This book features the story of a young boy’s adventure. It entails the changed lifestyle of Huck who has to live a respectable life so as to qualify to join the gang group of a man named Tom. His life is good but when his drunkard father comes to town demanding his money, things change for him. Nevertheless, a widow makes effort to gain custody of the boy with the help of a judge (Twain, p.13). Their efforts are however interjected by another judge who believes that the custody of the boy should be accorded to his biological father. The judge goes to the extent of taking the boy’s father in his own home to help him reform his drinking problem. Meanwhile, the boy stays with the widow who educates him to ensure he becomes enlightened. Due to the ill habits of the father, the judge kicks him out of his house. The father then decides to visit the house of the widow during which he harassed the boy. It is during such events that the man is banned from visiting the boy again. As a result of the ban, the father kidnapped his son and hid him in a cabin near a river in St. Petersburg. During his stay at the cabin, the boy suffers a great deal from his father’s beating.
Huck decides to run away and makes certain that his father will never look for him ever again (Twain, p. 21). He does this by killing a pig and spreading its blood to indicate his death. On running away, he goes to stay at an island where he met Jim who becomes his companion for a while. The two had run away from their pursuits. During his stay on the island, Huck and Jim got a report that people including the owner of the island suspected that he was staying there and so they left the island. They took off in a raft to a faraway land. On their way, they met with robbers but managed to escape from them. In addition, they encountered some men who were looking for some of the slaves who had escaped. It is during this encounter that Huck lied that in the boat was his father who was suffering from a deadly and infectious disease called smallpox (Twain, p. 40). The men, scared of the illness, gave them some money and left them alone. The two managed to rescue some men who had been captured. This act later became the path to their freedom. However, their freedom does not come so easily because, at some point, Tom was shot forcing Huck to forsake his freedom to take care of him. Their freedom was at last gained when they learned that both Huck’s father and Jim’s master had died (Twain, p. 50).
Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave”
This is an allegory that was used by the famous philosopher named Plato from Greece. His philosophical work was intended to show the nature of man in his need to acquire education so badly. It is a dialogue between Socrates who was Plato’s teacher and the brother to Plato. In the story, Plato uses some imaginative human beings who are locked in the cave for a long time but are now exposed to an open wall (Plato, p. 37). Plato compares these shadows seen by the prisoners to a prisoner who is on the verge of gaining freedom. He then further explains this fact by the use of the philosopher whose thoughts are not liberated, unlike the prisoners after gaining freedom from a cave. But the shadows they see confirm they’re being very far from reality. He also explains that a philosopher is able to see reality and differentiate it, unlike the prisoners who saw shadows and compared them to reality. The scenario inside the cave is meant to show that not everything people take to be real is actually real. Due to some echoes heard at the pathway of the cave as well as the reflections of the fire behind them, the prisoners assume that the shadows are real things.
Interconnection between the Two Stories
The two stories interconnect in a number of ways. Both of them feature stories of some people who are held hostage in one way or another and are all desperately longing for their freedom. In “The Adventure of Huckleberry”, the writer shows Huck and Jim as two characters whose freedom is a major concern and it is revealed through a journey. On the other hand, in Plato’s “the Allegory of the Cave”, the writer uses the prisoners in the cave who really need freedom (Plato, p. 23). Both the victims cannot see the reality of how to gain their freedom because it is a right that was denied from them since their childhood (Twain, p. 56). Huck is running away from his father’s oppression while Jim is from his oppressive master. On the other hand, the prisoners in the cave were also denied their freedom since childhood. In both stories, it is ironic that after gaining freedom, the captives are not able to see reality. For example, the two friends still remained in captivity because on the island they were physically free but, in their mind,, they were not. That is why they again had to flee from the island.
The same thing happened with the prisoner in the cave who after being removed from the cave would blame the one who freed him because of the pains he experienced from the light. He still felt that going back to the cave is the way out of his pain. In addition, prisoners in the cave could not recognize the actual things they saw while in the cave (Plato, p. 45). Huck and Jim could also not recognize that even on the island total freedom was not guaranteed. Plato’s act of seeing the prisoner as a better man after seeing the light – he could see the reality – can be compared to the point at which Huck decided not to return to his aunt and instead moved west after learning of his father’s death. In addition, Plato claims that a free prisoner from the cave can be capable of killing the one who frees him due to the effect he encountered from the light. This can be compared to the reaction that Jim showed when Tom revealed to him that he had been free for a long time only that he had to use him for his own benefits (Twain, p. 50).
Conclusion
Freedom and reality are two inter-related situations. This is because for one to be free from any captive situation, he or she must see reality. For example, the man taken from the cave had to be shown the light to be able to see reality. Also, it was at the end of the story that Jim and Huck realize they were set free a long time ago. This is because Jim’s master had written a letter to set him free before he died. Likewise, Huck’s father had died a long time ago and Huck actually saw the body but because he could not recognize it, the reality of the matter did not hit him.
Works Cited
Twain, Mark. The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn. Canada: Echo Library, 1925.
Plato. The Allegory of the Cave. Amazon: Createspace, 2010.
Huckleberry Finn is a novel written by Mark Twain, which was published in 1888 (Wieck 23). Since then, the book has been a topic of controversial debates because of its dominant theme of racism. It has received a lot of criticism because of challenging authority, making fun at the concept of religion, and offering misleading advice to children. The novel has been banned in many schools because of the theme of racism. The author uses the word “nigger” so many times that the readers get the feeling that Twain is promoting racism (Wieck 43).
In today’s world, the word has been replaced by the phrase “African American.” In the media, the word is usually censored or replaced with the phrase “the N-word.” Throughout the novel, Twain uses characters and certain events to explore the theme of racism. The book is considered as one of the greatest works in the genre of literature.
For that reason, it has been reprinted by certain publishing houses that have replaced the offensive word with ‘slave.” The book was published before the Civil War when racism was rampant in the American society. Other critics have argued that the novel is not racist but appears so because many readers have little or no understanding of Twain’s use of language.
The theme of racism
Due to repetition of the word “nigger” in the novel, many schools have banned the book and certain libraries have censored it. The reason for censoring and banning the novel is the theme of racism, which is explored through characters such as Jim and Huck. Jim is a black slave who escapes from the custody of his owner Miss Watson. Throughout the book, the author makes certain descriptions and characterizations that many critics describe as racist.
Critics who endorse the novel argue that censoring the book is a sign of ignorance because many readers do not read between the lines in order to understand the author’s message (Wieck 46). They argue that people who criticize the book possess superficial understanding of Twain’s literary style. The first description of Jim in the book is negative. He is described as illiterate, highly superstitious, and of low intelligence. Huck’s racist parents influenced him into developing negative attitudes towards black people.
The reason for Jim’s situation is understandable. He was not allowed to go to school and was mistreated and abused. Twain depicts slavery as it happened during his times because slaves were mistreated, abused, and barred from attending school (Wieck 48). He uses the character of Huck to express his opposition to slavery and racism. He uses the characters of Huck and other white people such as Miss Watson to demonstrate the absurdity of racism.
The character of Pap is used to advance the theme of racism in the book. On one incident, he is angered by the realization that certain states allow black people to vote (Wrobel 6). He cites the case of a college professor. Even though the professor is more educated and has a better lifestyle than him, Pap decides to refrain from voting in future because the professor has the right to vote. He thus says,
Thinks I, what is the country a-coming to? It was ‘lection day, and I was just about to go and vote myself if I warn’t too drunk to get there; but when they told me there was a State in this country where they’d let that nigger vote, I drawed out. I says I’ll never vote agin. (Twain 28-29)
Pap knows that he is financially, intellectually, and socially inferior to the professor. Therefore, it is ironical for him to despise the professor simply because he is of a different race. Unlike Pap who does not have a job and is a drunkard, the professor has a job and lives a good life. Pap believes that he is above the professor because he is white.
He believes that nothing can make an African American better than a white person. It is evident that Huck was raised in a racist environment (Wrobel 6). However, throughout the book, he gradually changes his perception about African Americans.
In chapter 15, Huck is angered by the fact that he has to apologize to a black person. Even though he hates it, he apologizes anyway. His apology does not mitigate the severity of Twain’s advancement of racism in the book. Huck is a little different from other racist characters. Even though he is racist, he acts in a way that shows his little respect for black people (Wrobel 6). Maybe Twain uses Huck to show the differences in people’s perception of race. Huck says,
It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterwards, neither. 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. (Twain 89)
Literary critics argue that the author created the character of Huck to show that even though many white people were racist, some of them respected black people. Such incidents reveal Twain’s feelings regarding racism.
