Huckleberry Finn

In my Huck Finn essay, i'm going to begin with arguing that the novel is an anti-racist novel because a) it's written in the language that was used in the time period, although offensive when used today the language used was not seen as offensive in the 1880's, and b) the novel is about a boy's journey with a slave in the slavery ridden south that transforms to a boy rebelling societies views in order to save the only true 'father figure' he's known, who happens to be a slave. From there I can create a stronger argument as to why the novel should be taught in schools. However the book should not be taught to simply any age group anywhere. I believe the novel should be taught in upper class high school english courses, classes consisting of juniors and senior who can more appropriately handle the controversial material and discuss it. I also think that the book should be taught mostly in mixed racial classes, you get multiple perspectives on the racist and anti-racist content in the book. I think I will be using excerpts from the novel, and quotes from Jane Smiley and Lionel Trilling.

HuCkLeBeRrY FiNn

I am going to argue that HuckFinn is not a racist book but use's racist language of the time period it was written in. The books anti racist plot may have its down moments, but the strong relationship between Huck and Jim is a more powerful message than the hundred plus times twain use's the "N" word. This book teaches great lessons and should be and eye opening experience for all regardless of color. HuckFinn should be a mandatory read in all high schools is the US so everyone can learn is lessons and teachings. If a student dose not agree with this book they should be allowed to skip the ending but not just discard the book completely. In the end the book is very anti racist and should be thought everywhere
AG$

Reading with an Open Mind

Well, my argument will be that the theme of this book is not at all racist and that the only racism in the novel is needed to put forth and back up Twain's theme in the novel. The theme i will argue that should be taken from this book is that of friendship and learning/thinking for yourself. I feel that if you did not take this away from the book you will not think for yourself and just focus on negative words that are used in the novel. The realism that Twain uses can be misinterpreted however, if you actually read the story that is told it is easy to tell that the negative attitudes come from characters that are either minor or ones that the reader will not like unless that reader them self is also a racist. While reading this book one must keep in mind that this is set in times where slavery was an everyday thing in the south and it wasn't a big deal to own one, this is racist but it is also just how it was. Our history teachers are not racist for teaching us of the past so with this being said i believe that Huck Finn is the definition of an anti-racist novel because it was written in one of the most racially segregated times of our history and ultimately it is about how a young kid is learning for himself that his new found friend is intelligent and has feelings as well which is a new idea for him. Twain had to make this character to bring Jim to freedom because the adult minds of this time were too corrupt that it just wouldn't make sense.
I will uses specifice quotes from the book itsself to back up my argument and i will aslo bash Smiley's opinion so bad. in addition to that i will use the help of Lionel Trilling to back up my paper. If that isn't enopugh, which it's not, i will use direct quotes from Twain himself on the issue of race, and some of David Bradley's thoughts on the issue will also help me set up my paper.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

When you take a first look at this novel, you see terms that are used that make the book sound racist, but as you look further into the entire meaning, you see that is not what it is at all. The wording and some of the actions such as the tricks Huck and Tom play on Jim are rude but that was the time. The term "nigger" is used in this book it does make the reader feel uncomfortable but without it in the novel meaning would be gone. My argument for this paper is going to be that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not a racist novel. While there are moments where all it seems is that Jim is being treated badly, the whole concept of the novel is how Huck escapes and then helps Jim to get to freedom. On page 140 when Jim says that Huck is the only true friend he has ever had the reader can see that Huck is trying to do good. Also, Huck even says that he will probably go to Hell for this but that he is willing to do so. Another time in the book when Huck trys to go ashore to see if the town they were near was Cario and ran into the two men on the boat, he lies to them in order to save Jim. After he lies the thinks back and says he probably should have told in Jim, but then soon convinces himself that he would feel just as bad as he did now if he would have. This shows that although he has grown up in a white family he can see the importance of people being treated equally. While this is never said, the reader can also look back to Huck's childhood and see how he was badly mistreated by his drunken father and infer that possibly he sees the importance to care for others from that. When him and Jim need to do something together or Huck refers to the both of them instead of lowering Jim to a level below him, he simply uses terms such as us and we. He looks to Jim as another person of fairly equal status and although he still uses some things that point toward him being racist we then look at his life and it makes sense. When this book was written it was during the time period of slavery. Treating African Americans as lower class citizens is just what was done. People did not think of them as people of the same importance and almost not even as the same species. It is like when Jim and Huck have the conversation about the French language and Jim can't understand why they need to speak another language and why since they were all human why French words are words too. This shows how in all groups of people they are slightly different from one another and without the understanding of others, only anger and rudeness will occur. Since Jim doesn't understand it, he almost gets mad in saying that Frenchmen need to speak English but that goes back to how most white people at that time thought everyone should have white skin in order to be human. As for this book being taught in school, I think that is a hard thing to decide. While this book could be viewed as racist, it is also a great starting point for both controvery and education. I think that in order to teach this book in a school environment, the teacher must look at the students in both the class and the school. If there is already a problem of using the n-word in a school, then the teacher then must decide whether reading this book is something that will diminish students ignorance towards other races and tell them what is right or if it will just foster more rude behavior. Is it a school where many kids eyes are closed to the world or is it a place where they know their history and understand how this was a very important time in history? This book has definetly become an American Classic and due to that many teachers feel they NEED to teach it. My opinion on this is that the teacher needs to observe the context of their class, assess how the book will be taken, and then decide whether or not they think it is appropriate. I think this book does have some good lessons in it but if there are students who have been greatly affected by racism, maybe this book will just make them more angry and rebel. Context is key.

