Twains Controversial Ending - Huckleberry Finn - Essay Example

Twain's Controversial Ending: Huckleberry Finn In literature or any other academic or professional discipline, controversy is the most influential aspect in determining the relevance of any concept. In essence, controversy can be defined as a prolonged public contention or dispute concerning an opinion or an ideology under consideration. Heated arguments and strife characterizes most controversial situations on the best opinion or perception concerning the element under consideration. In this regard, numerous analysts postulate their ideas, which based on some conventional perception, are correct. As states earlier, controversy can affect the reliability or validity of any piece of writing. In the context of literature, some stipulated guidelines concerning the content of writing guides the structure and technical skills employed by a writer during his or her works. In the literature, most contemporary expert emphasizes the importance of developing a comprehensive theme or themes in novels and any other piece of writing. In this regard, literature materials should communicate a single theme in a logical and rational manner. Conflict of themes results in inconsistency of message intentioned by a writer. At this juncture, some literature materials can fall out of the expected scope of literature principles with respect to theme content. In case of such an instance, the conflict of themes may result in controversy on the message carried by a text. Consequently, the message contained by such text may be thrown into a heated debate concerning the intention of a writer. One such piece of writing which have constantly experienced opposition and criticism is Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Gerald et al. 34). One of the notable criticizer of Twain’s works is Marx. Marx is a renowned critique of American literature. In his analytic and critical principles, Marx asserts that in any literature, there is a battle that exits between characters and any writing’s plot. According to Marx, writers must articulately match the characters’ character and the underlying themes in novels. However, effective articulation of characters from inception to the end of a story is close to impossible. As a result, writers rivets into mechanically terminating their story. This entails introducing of artificial themes that facilitates summation of all the happenings witnessed from the start of a story. In this regard, a writer is supposed to yield for defeat on either a story’s plot or the characters. In case of plot surrender, a writer will introduce a purposeful theme which results in a conflict with the previous prevailing themes (Gerald et al. 36). On the other hand, a defeat of characters means that a writer will break the consistent behavioral conduct and role assumed by one character into a role which forces termination of a story. Upon evaluation of the thematic elements constituting the novel, Marx made some conclusion regarding the inconsistency and thematic swindling that materializes at the end of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Based on this perception, Marx acknowledges that there is not a single novel with a rational and logical conclusion. All conclusions are usually manipulated to enhance development of a terminal environment to a story. For objective purposes, Marx asserts that writers should accept a defeat between either characters of the plot. According to Marx, a conclusion without a conflict between the aspects of plot and characters is ideal. In this regard, writers ought to stop their works upon the development of a conflict between the plot and the characters. In his criticism, Marx emphasizes on a plot and character conflict in Mark Twain’s novel. Upon critical evaluation on the novel, Marx derived some conclusions concerning the themes contained in the book and the articulation between the plot and the characters by the writer. One such conclusion is that Mark sins against the prevailing laws in the subject society by having Miss Watson free the slave. In addition, Twain’s work allows development of a criticism environment at the juncture where the main underlying themes appear to conflict (Gerald et al. 62). The first point emphasized by Marx states that Twain operated out of the boundaries created by laws of realism, especially when he presented Miss Watson as having freed Jim. From the beginning of the story, and to be more precise, in the first page, Twain introduces the characters together with some of their cultural aspects of their society. One character introduced is Miss Watson. The immediate environment of this character is a classical society in the Great Valley. These were the people at the fore front of advocating for realism laws and classical social values. Some of the highly held values included a master and slave relationship. Elite and influential members of the Great Valley society owned slaves and engaged in active slave trade. In addition, these people believed in strict and impartial handling of slaves during the performance of their assigned responsibilities. Slaves were usually captured and traded for purposes of labor and other related economic objectives. This means that slaves were assets and a measure of wealth as the number of slaves owned by an individual corresponded to the amount of economic activities that he or she is capable of practicing (Bloom 37). Although slave trade was still the main social value prevailing within this society, other ideologies and philosophies of religion, especially Christianity were present. Therefore, some fundamental principles of Christianity had infiltrated the society. Some members had already started practicing biblical teachings in their social responsibilities. Despite the presence of Christian values, a substantial portion of Great Valley society held on to their cultural practices, especially slavery. From the start of this novel, Twain develops a vivid description of the Great Valley society and all their chief attributes concerning their relationship with slaves. In fact the prevailing theme through the better part of the novel serves to portray the importance of slaves to masters of a great valley. Based on these principles, no master would accept to free his or her slave on grounds of religion or any other social complacency. Therefore, slaves were crucial as they contributed substantially to the society’s economic power. At this juncture, members of the Great Valley had established deep rooted principles regarding freedom of slaves in the society (Twain 29). At the beginning of the novel, one member of Great Valley who subscribed to the society’s values is Miss Watson. Twain introduced Miss Watson as a widow who was loyal to all principles practiced by the people of Great Valley. In detail, Miss Watson herself owned a slave, who in this case is Jim. In the first place, there is a master and slave relationship that exists between Jim and Miss Watson. Therefore, this is a full prove that Miss Watson based her philosophy on the attributes held dearly by the subject society. Until the sixth chapter of the novel, all ideas and activities practiced by Miss Watson showed total loyalty to the values held by the society. However, Twain breaks the harmonious consistence of themes developed from the start of the novel. Chapter seven presents an implicit reversal of the themes that dominated the novel through the first six chapters. In his analytical principles, Marx asserts that if a piece of literature writing contains more than one theme, all the themes contained must co-relate harmoniously. A conflict between themes, especially at the end of a novel, jeopardizes the entire message carried by the novel. In this regard, Twain should have been careful as to avoid any culmination of themes. The culmination of themes that prevails at the end of the novel creates a distraction from the dignity in which it began; hence resulting in controversy and dissatisfaction (Twain 75). According to Marx, Twain creates an artificial conflict of themes in the novel by having Miss Watson to free Jim out of her own will. The entire beginning of the novel had developed fundamental elements and values held loyally by the slave owners of Great Valley, including Miss Watson herself. However, the same writer forces a situation whereby Miss Watson agrees to free Jim out of her own will. In the final chapters, Miss Watson agrees to sell Jim down the river after she had been promised a considerable monetary value by a potential slave master. At this juncture, the writer develops a nonchalant disregard on the themes already developed at the point in the novel. According to Marx, the writer develops discordance between Miss Watson, who could be termed as the spokesperson of social values held by the southerners, and the actions she does in the novel. Upon acknowledgement of the thematic conflict that ensues towards the end of the novel and the battle between the plot and the characters, it is apparent that Twain’s works elicits some desires for arguments. At this juncture, Twain abandons the loyalty and concrete principles he had emphasized on the Great Valley population (Bloom 89). At the last chapters of the novel, Twain ascribes a substantial amount of benevolence to Miss Watson. This violates the theme he had developed in the first chapters concerning the position held by Miss Watson in the society. Through the development of Watson’s behavioral conduct in relation to the society and her relation on the aspect of slavery, Twain creates an inherent belief on a reader of his work, which makes one to conclude that Watson could not sell off her loyalty for the aspect of benevolence. Through the initial paragraphs, it was established that Watson stands for all the aspirations pertaining the social practices of her people (Gerald et al 286). Within Miss Watson’s society, the Great Valley people, especially older members like Watson, could not allow themselves to be influenced by foreign ideologies like Christian values, which includes the attribute of benevolence. At this juncture, Twain had developed a strong theme supporting the loyalty of Watson to her principles and those of the society. Before the introduction of the contradicting theme concerning the freeing of Jim by Watson, a reader could develop a vivid imagination of the respectable society surrounding Miss Watson. According to Marx, Twain could not accept defeat on one of the aspects between the novel’s plot and the character’s behavior. At this juncture, Twain had to mechanically reshape the novel in order to crate a suitable environment for its termination. In this context, Twain jeopardizes the significance of the entire writing with respect to the themes developed from the start of the novel (Gerald et al 289). At this point in writing, we have developed a convincing perspective on the aspect of the first contention developed by Marx. Marx appraised Twain’s works and highlighted the flaws resulting from the incompatibility of themes prevailing within the entire story. From the start, Twain develops an exceptionally strong theme supporting the loyalty demonstrated by Miss Watson and the entire Great Valley population. However, Twain created a conflicting theme on how most loyal and respectable member of that society acted contrary to the expectation. According to Marx, all this resulted from a battle between the characters and the plot. Twain had to create a mechanical device of terminating the story by allowing Watson to set Jim free (Hemingway 67). Work Cited Gerald, Twain, Mark, Graff and Phelan, James. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A case study in Critical Controversy. Boston. Bedford Books of St. Martin’s Press, 1995. Print. Hemingway, Ernest. The Green Hills of Africa. New York: Scribner’s, 2008. Print. Bloom, Harold. Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2007. Print. Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Pittsburgh: Universe, 2009. Print. Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. California: CSF Publishing, 2011. Print. Read More