In chapter 16, Huck talks ill of Jim. He says that it is stupid of Jim to come back with the intention of stealing his own children. Huck further says Jim’s notion that he can free his children has resulted from his own weakness. He then contradicts himself by saying that Jim wants to steal children that belong to a man that he does not know. Huck quotes an offensive saying that advances the theme of racism in the novel. He says,
Just see what a difference it made in him the minute he judged he was about free. It was according to the old saying, “Give a nigger an inch and he’ll take an ell.” Thinks I, this is what comes of my not thinking. Here was this nigger, which I had as good as helped to run away, coming right out flat-footed and saying he would steal his children—children that belonged to a man I didn’t even know; a man that hadn’t ever done me no harm. (Twain 92)
Twain narrates an incident involving Jim and Huck in order to express the absurdity of racism. After meeting Jim in the Island, Huck decides not to report him to Miss Watson. He is confused because he is unable to decide whether to obey the force of society that describes Jim as a slave or the force of their friendship that sees him as an equal human being (Wrobel 7). In the closing chapters of the book, Huck and Tom come to the realization that Jim is not property but a human being who is their equal.
Many instances are presented in the book in which Huck fails to understand why his friend Jim is a slave. Twain uses Huck to express society’s attitude towards slavery and racism. To show the evil nature of racism, the author gradually transforms the character of Jim throughout the book (Wrobel 7). At the end, the reader is challenged to modify the description of Jim given at the beginning of the book.
The voice of society is represented by Huck. However, Twain uses other characters to refute the ideas presented by Huck with regard to racism.
Another character that advances the theme of racism is Duke. In chapter 26, Duke says that black people are thieves. He says that it is impossible for the black man who is responsible for cleaning to refrain from stealing money. Twain uses the word “borrow’ instead of “steal.” Duke says that,
Because Mary Jane ‘ll be in mourning from this out; and first you know the nigger that does up the rooms will get an order to box these duds up and put ’em away; and do you reckon a nigger can run across money and not borrow some of it? (Twain 181)
In the book, Duke is depicted as a thief. Therefore, it is hypocritical of him to say that all black people are thieves. Duke has a similar attitude to other white characters in the book that welcome white strangers into their homes but lock up black strangers (Wieck 53). This shows that they are racist. The skin color of black strangers is not a good enough reason to lock them up. Their actions show that they do not like black people.
In the novel, African Americans are depicted as slaves and unworthy human beings. This is evident from the character of Huck at the beginning of the book. According to Huck, black people are slaves and white people are superiors. However, this perception changes after a friendship develops between him and Jim. He comes to the realization that Jim was like him. He learns this from observing Jim’s personality and actions.
The realization shows that it is naive and hypocritical of Huck to consider black people as slaves because of their skin color (Wrobel 9). For instance, Jim cries when he fails to find Huck. After he shows up, Jim hugs him affectionately. Jim’s actions change Huck’s perception of black people.
He realizes that they are human beings who possess feelings just like white people. Twain satirizes the value of black people through the character of Huck. For instance, Huck describes a riverboat accident that delayed him as he made his way to Aunt Sally’s home. In the accident, no one dies but a black person (Wieck 55). To Huck, the life of an African American is not precious.
Before the end of the novel, the author uses the character of Tom to show that race is a trite issue because all human beings are equal. The character of Jim depicts African Americans as intellectually inferior because in several instances throughout the book, it is difficult for Jim to express himself clearly because he is illiterate. However, Twain smashes this notion before the last chapter. Tom says that,
They hain’t no RIGHT to shut him up! SHOVE!—and don’t you lose a minute. Turn him loose! He ain’t no slave; he’s as free as any cretur that walks this earth! (Twain 291).
From this excerpt, it is evident that the writer expresses his opinion regarding racism. He closes the book by stating that all human beings are equal regardless of their race. This is evident from the actions of Miss Watson who set Jim free after declining to sell him. Not all characters had change of heart with regard to racism.
Within the context of the aforementioned excerpt, Tom argues with Aunt Sally who is happy about Jim’s recapture. Tom vows to set Jim free even if everyone in the room disliked the idea (Wrobel 18). Even though he wants to set Jim free, he convinces him to stay locked up for his personal amusement.
Conclusion
Huckleberry Finn has received critical reviews because of its dominant theme of racism. The character of Jim and Huck are used to advance the theme. In the initial chapters, Huck considers black people as slaves and white people as superior. He despises them. His attitude is largely due to the racist environment in which he grew in. his dad, Pap, is a drunkard and jobless man who is also racist. Twain’s goal of writing the novel was to show the absurdity of racism and slavery especially in the South.
However, over the years, many people have misunderstood his motive. Before the end of the book, Twain uses the character of Tom to show that all human beings are equal regardless of their race. Tom vows to set Jim free because according to him, all human being are equal and should be free. The transformation of Huck’s attitude towards Jim is proof enough that Twain authored the novel to show that he detested racism.
Works Cited
Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Cricket House Books LLC, 2013. Print.
Wieck, Carl. Refiguring Huckleberry Finn. New York: University of Georgia, 2003. Print.
Wrobel, Isabella. Racism in Huckleberry Finn. New York: GRIN Verlag, 2010. Print.
Reading Emma by Jane Austen, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and My Name Is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok one would wonder at the apparent disassociations and dissimilarities of the three novels. Apparently yes, as the first novel is set in the Romantic era, the second being one of the pioneering novels of modern American literature and the third belonging to the post-modern era. But if we think a bit more deeply we may find a snippet of similarities that may be comparable and similar in the three novels.
This is found mainly in the process of development of the protagonists towards maturity. As we see in Emma the protagonist’s journey of becoming a woman, Asher Lev brought up in a conservative Jewish society discovers his passion for art and in art finds maturity, and in Huckleberry Finn a young boy journeys out and finds the truth about the world. Thus, all three novels describe three young people and their explicit or implicit journey towards maturity.
They share similar stories of young protagonists who learn important life lessons from the event that occurs within their stories. This essay aims to describe the growth process of the three protagonists through a comparative study of the literary elements employed by the authors. This essay will portray the commonalities in these three novels and try to draw a contrast between them and discuss them in the light of three similar literary tools used, i.e. theme, antagonist, and irony in the three novels and how they aid in the development of the characters towards maturity and self-awareness
The journeys of the protagonists in all three novels have been explicit though their treatment is different. As in Emma, Austen portrays her character as a young, lonely girl trying to find a match for her, whose self-opinion seems to be a little too high for her. As McDonald observes that Emma “has developed a propensity to expect everything “her own way” and “think a little too well of herself” (2000, p.100). Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is the story of a young boy who runs away from his drunken father in search of freedom and adventure. Potok’s protagonist Asher Lev, tells the story of a young artist, who goes against his religious convictions to pursue his art.
The protagonists’ journey towards maturity in all three novels has been elaborated through the theme of the novels. A theme is a broad idea in a story that usually depicts a lesson about life, society, or human nature. The theme used in all three novels is a journey. The journey has been depicted as a model of development of all the three characters towards self-realization. As in Mark twain’s novel, Huckleberry Finn sets out on a physical journey along with a slave named Jim.
He encounters difficulties and human vices on his journey and makes him realize the realities of life. The river depicts the spiritual growth in Huck. To Huck, it becomes the sole source of emotional sustenance. It represents natural life and honest values that he otherwise did not know. Through this journey, Huck learns various lessons from life-related issues like slavery, death, trust, as well as maturing as a person. He develops a conscience and by the end of the novel truly feels for humanity.
“Conscience says to me ‘What had poor Miss Watson done to you, that you could see her nigger go off right under your eyes and never say one single word? What did that poor old woman do to you, that you could treat her so mean…I got to feeling so mean and so miserable I most wished I was dead” (Twain, 1885, p.97).
Similarly, Potok pens down an imaginary journey through the paintings of Asher Lev and continuously transfers images from his life on paper which journeys towards maturity as the novel advances. As a child, Asher draws images of his mother but as he matures he begins drawing out of emotion which results in many works of art that represent his journey.
The following quote shows how Asher would have grown into an incomplete man had he been forced not to learn painting: “Yes, I could have decided not to do it. Who would have known? Would it have made a difference to anyone in the world that I had felt a sense of incompleteness about a painting? Who would have cared about my silent cry of fraud? Only Jacob Kahn, and perhaps one or two others, might have sensed its incompleteness. And even they could never have known how incomplete it truly was, for by itself it was a good painting. Only I would have known.” (Potok, 1972, p. 328) this clearly shows that Asher matured into a complete self through his paintings.
Austen’s heroine, Emma Woodhouse too, does not set out on a physical journey like Huck but the author skillfully describes the heroine’s maturity psychologically. In the first chapter itself, Austen describes the heroine as: “Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.” (1816, p.1) Emma enters womanhood when she agrees to the marriage. As Edgar Shannon Jr. observes Emma discloses “…a valid progression of the heroine from callowness to mental and emotional maturity,” (1956, pp.130-131).
Shannon believes that Emma shows the realistic journey of the heroine from being young, selfish, and inconsiderate to becoming a caring, responsible and mature adult. Emma embarks on a journey toward maturity when she realizes that she was in love with Mr. Knightley: “Why it was so much worse for that Harriet should be in love with Mr. Knightley than with Frank Churchill? Why was the evil so dreadfully increased by Harriet’s having some hope of a return? It darted through her with the speed of an arrow that Mr. Knightley must marry no one but herself!” (Austen, 1816, p. 375)
The second literary element that we will discuss which aids in the maturing of the protagonists is the antagonist. In all three novels, the protagonists have to fight against an antagonist and ultimately help in their development process. In Huck’s life, the antagonistic force is a society that allows slavery to exist, which brings forth superstition, other prejudices, and rules. Slavery is introduced when Huck meets Miss. Watson’s slave Jim. In the beginning, Huck does not mind Jim being a service which is clear from his comment when he says that Jim is a bad servant, but not until much later that he questions that if Jim should at all be a slave.
Moreover, at the beginning when Widow Douglas tried to civilize Huck, he is forced to change his natural character into the mold the Widow Douglas demands from him. He feels cramped in new clothes and hates being limited to eating dinner only when the dinner bell rings. This clearly shows his maturing personality. Superstition permeates the novel. Huck’s father, who has been portrayed as a weakened individual, too heavily taken to alcohol was stopping the growth of Huck.
But Huck breaks free of all the societal norms to merge with nature and realize the true meaning of life. Huck’s breaking of the shackles of the antagonistic force in the novel is shown clearly through the following words: “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterward, neither. I didn’t do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn’t done that one neither if I’d ‘a’ known it would make him feel that way.” (Twain, 1885, p. 103)
In Asher Lev, the antagonist is the conservative Jewish society that stops him from pursuing his interest in arts. This antagonism is personified through Asher’s father. Asher’s father cannot reconcile with the artistic talents of his son and continuously reminds Asher that his painting is the work of the devil. The antagonism that Asher faces from his father is clear from the following quote which Asher says to his father: “If you don’t want me to use the gift [painting], why did you give it to me?” (Potok, 1972, p. 119) Asher has to fight against his society through his father to learn an art that he passionately loves and through which he ultimately matures.
Whereas in Emma, she is her own antagonist, for she lives in a world of self-delusion. The novel sets traps for her vanity and self-importance and falls into each one of them. In her quest to marry off Harriet she herself becomes frustrated and a pawn of her own follies. In the end, her playfulness creates confusion wherein she was about to lose the person she was in love with and was about to fail to mature as a woman.
For it was due to the acceptance of the proposal from Mr. Knightly that she truly becomes a woman and realizes her irrational whims. Austin talks of Emma: “Vanity working on a weak head produces every sort of mischief.” (1816, p.57) Thus we may consider Emma to be her own antagonist who stopped her from moving towards maturity, but in the end, she fights puts up a fight against her own vanity and false knowledge of self-awareness to become truly a woman.
The third element is the use of irony in all three novels. This literary element depicts the incongruence may be in the story, or individual, or group, or society through which the author brings forth the character or the plot. As in the case of Huckleberry Finn, Twain plays extensively with irony to show the maturity that dawn on the protagonist. For in the first chapter itself we observe Huck is ironically trapped in a world that is so-called civilized when he yearns to live freely in nature. So Huck says, “But I reckon I got to light out for the territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can’t stand it.
I been there before.” (Twain, 1885, p.10) Irony appears in other areas of the novel as well. For instance, Huck explains that Widow Douglas wouldn’t let him smoke. Even though, ironically, she herself secretly smokes. The irony is unintended in Huck’s interaction with Jim. He sees that Jim, though a slave, is extremely level-headed, which contradicts his Southern leanings. But his rational maturity is evident when he feels awkward to take service from Jim, which anybody with his kind of upbringing would have loved to have.
Even though he has some aspects of the old southern prejudice against slaves ingrained in him, Huck seems to be more liberal in his treatment of the blacks. This Twain shows in the following quote: “Each person had their own nigger to wait on them-Buck too. My nigger had a monstrous easy time because I wasn’t used to having anybody do anything for me, but Buck’s was on the jump most of the time.” (1885, p. 109) This clearly shows the maturity that Huck goes through when he breaks the shackles of Southern teaching and frames his own point of view.
In Asher Lev, the irony is regarding religious toleration. The irony is Asher Lev is the religious austerity and conservatism of his society and family and his turnout to be a secular artist. This is shown through Asher’s speech to his father: “Because I’m part of a tradition, Papa. Mastery of the art form of the nude is very important to that tradition. Every artist who ever lived drew or painted the nude…. I don’t want to sit in a room painting for myself.
I want to communicate what I do. And I want critics to know I can do it… I respect you, Papa. But I can’t respect your aesthetic blindness.” (Potok, 1972, p. 304) The juxtaposition of the two worlds, the sacred and the secular is the irony that Potok plays within the novel. Potok describes this irony as “a core to core cultural confrontation.”(Forbes 17) The irony lies in allowing Asher to learn art but is not expressing what he feels. And in the end, Asher’s confrontation with his society through his controversial painting is the irony that Potok plays with to reveal a self-realized, mature protagonist.
The irony in Emma is again due to her vain nature. Austen plays with comic irony while describing Emma’s adventures to marry away Harriet to different suitors but to no avail. It is only Mr. Knightly who ‘was one of the few people who could see the faults in Emma Woodhouse’. (Austen, 1816, p. 3) Emma on the other hand secretly realizes her love for Mr. Knightly. This, along with Mr. Woodhouse’s opposition towards marriage, leads Emma to feel that marriage is for other people and not for her.
Her innumerable gaffe brings out the irony in the novel and this is clearly shown in this line that she speaks to Mr. Knightly: “I thank you; but I assure you, you are quite mistaken. Mr. Elton and I are very good friends, and nothing more, and she walked on, amusing herself in the consideration of the blunders which often arise from a partial knowledge of circumstances, of the mistakes which people of high pretensions to judgment are for every falling into”(Austen, 1816, p.104).
The absurdity of the situation lies in her encouragement of Elton’s advances towards her under the impression that they are directed to her protégé, Harriet. Similarly, the chaos that results from her other attempts at matchmaking is derived from her immaturity and irony of her character which makes her believe that she is good with everything, but not actually. Dramatic irony consists of a situation whereby the reader participates with the author in the knowledge of events that have not been disclosed to the character. (Ward 2003) When Emma plans to match-make Harriet with Frank Churchill, she is unaware that Harriet believes that Emma is indicating Mr. Knightley and obediently falls in love with him.
But Emma had by then realized her feelings for Mr. Knightley. When this misunderstanding is revealed, it becomes the ultimate depiction of dramatic irony. And it is through these ironic adventures that Emma realizes that her true love for Mr. Knightley: “Emma realizes that she had indeed not been a friend to Harriet, as Mr. Knightley had said. She realizes how foolish it was of her to try to meddle in other people’s romantic affairs when she did not even realize her own feelings for Mr. Knightley.” (Austin, 1816, p.357) These self-realizations bring her closer to maturing as a woman.
The development of Asher, Huckleberry, and Emma as characters and growing towards self-awareness is accentuated through the use of the three themes. In the end, all three of them become self-realized person, who start realizing what they want and what they ought to do. Though the themes have been dealt with in different manners by the three authors, they ultimately help in attaining the same goal – the maturity of the protagonists.
References
Austen, J. (1981). Emma. New York: Bantam Books.
Potok, C. (1972). My name is Asher Lev. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Twain, M. (2003). The adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Barnes and Noble Books.
Shannon, E. F. Jr. (1956), Emma: Character and Construction, Vol. 71, No. 4, London: PMLA.
Forbes, C. (1978) “Judaism Under the Secular Umbrella [An Interview with Chaim Potok” Christianity Today, 22.
McDonald, R. (2000) “And very Good Lists they were”: Select Critical Readings of Jane Austen’s Emma” Lambdin, L. C. and Lambdin, R. T. (ed.) Companion to Jane Austen Studies, Greenwood Publ;ishing Group, pp. 97- 114.
