Luck by Mark Twain

                                             Luck     

                                                                                                                             Mark Twain

→Describe Scoresby's character

Mark Twain was an American author and humorist. His wit and satire in prose and in speech earned praise from both critics and peers. His popular novels are "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and its sequel, "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" was often called 'The Great American Novel'. In the lesson, "Luck", Mark Twain gives a humorous description of the character, Scoresby. With a pleasant description he explains how luck has favored Scoresby, who doesn't even have the basic skills to get success in his career. With the compassionate help of a Clergy, who was a former army official, Scoresby could reach the higher position in the army.
              Once Scoresby, in his young age attempted to write a preliminary examination to join the army. He didn't even have the basic knowledge to appear in the exam. While the other participants of the exam could able to answer the questions brightly, Scoresby was unable to answer the questions. Basically, he would appear like a good, sweet, lovable and guileless. With this he got the favor of the Clergyman (army official now). As he wanted to help Scoresby, the Clergyman took him aside, drilled him with a line of stock questions, which would be most probably asked in the examination. Luckily Scoresby passed the examination with flying colors, got complements too. From this initial help of the Clergyman, the fortune of Scoresby continued in the rest of his professional life.
          Scoresby was very poor at mathematics. The clergyman thought if he were not assisted by anybody, he would, at any cost, fail in the test. Hence the clergyman again resolved to help him by giving a serious drilling of questions, which the examiners would be most likely to use. Scoreby miraculously could get the first prize in this time of exam too. In this way, Scorerby, even he is a 'wooden-head' man, was put in number of promotions and prodigious responsibilities.
         Later, during the time of Crimean War Scoresby was even appointed as the captain of the army, which the clergyman wouldn't believe it. As a captain of the army, Scoresby would make many blunders. But every time his performance was misinterpreted by others. Every fresh blunder mistake he commit increased his reputation. He climbed to the higher positions from grade to grade over the dead bodies of his supervisors. Fortunately he even became Colonel as the Colonel on duty was died in the Crimean war.
              Once in the battle, when their regiment occupied a vital position, Scoresby committed a blunder mistake of detaching the regiment, asking them to charge over a neighboring hill, where by that time, there was the Russian army in reserve. Scoresby's regiment could have undoubtedly defeated. But, surprisingly, the Russian army miscalculated the strength of theirs and ran away. The name Scoresby won on that day as a marvelous military victory.
                  In this way Scoresby could emerge as a knight, a baronet by astonishing luckiness. I would like to conclude by saying that the lady luck had always favored in the life of Scoresby.

Meanings:-

Humorist             = someone who acts, speaks or writes in an amusing way

Wit                      = the quality of being funny

Satire                  = a comment of something; witty language used to convey insults

Peer                    = a person who is equal standing with another in a group

Adventure          = task; risky venture; dangerous undertaking

Humorous          = something that has full of humor

Favored           = benefitted

Guileless         = honest

Clergyman      = a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church

Appear            = pass; get success in a test

Initial               = beginning

Wooden-head = a person who doesn’t even have the basic knowledge about something

Prodigious      = great; huge

Blunders         = mistakes; faults

Miraculously = surprisingly

Reputation     = fame; the state of being held in high esteem and honor

Regiment       = army unit

Baronet         = a degree of honor in army

 Vali Basha Shaik