Critics of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay

Critics of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is considered by many to be the greatest American novel ever written. Despite this praise, Mark Twain’s masterpiece has never been without criticism. Upon its inception it was blasted for being indecent literature for young readers because of its lack of morals and contempt for conformity. Modern indignation toward Huck Finn arises from its racist undertones, most notably Twain’s treatment of the character Jim. As is the case with many canonized yet controversial books, the biggest conflict revolves around the inclusion of Huck Finn on required reading lists of public schools throughout the country. In general, the mostly African-American†¦show more content†¦He quotes Kafka as saying a book’s purpose is to â€Å"serve as the axe for the frozen sea within us† and to Lester, Huck Finn is the frozen sea, immoral and demeaning in its treatment of black history. Lester is offended by the parallel that Twain draws between Huck’s imprisonment at the hands of an abusive father and the actual institution of slavery that binds Jim. By drawing this comparison, he argues that Twain is applying a veneer to obscure the horrors of slavery and therefore evading responsibility and remorse for the crime. The legal ownership of human beings is not in the same ballpark as child abuse and by placing them side-by-side, Twain shows that he doesn’t take slavery or black people seriously. He goes on to argue that Jim’s childlike nature is not only offensive but also lacking in credibility. Are we to believe that a runaway slave wouldn’t know that freedom was as close as the banks of Illinois all along and that he would actually travel south into the heart of southern slavery? And is it likely that a white woman would’ve freed a slave suspected of killing a white child? Even in his moments of heroism, Jim is an objectionable character. When he risks recapture in aiding the doctor tending to Tom’s gunshot wound, Jim is embodying the archetypal â€Å"good nigger† who lacks self-respect, dignity, and a sense of self separate from what whites want from him. He is merely a plaything that Tom and Huck use to inspireShow MoreRelatedMark Twain : Seeing America s Flaws1593 Words   |  7 PagesTwain: Seeing America’s Flaws â€Å"You don’t know about me, without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , but that ain’t no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain and he told the truth, mainly. There was things he stretched, but mainly he told the truth† (qtd. in Jones 237). That was the very first line in Mark Twain’s controversial book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Samuel L. Clemens, as a young boy, grew up on the Mississippi and learned the ways of southern societyRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1675 Words   |  7 PagesThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Ernest Hemingway once stated, â€Å"All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since.† Accordingly, Hemingway believes that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Huckleberry Finn) is an iconic book that sets the stage for all other American literature in the future. In any case, three reasons why Huckleberry Finn is one of the greatestRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn 1648 Words   |  7 PagesLola Parsapour Mr. Ruddy AP Lang 3 September 2015 The Value in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, developed into one of the most controversial books in America. The basis of this controversy can be summarized briefly for it was the use of racial slur and issues of slavery that caused tension in our society. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was banned for the first time one month after its publication. â€Å"â€Å"Not suitable for trash† was theRead More The Public Reception of Mark Twains Adventures of Huckleberry Finn963 Words   |  4 Pagesof Mark Twains Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Upon its publication in 1884, Mark Twains Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was met with mixed reviews. Some reviewers called it flat, trashy, and irreverent. Others called it Twains best work yet, hailing his humor and style throughout the novel. Though obscure at first, reviews began to appear in many newspapers throughout the country as more and more became interested in the novel as a result of these reviews. Huckleberry Finn was published atRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn And Its Characterization951 Words   |  4 PagesBouchey Eng. Hon. 2nd 3 March 2016 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and its Characterization In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, there is a large use of characterization to develop the characters and is influenced by the time period. Mark Twain was born in 1835, and lived to see the Civil War start. This is a big influence on his writing, because his two most famous works, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. They both take place in the time beforeRead MoreMark Twain s The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn1216 Words   |  5 Pagesfully human.† Mark Twain supports this belief when he composed his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In the aftermath of the American Civil War, the institution of slavery and American Southern culture was not well understood internationally. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn conveys Southern culture and the social attitudes toward slavery through the plot of a young white runaway boy named Huckleberry Finn helping a runaway slave named Jim escape to free territory by traveling do wn theRead MoreLiterary Criticism Of Huckleberry Finn831 Words   |  4 PagesAdventures of Huckleberry Finn is a historically significant novel by Mark Twain that should not be considered the greatest novel of American literature. The effect of Tom Sawyer’s reappearance and how the â€Å"evasion† chapters jeopardized the whole novel both lessened the worth of Huckleberry Finn. While it can be noted that Huck’s moral development, the setting, and the original style of the novel all show why it is a currently a central document of American literature and taught extensively in schoolsRead MoreArgumentative Essay Huck Finn958 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Argumentative Essay: Should The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn be taught in school? Daniel Perez Period 1 10/30/14 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel based on the journey Huck, a young boy with an abusive father, and Jim, a runaway slave, have down the Mississippi River to Free states for an end goal of freedom. Freedom means different things to both of them, to Huck freedom means to be able to do what he wants and not be â€Å"sivilized†, while Jim’s definition of freedom isRead MoreThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Research Paper1649 Words   |  7 PagesSince its first publication in 1884, Mark Twain’s masterpiece The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has proven to be one of history’s most controversial novels; especially recently, the novel has often been banned by schools and censored by libraries. Characters in the book are constantly using disparaging language toward slaves, and the repeated use of the word â€Å"nigger† makes many sensitive and offended. Critics denounce the novel and Mark Twain as racist for this word being insulting and poli ticallyRead More Mark Twain a Racist? Absolutely not!1597 Words   |  7 PagesCelebrating its 135th anniversary this year, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic of American literature and is read by millions across the nation every year. However, many claim that the book promotes and endorses the heinous act of racism. In their attacks on the classic, many of the book’s critics employ evidence such as the use of the n-word 211 times (Powers, 2010) and the novel’s repeated inferior depiction of African-Americans. Many supporters of the novel, though