Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain - Research Paper Example

Task Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Introduction It is intriguing to that Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is an incredibly contentious book that has earned a reputation as an American archetypal. The feeling of uncertainty I have when reading the book is ‘How could innumerable intelligent scholars be exceptionally alienated on whether the book is for or against racism?’ On the contrary, I suggest a diverse itinerary of action: an assessment of whether or not the text is actually xenophobic and whether it is based on the grounds of Twain’s intent. It is established that charges of racism should not prevent the novel form being used in the high school curricular, and that the quality of the novel is marred with the last chapters. Section 1 a. Should the charges of racism prevent the novel from inclusion in high school curriculum? While George Will makes an excellent point, may I ask whether the charges of racism ought to put off Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from being incorporated into high school curricula? “…Accusing Huck of racism is cuckoo considering what caused some 19th century moralists to say Huck should be kept from the tender eyes of children.” (Will, 92). Copious institutions and libraries have excluded, censored and rejected the novel because of its perceived messages to readers, particularly the students. However, George Will is not satisfied with this argument, since some scholars think blacks are depicted as illiterate in the novel, hence, it is of racism nature. So, here we have an assertion that Mark Twain illustrates his ideas to readers indirectly and should not be judged wrongly. In the moment, I am compelled to argue that the lesson learnt throughout the novel is dominance of hypocrisy in the world. Students can learn that blacks were not ghastly, unworthy, or piece of property that whites depicted them. Henry, possibly one of the most dominant literary figures of the twentieth century, states how Jim cared for Huck as his own son in the journey. Consequently, students will comprehend black people as normal human beings through Jim’s experience in probing for freedom. Just as well, in terms of intelligence, Jim proves his worth many times all through the narrative: “…Jim becomes a surrogate father to Huck, allowing the boy to sleep when he should stand watch on the raft…” (Henry, 373) While Henry makes some excellent points, it must be pointed out that slavery and racism still exists; hence, administration in public institutions should learn the necessity for students to learn the roots of the problem before being taught on ways of solving the crisis. The populace should understand that it may not occur the way they like it to be, but it does occur for sure. Twain should not be criticized, since he was just familiarizing the story with the situation on the ground. The prevailing stance among academia is that blacks were perceived as property rather than equal human beings who had feelings. They were subjected by the whites and lacked freedom to do things they wanted to do. Jim narrates his desire of meeting and taking care of his family to Huck. It is established that this is sufficient information that changed Huck’s initial contemplation of reporting Jim to the whites for an escape. Rome was not built in a day; correspondingly, the brainwashing belief of society cannot be annulled in a short duration of time. Consequently, Huck’s gradual realizations regarding Jim and slavery are both realistic and appropriate; it is difficult to abandon one’s life teachings. While Mark Twain is impressively accurate in his grasp of slavery and racism, Smiley affirms that he wrote the book 20 years after the US abolished slavery because of the Civil War in America. At the time, the word ‘negro’ was commonly used in the South where blacks were undermined by white racists. Consequently, the setting of the book depicts the exact picture on the ground. Twain may have meant something very dissimilar altogether through the insertion of the word “nigger” in his novel, and perhaps it is something not racist at all: “He also thought that Twain, through Huck’s told truths, one of them being (I kid you not) that ‘something…gone out of American life after the (Civil War), some simplicity some nocence, some peace” (Smiley, 62). It is established that using the novel in edifying students about racism, will enlighten them on negative impacts of prejudice, since, despite government efforts to implement laws that regulate racism actions in the society, racism is still a problem. Tutors should scrutinize the events of the book illustrated to teach and edify society. Students can learn that freedom did not mean equality and, even though there is a call of equality in race, racism still persists. With this scrutiny in mind, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an outstanding example for the world to bring racism to an end in society by edifying students at early stages of their lives. When someone appreciates efforts made, a person obviously becomes contented; consequently, I think Twain would have rejoiced at that result. The learning institution should allow the narrative to be used in public school since it is an exemplary tool to fight racism. Section 2 b. Do the last chapters of the novel (chapters 32 – end) mar the quality of the book as a whole? So let us look at what we have, it is true that a narrative must begin with a bang, to enmesh the readers’ attention, and finish off with a gunshot, that reverberates even after the book is closed. There are myriad occasions when the quality of a literary work is found at the end, and this has been proven in copious instances. Leo Marx puts it well when he pictures the cruelty of Tom who knew earlier that Miss Watson had freed Jim; yet, he used the opportunity to mishandle him. Amusingly, even after Tom’s confession, the people failed to realize the mistake made by Tom. Tom simply used Jim in his adventurous expeditions by telling him to catch snakes and other scary things. Let’s see what Leo Marx, wrote for The American Scholar; “…in the end we not only discover that Jim has been a free man for two months, but that his freedom has been granted by old Miss Watson.” (Marx, 293). If we are going to search for truth, the reader needs to acknowledge that Miss Watson is the core cause of Jim’s suffering in the book, in the last chapters of the manuscript, since she could not defy the offer of 800 dollars to sell Jim down the river. She is depicted as the valley society. The ending of the book does bring out the relevant morals that readers can learn and implement in society. Clemens fails to approve and account for the unexpected change of mind of Miss Watson, which could have played the role of proclaiming what the rest of the ending actually accomplishes. I agree that the ending of the literary work depicts what the author wants the society to learn. Now, if Twain intended to edify the society against slavery and racism, he could have used characters like Clemens to put the point clear to readers at the end of chapters. “It may be said, and with some justice, that a reading of the ending as a virtual reversal of meanings implicit in the rest of the novel misses the point…” (Marx, 294) Marx goes on to note that Twain’s ending is weak referring to occasion when the whites did not consider the blacks in the society by alerting them on the explosion. According to Smiley, Twain never destined Jim to be perceived as an equal, or as justifiable autonomy. Sally was a lovely white woman even though she failed to recognize and feel sorry for losing a black man during the explosion. She uses the word ‘negro’ to describe the evil perception of the white populace not in favor of blacks in the society. “Black protesters, offended by the repetitions of ‘nigger’ in the mouths of white and black characters in general…” (Henry, 361) I just crave to state here that the ending is full of adventures and curiosities of Tom that are prevalent in Twain’s form of writing. Readers who have read Twain’s work of literature can affirm this. Let us be realistic and state it openly; the finale of the book does not come out as burlesque but is whimsical, exceptionally exaggerated, and monotonous. The reader has to sit back and watch in agony as Tom uses Huck, orders Huck, and takes away the new Huck, our Huck. The book fails to clarify on the earlier developed emotions of rendering Jims fear of capture, the intimate relationship amid Huck and Jim, and indecisive virtues of honesty and respectability. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn fails to clarify on these issues in order to make readers emotionally satisfied. The failure of elaborating on such issues makes the book boring and dreary, since the engaging parts are not discussed aptly. Consequently, the intended mission of the book is not met and may be mistaken and misjudged. “… A tragic end also would reduce him to the level of those whom we pity, Huck Finn must come from nowhere and be bound for nowhere.” (Elliot, 289) Conclusion The discussed thoughts stay in the reader’s mind no matter how unlikable the ending is; for this reason, Mark Twain’s novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an outstanding book to be used in learning institutions in teaching about racism and slavery (Gopnik, 78). This is because it brings the true picture on events that occurred during the time. I think that the quality of the novel is marred with the last chapters, and charges of racism should not prevent the novel form being used in high school curricular. Works Cited Will, George. Huck at a Hundred. Newsweek. 1985. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. Eliot, T.S. The Boy and the River: Without Beginning or End. The Controversy over the Ending. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. Gopnik, Adam. Why the Mark Twain Industry Keeps Growing. A Critic At Large. The Man in The White Suit. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. Henry, Peaches. The Struggle for Tolerance: Race and Censorship in Huckleberry Finn. The Controversy over Race. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. Marx, Leo. Mr. Eliot, Mr. Trilling, and Huckleberry Finn. The Controversy over the Ending Web. 10 Apr. 2012. Smiley, Jane. Say It Ain’t So, Huck. Second Thoughts on Mark Twain’s “Masterpiece”. Criticism. Harper’s Magazine. 1996. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. Read More