Mark Twain’s 1884 classic “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is a story about slavery and Black subject dehumanization told from the perspective of Huckleberry “Huck” Finn; a barely literate teen who escapes a drunken, abusive father by faking his death. In the process, Finn encounters Jim – who was escaping slavery – and embarks together on a ride on a raft down River Mississippi. Satirically, Twain skewers the meaning of “right and wrong” in this antebellum-south writing, noting that returning a fugitive slave – instead of helping him escape – is the right thing to do. The author utilizes the most extreme backwoods South-Western dialect, the Missouri Black vernacular, and the standard “Pike-County” parlance and its four variants in the book. He contends that the shadings have not been done haphazardly or through guesswork. Instead, Mark Twain completed them painstakingly with the support and trustworthy guidance of his familiarity with the speech forms. The novel’s setting is the 1830s and 40s Missouri when the state still permitted slavery. Through the book, the author shows that slavery was accepted by all Whites regardless of their age or gender and that slaves were mistreated because Whites deemed them as lacking personhood.
Finn paints a colorful image of Jim, the slave but argues that slavery is right and acceptable. He notes that the morally acceptable thing to do when a person finds a fleeing slave is to surrender him to his owner, not to assist him to escape. Finn mentioned these words regarding his encounter with Jim, a former slave in the household where Finn used to live. As such, Finn only failed to report the runaway slave because he (Finn) was unattached to Jim’s former owner (Finn’s father). Finn also thought that reporting the runaway slave would have harmed his own attempt at running away from a drunken, abusive father (Thomas 12). Thus, he found a friend in Jim and embarked on an adventurous raft down the Mississippi River. Finn even painted a rich portrait of Jim as an unequaled character in American literature. Jim, according to Finn, was unpretentious, genuine, warmhearted, astute, rebellious, superstitious, and ignorant all at the same time.
In the book, Mark Twain essentially examines the issue of slavery from the perspective of a young White man who has lived in it. In this regard, the book presents an interesting point of view of slavery and helps in the further comprehension of the issue. Notably, the dominant beliefs about slavery at or around the time Mark Twain authored the book was held by adult White males (Menaka 3). They discussed the issue among themselves and in the country’s parliament, and this finally led to the abolition of the trade. However, it was unknown what children and women felt about slavery, although it was believed that their views were as varied or as similar as those held by White males. Finn’s perspective of slavery is that it is acceptable but that spending time with these individuals reveals a different and interesting aspect about them. Because of his strict upbringing, Finn lived by the standard of White male Americans and examined everything he did on the basis of the existing criteria by these individuals. Consequently, he accepted slavery as right, although there were inner convictions that the entire process is wrong and immoral.
Children can also protect those they deem to be of assistance to them in achieving their goals. Despite a strict upbringing, Finn swore not to tell anyone about Jim’s status. He knew that what he had decided to do was unpopular among his peers and race, but he was never going to reveal Jim’s identity. Finn tells himself that “People would call me a low down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum—but that don’t make no difference. I ain’t going to tell, and I ain’t going back there anyways” (Twain 67). Thus, when they meet strangers along their adventurous journey, Finn lies about Jim’s status. Surprisingly, it reached a point when the king turned and presented Jim to his captors as a fleeing slave, not knowing that he actually was one. The king did so to con the locals of some money, but Finn and Tom help Jim escape from his captors to try again for his freedom. Jim finally returns the favor to Tom when he forfeits his privilege to save Tom’s life. Finally, both Jim and Tom realize all the scheming and running around was unnecessary because Jim was a free person, after all.
Through slavery and a young White boy’s perspective, Mark Twain also highlights the dehumanization of Black in the antebellum south. Throughout the book, Blacks are mistreated and dehumanized by almost every other White character. Part of the reason for their mistreatment is that people view them as slaves and unfree individuals deserving nothing good. Viewing Blacks as property above all else is the genesis of this dehumanizing treatment, which is consistent with the actual events around the time Mark Twain wrote the book and the pre-civil war America. The dehumanization of Blacks is so ingrained in the White people throughout the book that initially, Finn struggled to address the “wicked” impulses of treating his companion as more than just property. It is also important to note that Jim decided to run away from his master after realizing that a trader would buy him and separate him from the family. Without a doubt, the decision to want to sell Jim, despite offering good service throughout the years, was malicious and inhumane as it was going to separate the man from his wife and children.
Another notable example of the “White characters’ disregard for their Black counterparts” is when Finn arrives at the Phelp’s household allegedly as Tom Sawyer. Speaking to auntie Sally, Finn invented blamed a mechanical problem for immobilizing the boat he was in and delaying his arrival, confessing that “It wasn’t the grounding—that didn’t keep us back but a little. We blew a cylinder-head” (Twain 336). Seemingly, it is beyond consideration for most of these White characters that Blacks are humans too. They neither consider what these Blacks do nor say and treat them less of humans, even in situations where they could get hurt. In many scenes throughout the book, Mark Twain undoubtedly satirizes how White people of his time dismissed the personhood of Black folks. The insensitivity in this mistreatment and dehumanization of Black people is pervasive to the extent that Jim considers himself “property” and was proud to be worth a fortune if anyone was to sell him. Jim also thinks that the only way to live a free life and not as property is to escape from his mistress and find money to buy his wife’s and children’s freedoms.
The only person that treated Jim with some respect as an equal is Finn. He shows Jim respect as a fellow human, but doing this does not come naturally to Finn, who was born and raised in a White, slave-owning family. Therefore, every time Finn treats Jim with some respect and humanity, he curses himself for acting immorally and doing the unfathomable. To him, the right and natural thing to do was to treat the slave as the property that he is. After all, this is how every other White person in the novel treats the Black person. Some White characters even treated Jim worse than a slave owner could do, and all because they had no regard for Black persons. For example, Tom does not show any concern for Jim’s needs and comfort when he devises a plan for him to escape from the cabin he is being held. Not only does Tom ask Jim to perform impossible and nonsensical acts, but he also makes Jim’s life difficult and painful. He fills Jim’s bed with spiders and snakes and does not care what the repercussions for Jim are.
Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is a story about slavery and the dehumanization of Black people regaled from a young White male’s perspective. It illustrates societal ills around humanity practiced by members of the antebellum south. Although the author presents the book as an illustration of the escapades of the semi-literate Huckleberry Finn, it is driven by Jim’s attempt to attain safety and freedom for himself and his family. In the process, Jim endures mistreatment and dehumanization and finally accepts that running around and plotting was worthless because he was actually a free man.
Works Cited
Menaka, Giovani. “A Study on Racism and Slavery in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”. Asian Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, vol. 1, no. 2, 2018, pp. 1-5.
Thomas, Brook. “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Reconstruction”. American Literary Realism, vol. 50, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1-24.
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. London: Chatto and Windus Piccadilly, 1884.
The style of the novel Huckleberry Finn reflects modernist structure and themes, vision of reality and social change. Mark Twain uses such modernist elements that involve wholesale imitation of human culture. The main elements of the modernist style are an open form, intertextuality and multiple narrative points of view. Thesis Huckleberry Finn shows that it is the characters and their interrelationship which determine the arrangement and structure of the book.
Main text
The three thematic sections subdivide into little units notable for the contrast they offer each other. The first three chapters continue naturally to which this book becomes a sort of sequel. Everything is colored by the excitement of Tom’s imaginary adventures; he insists on doing all things according to the books he has read, from having his Gang sign in blood their oaths of allegiance to capturing and holding people for ransom. Tom and Huck may themselves be viewed as symbols of the two aspects of life. Tom Sawyer has a home and a loving. In contrast appears Huck Finn. Huck fears his father and apparently never knew his mother; a homeless waif, he sleeps on doorsteps or in hogsheads; he is troubled by no ambition and steers clear of Sunday school; his life is as aimless as a bit of drift on the Mississippi. And yet Mark Twain finds Huck and Huck’s life infinitely worth while.
As a modernist novel, it reflects corruption at levels of the society. Mark twain portrays social evil and culture, social views and relations between people. Huck himself nowhere suggests that his life is not satisfactory. The novel is based on Huck Finn’s moral garment definitely tinged with gray. In the book which he relates, he lies to everybody who threatens Jim’s safety or his own. Life is precious to him; freedom is precious to him. And it is no wonder that he lies. Young as he is, he has known a deal of violence. He escapes his drunken father by staging a mock murder-his own; he notes that the Grangerfords carry their guns to church and watches their feud end in the murder of boys; he sees the drunken, blackguarding Boggs and is at hand when the blackguarding is ended by Sherburn’s bullet; he associates daily with the king and the duke, two creatures who emerge from the slime of the river, as amoral as gnomes. But Huck has a code of his own and sticks to it in defiance of hell itself. He is frequently troubled by his conscience. Huck’s conscience appears at times to be much keener than that of the romantic Toni Sawyer.
Conclusion
As a unique feature the modernist style, Mark Twain uses the narrator of the unusual adventures of Huck and Jim; the realist, portrayer of the daily round of life in small towns along the river; and the satirist, critic of the narrowness and meanness of human nature, and the way he blends the realistic and the satiric elements Every man is in his own person the whole human race, with not a detail lacking. This suggests that when he had need of a certain trait, his habit was to dig for it within himself, to isolate and study it, then to enlarge it to the proportion proper to the character. When Huck is alone, because he has no rules to go by he is guided by the voice within himself. He listens to what goes on inside him. He is free to probe within his own heart, where is to be found whatever bit of divinity man has-what we know as his soul.
