logo

26 pages 52 minutes read

Mark Twain

The Invalid's Story

Mark TwainFiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1874

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Symbols & Motifs

The Fire

In the characters’ escalating attempts to overpower the smell of the cheese, Thompson purchases an odd assortment of items—chicken feathers, dried apples, leaf tobacco, rags, old shoes, sulphur, asefetida (an herb), and “one thing or another” (Paragraph 39)—and then sets them on fire. All would, presumably, have a strong odor when burned.

Twain frequently lampooned institutional Christianity in his work. In words intended for his autobiography, but suppressed by his family for many years, he described the religion as “bad, bloody, merciless, money-grabbing and predatory” and called it “a terrible religion.” The idea that Christianity has been corrupted by its gatekeepers is visible in “The Invalid’s Story,” particularly in this symbol. When viewing  When viewing the story through this lens, the fire can be seen as a symbol of a ritual burnt sacrifice in the tradition of those in the Hebrew Bible. For example, Leviticus 6:8-13 gives specific instructions for how to conduct a burnt offering.

This offering, however, does not appease the vengeful spirit of what the two characters perceive as the decaying corpse. Instead, the original smell “stood up out of it just as sublime as ever” (Paragraph 40). The fire is the last straw that drives them to the freezing platform to stay, until they are dragged off “frozen and insensible” (Paragraph 44).

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 26 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,450+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools