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

The Mask Of The Red Death By Edgar Allen Poe - 1983 Words

Edgar Allen Poe is one of the most renowned writers of the nineteenth century in America. Poe will forever be a part of the literary world with such works as â€Å"The Mask Of the Red Death†,† The Tale-Tell Heart†, and â€Å"The Pit and the Pendulum.† Poe’s imagination was one that could conjure up all manner of devilish obstacles for a reader to mentally envision. Poe will forever be remembered as a writer of dark literature, with themes of death, insanity, and the supernatural. The challenges that Poe encountered during his life really help shaped his destiny. Poe continually had to work to overcome obstacles; many of the obstacles were of his own making. He was born January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the second child of two†¦show more content†¦Poe left the University and looked for employment where he could find it. Poe did not have any skills or education to help him. Poe enlisted in the Army for two years and served in the U.S Army Artillery with assignments in Fort Independence in Boston, Massachusetts, Fort Moultrie in South Carolina, and Fortress Monroe in Virginia (SP 330). Poe had more actual, hands-on, professional military experience than any other writer in our history (SP.329). He later applied to West Point to become a cadet with the help of Allen. Poe once again pleaded with Allen for financial support, but Allen turned him down. Poe was an exemplary student, but only lasted two semesters. He was expelled because he continually ignored his duties and broke the rules. Poe and Allen would not reconcile their differences before Allen’s death in 1834. After leaving the academy, Poe, a struggling writer, found himself moving around a lot. He was in New York City, Richmond, Philadelphia, but finally stayed in Baltimore from 1831 to 1835. He was focusing full time on his writing, and trying to make a career as an editor and a l iterary critic. He was known to be quite cutthroat in his reviews. Poe even called fellow literary giant Henry Wadsworth Longfellow a plagiarist. In 1835 Poe returned to Richmond. Poe’s drinking and his quick temper made it hard for him to stay employed in one place for very long, actually

Chromosomal Disorder Free Essays

1. Turner syndrome: (X instead of XX or XY). In Turner syndrome, female sexual characteristics are present but underdeveloped. We will write a custom essay sample on Chromosomal Disorder or any similar topic only for you Order Now People with Turner syndrome often have a short stature, low hairline, abnormal eye features and bone development and a â€Å"caved-in† appearance to the chest. Description: Turner syndrome (TS) occurs when one of the two X chromosomes in females is either missing or incomplete. The most common symptoms are short stature and gonadal dysgenesis, which can cause incomplete sexual development and ovarian failure and infertility. As of right now, there is no known cause of TS. 2. Klinefelter’s syndrome (XXY): Description Men with Klinefelter syndrome are usually sterile, and tend to have longer arms and legs and to be taller than their peers. Boys with the syndrome are often shy and quiet, and have a higher incidence of speech delay and dyslexia. During puberty, without testosterone treatment, some of them may develop gynecomastia. 3. Patau Syndrome: also called D-Syndrome or trisomy-13. Symptoms are somewhat similar to those of trisomy-18, but they do not have the characteristic hand shape Description: Trisomy 13, also called Patau syndrome, is a disorder in which an individual has three copies of genetic material from chromosome 13, rather than two. It can occur in three forms: Trisomy 13, which has a third chromosome 13 in all cells; Trisomy 13 mosaicism, which has a third chromosome 13 in some cells; and partial Trisomy, which has the presence of part of an extra chromosome 13 in the cells. 4. Down syndrome: Description usually is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21 (trisomy 21). Characteristics include decreased muscle tone, stockier build, asymmetrical skull, slanting eyes and mild to moderate mental retardation. 5. Edwards syndrome: Description which is the second-most-common trisomy; Down syndrome is the most common. It is a trisomy of chromosome 18. Symptoms include mental and motor retardation and numerous congenital anomalies causing serious health problems. Ninety percent die in infancy; however, those that live past their first birthday usually are quite healthy thereafter. Some symptoms include clenched hands, feet with a rounded bottom, mental deficiency, underdeveloped fingernails, and an unusual shaped chest. 6. Cat eye syndrome: Description: For individuals with cat eye syndrome, the short arm (known as 22p) and a small region of the long arm (22q) of chromosome 22 are present three or four times, rather than twice. Characteristic features of the disorder include mild growth delays before birth, mild mental deficiency, and malformations of the skill and facial region, the heart, the kidneys, and/or the anal region. 7. Williams Syndrome: Description: Williams syndrome is caused by a deletion of genetic material from portions of the long arm of chromosome 7, a region that consists of more than 25 genes. Researchers have identified a few of the specific genes related to Williams syndrome, but the relationship between most of the genes in the deleted region and the symptoms of Williams syndrome is still unknown. The most common symptoms of Williams syndrome are mental retardation, heart defects, and unusual facial features ,small upturned nose, wide mouth, full lips, small chin, widely spaced teeth . Angelman syndrome: Description: Angelman syndrome (AS) is an example of genomic imprinting, where the deletion or inactivation of genes on the maternally inherited chromosome 15 causes the paternal copy, which may be of normal sequence, to be imprinted and silenced. AS is characterized by intellectual and developmental delays, sleep disturbances, seizures, and jerky movements, but also frequent laughte r or smiling and usually have a happy demeanor How to cite Chromosomal Disorder, Papers

