Life in the late eighteen hundreds was very different from the life we know today. Not only was there more inequality, there were also more health concerns and lapses in education. Mark Twain, in his book “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” has given us a special look into the past through the eyes of a young boy. Though this book is one of, if not the most highly criticized books in the American school system, it is also one of the most highly renowned. Through the criticism, Twain has given us a golden reflective opportunity. Jim is one perfect example of the message that Twain is trying to convey. As Jim’s character builds, his english is broken, and at times, is difficult to read. Twain has done this on purpose, to emphasize Jim’s lack of an education and the treatment he gets as a slave. In the beginning chapters of the book, Jim hears a sound and says “say-who is you? Whar is you? Dog my cats ef i didn’ hear sumf’n…” When reading Jim’s dialogue, the reader must have some reflection on the way his speaking is a result of slavery and the purposeful withholding of education. …show more content…
At one point, Huck’s father attempts to kill him in their home. “Bye-and-bye he rolled out and jumped up on his feet looking wild, and he see me and went for me, he chased me round and round the place with a clasp-knife, calling me the Angel of Death and saying he would kill me…” the reader by this point has developed their opinion of Huck, and must think to themselves, in what way twain has described the father. Twain has manipulated the father's language to show how the white father in the white dominated culture, is worse than anyone
The use of violence used by Twain in his novel is when Huck and his friend, an escaped slave Jim, are separated from one another after a storm on the river. Huck survives the storm and swims to shore. He then finds the Grangerford’s household and stays with the family. Because of Huck’s positions he is stuck in the middle of a feud the Grangerfords have with an opposing family, the Shepherdsons. Huck time spent with the Grangerfords causes him to grow a close relationship with Buck but while fighting with the other family, Buck is shot right in front of Huck and dies in the river. "I ain't a-going to tell all that happened- it would make me sick again if I was to do that," (Twain 115). The violence portrayed in this scene is horrifying that
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel written by Mark Twain during the late 1800’s (Mintz). The book brought major controversy over the plot, as well as the fact that it was a spin-off to his previous story, Adventures of Tom Sawyer. This book has remained a success due to Twain’s interesting techniques of keeping the audience’s attention. Chapters eleven and twelve of “Huckleberry Finn,” uses a first person limited point of view to take advantage of the use of dialogue while using many hyperboles to add drama to entertain the reader by creating description within the story without needing to pause and explain.
Jim is one of the most underrated and most understood characters in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. There are many arguments that people can use about the way Twain portrays Jim. Even for the best arguments that readers can have, there is always an argument to rebut with, unless the readers completely understand Twain’s purpose for writing Jim in such a way. Twain shows Jim in a complex environment that helps strengthen him as a character. In Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain depicts Jim to be a kind, loving, and trusting family man who, against all odds, challenges the social norm that black and white people are different.
