...consists mainly of the storm of thoughts that is forever blowing through one’s head” states Mark Twain in his autobiography (Twain, Wit 78). Twain certainly had a “storm of thoughts,” but he was able to eloquently and succinctly put those thoughts onto paper. Because he wrote a combination of fiction and nonfiction, it is difficult to categorize Mark Twain as an author. According to Neil Schmitz, Mark Twain was, “a southern humorist gone over, not just a deserter, a dissenter, but a literary scalawag, a southern writer in unionist discourse and narrative” (91). Most people recognize Twain’s brief, witty, straightforward proverbs that are often quoted today. He also wrote many novels, a few nonfiction books, a plethora of short stories, and essays. Mark Twain uses a variety of rhetorical devices including carefully chosen, colorful language, satirical tone, and unique symbolism to entertain and to enlighten his readers about the moral dilemmas and the beauty of the America he knew. According to Ernest Hemingway, all of American literature comes from one great book, Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Twain, Huck Finn vii). Although this statement may seem hyperbolic, it does indicate the important place Mark Twain holds in American literature. Early Nineteenth century American writers tended to try to write like English writers with flowery, ostentatious language (Schmitz 100). Twain’s writing style was innovative when it was written and is still absolutely unique. He writes...
Words: 3124 - Pages: 13
...with which all history is written is merely fluid prejudice.” (Twain n. pag.). In Following the Equator, Mark Twain uses this quote which represents the time period in which he lived. Twain lived with this family owning slaves and with the debates on slavery and popular sovereignty, he lived through the Civil War, and he lived through manifest destiny. The debate on slavery during the 1800’s deeply influenced Twain personally and in his literary works. Consequently Mark Twain greatly influenced later writers by his creation of a unique American style. The 19th and 20th centuries were full of controversy surrounding slavery. In the American south most of the residents were in favor of the continuation of using African Americans...
Words: 999 - Pages: 4
...Mark Twain’s widely known and appreciated novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn follow countless boyhood adventures between the rambunctious young boys, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. While Twain’s novels depict long playful summer days spent in the sun, his work is far from children’s literature. Twain’s novels include dark adult themes such as death, ignorance, physical punishment, deceit and most prominently, racism. Twain modeled both novels based on his own life experiences growing up along the Mississippi River (Frost), hoping to mirror how one's surroundings influence their character development, furthermore shaping who they will become. To do so, Twain creates a world of struggle for his protagonists,...
Words: 1536 - Pages: 7
...Mark Twain: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The public debate surrounding Mark’s Twain’s Adventure of Huckleberry Finn has fair ground to be disputed in terms of context. However, to band the novel for the use of its language being brought in the text of the story may not be so justified. In order to get a positive understanding, you would have to take into the consideration Mark Twain’s possible motive, and question yourself if his true intention was to just depict the life of individuals along the Mississippi river before the civil war or was he trying to portray a difficult time in American history, and reveal how society in that time contradicted themselves in terms of their own personal morale? Surely, today I would not recommend reading the book to put my child to sleep at night, but I would not band the privilege of allowing other at certain grade levels to analyze Mark Twain’s story, and try to find what his main intentions were. My position would be not to band the novel and to change the words, but to use the book to reference a land mark in American history for older student to learn. In depth, the book has a bigger meaning and valuable lesson to learn about history, life, humanity, morale, society, law system, race and religion. The novel was published in England in December 1884 and takes place forty to fifty years ago from when it was published. Evidently, this took place well before the civil war period and what was mostly disturbingly common in society during...
Words: 1615 - Pages: 7
...Jim and Huckleberry Finn’s growth throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn set the stage for Daniel Hoffman’s interpretation in “From Black Magic-and White-in Huckleberry Finn.” Hoffman exhibits that through Jim’s relationship with Huckleberry, the river’s freedom and “in his supernatural power as interpreter of the oracles of nature” (110) Jim steps boldly towards manhood. Jim’s evolution is a result of Twain’s “spiritual maturity.” Mark Twain falsely characterizes superstition as an African faith but, Daniel Hoffman explains that most folk lore in Huckleberry derives from European heritage. Tying your hair into knots with thread to defend against witches who ride their prey is even referenced in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Mr. Hoffman then goes on to ask and answer “Why, then does Mark Twain make such a point of having only Negroes, children and riffraff as the bearers of folk superstitions in the recreated world of his youth?” (109) He clarifies that during the time Huck Finn was composed, Twain was living far from his childhood home. His memory of Uncle Dan’l, who Mark Twain divulges in his autobiography, was the origin of Jim, and his stories are skewed by Twain’s memory. Hoffman also believes that Twain infuses his ideas on “superstition: slaves: boyhood freedom” (109) It Is grouped together due to his experiences of his youth. “The minstrel stereotype, as we have scene, was the only possible starting point for a white author attempting to deal with a Negro character...