Out of Africa vs Multiregional Theory free essay sample

Out of Africa vs. Multiregional Paleoanthropologists have been searching for decades, looking for signs of early human life throughout Africa Asia and Europe, trying to find clues that tell them where the human race originated. These scientists have found overwhelming evidence of early human life across different continents, but are always working to attempt to explain what they have discovered, and try to piece together the earliest signs of human civilization. Two main theories have emerged related to the origin of our ancestors, the Out of Africa Theory and the Multiregional Theory (Ember, Ember, amp; Peregrine, 2009, p. 163). Both theories have merit, and evidence to back them up, causing controversial debate between Anthropologists. Each theory has its own support group and many varying theories surrounding them (Nei, 1991, p. 6720). The genetic backing of the Out of Africa Theory strongly supports the legitimacy of the theory, and provides evidence that it is a legitimate theory of how modern humans came to populate the earth. To be more specific, the Out of Africa Theory deals with looking at DNA samples to link people from around the world to difference ancestors (Thorne amp; Wolpoff, 2003). This was seen in the movie, The Human Family Tree, by examining DNA through cheek swabs of various people who originated from across the globe, but were found in Queens, New York. Researchers found that overall our DNA is about 99% identical, regardless of where our more recent ancestors may have come from. This is due to a common female and male ancestor that scientists believe every person alive is related to. These people are called Scientific Adam and Scientific Eve, and are both hypothetical humans who originated in Africa, and lived around 200,000 years ago and 100,000 years ago, respectively (Ember, Ember, amp; Peregrine, 2009, p. 163). Scientific Adam and Eve would be the genetic link for all currently living humans, such that mtDNA from Eve would be the same as mtDNA found in modern humans across the globe, passed on through the mother for generations. It also means that males pass on their Y chromosome, which can be linked to Scientific Adam, as recently as 100,000 years ago (Nei, 1991, p. 6721). The movie discussed the long-term early human civilizations in East Africa, dating back to around 200,000 years, which is the source of all current human life (Geographic, 2009). These early humans would be the ones to travel slowly throughout the continents, populating larger and larger areas of the planet. Slowly but surely, these early humans made their way into Asia, Australia and Europe, leaving behind evidence of their migration as they went (Nei, 1991, p. 6720). Although it is hard to imagine a population moving hundreds of thousands of miles, The Human Family Tree, was able to offer some explanation. The move did not simply happen all at one time, or even within generations. Anthropologists discussed the possibility of each group moving a small distance further than their direct ancestors, creating a slow move, often along coast lines, which unfortunately would leave little evidence on land (Geographic, 2009). The major support from this theory comes from genetic findings, which link the DNA of all modern humans, despite ethnic background and ancestral tracking (Nei, 1991, p. 6720). This evidence shows that although humans come from many different countries, across various continents, we all share extremely similar DNA, and various minute changes in our genetic code can help link people to various tracks of early human migration (Geographic, 2009). Although evidence of other similar species were found throughout various continents, single-origin theorist believe that H. sapiens replaced them due to a type of biological or cultural advantage (Ember, Ember, amp; Peregrine, 2009, p. 163). The movie, The Human Family Tree, also discusses that H. apiens may have been more able to handle environmental changes, than other species, leading to the extinction of one species, such as Neanderthals (Geographic, 2009). There is also debate as to whether or not H. sapiens may have interbred with Neandertahl populations, but no solid genetic evidence has been found to support the interaction (Nei, 1991, p. 6721). Although there is genetic evidence to support the single-origin theory, anthropologists who believe in the Multiregional Theory have argued that genetic evidence is flawed, and not strong enough to prove anything in regards to the single-origin theory. Although this may have been true in earlier studies, current findings are significantly more reliable, and have found similar evidence (Ember, Ember, amp; Peregrine, 2009, p. 163). The Multiregional Theory is the idea that early hominids, such as H. erectus, and archaic H. sapiens had already populated the world, and independently evolved after already being established in different locations (Ember, Ember, amp; Peregrine, 2009, p. 163). This is a logical assumption, due to many anatomical similarities between many of the early hominid species to modern humans. Many multiregional supporters also use the genetic evidence to their advantage by claiming it only proves that H. erectus is a common ancestor who migrated from Africa, which is a logical claim (Ember, Ember, amp; Peregrine, 2009, p. 164). It is hard to pinpoint what exact species the mtDNA or Y chromosome came from, if one were to argue that modern H. sapiens evolved from H. erectus at some point in our evolutionary history. However, if H. sapiens evolved from H. erectus after some time and migration, it still seems that it would be considered a single source of our genetics, which can be traced back to Africa. Many multiregional theorists also argue that there is no sign of an invasion in any of the civilizations that have been found. However, this is counteracted by the idea that other species such as Neanderthals were simply not equipped for the environmental changes, and were killed off by natural selection (Thorne amp; Wolpoff, 2003, p. 50). On top of the single-origin and multiregional ideas, there are theories that allow for intermixing of various ideas from each theory, to create an intermediate theory. It allows for wiggle room between the more strict ideas of the other theories, and accepts that there could have been replacement, interbreeding and natural causes that all caused the evolution to modern humans. This is supported by the study of body lice, of which there is only species, with two lineages, one found worldwide and one is strictly found in the Americas. This suggests that these lice were passed on from more archaic species to modern humans (Ember, Ember, amp; Peregrine, 2009, p. 165). In conclusion, the controversy that is found when researching the origins of modern humans is both necessary and reasonable. Without controversial ideas, we would be unable to learn new things about our ancestry, and the thousands of years of evolution that have brought H. sapiens sapiens to their current place in time. Although there seems to be no specific answer, evidence for the Out of Africa Theory proves to be strong in scientific significance and logic, however, the idea of an intermediate theory brings about allowance of the merging of the two theories, to create a larger picture of the evolution of our species. The research done throughout the movie The Human Family Tree has proven our incredible genetic similarities to all humans, regardless of our specific identified race, ethnicity or ancestry. The research provides fascinating insight into the true origin of modern humans, and will hopefully lead to further evidence as far as how we came to populate the entire earth, after starting in one location in Africa.