Mark Twain is known all over world for his witty humor. His novels and short stories are funny and easy-to-read, but at the same time the author manages to depict all human vices, making you laugh at them. He has some books about children, and one of them is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Main text
We can see the world through the eyes of the white boy, Huck, who is the narrator. It is no surprise that a child is the one to tell the story, because children cannot lie. It is difficult to say that about educated and “decent” grown-ups. They go to church and believe in God, but still they accept racism and slavery. And as for Huck the color of skin doesn’t matter to him. He makes friends with a runaway slave, Jim. They start their journey along the Missouri.
As for their relations, they are the embodiment of true friendship. They friends help each other in every way. Huck treats the black man with respect just because Jim is older. This is how it should be in society, which claims to be moral and fair. But what can we see in the reality? In the eyes of general public they both are just outcasts.
What happens to children with years? They just lose the ability to see things not the way they are said to be, but the way they are. They learn to lie and, what is more, they start to believe in what they say. The Widow Douglas and Miss Watson are representatives of decent middle-class society, but Huck just cannot bear living with them and wearing the mask of hypocrisy for the rest of his life. As for the poor women they are sure they teach Huck only good, they want to make the boy “civilized”, but in fact they are just spoiling him. Under their influence Huck has to invent two gods. Because how can the God of love and compassion be so cruel? Huck is uneducated and his speech is rude, he’s far from being a small gentleman, but we can see that he is honest.
During their trip Huckleberry and Jim experience many funny and frightening adventures. Some of them made the boy feel sick of the humans. Two bandits, the King and the Duke joined them. They turned out to be cruel and immoral, had no sense of decency, nothing was sacred with them. When in one small town the King found out about death of one man, he pretended to be his brother. Everyone treated them with all the possible kindness and tried to please them and make them feel comfortable. Huck says “Well, if I ever struck anything like it, I’m a nigger. It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race.”
At the end of the story both evil-doers were punished. But when Huck saw the King and the Duke tarred and feathered, surrounded by crying and hooting crowd, he felt sorry for them.
“Well, it made me sick to see it; and I was sorry for them poor pitiful rascals, it seemed like I couldn’t ever feel any hardness against them anymore in the world. It was a dreadful thing to see. Human beings can be awful cruel to one another.”
Summary
So in such a way through the social outcast Mark Twain depicts many human vices. The question is why do we forget about who we are true? Why do we make so miserable fools of ourselves? Why do we have to wear stupid masks trying to fit the hypocritical society? Until everybody tries to find the answer, the damnation of the human race will still be in power.
The chronology of Pop’ action after he left the hut was in the following manner:
Went to Judge Thatcher and threatened him to give up the money.
Threatened Huck to raise some money for him, or otherwise he will beat the hell out of him.
Pop had gotten drunk, and went blowing around, cussing and whooping and beating a tin pan all over the town until midnight.
He was jailed
Stood in front of the court
He was jailed again for a week
Got out of jail and was invited by the new judge
Body
Huck Finn/Realism: The realism is apparent in every aspect Twain’s novel, as an example the way he used the description through Finn’s eyes of his Pop’s hair “it was white; not like another’s man white, but a white to make a body sick, a white to make a body’s flesh crawl”. Another example is the handling of such issues as racism in the novel, although being a satire; Twain shows that racism in the form that does not fit a modern society when preparing the plan to rescue Jim his friend “All right, then, I’ll go to hell”. Another example is the description of the life of his Pop and his refusal to learn and to constantly drink and beat his son. The way life values of his father were presented and Huck speaking and thinking of them as an ordinary thing can be considered as examples of realism in the novel.
Tom Sawyer/Romanticism: The examples of Romanticism in the adventures of Huck are mostly connected to satirizing his own character Tom and his romantic set of mind. This can be seen through all the scenes that involve Tom like forming a band and pretending that you robbing a procession of elephants and Arabs. The plan that Tom develop to save Jim is so complicated that Tom himself find it difficult to execute and prefers pretending instead. Instead of saving Jim as quickly as possible he convinces him that it is not as romantic as it should, and instead he had to wait for weeks being chased by the local people.
The best statement is A.
This variant is the most suited as the novel mostly is an example of the usage of realism and was intended for kids; the image of Huck softens some of the novel’s descriptions. As an example is Jim being chased by the locals, the threat of him being killed is not as terrifying while analyzing and criticizing the escape plan made up by Tom. The news of a drowned man that could be his dad, combined with Huck’s beliefs about the man floating on his back or his belly (a woman in man’s clothing. Another example is the fact that his money could be all taken by his father, and the best way that he could think about saving them is by actually giving them all to the judge.
Conclusion
The modern examples of heroism can stand in some way to the measures presented in Mark Twain’s novel although taking place in another setting. As an example of a modern hero presented in the movies the image of the soldiers that sacrifice themselves to save and return one soldier home in “Saving Private Ryan” can be compared to the rescue plan that was held by Huck and Tom to save Jim.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which was first published in 1885, by Mark Twain is regarded by most people as one of the important American works of fiction ever written because of its artistry and evocation of major themes within the United States of America. The book received praises because of its ability to teach crucial lessons as well as entertain its readers.
Through the use of satire, the touching and exciting adventures depicted in the novel portray significant themes that are of essence in the American society. On the other hand, the book is also the subject of major controversies. Since its publication, the work of fiction has been criticized and banned from libraries because of its alleged offenses to propriety. Nonetheless, the popularity of the book has not been affected by these controversies. This essay discusses some of the novel’s critical interpretations.
Most detractors of the novel have labeled Mark Twain to be a “racist writer.” John H. Wallace’s essay, “The Case against Huck Finn,” established the tone for the critical reception of the nineteenth century novel. He says, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is the most grotesque example of racist trash ever written” (Leonard, 16).
In the essay, Wallace examines the racism in the novel in a bid to protect the African Americans from “mental cruelty and harassment depicted in the novel. Wallace has been one of the prominent critics of Mark Twain and the essay is a return to the objections he has made about the novel’s historical significance elsewhere. His criticisms mainly points at the racial slurs Mark Twain uses in the novel.
Wallace argues that Mark Twain’s style of writing is offensive to African American readers, especially the young ones. Since it represents a perpetuation of cheap slave-era stereotypes, he claims that it should not be studied in schools. Wallace claims that the representation of the character Jim, who stands for the Blacks in Mark Twain’s text, has a racial inclination. As the story starts, Jim is presented as someone who believes in superstition.
In addition, he does not articulate his grievances and is content in his role as a hardworking slave. When he discovers that his owner, Miss Watson, wanted to sell him to other people in the south, he escapes and travels with Huck along the river. Wallace posits that Jim is portrayed as a model of the stereotypes that were connected with the Black minority in the nineteenth century racist discourse.
Mark Twain presents him as rather ‘subhuman,’ feeble-minded, wicked, and indolent, which shows that he is inferior to the white people. For example, the statement, “Miss Watson’s nigger, Jim, had a hair-ball as big as your fist, which had been took out of the fourth stomach of an ox, and he used to magic with it”( Twain, 17), depicts the subordinate status of Jim. The negative portrayal of Jim by the author is the main reason why Wallace campaigned for the banning of the book from institutions of learning.
Wallace concludes his essay by promoting his own adapted version of the novel “which no longer depicts blacks as inhuman, dishonest, or unintelligent” (Leonard, 24). Moreover, pointing to his own adapted version, he recommends, “this book should not be used with children (Leonard, 24).
Forrest G. Robinson and James Cox also asserted a critical attitude towards the novel. The former claimed that “Jim eventually reverts to a two dimensional character, gullible and superstitious” while the latter “never actually asserts a strong position on the character of Jim, placing him in ambiguity” (Wrobel, 4).
However, it is important to note that the critics did not look at Mark Twain’s ironic representation of the situation. Wallace’s adaptation of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, undercuts the irony that Twain has intended to use to attack the institution of slavery during the nineteenth century.
His softening of the white bigotry can make people to conclude that the blacks were not treated cruelly and people can also forget the reasons why they were enslaved, to start with. If the novel was out rightly racist, then it could not have been a story about a white boy (Huck) and an African-American (Jim). Although during that time blacks were treated inhumanly, Huck and Jim related well with one another and found pleasure in carrying out common activities.
During the times of slavery, the two races were very different and the whites were thought to be superior. Sharing of common things was unheard of. However, in the novel, Mark Twain points out that one can share common interests with another regardless of his or her racial background. “People would call me a low-down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum-but that don’t make no difference.