Words: 741 - Pages: 3
...Mark Twain left his printing career and settled at Mississippi to work on the river boats. His career as a river boat pilot has influenced him and his sweet remembrances on the Mississippi river are recollected by him through his work The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. His life as a river boat pilot has given him the pen name Mark Twain. He continued his work as a river boat pilot until 1861. He was not permitted to work there any more after the Civil War in the United States of America. The Mississippi was closed and people were prevented from entering the river for travel and shipping. Though he worked for some time in the Cavalry division as Confederate, he turned his attention towards journalism after the call from his brother Orion. Mark Twain’s articles, stories, memoirs and novels illustrated his exploded and irrepressible wit and elegance. He rendered no ear to the polished and refined language but has used the colloquial and familiar slang of the people which allured everyone to read his work. His works has made...
Words: 2164 - Pages: 9
...Mark Twain, author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, uses his book of adventures to poke fun at certain ideas that he does not agree with. Satire makes fun of things with a bit of humor. The humor can be hard to discern, but his message is clear. Throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain creates various events to satirize southerners, gullible religious people, and Romanticism. Twain uses Pap and the people of Bricksville to show that he does not hold southerners in high regard. When Pap gets drunk, he goes off on an epic “govment” rant that makes southerners seem stupid. Pap claims he will “never vote agin” if a black man was able to vote (Twain 188). Twain misspelled “again” on purpose so that it could demonstrate southerners with poor intellect. Twain made Pap’s “govment” rant just as hard to read as Jim’s dialect on purpose. He wanted to show that black men identify equally with southerners. Also, the people of the...
Words: 549 - Pages: 3
...selected readings of Mark Twain consolidated in “Mark Twain Selected Writings of an American Skeptic,” Victor Doyno includes chapters from “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” This book is the center of much debate and controversy over the use of one word, the “N” word. This word was used to describe Jim the Slave. In Chapter 31, Huckleberry Finn is struggling with his conscious of either turning Jim the Slave in to his owner or not turn Jim the Slave in and in turn assists him in staying free. He believes God’s Ten Commandments teach against stealing property, which is how slaves are viewed in the time. Huckleberry Finn sees the slaves as people with the right to be treated with all the respect as anyone else. This is where Huck Finn struggles since he feels people should not be property and should be treated with respect. Huck decides to accept his fate and says “all right then, I’ll go to hell.” (Doyno, 1983. Pg. 240.) In the end he decides to not turn Jim in and in turn satisfies his conscious because he feels people cannot be owned. With the language of the time, Mark Twain uses the word “nigger” over 200 times in his story “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Mark Twain uses the term 219 times in that one story. (CBS News, 2015. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/huckleberry-finn-and-the-n-word-debate/ ) In much of the censored versions, the word is replaced with slave which leads to the belief that slave is the same meaning of the word. Even in Twain’s age the word was used...
Words: 1619 - Pages: 7
...Huck Finn: Comparing and Contrasting the Controversies Surrounding Banning Books The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, deemed one of the great American novels, was published by Mark Twain in 1884. From the start, this novel has sparked a lot of negative criticism. There were heated debates among critics, and in schools debating whether or not to ban this controversial piece of literature. In today's society, this book still offends sensitive readers, because it was written in a time when people were not sensitive to the plight of African Americans. Just a month after it was published, The Concord, library in Massachusetts banned all copies stating that it was “Not suitable for trash.” (Ruta1) It was believed, that racism was at the heart of this book, and the content was, and still viewed as being harsh. Louisa May Alcott was a popular author who served on the very first library committee in Massachusetts, where The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was banned. She voted against this book from being sold, read or viewed. Criticizing Mark Twain saying that "Huck should not sweat. He should perspire." (Ruta1) Other libraries began removing their copies stating that it is inappropriate for children to read. The number of concerned citizens continue to debate on this subject today. Derogatory words are seen throughout this story in reference to showcase the difference between the two classes, white verses black. This book not only celebrates an unlikely friendship between...
Words: 2006 - Pages: 9
...the right to freely vote in numerous states. The lasting effects of this racially-marked history manifest themselves today in a wide variety of mediums, including television, music, police brutality protests, and in a controversy surrounding a two-syllable word—the “n-word.” With a major spike in American progressivism, a heated debate has ignited over the appropriateness of the n-word in literature, including its usage in Mark Twain’s world-acclaimed classic, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Centered around the journey of a young boy, Huckleberry Finn, and a slave, Jim, around the Mississippi river, Twain incorporates within it moral and anti-racial lessons through characters, events, and its unique regional...
Words: 680 - Pages: 3
...form of a physical, inner or imaginative journey. These journeys however can be a combination of two, inviting readers to explore deeper within the story. This is advocated with Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and Peter Jackson’s Lord of the rings trilogy, to which characters not only undertake a physical journey but a undergo inner struggles and changes.The characters of Huckleberry Finn (Twain) and Frodo Baggins (Jackson) will be analysed before and after their journey to which the effects of journeys will be expressed to the audience. Mark Twain’s Huck Finn through his ignorance of ‘racism’ within his society provides a motive for Huck’s transformation in his journey. Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain gives way to the protagonist Huck who during the starting phase of the Picaresque novel is shown to have a limited view on the world through his lack of education and is oblivious to the unethical views of his society. Huck’s ignorance is symbolised with his comment on the Widow’s refusal of his smoking “That is just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they don’t know nothing about it.” This quote used for a smaller issue can be seen to highlight the Huck’s own lack of knowledge regarding “racism”, to which the novel’s key theme is revealed to the audience. Parallel to Huck Finn, Lord of the Ring’s Frodo Baggins easygoing and oblivious nature of the outside world is used to contrast the irreversible effects of the great journey into Mordor. While the...
