Questions: In a short answer where you include textual evidence for your support, answer the following question. Consider the final sentence of the speech. What is the result of the character building Twain recommends? Who is the real target for his satire? "Build your character thoughtfully and painstakingly upon these precepts, and by and by, when you have got it built, you will be surprised and gratified to see how nicely and sharply it resembles everybody else's."

In a short answer where you include textual evidence for your support, answer the following question.

Consider the final sentence of the speech. What is the result of the character building Twain recommends? Who is the real target for his satire?
"Build your character thoughtfully and painstakingly upon these precepts, and by and by, when you have got it built, you will be surprised and gratified to see how nicely and sharply it resembles everybody else's."
Transcript text: In a short answer where you include textual evidence for your support, answer the following question. Consider the final sentence of the speech. What is the result of the character building Twain recommends? Who is the real target for his satire? "Build your character thoughtfully and painstakingly upon these precepts, and by and by, when you have got it built, you will be surprised and gratified to see how nicely and sharply it resembles everybody else's."
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In the final sentence of the speech, Mark Twain uses satire to critique the societal norms and expectations regarding character building. The result of the character building he recommends is a character that is indistinguishable from everyone else's, highlighting the conformity and lack of individuality that society often promotes. Twain's use of the phrase "you will be surprised and gratified to see how nicely and sharply it resembles everybody else's" suggests that the process of building one's character according to societal precepts leads to a homogenized identity, rather than a unique or authentic self.

The real target of Twain's satire is the societal pressure to conform and the superficial nature of character development that prioritizes fitting in over genuine self-discovery. By recommending that one should build their character to resemble everyone else's, Twain is mocking the idea that true character is something that can be constructed through adherence to external standards rather than through personal growth and introspection.

Twain's satirical approach encourages readers to question the value of conforming to societal norms and to consider the importance of developing a character that is true to oneself, rather than one that merely mirrors the expectations of others. This critique is a common theme in Twain's work, where he often challenges the status quo and encourages individual thought and authenticity.

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