I ain’t a-going to tell” (Twain, 50). These words were spoken by Huck. He was telling Jim that he wont tell anybody about his escape from slavery. If the novel were racist, Huck could not have even attempted to assist his friend in escaping from the yolk of slavery.
The language of the book has also been a subject of criticism. Notable, is the fact that the word “nigger” has been repeated in the novel more than two hundred times. Langston Hughes, in his autobiography comments that ”the word nigger to colored people of high and low degree is like a red rag to a bull.
Used rightly or wrongly, ironically or seriously, of necessity for the sake of realism, or impishly for the sake of comedy, it doesn’t matter (Webb, para. 15). Since the African-Americans do not like the word, that is why some of them have heavily criticized Twain for using the word so many times in the book. Allan B. Ballard is one of the critics of the language used in the novel.
He says, “The presentation of the novel as an “American classic” serves as an official endorsement of a term uttered by the most prejudiced racial bigots to an age group eager to experiment with any language of shock value” (Webb, para. 9). For instance, “I see it warn’t no use wasting words-you can’t learn a nigger to argue.”(Twain, 78). Ballard argues that such instances where the word has been used tend to stereotype Jim as a stupid nigger who is incapable of comprehending anything.
Interestingly, in those days when the novel was written, the use of the word “nigger” was not so much debatable as it is now. Writers could use the language even when addressing African-American without much contention. However, just a few yeas ago did people start criticizing Twain for his use of the word. And the use of the “n word” has made critics to label the work of fiction as racist. Critics, like Ballard, have asserted that Jim is only a stereotype in the story.
He cannot think for himself. Therefore, he merely follows the suggestions of Huck (and later Tom) in performing tasks. All through the book, different characters put him down. And at one time, Huck even feels guilty of assisting him in his quest for freedom. Maybe, the critics strongest assertion is that he is not a conventional slave of the nineteenth century. This is because slaves received much worse treatment than the one depicted in the story.
Nonetheless, it is important to note that Mark Twain was just trying to represent the real situation as it was during his time. We are separated from the events in the story by close to one hundred and fifty years so we need to understand the novel in that context. The word “nigger” was used frequently during that time. More so, individuals used to despise the ones who were slaves and the novel is an attempt to depict this situation. The author of the novel seems to be condemning this practice in his sly manner.
Martin Holz claims that although Mark Twain succeeded in using a narrator who speaks vernacular, there are two contradictory voices in the language used. He criticizes the language of the novel by saying that “Hick Finn conveys all kinds of sentiments and perceptions in the language he has at his disposal to articulate his spontaneous reactions to them and in a more or less random order rather than a logical structure”(Holz, 5).
This makes Huck to act like a transmitter instead of a narrator in the story and makes him to seem to have no visual perception of the time. Holz argues that instead of saying general statements or definitive personal opinions, the narrator most of the time does not go beyond giving a mere narration of the things he encounters, and the language he employs in the process makes him to be a less sophisticated narrator having a constrained perspective about his surroundings.
Concerning the second contradictory voice, Holz says that “the second voice emerges in the novel as the first voice with his heavy use of vernacular is replaced by a narrator who used regional lingo only occasionally, thus offering a different outlook on the characters and events in the novel” (5). Although Twain is one of the writers to use this technique in writing, the two contradictory voices used in the novel complicates the process of narration as a reader can fail to understand what is taking place.
In conclusion, despite the critical reception of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it is important in directing attention to some issues that the American society has not taken seriously. The themes that are portrayed in the novel are invaluable and to totally discredit the book cannot be a move in the right direction.
This is because readers would not get the advantage of the much needed knowledge and growth that they can reap after going through the humor-filled book. Therefore, the critical look at the novel should also encompass the major themes that it portrays.
Works Cited
Holz, Martin. Race and Racism in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag, 2000. Print.
Leonard, James S. Satire or evasion?: Black perspectives on Huckleberry Finn. Durham: Duke Univ. Press, 1994. Print.
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Chatto & Windus/ Charles L. Webster, 1885. Print.
Webb, Allen.”Teaching Huck Finn: The Controversy and the Challenge.” Resources. Western Michigan University. 2002. Web.
Wrobel, Isabella. Racism in Huckleberry Finn: Mark Twain. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag, 2007. Print.
The Catcher in the Rye and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are two very popular literary works of this day and age. The former was written by J. D. Salinger; its story was set in the 1950s, and narrated by Holden Caulfield. Mark Twain was the literary genius behind The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which is also among his masterpieces. The story is told in a first person narrative by Huckleberry, or as he is popularly known Huck, Finn, in the late nineteenth century. While Salinger tells the story of Caulfield, a seventeen year old who fails out of school time and again, Twain takes us on Huck’s journey down the Mississippi river, and both present to us different people, places and societal attitudes of the time (Carpenter, 1957).
Kaplan (1956) calls both works “fine comic novels” which present a variety of incidents, and are rich in meaning because of this combined with their depth of characterization. The lead character in both is an adolescent “whose remarkable language is both a reflection and criticism of his education, his environment, and his times.” And both, Caulfield and Finn, are young people on a quest, as they try to understand and find their way in an adult world they can not fully come to terms with. They are outcasts, even though for the sake of principle they do have family and friends, but they free themselves from the “restraints of the civilization which would make him (them) its victim” and tries to attain freedom and an understanding of the circumstances which prevail.
Society considers them both as rogues, good-for-nothings whose only claim to fame is the numerous scrapes they get into, time and again. Both are badly “mixed up” but are intellectually honest and as Kaplan (1956) points out, their continuous battle with the powers-that-be is representative of their independent mind and freedom of spirit.
Both are realists, intelligent and intuitive, especially when it comes to unearthing the pretense and fakeness from the people and society around them, and they experience immense amounts of such shams the more they interact with the adult world. They have strong ethical standards which they apply not just to everyone, but also, “mercilessly” to themselves. They believe that there are a lot many more “phony” (as Holden referred to them) people in the world than there are nice. Both novels stand out from the myriad of literary works because both young realists pass judgments on society’s “false ideals and romanticized versions of life” as they travel through the adult world (Kaplan, 1956).
Salinger reveals to us during the narrative that Holden is telling this story from an institution of some sort, in most probability psychiatric, where he is trapped by others who want to “sivilize him.” It “depresses” and “kills” him to be there. Huck on the other hand, is trapped by a society whose flaws he is very much aware of, and he “can’t stand it.” An example of Holden’s aversion to the “phonies” he was surrounded with is given when he talks about getting expelled from Elkton Hills School, which was just one of the schools he has been dismissed from and there were quite a few. The reason he “left” was because “I was surrounded by phonies. That’s all. They were coming in the goddam window. I can’t stand that stuff. It drives me crazy. It makes me so depressed I go crazy” (Salinger, 1996).
Holden lives in the post-World War II New York City, and during Christmas holiday season, he experiences incidents which show him the hypocrisy, materialism, apathy, ignorance, absolute deterioration of moral values and what is a recurring theme in Holden’s encounters, “phoniness.” He has an older brother, who used to be a writer with great potential, but is now a scene writer in Hollywood, and this “corruption” of promise and talent is analogous for Holden to the general demeaning influence of the movies as he believes they can actually ruin people.
This for him is the phoniest aspect of the world as they present a completely false version of reality, and corrupt their audiences. In fact, Holden is so sensitive to the concept of sham that he immediately notices it wherever he goes, even in the “pseudo-religious Christmas spectacle” at Radio City, in the stories in magazines and in a talented pianist’s performance. Both Huck, and Holden, the former when he makes his regular trips to the river, often encounter things which delight their senses and make them feel better but they also serve as stark contrasts to the general sham and fakery of the world which they are constantly at war with (Moore, 1965).
This constant search for integrity and a deep hatred of hypocrisy is what makes Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield very similar characters. While Huck may have been the quintessential American democrat and Holden a snob, and while Huck lived in the rich American heartland and Holden belonged to the “exclusive” New York City, their search for genuine values is what makes them blood brothers. As most members of youth, they also like to play-act: Huck goes along with Tom Sawyer’s mad hatter schemes and unwittingly admires how the Duke and Dauphin deceive each other; Holden talks about his roommate Stradlater, who has a distinct, fake-sincere way of talking and who concocts up stories on the drop of a hat. Yet, their main bone of contention remains with the phonies they encounter, and they only truly admire the genuine people they meet, such as Holden’s sister Phoebe (Salinger, 1996; Twain, n.d.).
