Astrapping girl of fifteen, in the customary sunbonnet and calico dress, asked me if i "used tobacco" – meaning did i chew it. i said no. it roused her scorn. she reported me to all the crowd, and said:

"here is a boy seven years old who can't chew tobacco."

by the looks and comments which this produced i realized that i was a degraded object, and was cruelly ashamed of myself. i determined to reform. but i only made myself sick; i was not able to learn to chew tobacco. i learned to smoke fairly well, but that did not conciliate anybody and i remained a poor thing, and characterless.

in about 100 words, discuss the meaning twain intends in the excerpt and how satire is used to develop that theme.