HF is a great novel that challenges the ideals of the South in both the post and pre civil war years. When reading the novel one question continues to come up, “’What went wrong with Twain’s novel?’”(Marx 291) The ending of HF has been a subject of discussion since the book was published. It doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the story nor does it give closer to the readers.
HF is divided into several story arches that are stories in and of themselves but at the same time is part of the over all story. All the arches are interconnected with common themes, and with each one Huck ideas are developing and changing. However at the end none of Huck’s growth has anything to do with the ending and the story closes without ever giving closure to any of the complex issues that it raises. It is a force happy ending that no one is really happy about.
Over the course of the story Huck and Jim go through many adventures. Over the course of those adventures Huck learns and grows. His attitude towards Jim and perhaps the racism of in general change dramatically. He is at times guilty about helping Jim because he feels like he is doing something wrong by helping him escape. He does grow attached to Jim, and is quiet upset when he is sold back into slavery for, “forty dirty dollars.”(p.199 Twain)
However despite that growth Huck ends up playing Toms game to rescue Jim. They waste a lot of time with some nonsense rescue out of Toms books that doesn’t really work in the end. It doesn’t make sense that Huck would go along with it. It is and irrational ending.
As the story progresses Jim develops more and more as a human being. He is getting closer to Huck and is developing more of a personality. We learn about his wife and children. Slowly he is turning into a real human being. However at the end we are to believe that he would play along with Tom’s game rescues, let them surround him with rats and such and write down something every time he gets bit? It is illogical, irrational and unreasonable to believe that that is how events would play out and is an insult to the readers.
The ending has several other plot holes. Are we to believe that Jim would be freed when he is suspected to have committed murder? What about Huck going back to get civilized when that was just the thing that he was running away from. And on top o0f it all everything after all these crazy adventures just ends in such a happy ending sort of way. Where’s the conflict? Where’s the closure? Where the real ending the readers deserve?
Work cited
Marx, Leo. “Mr. Eliot, Mr. Trilling, and Huckleberry Finn.” Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 2nd edition. Ed. Gerald Graff, James Phelan. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004. 289-304.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Blog#10
HF is a great novel that challenges the ideals of the South in both the post and pre civil war years. When reading the novel one question continues to come up, “’What went wrong with Twain’s novel?’”(Marx 291) The ending of HF has been a subject of discussion since the book was published. It doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the story nor does it give closer to the readers.
HF is divided into several story arches that are stories in and of themselves but at the same time is part of the over all story. All the arches are interconnected with common themes, and with each one Huck ideas are developing and changing. However at the end none of Huck’s growth has anything to do with the ending and the story closes without ever giving closure to any of the complex issues that it raises. It is a force happy ending that no one is really happy about.
Marx, Leo. “Mr. Eliot, Mr. Trilling, and Huckleberry Finn.” Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 2nd edition. Ed. Gerald Graff, James Phelan. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004. 289-304.
HF is divided into several story arches that are stories in and of themselves but at the same time is part of the over all story. All the arches are interconnected with common themes, and with each one Huck ideas are developing and changing. However at the end none of Huck’s growth has anything to do with the ending and the story closes without ever giving closure to any of the complex issues that it raises. It is a force happy ending that no one is really happy about.
Marx, Leo. “Mr. Eliot, Mr. Trilling, and Huckleberry Finn.” Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 2nd edition. Ed. Gerald Graff, James Phelan. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004. 289-304.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Blog#9
I think it was wrong for him to be in black face. It just isn’t a smart move for any politician to make. I don’t think his a klans man or anything but he may have some prejudices he is not consciously aware of. I don’t think he meant any harm. He in his blog talked about other actor who had done similar actions. Then he spoke about how he worked to help during Katrina. He sounded very defensive. He and all politicians need to be very careful about their actions.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
essay#4
The use of the N word in the book “the adventures of Huckleberry Finn” has been a discussion of conflict and debate for many years. The word, which I will admit is very much offensive and insulting, is still very much necessary for this book. HF gives a look at the rural south in the time before the civil war and should not be altered so That it stays historical accurate. This book criticizes many of the problems with the south and America at the time and if it offends then I believe it is meant to do so.
HF looks at the many problems of the south, crime, racism, thievery, and murder. This is not a book meant to merely amuse but to show the bleaker side of a part of American at a time of transition and change, which the book itself has help with. The book has many other offensive aspects murder theft and large amounts of deception. The book is trying to show a negative side of things and if we take out things that are negative what’s left is a water down jumble of words that would be a waste to read even to kill time.