Both characters think through things and then come to conclusions in different ways. For Holden, passing judgments on people seems to be a favorite past time. He not only categorizes fakeness but insincerity and convention also into his broad bracket of phony. However, it often appears to the reader that he perceives things on a very superficial level himself and is almost too quick to pass judgments. It is as if this is a protective mechanism for him, because of which he doesn’t face his fears of venturing into adulthood, where he is often confused and overwhelmed by his experiences. Due to this he often passes overly simplified judgments but the point to note is that his observations are not completely untrue. He has a powerful intuition and insight into the hypocrisy and superficiality which surrounds him, and there are many characters in this book who he does judge accurately, such as Carl Luce, Mr. Spencer, Sally Hayes, Maurice and Sunny (Kaplan, 1956).
Huck on the other hand, unlike Holden, belongs to the lowest rungs of white society with a father who is an alcoholic, and who often disappears without a trace for extended periods of time. Even though Widow Douglas (similar to a mother figure in the story) tries to provide him some religious and academic training, he frequently renders her efforts useless. He has virtually no social upbringing, unlike Tom Sawyer, and because he is completely alienated from the mainstream world, he is very skeptical of society and its ideas and attitudes.
While Holden may be very quick to judge people, Huck has a lack of trust which stems from his gut, and his voyages down the Mississippi River lead him to have experiences which further force him to question society. Jim is Miss Watson’s slave by law, but Huck wants to help him out because he thinks it would be right to do so. Huck is intelligent, and analyses situations in a logical manner, but the conclusions he reaches would probably not sit well with the Southern white society. According to him, this society has treated him like an outcast, and has not been able to protect him from his abusive father, which is why he doesn’t trust society and the morals it preaches. Race and slavery are prominent themes in the book, and as Huck befriends Jim, he starts becoming more and more distrustful about the attitudes and behaviors of seemingly “good” people (Kaplan, 1956).
At many times in the book, Twain shows how Huck thinks logically, learns from his experiences and listens to his conscience, and decides that he would rather “go to hell” than adhere to the rules and teachings of society. At the end of the story, when Huck makes a plan to go west so that he doesn’t have to face more attempts to “sivilize” him, but also because he wants to escape society, which has been depicted through the entire novel as a mouthpiece of illogical rules and demeaning precepts. In the very initial stages of the novel, Huck’s abusive father, Pap, is allowed to be the Huck’s legal custodian by the Judge, and this decision is against what is right for Huck’s welfare. In a broader context, Twain compares this decision to the slaves which are the “properties” of white people, and is reflective of a society and a legal system which privileges a white man’s rights over a black man’s rights to freedom. Huck comes across people who preach moral codes and ethical values, but are racist slave owners, such as Sally Phelps. This faulty logic and failed justice which Huck encounters at various moments throughout the novel, where petty acts are punished with execution and appalling criminals go scot-free, instills in him the view that society does not want to perpetuate welfare for all, instead it comprises of selfish, illogical and cowardly people (Kaplan, 1956).
Both characters present to us insightful critiques of American life, and while they themselves are not without flaws, the picture they paint does ring true, even today, decades after the time period these novels were based in. Both want to revolt against the adult world because they do not want to live by rules they do not agree with. Huck revolts against what his supposed duty to society was because he follows what his inherent humanity and morality is telling him to do. Holden is a misfit in society, as he views it, and is fighting a constant battle with society. Both are nonconformists who have a difficult time dealing with the hypocrisy around them.
References
Carpenter, Frederic. The Adolescent in American Youth. The English Journal 46.6 (1957): 313-319.
Kaplan, Charles. Holden and Huck: The Odysseys of Youth. College English 18.2 (1956): 76-80.
Moore, Robert P. The World of Holden. The English Journal 54.3 (1965): 159-165.
Salinger, Jerome David. The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Chelsea House, 1996.
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Penguin Readers.
On several occasions, schools have challenged and banned the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for its use of racial characterization and slang forthwith. The fictitious novel, written by Mark Twain, entails a story of a Negro slave and a white boy, whose journey downriver Mississippi regards a tale of two boys coming of age.
After its publication and release in 1876, the book generated controversy in the world of literature that remains today because of its ‘inappropriate’ nature from a conservative viewpoint. It made teaching and reading the book controversial. This led to its banning in schools in the United States many times. But should Huck Finn be banned in schools?
In spite of the controversy The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn generates, its hidden values support the use of this book in schools and prove the point it should not be among banned books. Indeed, the censorship of this book only blocks children from learning the history that surrounds the pre-Civil War and slavery. In this context, the conservative views with regard to this novel hurt the American education system as it blocks children from understanding the origin of the American Civil War and slavery.
Its banning stemmed from a supposed inappropriateness of the language used in the book at the time. However, for students today, understanding the use of the word “nigger” by Huck Finn, considered inappropriate and an insult at the time, would enable students to learn from the past and get used to offensive words in classrooms and social settings. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn language and characterization represent the context of America’s pre-Civil War era and slavery.
Racism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Those who vote for the reasons why Huck Finn should not be taught in schools always mention the theme of racism.The banning of the Huckleberry Finn because of its racial characterization only results in racial lines between authorities and the parents.
Eventually, the students fail to learn how to deal with offensive language references in a sensitive manner. The wide variety of racial groups present in American schools today means that racial lines often occur, and sometimes students cross them unknowingly. Twain’s novel racial characterization regards the use of the word “nigger” throughout the book and forms the reason for its banning from the use in schools (Twain 14.56).
However, though many schools decided not to teach the book, Twain’s classic novel should remain on the list of books used in school teaching. Teaching the challenges of racialism will help place this novel into a contextual timeline in American history and enable students and readers to understand the reasons behind its censorship.
The central theme in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn goes beyond race. The classic American novel highlights the coming together of races or people who historically could not coexist. The book illustrates loyalty that transcends any racial and social desegregation and hence, an urgent universal theme to teach to students.
The language used in the novel, though inappropriate at the time, can help students today to understand and appreciate the depth of characterization in classic literature. The character Huck Finn’s usage of the word “nigger” (n-word) contextually bore no racial meaning during the pre-Civil War and slavery periods.
The word “nigger” only became inappropriate in public communication at the turn of the 19th century as such an insult (Carey-Webb 25). Students cannot learn from the past, especially the wrongs of the past, and subsequently change the future if the past remains blocked from them.
Mark Twain presented this novel in a way that condemns slavery and racism present at the time in American society. A runaway slave, Jim, gets assistance from a young boy, Huckleberry Finn and his friend Tom. Although Huck regularly used the word “niggers” in the novel when referring to Jim and other African-Americans, he profoundly respected him and on several occasions, saved him from the return to slavery camps.
For instance, Huck makes an incredible decision when he tears his letter to Miss Watson that revealed Jim’s whereabouts; “I was a trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt two things…and then I says to myself: ‘All right, then, I’ll go to hell’…and never thought no more about reforming” (Twain 162). In light of deep racialism at the time, Huck Finn’s actions went against the standard expectations and as such, a positive role model in multi-racial school settings (Schulten 57).
In addition, the other white characters in this novel remain depicted in a negative way compared to Jim. For instance, Huck’s father, Pap, abuses alcohol while the King and the Duke engage in many malicious swindles.
These depictions show that Twain’s use of the word “nigger” when referring to Jim and African-Americans contained no racist or demeaning intent to the black population and could not be considered a racial slur. It shows the harshness of Southern life and the experiences underwent by black people in the pre-Civil War era which is the reason to keep the book in schools.
The book highlights essential lessons regarding racialism and social values and this is one of the reasons why The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be banned. Its main character, Huck Finn, underwent significant moral development from the time he met Jim to the end of the book. In particular, Huck gets involved in a struggle between good and evil, a struggle in which good eventually prevails (Culture Shock 2).
For example, Huck learns of the Duke and the King‘s evil schemes, including the impersonation of the Wilks brothers, after which he realizes the streaks in character of his “friends.” “I felt so ornery and low down and mean, that I say to myself, My mind’s made up, I’ll hive that money for them or bust” (Twain 132). Hence, he disliked the racial segregation and the social practices taking place at the time. Thus, this is one of the arguments for the book belonging in the classrooms.
Banning Huckleberry Finn Because of Slavery Viewpoints
Among the reasons why Huck Finn should not be taught in schools there is also the theme of slavery. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn represents the American society in the late nineteenth century, a period characterized by slavery and social exclusion of the black population from mainstream social activities. With regard to slavery, the novel “remains the only one that accurately portrays slavery, represents a black dialect, and highlights the significant role played by the African-American character in America’s history” (Carey-Webb 23).
In the book, Huck Finn portrays a positive role model when he aids Jim escape enslavement in the peak of slavery. While supporting the inclusion of the Adventures of Huckleberry at the school curriculum, Walrath writes; “the book demonstrates humanism, an idea that each person deserves respect and compassion, and attacks complacency regarding the social evils in our society” (Rationales 37). The social evils at the time included slavery and racial segregation of the nineteenth century.
