Huckleberry Finn Dialectical Journal Essay

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain has been faced with a great deal of controversy when talking about the ending of the novel. Most critics see the ending to be a failure, while others see that the ending is the perfect way to end the story. The ending of the novel seems to have a change in tone from a serious one to something more comedic. The tone seems to change once Tom is introduced to the story. This comedic tone is shown in both the beginning and the ending of the novel with both parts having Tom being included in the adventure. The most obvious reasons why the ending is a failure is with the way Twain frees Jim and with the introduction of Tom. The novel overall is a great piece of literature but is upsetting when it comes

"I heard an owl, away off, who-whooing about somebody that was dead, and a whippo-will and a dog crying about somebody that was going to die; and the wind was trying to whisper something to me, and I couldn't make out what it was" (Twain 13). Twain often ridicules American society in the early 1800's. He pokes fun at various subjects throughout the novel, such as human brutality, women's roles in society, and slavery within christianity. Satire plays a major role in Mark Twain's classic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

There are many forms of satire in Mark Twain’s book The Adventures Huckleberry Finn, one of which is racism satire. Twain uses this satire to show many different things in the book such as showing the way that African-Americans were treated back in the 1800’s or showing how they were viewed as in superior to the other races of the time. Racism satire was not as major a topic in the 1800’s than it is in the modern world, which is a good example of how these worlds differ so much. This topic in general is a major issue in today’s world which could make The Adventures Huckleberry Finn controversial.

In the Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, Huck runs away and makes everyone think that he is dead. During his adventure, Huck encounters Jim, where he promises to free him. At the end, Jim is a freeman and Huck decides to go west, so he would not get civilized. In the Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, Huck’s moral development changes during his adventure when he looks for Jim after he is sold and when he decides to go west to avoid getting civilized. While critics, like Jane Smiley and Toni Morrison, debate whether the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be read in schools or not, I argue that the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be read in schools because the last twelve chapters are useless and it whitewashes the issue of slavery.

The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has stirred up much controversy over such topics as racism, prejudice and gender indifference, but the brunt of the criticism has surrounded itself around the ending, most notably with the re-entry of Tom Sawyer. Some people viewed the ending as a bitter disappointment, as shared by people such as Leo Marx. The ending can also be viewed with success, as argued by such people as Lionel Trilling, T.S. Eliot, V. S. Pritchett and James M. Cox in their essays and reviews. I argue that the ending of the novel proves successful in justifying the innocence of childhood through such themes as satire and frivolous behaviour.

Mark Twain was born on the Missouri frontier and spent his childhood there. His real name is actually Samuel Langhorne Clemens. At the age of 12 he quit school in order to earn his living. At the age of 15 he already wrote his first article and by the time he was 16 he had his first short novel published. In 1857 he was an apprentice steamboat pilot on a boat that left Mississippi and was leading towards New Orleans. His characters were created because of the people and the situations he encountered on this trip.

In many great novels, such as Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the author utilizes the great literary element of satire. Satire has many different purposes, such as poking fun at things, or pointing out fault in them. Mark Twain enjoys using satire in his classic novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, where he uses it in many ways. Twain satirizes the south, the upper class, society, and more, but one thing that he definitely felt strong about was racism. He often satirizes racists, and their use of the word “nigger”. In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain satirizes how people used the word “nigger” to classify Africans as not actual people, people offended Africans with the word “nigger”, and people used the word inappropriately in a casual or positive way.

Unquestionably Mark Twain’s most influential work, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remains one of the most well-known American novels to date. It is known for its raw, often humorous depictions of southern antebellum society. Being an iconic classic, however, hasn’t protected Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from being criticized and “cleaned up,” There prove to be many controversies over the famous novel over the frequent use of the N-word throughout the book, but it is still celebrated as one of the best books written and is still read in schools today.

The question of morality is very prevalent in Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Main characters Huck and Jim have different understandings of what is moral compared to what is moral in today’s society. Morality is being able to make the distinction between what is right and wrong or good and bad behavior. Due to Huck’s rather strange and rough upbringing he has a different understanding of what is morally right compared to what others people may think. Hucks understanding of morality depends of his self benefit. Huck bases what is right and what is wrong on if the outcome affects him. For example robbing people doesn 't seem wrong to him because he is the one that benefits at the end. Most people base their morals on the bible, or their religion. People look toward religion to decide what is right and wrong. They pray to their God hoping to receive guidance. When Huck tries this he prays for things he wants and when does not receive what he wants he simply decides this whole “God” thing is a hoax. In Chapter 3 there is a description of the time Huck tried to pray to God, “Then Miss Watson she took me in the closet and prayed, but nothing come of it. She told me to pray every day, and whatever I asked for I would get it. But it warn’t so. I tried it...I must help other people, and do everything I could for other people, and look out for them all the time, and never think about myself. This was including

