In "The Cask of Amontillado," the narrator, Montresor, tells that he uses different tricks to revenge on Fortunato and shows that the inner darkness of Montresor's mind. People usually use their smartness to overcome dilemmas and win competition out of the least possible way; however, the overuse of smartness will overthrow one's self-conscious about what they really want, which promotes their ambitions. In "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," Mark Twain writes a story about Jim Smiley, who likes to bet on everything, to satirize pugnacious people in the 1860s who use tricks and cunningness to win over unfair acquisition.  Although people plagiarize and cheat to obtain good grades or honor in contest, they are always in the risk of getting caught or deceived by other people. 

Gambling is not supposed to be a main theme of one person's life; however, Jim Smiley uses gambling to make fun of others and show disrespect. Simon Wheeler describes Jim Smiley as someone who always likes to bet on anything and whenever "he got a bet, he was satisfied" (2). The satisfying feelings Smiley has are not pride he permanently receives, but some unreal honor that exists within his mind. He carries such artificial pride, which drives him see phenomenon without judgments. When he sees fighting between dogs or cats, "he'd bet on it" (2). The reason he wants to bet events is that he is ambitious and likes to show off. After he faces many competitions when he gambles, he becomes a little rebellious against others, because he hates to lose. His disrespectful personality becomes clear when "[he'll] resk two-and-a-half [Parson Walker's wife] don't anyway" (2). Parson Walker's wife gets sick and is getting better, and everybody thinks she will be well, but Smiley bets money that she will not get better. In the case of betting, it is ordinary for people to bet on anything but not other's personal issues. The bet Smiley does is not inconsiderate because people are worried about Parson Walker's wife, and he does not take serious about it, instead, he is scoffing at the people who care about her. Wheeler expresses the personality of Smiley through betting, telling that he is rebellious and disrespectful. This part of the whole story is an imply of later failure. In the other way, Mark Twain writes Smiley's personality in order to give a foundation of the personality of people in the 1860s.

Wheeler later tells that Smiley uses his smartness to let an ordinary dog win every contest he participates in order to show that there is no absolute equality in competitions. Wheeler describes that the dog that Smiley has is just an ordinary dog that looks like there is no chance of winning, but actually wins every contest by "[grabbing] that other dog jest by the j'int of his hind leg and freeze to it" (3). The dog, names Andrew Jackson, represents people who use their smartness to overcome different circumstances but in a special way that people do not admit their talents. Mark Twain satirizes people who use tricks instead of their own ability to win unfair contests, so they are not easily recognized by criticisms. Nevertheless, the dog later meets "a dog once that didn't have hind legs" (3). So Jackson loses the fight with the dog without a hind leg. The story shows that finding other people's weakness in a combat is imperative, but using their weakness to dominate the fight does not work all the time because we never know that their weakness could be our vulnerability. When Jackson loses the fight, he chooses to "[lay] down and [die]" (3). When Jackson uses the techniques to win over other dogs, he has ambition rather than shame, but when he loses this fight, he chooses to give up. Mark Twain personalizes Jackson as someone who does not use his or her own ability, but rather to find tricks in order to accomplish achievement. The tricks he uses is acceptable by rules but he cannot be fully respected by his own potentiality. 

A little smartness in a competition does not seem to be overwhelming, but when someone uses smartness too much, then it becomes cunningness, which means to take unfair advantage of someone else in order to achieve the goal. The main focal point of the story is about the frog that Smiley uses to deceive other people but is deluded by an ordinary stranger. The frog, names Dan'l Webster, can jump the highest in Calaveras County. Webster is "so modest and straightfor'ard as he was, for all he was so gifted" (4). The description of Webster displays that he is talented and capable of beating any frog. When a stranger comes to Calaveras County, he disagrees with Smiley that Webster is the highest jumper. The stranger uses tricks such as "taking a teaspoon and [filling Webster] full of quail-shot" (5). The stranger is so cunning that he takes advantage of Smiley, and wins forty dollars. Even though Smiley is smart at first and uses his smartness to win over many competitions, the stranger seems to be insidious and takes inequitable advantages of Smiley. This story is indispensable in the entire story of Jim Smiley that Simon Wheeler tells about, because it shows that smartness can be overthrown by insidiousness. Mark Twain correlates the two people: Smiley and the stranger, to satirize the people who use their "smartness" to deceive people in the 1860s. 

Smiley is someone who is pugnacious and likes to gamble and uses his smartness to achieve his personal goals, but the stranger is charlatan, deceives people by using unjustifiable convenience and trickery. The two analogous sides of the story: smartness and cunning, are the main theme in the stories Wheeler tells about Smiley. When cunning is dominating one person's ambition, he or she will be corrupted. In nowadays, people are judged by taking advantages in a contest, and they will get caught eventually or will be defeated by someone who does the same to them. Smartness is marvelous in success, but cunning is definitely not acceptable in the society. Mark Twain's irony and lively humor are the mainstreams in his story, both criticizing Jim Smiley in the story and general people in the 1860s. 