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a book that I personally found really boring but that I consider very interesting from a cultural and historical point of view.
What I plan to do in this essay is writing a comment about the book that will make the readers understand what I think about the story and how it developes throughout the pages.
The friendship that grows between the two main characters along the river represents Huck's realization that blacks are not a property but people with feelings and a dignity that needs to be preserved.
The period in which the story takes place was "dominated" by slavery and racism towards black people. It's a strong, real story that everybody, even today, needs to know and remember because it's important to know where we come from and what happened before us.
I think there is a slight difference between being racist and telling about a racist period of our history which is what the book does. "The adventures of Huckeberry Finn" shouldn't be treated like a novel but rather it should be treated a historical document.
Aside from this, I understand that this book can still hurt, offend and insult black people who see themselves in Jim and in all the blacks who suffered and died under the supremacy of the white race. This is the reason why I don't think the reading of this "novel" shouldn't be imposed.
The essays by Trilling, Marx and Smiley will help me write about the development of the book, the growth of Huck and his relationship with Jim.

Huck Finn Essay: the Road Map

My Huck Finn essay is going to center around this general argument: of course the book is racist and off-color, but it's biggest problem lays in that it is terribly written - the perfect example of an author who a) didn't care and b) didn't know what to write. It is a good book to be taught because of it's controversy but also because it is an excellent example of poor literature.
Sources used will include Lionel Trilling, TS Eliot, Leo Marx, and Jane Smiley. The first two do not agree with me: they thought it was an amazing, classic novel that was perfect in every way and not at all racist. Lionel Trilling will help speak to the horribly writing and the scatter-brained-ness while TS Eliot focuses more on the idea of "Boy and River" and how idealistic and moral the book was (although he made an good point in that the depiction of life in the South was very accurate). Leo Marx believes that the book was ruined in the last thirteen chapters where Tom Sawyer comes in and ruins it (very true but the book was a goner way before Tom Sawyer reappears). Jane Smiley absolutely hated the book period, although she focuses mostly on the tasteless way the African Americans were depicted rather than how poorly it was written.
The passages I plan to use from Huck Finn include our first depiction of Jim, which classified him as a "dumb Negro" and set him up as a caricature; the last thirteen chapters, which quash any growth that Jim has had as a character; and the contrast between when Huck and Jim are on the river as to when Huck is on shore. From the articles we read, I will use quotes that especially address the last thirteen chapters, the "moral growth" of Huck, the narrative, and the racism present in the novel.

Handmaid's Tale

This is definitely my favorite book that we have read so far! I like the way it is told, the way it is written, and the overall story is very interesting. The thing that disturbs me the most about the new society they live in is the fact no one has any freedom whatsoever. To walk 5 blocks and not know if you could be shot, beaten, killed, or kidnapped is a terrifying thought. Also the colonies freak me out. Personally, I’m not sure if I’d rather be at the colonies or be a surrogate mother. I don’t know if going through what they go through is worth living. So far I don’t feel that any of this is accurate enough to sound like the “future.” I mean obviously we don’t live in a world like that. I feel like Atwood was extremely pessimistic when writing this book. I mean thank god we don’t live in that society. It seems as though no one is happy. Everyone just lives their lives faking who they are and scared to be themselves. No one is unique in such a society. The specific scenes that stuck in my head are definitely the ones with the Commander in his “office.” I like that they play Scrabble. To us it is so harmless, something we take advantage of, but to them it’s an escape. No reading or writing, ok let’s play Scrabble. I also like that he give her magazines and hand lotion. It shows us that the main character is not the only one who hates how she’s living. They use each other, in a sense, to escape from their shitty lives. Luckily so far I have not been too confused on what’s going on in the novel. I would like to know more about the society crashing and more about Luke and a few other things but hopefully I will obtain that information as I read on. At this point I feel so sorry for the main character that I REALLY want a happy ending. After all she’s been through I want her to find Luke and her baby and go back to how it was. I seriously doubt that will happen but I’m hoping it turns out good for her in the end. I have a lot of respect for her.