Roughing It · Chapter
XVII explained
The narrator departs Great Salt Lake City, reflecting on the confusion surrounding the 'Mormon question' and the high prices that signify a pioneer land.
What happens
The narrator departs Great Salt Lake City, reflecting on the confusion surrounding the 'Mormon question' and the high prices that signify a pioneer land. He recounts an embarrassing incident where he tips a half-breed bootblack a five-cent piece, only to be mocked for his 'emigrant' ways, and describes the comfort of ham, eggs, and a pipe during the subsequent stagecoach journey.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it presents the ultimate psychological peak of fear and vulnerabil…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Identity and Belonging
The narrator struggles with his identity as an 'emigrant' versus a 'pioneer,' feeling shame and inferiority in the face of local scorn.
- Get-Rich-Quick Schemes and Speculation
The high prices and the narrator's financial misstep highlight the speculative economy and the value of money in the West.
- Humor and Exaggeration
The bootblack's witty retort and the narrator's over-the-top reaction exemplify Twain's humorous exaggeration of social faux pas.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
Reflects on the unreliable information about Mormons, experiences humiliation over a small tip, and enjoys the comforts of ham, eggs, and a pipe on the stagecoach.
- Brigham Young
Implied as a central figure in the 'Mormon question' discussions, though not directly present.
Key passages
“We had a deal more 'information' than we had before, of course, but we did not know what portion of it was reliable and what was not—for it all came from acquaintances of a day—strangers, strictly speaking.”
We gathered a lot of facts, but couldn't tell which were true because they came from people we barely knew.
Highlights the unreliability of secondhand information in a new land.
“The yellow-jacket handed the half dime back to me and told me I ought to keep my money in my pocketbook instead of in my soul, and then I wouldn't get it cramped and shriveled up so!”
The bootblack returned the coin, sarcastically suggesting I keep my money in my wallet rather than hoarding it in my heart.
A humorous jab at the narrator's stinginess and lack of understanding of local customs.
“Nothing helps scenery like ham and eggs. Ham and eggs, and after these a pipe—an old, rank, delicious pipe—ham and eggs and scenery, a 'down grade,' a flying coach, a fragrant pipe and a contented heart—these make happiness.”
The simple pleasures of ham, eggs, and a pipe enhance the beauty of the landscape and create true contentment during the journey.
Twain's characteristic blend of humor and appreciation for life's simple joys.