Twain starts out the story with Jim as a well-respected slave. By chapter fourteen, however, Jim is Huck’s father figure. This is exemplified in chapters two and nine. In chapter two, Twain writes, “Niggers would come miles to hear Jim tell about it, and he was more looked up to than any nigger in the country...and that nigger was corked up and had to take a back seat” (Twain 19). Later on, in chapter nine, Jim says, “‘It’s a dead man. Yes, indeedy; naked, too. He’s ben shot in de back. I reck’n he’s ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan’ look at his face. It’s too gashly.’ I didn’t look at him at all. Jim throwed some old rags over him…” (Twain 62). These two quotes show this development in Jim’s character over these chapters. These two quotes show a major development because it was uncommon for a black person’s beliefs, in that era, to be accepted by white people- including children. In the beginning, Jim doesn’t have any desire to protect Huck; he’s afraid to go to Huck’s societal block in the society pyramid of the 1860’s. In chapter nine, however, Huck respects Jim, although he doesn’t quite know why Jim isn’t letting him see the body. Because Jim is now serving as Huck’s father figure, he has undergone a major character development over these seven

This is especially problematic considering that the book is supposed to contain the moral of racial equality: if Huck cannot overcome his racism, why should the reader? Most notably, Huck never seems to stand up for Jim despite seeing Tom’s cruel pranks: Huck has not grown up enough to speak up for what is right despite peer pressure. The fact that Huck participates in and admires Tom’s schemes is even worse as it shows regression since Huck had previously tried to be nice to Jim. Huck also does not fully overcome his racist tendencies because he does not seem bothered by the fact that other African Americans are being enslaved; he is beginning to view only Jim in a more human light, but any such progress is seemingly subverted by going with Tom’s cruel treatment of Jim. Huck’s lack of progress in overcoming his racism, especially the fact that he caved into peer pressure and did not show concern for other slaves, indicates a lack of character growth that ruins the ending of the

Classic American literature often connects America’s past to its future. Referencing or alluding historical events brings forth controversial novels due to the interesting twist on facts that are highly known among ordinary citizens. While most people know the connection to important history, they may not know the connection to the author’s own personal life. This connection not only influences the book’s meaning, but also provides an insight to the opinions and beliefs of the author. In the late nineteenth century novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain connects the life and adventures of a young boy, Huckleberry Finn, to his own past. He uses significant events from his life to not only represent major milestones in Huckleberry’s life, but also to emphasize the importance of seemingly unimportant experiences.

Beginning with a “notice” from a man named ‘G.G.’, it demands that no one attempt to find a moral, plot, nor motive in the novel, which begins the sarcastic viewpoint we will see as the story progresses. Then, in an explanation written by the Author (Twain), he describes the painstakingly yet very accurate dialects used in the novel, which are meant to mimic the verbiage of the people living along the Mississippi. A picaresque novel, the plot follows a young boy, Huckleberry Finn, who lives in the town of St. Petersburg, Mississippi. Finn, along with his sidekick Tom Sawyer, who tell the reader of a multitude of adventures they encounter, may it be swindles by an alleged “duke and dauphin”, a feud with two local families, or even an

To be an individual it means to be one person without having a society to manipulate or shape someone into someone that person doesn’t want to be or doesn’t fit the way they are. In the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Song of Myself and What we fought for come together to express the concept of individualism/ self-worth and equality while at the same time illustrating these ideas through first-hand accounts and historical time frames. At the time these stories were written they were able to give hope or comfort to people who were struggling during the industrial revolution, civil war and slavery. Some people were more likely affected such as those in slavery and workers who barely had enough to eat. As the years went on few people knew about these tales since it would be considered a “sin” if anyone wanted to express their inner self to the public eye. For this reason, one or two of these tales were hidden from anyone to ever read since they feared it would unleash the power inside an individual that will lead them to believe being free was accepted.

Huckleberry’s approach to the Phelps’s Farm brings the creation of an evident contrast between the novel’s conclusion and the previous three-quarters of the story. The story unexpectedly returns to a playful tone once seen already in the initial chapters, before Huck’s father’s return. Thus, Twain’s ending for Huckleberry Finn, demolishes the plot of the book by making it unrelated to the previous episodes of Huck and Jim on the raft.