What I will write!

To introduce the controversy regarding Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn I think I am going to start by using phrases from Trilling and Smiley to showcase both extremes. I will probably open by presenting a little background for both arguments. To support the assertion that Huck Finn is not a racist novel and should be taught in school I will use Trilling’s statement that it is “one of the central documents of American culture.” (Pg. 1) I will further paraphrase some of Eliot’s central arguments to accentuate the novel’s anti-racist qualities. In transition from this point of view I will utilize Smiley’s bold accusation that “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has little to offer in the way of greatness.” (Pg. 62) Once I have clearly determined both arguments regarding the value of Huck Finn I will strategically discredit Smiley’s opinion and elevate Trilling and Eliot’s as the more plausible conclusion. I would like to embed Eliot’s belief that Huck Finn “is the only one of Mark Twain’s various books which can be called a masterpiece,” (Pg. 286) to reveal the novel’s role in literature throughout history. Ultimately I will make the case that Huck Finn is far from a racist novel because it genuinely depicts the relationship between a young white boy and a runaway slave, who manage to surpass the rules of society and form a bond despite racial norms of the 1840’s. Once I have established Huck Finn as an anti-racist novel that succeeds in depicting the evils of society by revealing the hypocrisy of slavery in the South, I will shift into the debate regarding the novel and its role in the high school curriculum. I will use several speakers from ‘Culture Shock’ to depict the controversy regarding Huck Finn’s inclusion in the mandatory reading list for high school students. I will contradict David Bradley’s argument that “language hurts people,” in reference to use of the word ‘nigger’ throughout the novel, seeing as African American’s today use the word without any sense of degradation or hurtful intention. The student involved in the Tempe case argued that although the word doesn’t offend her and that she “is immune” to the word, she hates to see it affect other African Americans in a negative way. If she feels so strongly regarding this word, shouldn’t she take up arms with her fellow high school students who have popularized the word and stripped it of its negative connotations? Also people seem to forget that Twain strategically utilized the vernacular form of speech to relate the story to the time period in which it was set. Therefore, the use of the ‘n’ word is in no way meant to degrade or offend African American readers. Regarding the end of the novel, I will argue that, although the last 13 chapters of Huck Finn appear to discredit Huck and Jim’s relationship aboard the raft, ultimately the ending allows the reader to decide if the racial norms of society have been defeated by the two along their journey to freedom. My central argument that Huck Finn should be included in the high school curriculum is supported by the fact that it is so controversial, and no single analysis is correct or superior. It allows for thoughtful, substantial debate within a classroom setting that most novels fail to facilitate. So basically my ‘thesis’ statement will be something along the lines of: Although a superficial analysis of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn may conclude that the novel is indeed racist, a more in depth account of the story will reveal Twain’s use of satire, hypocrisy, and realism to emphasize the evils of falling victim to the rules of society. Furthermore, such a complex novel should be integrated into the high school curriculum in order to allow students to form judgments based solely what they hold to be true of Huck Finn. To organize my thoughts I will start with one or two pages of introduction, 3 to 4 pages showcasing the novel’s anti-racist qualities, 3-4 pages arguing that Huck Finn should be included in the curriculum, and 1 to 2 pages of conclusion to clearly restate my thoughts and drive home my argument.