# LXX explained — Roughing It

> Chapter companion for Roughing It by Mark Twain.

## What happens

The narrator and his companions stop at a plantation in the Sandwich Islands, where they encounter a gentle, seemingly mad preacher named Simon Erickson. Erickson obsessively recounts a correspondence he had with Horace Greeley about turnips, which he believes caused international controversy and even the Battle of Sadowa. He tells a tragicomic story of a widow's son who died from his obsession with turnips, blaming a misunderstood letter from Greeley for the fatal delay.

## Themes in this chapter

### Humor and Exaggeration

The entire episode is a farcical tale of miscommunication, with Erickson's absurd interpretations of Greeley's letter and the tragicomic death of the turnip-obsessed boy.

### The Absurdity of Pretension

Erickson's grandiose belief that his correspondence with Greeley caused international wars and historical events mocks pretentious self-importance.

## Character check-ins

### The Narrator

Present at the plantation, listens to Erickson's story.

### Horace Greeley

Central figure in Erickson's correspondence; his letter is misinterpreted.

### Mr. Greely

Mentioned as the recipient of Erickson's letter; variant spelling of Horace Greeley.

### Mrs. Beazeley

Widow who wrote to Erickson about her son's turnip obsession.

## Key lines

> We stopped some time at one of the plantations, to rest ourselves and refresh the horses.

The group paused at a plantation to take a break and let the horses recover.

_Sets the scene for the encounter with Erickson._

> He said that if he woke up presently and fell to talking about a correspondence which he had some time held with Mr. Greeley about a trifle of some kind, we must humor him and listen with interest; and we must humor his fancy that this correspondence was the talk of the world.

The planters warned the narrator to indulge Erickson's delusion that his correspondence with Greeley was globally famous.

_Introduces Erickson's madness and the central comic premise._

> It makes us famous, but at what a sorrowful sacrifice! I was so sorry when I heard that it had caused that bloody and distressful war over there in Italy.

Erickson claims his correspondence with Greeley led to a war in Italy, lamenting the cost of fame.

_Highlights the absurd exaggeration of the theme._

> The sentiment which he felt toward the turnip was akin to adoration. He could not think of the turnip without emotion; he could not speak of it calmly; he could not contemplate it without exaltation.

The boy's love for turnips was so intense it bordered on worship.

_Describes the boy's obsessive passion for turnips._

> But alas, it was too late, gentlemen⁠—too late. The criminal delay had done its work⁠—young Beazely was no more.

Erickson concludes that the misunderstanding of Greeley's letter caused the boy's death.

_The tragicomic climax of the story._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters/lxx
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/roughing_it_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/roughing_it_se/chapters