Furthermore, the book captures a crucial section of American history. The settings of the novel, itself, involve a harsh environment in America’s history during racial exclusion. With regard to Twain’s use of the word “nigger,” Walrath reasons that the author “deliberately used the term to display the imperfect nature of a growing democracy” (Rationales 38).
Thus, the use of the term does not imply bias, rather its use bears historical implications as it captures the harsh social climate of the time. It shows that the application of the term matches with the cruel treatment slaves underwent during this era. It enables readers to understand slavery and the social awe associated with the word “nigger” in American history.
The Southern Lifestyle in Huckleberry Finn: Summary
Mark Twain satirizes the lifestyle in Southern cities of America in general through the way he depicts the characters. From the Grangerford family, Huck’s drunken father, the farmers, to the Duke and King, the characters represent the stubbornness and ignorance of Southerners back then. An example in this regard involves Huck’s father, Pap, who gets into a judge’s custody.
Subsequently, Pap pledges to change, an act that the judge declares the holiest time in history (Schulten 57). However, the following morning, the people find Pap drunk again. This hurts the judge, which appears ironic, as the judge believed that Pap would reform after his encounter with him. This example shows that the Southern citizens bore ignorance in this regard.
Southern lifestyles also involved family feuds and pointless conflicts. An example that illustrates the ignorance and absurdness of family feuds involves the Grangerford family. A rich family who treats him as part of the family takes in huckleberry. However, he later learns that a feud existed between Grangerfords and another family, the Shepherdsons.
The feud eventually leads to the murder of all the Grangerfords by the Shepherdsons in cold blood. This shows the pointless and stupid nature of the family feuds in Southern cities. Another example that shows the ridiculous nature of the Southern lifestyle regards the Duke and the King’s deceptive schemes, which, though silly, succeeded many times.
In the period leading up to the American Civil War, the customs, as well as the ideals of the North, contrasted significantly with that of the South. The South supported the institution of slavery, while the North opposed it (Carey-Webb 31).
Nevertheless, mainly the wealthy aristocrats owned slaves; the poor whites could not afford them. This factor, coupled with territorial conflicts caused by the westward expansion, culminated in the 1861 Civil War (Carey-Webb 33). Mark Twain uses satire to show the nature of the Southern lifestyle during the slavery era. He satirized slavery by revealing the ridiculous aspects of the Southern lifestyle and as such, calls for its abolition. Thus, the arguments for the necessity of Huckleberry Finn to be banned in schools because of racism are considered not viable.
People’s Viewpoints During this Era
During the slavery period, there arose the Abolitionists calling for the ending of slavery. However, some people, especially from the South, defended slavery.
Their argument revolved around economics, religion, humanitarianism, and religion. According to Booth, those defending slavery argued that an end to the slave economy would significantly affect the Southern economy, which relied heavily on cotton, rice, and tobacco farming (157).
They also held the view that freeing the slaves would result in widespread unemployment, and subsequently, uprisings and chaos. The defenders of slavery also argued that slavery in America mirrored slavery in other civilizations such as the Roman Empire and the Greek civilization and as such, represented a natural state of humankind.
From a religious viewpoint, the defenders of slavery argued that, in religious books such as the Bible, slavery remained widespread with no spiritual leader speaking out against it. In other words, slavery bore moral justification, as no one opposed it during biblical times. The defenders of slavery also involved the courts to legalize slave trade and slave ownership.
One example regards the Dred Scott Decision that ruled, “All blacks, including the slaves, lacked the legal right to launch anti-slavery case as they comprised the property of slave owners (Booth 163). Further, they held the view that the Constitution protected the right to ownership of property that included the slaves.
The defenders of the slave trade also argued for the divine nature of slavery. They believed that their introduction of Christianity into Africa helped eliminate heathen practices. According to this argument, slavery was expedient for the slaves as it ended the heathen practices and brought civilization to Central Africa. In fact, John Calhoun remarked that “the black race of Central Africa attained a civilized condition physically, intellectually and morally with the introduction of slavery” (Demac 60).
Others opposed to those campaigning for an end to slavery argued that the slaves got better care when sick and aged compared to slaves in Europe and the poor Northern States of America. James Thornwell remarked in 1860 that the conflict between those for slavery and those opposing the institution resembled an argument between Atheists and Socialists on one hand and supporters of social order on the other (Booth 164). This shows that slavery during this era attracted support from various people in the then American society.
Legal Cases Surrounding the Banning of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The basis for the banning of the novel involves the depiction of Jim as a black slave and the use of the word “nigger,”; considered racialist. After its publication in 1885, the novel was censored the same year by the Concord public library in Massachusetts. Initially, the book’s attack stemmed from what others termed as its lack of decency (Demac 59).
Later, it was attacked as containing racist elements. However, at the time, no legal cases contributed to the censorship of the book; the ruling class perceived the use of the term “nigger” as racist while a deeper look reveals that the book advocated for an end to slavery.
In 1902, the Brooklyn Public Library removed the book from its shelves for a different reason; they cited the use of vulgar language as the reason. In particular, the library considered the use of the words “sweats” instead of “perspiring” as obscene and unsuitable for children.
In addition, the use of “scratched” instead of “itched” considered inappropriate at the time by the institution led to the removal of the book from the children’s section (Karolides 336). Additionally, the main character, Huck, portrayed a disrespectful attitude for authority. At the time, society expected literary works to convey higher social values rather than entertaining. This contributed to its censorship in most schools and public libraries.
However, soon after its publication, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn became an indispensable classic book in schools. Nevertheless, in 1957, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) protested against the inclusion of this book in the school curriculum due to its “racist aspects” (Karolides 36). The organization opposed the way the novel portrayed the slave, Jim, as equal to a young white boy, Huck, and a superior to the adult with regard to the decision-making ability.
Additionally, As Donelson confirms, “…the entrenchment of Huck Finn into the curriculum of American schools coincided with a Supreme Court case involving Brown against Topeka Board of Education in 1954” (21). This case brought the segregation in public schools to an end. Subsequently, students in public schools comprised of both black and white children.
In fact, “in 1957, the New York City Board of Education removed the book from the list of elementary school texts on the rationale that it contained passages considered derogatory to the Negroes”(Rationales 37). The admission of black children in public schools led to new protests against Huck Finn that culminated in the censorship of the book in schools and counties with a black population.
Should Huck Finn Be Banned in Schools? Critics’ Opinion
Those who fought for the inclusion of Huck Finn in the curriculum include teachers and school administrators. The teachers in Connecticut supported the idea that Huck Finn served as an influential role model for schoolchildren today (Culture Shock 4). They even developed the rationales for teaching the censored book in high schools.
Norma Walrath, a committee member of the Connecticut Council of English Teachers, supported the teaching of this book, “for it shows the idea of humanism; compassion and respect of others unlike ourselves” (Rationales 37). She further explains that Huck Finn forms an indispensable book for use in teaching students because it covers an extremely prominent part in American history: slavery and racial desegregation.
Walrath remarks that Mark Twain uses the word “nigger” rather deliberately to display the imperfect nature of the developing democracy in America then (Rationales 38). As such, to ban the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in schools affects the teaching of American history and the evils of slavery: a valuable lesson that students in today’s schools should learn.
Jocelyn Chadwick is another strong supporter of Huck Finn, who actively campaigned for the book to remain in the curriculum for juniors in Okla. Additionally, she engaged in numerous debates. She even wrote a book on the subject titled the Jim Dilemma: Reading Race in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which primarily describes the value of teaching Huck Finn to high school students in America (Culture Shock 2).
Much of her argument focuses on the language references used in the book. She remarks, “Race relations remain a sensitive topic in America today, which serves to point the importance of Huck Finn because of the debate it engenders” (Carey-Webb 24).
In the 1950s, many critics such as Leo Marx and Bernard DeVoto in their articles objected to the abrupt banning of the novel in schools. They noted a confluence of the Black and White cultures in Huck Finn’s story (Donelson 24). In addition, they cite prestigious American themes in the novel, such as the hypocrisy practiced by the Southern States with regard to the continuation of slavery and racial separation worthy to read.
Ernest Hemingway, a renowned author and a supporter of the inclusion of Huck Finn in school curricula, remarks, “Modern American literature originated from Twain’s, Huckleberry Finn” (Carey-Webb 22). Thus, though the book underwent censorship on several occasions, it nevertheless remains a popular book in the country and schools should not ban the novel in the future.
Conclusion
The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn appropriately describes slavery and racism in 19th Century America and this essay proves sufficient amount of reasons why Huck Finn should not be banned. Teachers should find ways to explain racism and its influence on modern-day society and culture with reference to the novel. The novel should remain in high school curriculum because it entails a fight against racism created, not through the racial aspects in the book, but the 19th Century capitalism.