The renowned author Mark Twain famously wrote the short story ‘A Telephonic Conversation’. First published in 1877, this tongue-in-cheek tale entertainingly portrays a conversation between two acquaintances, over a telephone, who were in completely different parts of the country. Utilizing the newly invented device of the telephone, Twain ingeniously utilizes it to convey a humorous story that is part social commentary and part comedy of errors.
As the story begins, Mr. Brown, who is the subscriber of the telephone, eagerly answers the call excitedly, thinking the caller may be an old friend, when instead he finds himself talking to a total stranger, Mr. Robinson. Eventually, Brown finds out that Robinson is looking for another subscriber, known as Mr. Robinson. But he soon notices that the same name is being used for both himself as well as the caller and he worries if he may have been exchanging information with his doppelganger.
The misunderstanding is further compounded by the two men’s different vocabularies and accents—Brown’s from the West, and Robinson’s from the East— hence the conversation turns out to be very confusing for both parties. When Brown briefly visits the men’s room and returns, he finds his square box has magically transmuted, as if by magic, into an astonishingly advanced rectangle shape.
Twain’s intent in writing this story was to demonstrate the potential of this new invention, the wonders of technology, and how it is capable of changing the world with its ever advancing capabilities. But at the same time, the author wanted to suggest the prevalence of misunderstanding between people, something that the invention of the telephone could not change.
By illustrating the complexities of this comical scenario, Twain’s crafty pen enables the reader to contemplate the greater implications of the telephonic conversation. By describing events from both parties’ perspectives, it becomes evident how easy it is for misunderstandings to be born out of conversation through a telephone, and how communication can become distorted in this type of environment.
The short story offers profound insight into the underlying relationships of communication between two disparate people. It demonstrates the importance of understanding each other’s perspectives, and how misunderstandings can take root and grow. Mark Twain was ahead of his time, and this short story remains a timeless tale of communication from one era to another.
Social Commentary
Mark Twain’s telephonic conversation contains a witty social commentary layered into the plot.It provides a humorous representation of how communication can steadily decline due to differences in geography and education. Twain intimately portrays the confusion faced by the characters over the telephone, something that was hard to do in that era.
It’s amusing to note how different their respective vocabularies are and how one party desperately tries to explain what he’s trying to say while the other’s mind wanders off trying to decode the already confusing remarks.The story is a testament to the fact that communication is something that needs to be handled carefully, as misunderstandings are bound to happen if the parties do not share a common understanding of language.
It also takes a dig at people’s proclivity for exaggerating and distorting facts in order to make their story sound more convincing, something Mr. Brown does a few times in the story. Twain made use of this story to emphasize the importance of being truthful, something that he was a firm believer in.
Art of Story-telling
The telephonic conversation is adeptly structured in a way to both entertain and educate the reader. The story is concise, comprising of only nine paragraphs, yet it constantly keeps you engaged with its twisting narrative and interesting characters. The dialogue is witty and impeccably paced, while the quirks of the invented device are humorously described.
It is evident that this story in particular was finely tailored to reflect the Victorian sensibilities, something that was very peculiar to that era. It brings out the importance of telling a good story, one that keeps the reader engaged and provides a few interesting surprises. The short story is fine example of Twain’s unique style of story-telling.
Innovative Use of Technology
In ‘A Telephonic Conversation’, Mark Twain attempted to demonstrate how technology, particularly the telephone, was quickly developing and becoming more advanced. Before the invention of the telephone, people could easily describe how something looked or sounded to another person. But it was not possible for them to share the experience of something about which they had very limited knowledge.
The tale attempts to portray how little knowledge that people had of what the telephone could do, and how they had to come to terms with its capabilities. It is also evident how people were intrigued by the prospect of magically conversing with someone though this device— something that had not been imagined before this period in history.
The story also alludes to the fact that the then, newly emerging technology was considered to be quite mysterious and magical.Twain uses this short story as an interesting narrative to demonstrate the unique advantages and disadvantages of the telephone, something that was new and exciting for the people at that time.
Conclusion
Mark Twain’s ‘A Telephonic Conversation’ still resonates with the readers of today. It demonstrates the potential of technology and the consequences of misunderstanding due to poor communication between parties. It also warns us of the dangers of trying to make your story seem more impressive than it actually is. The narrative of this masterpiece, in itself, also serves as an example of great writing style, and ultimately of the power of effective storytelling.
