Story of the Bad Little Boy by Mark Twain — Review

Mark Twain’s *The Story of the Bad Little Boy* is a example of satirical subversion—a sharp, darkly comic deconstruction of the moralistic children’s tales that dominated 19th-century literature.

The story follows Jim, a mischievous boy who gleefully flouts every rule of proper childhood behavior: he lies, steals, skips Sunday school, torments animals, and manipulates his elders.

In traditional didactic tales of the era— such a child would inevitably meet a grim, cautionary end: struck by lightning, devoured by wolves, or consumed by guilt. But Twain turns this expectation on its head. Jim not only avoids punishment but thrives. He grows up to be wealthy, respected, and even elected to Congress—despite (or perhaps because of) his continued moral failings.

Here is the link to the text of the story:
https://twain.lib.virginia.edu/tomsawye/mtbadboy.html