# XLVII explained — Roughing It

> Chapter companion for Roughing It by Mark Twain.

## What happens

The chapter reflects on the funeral customs of Virginia City during the 'flush times,' focusing on the death of Buck Fanshaw, a representative rough and public benefactor. It details the grand preparations for his funeral and the visit of Scotty Briggs to a newly arrived Eastern minister, highlighting the rich slang of Nevada and the cultural clash between the rough miners and the refined clergyman.

## Themes in this chapter

### Violence and Desperadoism

Buck Fanshaw's life and death epitomize the rough, violent ethos of the mining frontier, where killing a man in defense of a stranger was celebrated.

### Humor and Exaggeration

The absurdity of the jury's verdict and the comedic miscommunication between Scotty Briggs and the minister highlight the chapter's humorous tone.

### The Absurdity of Pretension

The contrast between the minister's refined language and Scotty's slang underscores the pretensions of Eastern propriety in the rough West.

## Character check-ins

### Buck Fanshaw

A representative citizen who died by suicide in a delirium of typhoid fever; his funeral is the central event of the chapter.

### Scotty Briggs

Buck Fanshaw's bosom friend and the committeeman who visits the minister to arrange the funeral; he speaks in heavy slang.

### The Narrator

Observes and recounts the funeral customs and the conversation between Scotty Briggs and the minister.

## Key lines

> Somebody has said that in order to know a community, one must observe the style of its funerals and know what manner of men they bury with most ceremony.

To understand a community, you should look at how they conduct funerals and which people they honor most.

_Opening observation linking funeral customs to social values._

> Slang was the language of Nevada. It was hard to preach a sermon without it, and be understood.

Slang was the everyday speech in Nevada; even sermons needed slang to be comprehensible.

_Highlights the pervasiveness of slang in the region._

> He was the worst son of a thief that ever drawed breath. Pard, he was on it! He was on it bigger than an Injun!

He was the toughest scoundrel alive. Friend, he was always ready for a fight, more than anyone else.

_Scotty Briggs's slang-laden praise of Buck Fanshaw's fighting spirit._

## Links

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