The N word is offensive now and is viewed as being highly negative, but at the time that the book was published it didn’t have the same meaning. The word comes from the word Negro which was the politically correct term of the time. It was use as a way of addressing African Americans people, mostly slaves at that time. The word itself was not negative but rather the various believe misconceptions about African Americans were. African Americans of the time where uneducated, poorly treated and thought to be natural inferior. This is where the negative power of the N word comes from. The word at time was the common way to address African Americans, but became negative over time because of the negative views of African Americans that exist at that time.
Taking the word out of the book would change the level of impact that the book has. By changing the word you don’t change the story, plot or characters, what you change is how people will respond to the book. By reading that word over and over again people are forced to think about it, about racism then and now and about their own racial views. Regardless of it original purpose when people read HF and that word now or here it out load it makes them uneasy and makes them think. A good book will hold your interests, a great book will make you think and wonder, but the best books are the ones that for you to question things and really challenge your ideals. Without this word, even if nothing but that word was change HF wouldn’t be considered one of the best books of American literature, because it is the very discomfort that that word provokes that challenges people to ask the big questions on race and prejudices.
This word is something that is difficult to deal with. It puts people on edge and makes them more alert. I know I haven’t used the word in this essay, not because I think anyone who reads it would think that I was racist but because I have been raised to think of the word as a taboo. I’ve noticed that other in the class don’t want to say it out load and I don’t think anyone in the class has used the word in a relaxed tone. This word is treated with great caution. The only thing we can do is try to be use it carefully in discussion and go with what where comfortable with.
HF looks at the many problems of the south, crime, racism, thievery, and murder. This is not a book meant to merely amuse but to show the bleaker side of a part of American at a time of transition and change, which the book itself has help with. The book has many other offensive aspects murder theft and large amounts of deception. The book is trying to show a negative side of things and if we take out things that are negative what’s left is a water down jumble of words that would be a waste to read even to kill time.
The N word is offensive now and is viewed as being highly negative, but at the time that the book was published it didn’t have the same meaning. The word comes from the word Negro which was the politically correct term of the time. It was use as a way of addressing African Americans people, mostly slaves at that time. The word itself was not negative but rather the various believe misconceptions about African Americans were. African Americans of the time where uneducated, poorly treated and thought to be natural inferior. This is where the negative power of the N word comes from. The word at time was the common way to address African Americans, but became negative over time because of the negative views of African Americans that exist at that time.
Taking the word out of the book would change the level of impact that the book has. By changing the word you don’t change the story, plot or characters, what you change is how people will respond to the book. By reading that word over and over again people are forced to think about it, about racism then and now and about their own racial views. Regardless of it original purpose when people read HF and that word now or here it out load it makes them uneasy and makes them think. A good book will hold your interests, a great book will make you think and wonder, but the best books are the ones that for you to question things and really challenge your ideals. Without this word, even if nothing but that word was change HF wouldn’t be considered one of the best books of American literature, because it is the very discomfort that that word provokes that challenges people to ask the big questions on race and prejudices.
This word is something that is difficult to deal with. It puts people on edge and makes them more alert. I know I haven’t used the word in this essay, not because I think anyone who reads it would think that I was racist but because I have been raised to think of the word as a taboo. I’ve noticed that other in the class don’t want to say it out load and I don’t think anyone in the class has used the word in a relaxed tone. This word is treated with great caution. The only thing we can do is try to be use it carefully in discussion and go with what where comfortable with.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Blog 8
I believe I will do my essay on the use of the N word in HF. I think it is controversial and offensive but it is necessary for the book to have the impact that it does. I think my thesis will be, “The N word does offend and is in fact meant to offend, because the book is meant to criticism of the south of the time through satire and if it was not offensive then it wasn’t having the right impact.” I think for the body I’ll talk about the word, its use at the time, its use now, censorship and the dangers of altering text. I’ll try to sum up all my ideas in the conclusion.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
blog 7
Satire is a way to make a point by ridiculing your subject. You present an issue and then present it in such a manner that its point seems ridiculous. To be effective you must make it clear that you are ridiculing your subject because it can look like your supporting it if you don’t. I think the Colbert Report and the Daily Show are good examples of satire. They present political issues in a way that make some points seem wrong or ridiculous and that use jokes, emphasis and sarcasm to great effect. By presenting it in such a manner they make political points clear why at the same time appearing comedic.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
blog 6
Jim is something that is hard to define. I’m not sure how much of him is a stereotype meant to destroy traditional views and how much is mark twains own racist views. I’m not sure what to think of him as a character and it’s made all the harder by the fact that I can only understand a little of what he says. Whether or not he’s a minstrel I think is something only twain knows though I think he may very well be. As for whether or not he contributing to double consciousness I think he does because he show a very different view then what I believe many people perceive.
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