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Mark Twain's 'The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn'

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Recommended: Literary analysis of adventure of huckleberry finn

ACTIVITY #1: STUDENT CRITIQUE (REVIEW)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a great book that has a lot to say about many topics that were going on in society during 1885 when it was written. At first, it can be a difficult book to read but once you get into it and understand the dialect then it’s actually a fun book to read. Huck Finn has a lot of humor and adventure in it which makes you want to find out what will happen next with Huck, Tom and Jim. However, the main purpose of the book is to really show how ridiculous society was during slavery and the racism that existed. Mark Twain was using the story to show the hypocrisy of people and how they thought about race. For example, during one conversation with “Aunt Sally” about his trip, …show more content…

Even though Slavery ended , the Jim Crow laws were still in effect. These laws allowed for the segregation of the races and still allowed for racism to continue until the Civil Rights movement nearly 100 years later. So, it is not a surprise that the 1885 review saw the story as a fun adventure and not about race even though it does say Huck is struggling with a moral issue. Also, during the time of the 1885 critique, the Ku Klux Klan was intimidating blacks and lynchings of black people happened all the time. So, the people at the time did not see all the issues going on with race and the treatment of black people. While states like Connecticut where the review were written did not have a history of slavery there still was a lot of racism across the country and northern states were not always aware of what was really going on in the …show more content…

For example, we are a very political correct society today so I understand where the author is coming from in their critique. However, I also agree with them in that we shouldn’t try to change the works of great authors like Mark Twain. I come for a minority background and have heard a lot of stories from family about how my Native American ancestors were treated so I can relate to not wanted to say things that could upset certain minority groups or sound racist. I was raised to know that we are all equal and that we should treat all people with respect so I can relate to not wanting to say negative things about a certain group of people or calling them insensitive

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Should Huckleberry Finn Be Taught In Schools Essay

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It shows the friendship between Huck and Jim, were as history books are dry and boring. The history books do not always relate things to the past, this book shows you what it was like. It shows that slaves and white people could be friends and that not everyone hated slaves. We should support the fact that they traveled together because in this day and age these races have negative views about each other. The only way to end racism is to exploit all of it and learn from it.

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The social and historical norms of the time was in no doubt influential to the critics. As far as historical norms, The Hartford Courant refers to Jim as a runaway “N” word, a term that is no longer acceptable in our society. Historically, the term “runaway” is referring to the recent abolition of slavery, although still not fully over 20 years later. It was normal for white people to refer to black people using derogatory terms. The reason why the story “Huckleberry Finn” was a significant piece of literature was because it was unrealistic for a white boy to be friends with a runaway black man.

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With the novel being told in the first person point of view of Huck, we get a first hand experience of the prejudices then. We are able to see just how stereotypical and racist white people were in the past. A majority of the people in the south viewed blacks as inferior, or below them in social ranking. They ordered around their slaves and treated them with little respect at times. Although The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn can make students feel “uncomfortable," it is beneficial for students to read it.

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This book proves that not everyone who grew up around racism was cruel, as Huck began to love Jim for who he is, despite the society he grew up in. An example of Huck maturing could come from chapter forty, "I knowed he was white inside, and I reckoned he'd say what he did say - so it was all right, now, and I told Tom I was agoing for a doctor." (Twain 301). This quote clearly shows that Huck is maturing, and seeing past the color of Jim's skin. The book shows us how hard it was to grow up in a racist society and not be racist.

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Laura Post Huck Finn Scholarly Article “I didn’t want to go back to the widow’s any more and be so cramped up and sivilized, as they called it.” (35). Huckleberry Finn, the protagonist of the famous novel by Mark Twain, deliberately averts being “sivilized” by the adults of the story. While closely analyzing Huck Finn’s society, there is no wonder why. Mark Twain’s novel, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” should be studied in high school because it shows the hypocrisy in a so called “civilized” society.

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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain has been shrouded in controversy ever since the book came out. In Twains time, many said that the book is only suitable for the slums because of Huck's lifestyle. He used choice words and lived like an uncivilized person back then. In today's time the book has different problems. The use of n-word and racist attitudes plague the book causing the main message of the book to be hidden.

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The readers start to see Hucks opinion and point of view develop when he finally discovers Jim’s true feelings. “I didn’t do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn’t done that one if I’d a knowed it would make him feel that way”. Huck grew up his whole life watching slavery, not knowing the wrongs from the rights. However, he starts to understand that even though African Americans weren’t treated the same, that they still feel the same way as white people. It also demonstrates his empathy towards Jim, developing a sense of care towards him.

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Those who feel the novel encourages racism say that because of the stereotypes used when featuring Jim, how Huck and Tom treated Jim, and how often the N-word is brought up Twain had hoped to encourage racism. However there is still strong evidence that proves why that might be a misunderstanding. If twain was intending to encourage racism then why would he make Him seem so much of a better person than the duke, king, and Huck's father. Also when Twain illustrates the black and white symbolism he portrayed Him as white man and Huck's father, who is a white man, as dark and scary. Then throughout the story as a reader you feel empathy for Jim he begins to become one of the favorite characters in the novel.

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1403 Words | 6 Pages

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2368 Words | 10 Pages

The ‘Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’, written by Mark Twain, follows the narrative of the young protagonist, Huckleberry Finn. While the novel takes off describing the wild adventures of Huck Finn, the novel progresses to reveal more mature themes. Before beginning the novel, readers are greeted with a warning from the author; “NOTICE: Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot” (Twain, 1). At the risk of being banished, readers may uncover two prominent themes: racism and slavery, and Huck’s evolving morality. While reading the novel, one may catch a glimpse into the society of the south where slavery

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516 Words | 3 Pages

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251 Words | 2 Pages

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1818 Words | 8 Pages

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