Twain is using the end of the novel as a way to completely reject all societal beliefs on slavery. The audience now knows that Jim and Huck are developing a friendship, against society, but now the audience sees Huck and Jim becoming a family. As the novel comes to a close Twain integrates another major plot twist, the King has sold Jim. When Huck realizes that Jim has been sold he immediately reacts in mourning. Huck angrily utters, “ “ Sold him?” I said and begun to cry”(Twain 163). Here Twain is using Huck’s physical emotions in order to show the audience how much he truly cares about Jim. By showing his physical emotions In the moment, the audience realizes how much Huck is truly developing true, genuine feelings for Jim, against societies wishes. In this moment, Twain is making a strong claim against society. Through Huck, Twain is criticizing society. Huck is now throwing everything he has ever been taught about society out the window in order to help a friend, even though Jim is a black slave. Twain is criticizing that even though you have been taught by society one thing that does not always mean that it is the right thing. Twain is using Huck in this moment to illustrate that society’s racial beliefs are wrong and that they need to be changed. Twain not only develops Jim and Huck’s relationship into a friendship, but he develops a family relationship between the two, one that can never be replaced. One can argue that in this moment, Twain is presenting a racist message when Huck is referring to Jim as his “n*****” in the next line, but ultimately Huck’s emotions over rule showing how much he truly cares about Jim. Twain is using this moment to reject all of societal beliefs on what the
Throughout the many works of Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn is one that can metaphorically serve as a time machine, in which as soon as one enters, one is quickly taken back to a time where social differences heavily marked history. Published in 1885. Addressing social defects, this novel sincerely illustrates the flaws of the 19th century. Mark Twain typically exemplifies issues through his writing and in this literary work, formally titled The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; he criticizes the attitude of the Gilded Age. This American novel can be closely assessed through many different types of criticism, however, two that,
Despite all the criticism, of racism and other questionable material for young readers, Mark Twain’s The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn is a superbly written novel, which in the opinion of this reviewer should not be remove the literary cannon. Twain’s novel is a coming of age story that teaches young people many valuable lessons and to some extend makes students reexamine their own lives and morals. The most common argument for its removal from the literary canon is that the novel is too racist; it offends black readers, perpetuates cheap slave-era stereotypes, and deserves no place on today’s bookshelves. However one must ask if Twain is encouraging traditional southern racism or is Twain disputing these idea.
Through the character of a 13-year-old boy, Twain shows how vulnerable Huck is to fall into the societal norm of thinking. Throughout the novel it is crucial to remember that whites at this time did not recognize black slaves as humans, but rather as property. By the way Huck was raised, he sees Jim as a black slave who can’t think for himself and has a very small range of emotions. In one instance in the book when Huck and Jim are stuck on the raft together, Jim starts talking enthusiastically about gaining his freedom and traveling back up the river to “steal” his family back. When Huck hears Jim’s excitement for what Huck knows is breaking a law, he immediately falls back into the learned mindset he was raised to believe: “Saying he would steal his children—children that belonged to a man I didn’t know; a man that hadn’t ever done me no harm” (95). At this point, all Huck knows is that Jim wants to steal “properties” from an innocent white man who hasn’t done anything wrong to deserve it. One of the most key places where Huck demonstrates what he’s been taught by society about African Americans is when Huck tries to explain that there are people from different countries outside of America that speak different languages other than English. Huck and Jim go back and forth arguing over why French people
In the beginning of the story, Huck seems to feel at ease to be with his father instead of being with the widow, "It was kind of lazy and jolly, lying off comfortable all day, smoking and fishing, and no book nor study." (Twain 24) Yet, Hucks' father is not exactly the father figure a child would want. He's an abusive, "But by and by Pap got to handy with his hick'ry and I couldn't stand it. I was all over welts." (Twain 24) and he's not thoughtful of Huck. Once Huck figures his father is crazed and is an alcoholic, Twain, through Huck's eyes, gives readers a feeling of fear towards Huck's father. "There was Pap looking wild, and skipping around every which way and yelling about snakes. He said they was crawling up his legs." (Twain 28) "Then he went down on all fours and crawled off, begging them to let him alone, and he rolled imself up in his blanket and wallowed in under the old pine table, still a-begging; and then he went to crying." (29)
Another theme that is dealt with in this book is slavery. In fact, slavery is one of the main topics that has been frequently debated in regards to Huckleberry Finn since it was first published. Twain himself was vehemently anti-slavery and Huckleberry Finn can in many ways be seen as an allegory for why slavery is wrong. Twain uses Jim, a slave who is one of the main characters, as a way of showing the human side of a slave. Everything about Jim is presented through emotions: Jim runs away because Miss Watson was going to sell him South and separate him from his family; Jim is trying to become free so he can buy his family's freedom; and Jim takes care of Huck and protects him on their journey downriver in a very materialistic manner.
