# XLII explained — Roughing It

> Chapter companion for Roughing It by Mark Twain.

## What happens

The narrator, having failed at mining, receives an offer to become city editor of the Virginia Daily Territorial Enterprise at twenty-five dollars a week. Despite his inexperience and past failures, he accepts out of necessity. He moves to Virginia City, adopts a more Christian costume, and receives advice from Mr. Goodman to always get absolute facts. On his first day, lacking news, he invents stories about hay wagons and a murder, filling two columns and earning Mr. Goodman's praise.

## Themes in this chapter

### Get-Rich-Quick Schemes and Speculation

The narrator's shift from mining to journalism is driven by the need for a steady income, contrasting with the speculative mining ventures.

### Humor and Exaggeration

The narrator's first day as a reporter involves inventing news, such as multiplying a single hay wagon into sixteen items and fabricating an Indian fight.

### Work and Labor

The narrator reflects on his various failed occupations and the necessity of work, ultimately finding his niche in journalism.

## Character check-ins

### The Narrator

Accepts the city editor position at the Enterprise, reflects on past failures, and invents news stories on his first day.

### Higbie

Persuades the narrator to try mining once more, but the attempt ends in frustration.

### Mr. Goodman

Chief editor and proprietor of the Enterprise; gives the narrator instructions and advice on reporting.

### Dan

Former reporter whose methods (e.g., hay wagon stories) are cited by Mr. Goodman as an example.

## Key lines

> Necessity is the mother of 'taking chances.'

Being in need forces one to take risks.

_The narrator justifies accepting the editor job despite his inexperience._

> Unassailable certainty is the thing that gives a newspaper the firmest and most valuable reputation.

Absolute factual accuracy is what builds a newspaper's most solid and valuable reputation.

_Mr. Goodman's advice to the narrator on reporting._

> I let fancy get the upper hand of fact too often when there was a dearth of news.

I often let imagination override truth when there was a shortage of real news.

_The narrator admits to fabricating stories when actual news was scarce._

## Links

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