of the railroad, “Ten minutes late the steamer is underway again, with no flag on the jack-staff and no black smoke issuing from the chimneys. After ten more minutes the town is dead again, and the town drunkard asleep by the skids once more” (Twain 261). Of course, the story’s main theme is more than just the life and inhabitants who feed off of the Mississippi as surely as any of its fish. It is about the youthful experiences of a boy who views the Mississippi with all the adventure, mystery and excitement a young mind can muster. Of course, also, the story is filled with Twain’s particular brand of humor and satire. His interior thoughts are shared with us, most of them character assassinations on those around him whose actions or behaviors he finds asinine, “All I desired to ask Mr. Bixby was the simple question whether he was ass enough to really imagine he was going to find that plantation on a night when all plantations were exactly alike and all of the same color. But I held it in. I used to have fine inspirations of prudence in those days” (Twain 268).
Of course, the real ass in the story at this time is the boy who fails to understand to a full extent the real capabilities and skills of the pilot.
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