Words: 935 - Pages: 4
...1/09/13 Hypocrisy of Society In Mark Twain's novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain develops the plot into Huck and Jim's adventures allowing him to weave in his criticism of society. The two main characters, Huck and Jim, both run from social injustice and both are distrustful of the civilization around them. Huck is considered an uneducated and unusual boy, constantly under pressure to conform to the “humanized" surroundings of society. Jim, a slave is not even considered as a real person, but as property. As they run from civilization and are on the river, they ponder the social injustices forced upon them when they are on land. These social injustices are even more evident when Huck and Jim have to make landfall, and this provides Twain with the chance to satirize the socially correct injustices that Huck and Jim encounter on land. The satire that Twain uses to expose the hypocrisy, racism, greed and injustice of society develops along with the adventures that Huck and Jim have. The ugly reflection of society we see should make us question the world we live in, and only the journey down the river provides us with that chance. Throughout the book we see the hypocrisy of society. Miss Watson constantly corrects Huck for his unacceptable behavior, but Huck doesn't understand why, "That is just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they don't know anything about it". Later when Miss Watson tries to teach Huck about Heaven, he decides against trying...
Words: 643 - Pages: 3
...11/10/12 Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in the town of Florida, Missouri. When he was four he and his family moved to Hannibal a town on the Mississippi river. His family was very wealthy and own several slaves. In 1847 his father died leaving his family in a whole forcing Clemens to get a job as a printer, making him unable to finish school. He gave up his printing career to work on a riverboat eventually becoming a riverboat pilot. Being on the water influenced Clemens greatly. It was also the place that he gained the author name Mark Twain, which came from the riverboat leadsmen’s signal. “By mark, Twain” the water was deep enough to pass through safely. Life on the Mississippi river also inspired material for several books including Huckleberry Finn. He later went off with his brother and became a silver miner, then finally found his calling as a journalist and signed several articles with the name Mark Twain. Mark Twain creates Huckleberry Finn by heavily using theme, motifs, and symbols. Mark Twain pushes theme throughout this writing piece which is racism and slavery. In huckleberry Finn Mark Twain exposes the hypocrisy of slavery; “I wouldn’t shake my nigger, would I? The only nigger I had in the world, and the only property.” (196). he shows racism twists the mind of the punisher just as much as the punished. This causes people to be pulled away from their moral beliefs. In Huckleberry Finn an example is how white people like...
Words: 851 - Pages: 4
...Camille Jones 8th Period Ms. Monik Greed motivates much of the characters in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Huck Finn makes his adventurous and obstacle-filled journey down the Mississippi River along with his friend Tom, a middle-classed boy. The two make their way down this particular river facing many challenges which they somehow overcome. Also, Huck comes across many different people from different backgrounds along his trip down the Mississippi. It is Huck’s quest to find his real and true identity and he has his dear friend, Tom, by his side every step of the way. Twain points out that the actions of someone towards another is changed by greed and in wanting what the other person has or being a part of whatever that person is a part of. (Twain; 74) “Why that’s all right. Miss Hooker she tole me, particular, that her uncle Hornback−” “Great guns! Is he her uncle?” Greed plays a very significant part in American society today. Whenever you have money everyone wants to be close to you but other than that you’re basically just a bump in the log. It’s quite funny how a person will mistreat you or never even acknowledge you unless there is money involved. I guess the people of today’s society forgot what the true meaning of life is perhaps. Even people of higher power are sometimes corrupted by greed. (125) “It didn’t take me long to make up my mind that these liars warn’t no kings nor dukes at all, but just low-down humbugs and frauds...
Words: 582 - Pages: 3
...centuries. In many books the characters also must rely on themselves, as Huck Finn does in Mark Twain’s book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Huck Finn is a book about a boy growing up , and his flight down the Mississippi River. Through his actions and thoughts Huck is able to survive the dangers of the river and in doing so develops self reliance and independence as well as non-conformity to what is acceptable to society. Huck Finn is definitely a non-conformist in the truest sense of the word. Non-conformity means to go against what all other people think and do. In the book Huck chooses not to go to school,. and therefore it makes him a non-conformist because everyone else goes to school. Another example of non-conformity that Huck shows is running away with Jim. No one ever would think about running away with a black man. It is absurd ,because it is going against the rest of society and what they believed about slavery. Huck’s actions definitely makes him a non-conformist. A third example of non-conformity in Huck is not wanting to be civilized. Huck says,”Aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can’t stand it. I been there before.” (294) This quote shows that Huck doesn’t like to be civilized like the rest of society making him an outcast and non-conformist. Huck Finn is a very self-reliant person and he shows it in his thoughts and actions throughout the book. Self reliance is to use your mind on your own to be able to do things. Just as Emerson said...
Words: 820 - Pages: 4
