A PRESENTATION ON

BOOK REVIEW

PAWAN SINGH YADAVROLL NO. 32

ADR 238

The Adventures ofThe Adventures of HuckleberryHuckleberry Finn Finn

By MARK TWAIN

Real name was Samuel Langhorne Real name was Samuel Langhorne ClemensClemens

Born November 30,1835, the night Born November 30,1835, the night Halley’s Comet flashed across the Halley’s Comet flashed across the skysky

Halley’s comet is the only comet Halley’s comet is the only comet visible to the naked eyevisible to the naked eye

Appears about every 75 yearsAppears about every 75 years Grew up along the Mississippi RiverGrew up along the Mississippi River Quit school at age 12Quit school at age 12 Died on April 21, 1910, as Halley’s Died on April 21, 1910, as Halley’s

comet again flashed through the skycomet again flashed through the sky

TWAIN’S WORKSTWAIN’S WORKS

Travel books (non-fiction)Travel books (non-fiction)

Historic novels Historic novels

Short storiesShort stories

Innocents Abroad

Life on the Mississippi

The Prince and the Pauper

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur´s Court

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras Country

The NovelThe Novel

CharactersCharacters

Key FactsKey Facts GenreGenre

Satiric Novel (Fiction)Satiric Novel (Fiction)• A work that uses humor, irony, andA work that uses humor, irony, and

extreme exaggeration to ridicule society in extreme exaggeration to ridicule society in

order to bring about changeorder to bring about change

Narrator & Protagonist Narrator & Protagonist Huck Finn: Huck Finn: literal, realistic, practicalliteral, realistic, practical

SettingSetting TimeTime

• Before the Civil War; roughly 1835–1845 Before the Civil War; roughly 1835–1845 PlacePlace

• The Mississippi River town of St. Petersburg, Missouri The Mississippi River town of St. Petersburg, Missouri • The adventure continues down the Mississippi into ArkansasThe adventure continues down the Mississippi into Arkansas

Themes: Themes: What does Twain teach us What does Twain teach us about each idea?about each idea?

Racism & SlaveryRacism & Slavery

Intellectual and Moral Intellectual and Moral EducationEducation

The Hypocrisy of The Hypocrisy of ““CivilizedCivilized”” Society Society

Racism & SlaveryRacism & Slavery Although written 20 years after the Although written 20 years after the

Emancipation Proclamation, Emancipation Proclamation, America – especially the South – America – especially the South – was still struggling with racism and was still struggling with racism and the aftereffects of slavery.the aftereffects of slavery.

Insidious racism arose near the Insidious racism arose near the end of Reconstruction that end of Reconstruction that oppressed blacks for illogical and oppressed blacks for illogical and hypocritical reasons.hypocritical reasons.

Twain exposes the hypocrisy of Twain exposes the hypocrisy of slavery and demonstrates how slavery and demonstrates how racism distorts the oppressors as racism distorts the oppressors as much as the oppressed.much as the oppressed.

The result is a world of moral The result is a world of moral confusion.confusion.

Intellectual and Moral EducationIntellectual and Moral Education

Huck is an uneducated boy.Huck is an uneducated boy. He distrusts the morals and He distrusts the morals and

precepts of the society that precepts of the society that treats him as an outcast and treats him as an outcast and fails to protect him from abuse.fails to protect him from abuse.

Huck questions his teachings, Huck questions his teachings, especially regarding race and especially regarding race and slavery.slavery.

In many instances, Huck In many instances, Huck chooses to chooses to ““go to hellgo to hell”” rather rather than go along with the rules of than go along with the rules of society.society.

The Hypocrisy of The Hypocrisy of ““CivilizedCivilized”” Society Society

““CivilizedCivilized”” to Huck means . . . to Huck means . . . Regular baths, uncomfortable clothesRegular baths, uncomfortable clothes Mandatory school attendanceMandatory school attendance Degraded rules that defy logicDegraded rules that defy logic

• HuckHuck’’s drunkard, abusive father gets to keep s drunkard, abusive father gets to keep custody of Huck because he is his natural fathercustody of Huck because he is his natural father

• The injustice of slavery that keeps Jim from his The injustice of slavery that keeps Jim from his familyfamily

• Seemingly good people are prejudiced slave-Seemingly good people are prejudiced slave-ownersowners

• Terrible acts go unpunished, while lesser crimes Terrible acts go unpunished, while lesser crimes lead to severe punishmentlead to severe punishment

In Huck Finn, the river symbolizes freedom, and it becomes symbolic of Huck’s journey to discover his natural virtue. The current determines the direction of the raft as well as Huck’s life.

There is a major contrast between life on the river and life on the shore because life on the river (uncivilized) is peaceful and easy, yet not totally without danger; however, life on the shore (civilized) can be cruel, authoritarian, hypocritical, and reflective of what Twain called the “Damned Human Race.”

Life on the raft is paradoxical. Even though they are confined to a small space on the raft, Huck and Jim experience greater freedom on the raft.

Major Symbol: The Mississippi River

CriticsCritics’’ Comments Comments

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been a controversial book since it was first a controversial book since it was first published in 1885 – mostly because of its published in 1885 – mostly because of its inappropriate language and racial slurs.inappropriate language and racial slurs.

1884:1884:Written by William E. Henley of the Written by William E. Henley of the Athenaeum Athenaeum ““In In Huckleberry Huckleberry FinnFinn Twain returns to his right mind Twain returns to his right mind””,,““The book is Mark Twain at his bestThe book is Mark Twain at his best””,,““It It is meant for boysis meant for boys””,,““Jim and Huckleberry are real creationsJim and Huckleberry are real creations””..

1885:1885:Statements made by the Concord Library Committee after they Statements made by the Concord Library Committee after they excluded the book for the public library excluded the book for the public library ““absolutely immoral in its toneabsolutely immoral in its tone””,,““very very little humorlittle humor””..

1992:1992:Comments by John H. Wallace of Comments by John H. Wallace of The Washington Post The Washington Post ““Huckleberry FinnHuckleberry Finn uses the pejorative [insulting] term uses the pejorative [insulting] term nigger nigger profusely.profusely.””,,““It It speaks of black Americans with implications that they are not honest, they are speaks of black Americans with implications that they are not honest, they are not intelligent as whites, and they are not human.not intelligent as whites, and they are not human.””

THANKSTHANKS