During times of slavery, every African American in the south was either a slave or a free African American. “She treated me with respect” (Twain 5). Jim said when he was asked about how the Widow Douglass treats him. This shows that the life of Jim was not that bad, he had everything a slave at that time could want, and his owner did not disrespect him. Also most slaves were abused and almost beaten to death. Twain tries to represent the hardships of slaves on a daily basis when he doesn’t portray Jim’s life to be much difficult “Even though Jim was a slave, he was treated like a family member” (Ralph 6). Jim was a house slave and did not have to do hard work in the fields for long hours. In page 3 in Ralph’s Article, he says “Jim had to no motive to leave, he wanted freedom but it would be harder for him because he wouldn’t have all the amenities he had when he was a slave” (Ralph 4).
Over the 129 years for which the book has been in print, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been regarded with much controversy, for many different reasons. As it has progressed, the subject of this controversy has been almost constantly changing. This essay will explore some of the claims and explanations of the controversy, as well as a discussion on whether the book is even that controversial. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion about this novel, The main complaints seem to revolve around three core topics: Twain’s portrayal of Jim and other blacks, The extensive use of the racial slurs and racism, and the final chapters of the book itself.
Throughout the novel by Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, there were countless times that Jim was mistreated and hurt. Jim was a slave, but Huck Finn developed a strong friendship with him. He felt as if he shouldn’t be trusting Tom the whole time, yet still did. Ultimately, Tom knew that Jim was set free and was only planning and following through with the escape to have fun. The way Jim was treated was very harsh, and people took advantage of it, knowing that he was a slave and couldn’t do anything about it. The ending was not appropriate. At the end of the book, Jim did not get the ending he deserved. He was mistreated and faced hardships of being the minority race, so he had to do what people told him to do if they were white.
Mark Twain’s picaresque novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (hereafter Huck Finn) gives a realistic portrayal of Southern life before the American Civil War and depicts the way companionship enables the journeyers to learn from diverse perspectives enriching the journeys power to prompt inner growth and development. This is clearly depicted through the use of first person persona, where Twain employs the uneducated vernacular voice of Huck Finn. This technique contributes to the authenticity of Huck Finn’s Southern characterisation emphasising his transformation from racial prejudice and small mindedness to a more moral and tolerant perspective. Together Huck and Jim embark on their personal quests for freedom; Huck for freedom from “sivilisation” and Jim for freedom from slavery. Together they travel down the river a motif that symbolises their desire for liberation and security. “ I never felt easy till the raft was…out in the middle of the Mississippi…we was free and safe once more”. As they travel they are not merely moving down the river but discovering who they are as they learn and grow along the way.
In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain illustrates several traits that are common in mankind. Among these traits are those that are listed in this essay. Through characters in the story Twain shows humanity's innate courageousness. He demonstrates that individuals many times lack the ability to reason well. Also, Twain displays the selfishness pervasive in society. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, many aspects of the human race are depicted, and it is for this reason that this story has been, and will remain, a classic for the ages.
The book introduces Huck as the first person narrator which is important because it establishes clearly that this book is written from the point of view of a young, less than civilized character. His character emerges as a very literal and logical thinker who only believes what he can see with his own eyes. In this section Huck’s life with the Widow Douglas and her attempts to raise him as a civilized child sets up the main theme of this book which is the struggle or quest for freedom. Huck’s struggle for freedom from civilized society is paralleled by Jim’s struggle to escape from slavery. Irony as a key literary element in this novel is apparent in this chapter and is primarily expressed through Huck’s sarcasm. A major element of superstition is introduced and continues throughout the entire book. This superstition is used to give insight into Huck’s character, which is very naive and gullible, as well as foreshadow events. For example the killing of the spider in chapter 1 and, in a later chapter, the spilling of the salt does result in bad luck in the form of Pa coming home. Twain puts together an interesting juxtaposition of theft with honor when Tom Sawyer establishes his robber band with Huck and the other boys and they swear to their code of ethics. Interestingly, this is also paralleled at the end of the book when Tom is able to help steal Jim “honorably” because Jim is already a free man. Throughout this section, Huck’s character and personality is established. He is revealed as humble in that he constantly underplays his own intelligence. An example is when he plans his own death and then whi...