hadn't been fixed since the time of Columbus, a few hundred years earlier. While this is likely exaggeration, the point is the same. These people are truly lazy and live in filth as a result.

From Twain's imagery and word choices, it is clear that Twain's opinion of laziness is a negative one. He sees laziness as a sign of moral decay, as evidenced by words like "ash," "played out" and broken glass.

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3 years ago