In the first paragraph, the narrator hints at the trickery behind his inquiry by expressing doubt about the existence of Leonidas W. Smiley, suggesting that his friend may have orchestrated a setup to provoke a lengthy tale from Simon Wheeler. This sets the stage for the theme of being manipulated by tricksters, as the narrator becomes an unwitting target of Wheeler's storytelling. The mention of Jim Smiley, a notorious hustler, foreshadows the tale to come and emphasizes how easily one can be drawn into the schemes of those who exploit others' gullibility. Overall, the paragraph establishes an atmosphere of suspicion and foreshadowing, highlighting the importance of discernment to avoid falling prey to hustlers.
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County
by Mark Twain
Story theme: If people are not careful, tricksters and hustlers will take advantage of them.
Paragraph 1: In compliance with the request of a friend of mine, who wrote me from the East, I called on good-natured, garrulous old Simon Wheeler, and inquired after my friend’s friend, Leonidas W. Smiley, as requested to do, and I hereunto append the result. I have a lurking suspicion that Leonidas W. Smiley is a myth; that my friend never knew such a personage; and that he only conjectured that, if I asked old Wheeler about him, it would remind him of his infamous Jim Smiley, and he would go to work and bore me nearly to death with some infernal reminiscence of him as long and tedious as it should be useless to me. If that was the design, it certainly succeeded.
How does paragraph 1 contribute to the development of the story's theme?
Write 4 sentences.
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