Blog Post #1 - Kelly (pg. 1-150)
The main purpose in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is to expose the wrongdoings of slavery. During the time of being published, African Americans were facing extreme prejudice, racism, and discrimination; Twain exposed the white culture by showing their wrongdoings through the character of Huckleberry Finn. Twain showed the nature of the culture when Pap said, “There was a free nigger there, from Ohio; a mulatter, most as white as a white man. He had the whitest shirt on you ever see, too, and the shiniest hat; and there ain’t a man in that town that’s got as fine clothes as what he had; and he had a gold watch and chain, and a silver-headed cane…They said could vote…Thinks I, what is the country a-coming to? … but when they told there was a State in this country where they’d let that nigger vote, I dragged out. I says I’ll never vote again” (31-32). The absurdness of Pap’s message is that he actually said it aloud; all of the community thought this of African Americans. Pap is an unorthodox and obnoxious character, one of Twain’s biggest tools in the novel for portraying the white community again African Americans.
Blog Post #2 - Christine (pg. 150-200)
Throughout Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain's purpose is to inform and teach the masses. Huck and Jim come across the duke and the dauphin, two con artists, which the two demonstrate a new and immediate threat to Huck and Jim. The duke and the dauphin's constant schemes and deception causes the townspeople to be unable to distinguish reality and fakery, along with doom and deliverance; he con artists cause constant confusion to those they come across. One thing Huck knows for sure is he is discovering a new side to Jim that adds a new understanding to him. Huck is traveling with Jim when Jim gets "homesick" (173). Huck finally sees Jim similar to "white folks" because he cares for his family just as much as everyone else does (173). Jim willingly put himself in a vulnerable state and admits his faults to Huck; this new revelation creates a new sense of humanity Huck sees in Jim.
Blog Post #3 - Bethany (pg. 200-250)
Mark Twain uses his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, to show pre-Civil War Americans within the South, that slaves are people. The friendship that forms between Huck, a white boy, and Jim, a runaway slave, is used to invoke pathos in the reader. By seeing a white and black boy traveling and living together, Twain hopes the reader will see both characters as equal. He also, uses ethos to show that it is against morals to sell a boy, even though he is black. By using these two forms of persuasion, Twain wants the audience to see a true friendship between two equals, and ultimately change their stance on slavery.
Blog Post #4 - Gaby (pg. 250-300)
Slavery prevailed in American during the 1830s - 1840s, thus the predominance of African Americans faced verbal and physical abuse from Caucasians. Without hesitation, masters whipped and yelled racial slurs in the faces of slaves, even though slave owners would never tolerate their loved ones or themselves being treated as they behaved towards drudges. In addition to masters being brutal towards their slaves, most slave owners could care less about the emotional and physical pain their slaves were undergoing. For these reasons, Twain’s essential purpose for writing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is to inform the audience of the hardships slaves endured on a daily basis. As contemporary readers, Twain allows the audience to be a witness of the numerous forms of abuse slaves received. Twain wants his audience to understand slavery is ridiculous and that treating blacks equally is the “right way- and it's the regular way” to behave. Twain demonstrates that separating ethnic groups only causes complications and an unbalanced society; diversity is what has allowed America to prosper and develop into the country that it is today.
Blog Post #5 - Bethany (pg. 300-350)
The main purpose in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is to expose the wrongdoings of slavery. During the time of being published, African Americans were facing extreme prejudice, racism, and discrimination; Twain exposed the white culture by showing their wrongdoings through the character of Huckleberry Finn. Twain showed the nature of the culture when Pap said, “There was a free nigger there, from Ohio; a mulatter, most as white as a white man. He had the whitest shirt on you ever see, too, and the shiniest hat; and there ain’t a man in that town that’s got as fine clothes as what he had; and he had a gold watch and chain, and a silver-headed cane…They said could vote…Thinks I, what is the country a-coming to? … but when they told there was a State in this country where they’d let that nigger vote, I dragged out. I says I’ll never vote again” (31-32). The absurdness of Pap’s message is that he actually said it aloud; all of the community thought this of African Americans. Pap is an unorthodox and obnoxious character, one of Twain’s biggest tools in the novel for portraying the white community again African Americans.
Throughout Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain's purpose is to inform and teach the masses. Huck and Jim come across the duke and the dauphin, two con artists, which the two demonstrate a new and immediate threat to Huck and Jim. The duke and the dauphin's constant schemes and deception causes the townspeople to be unable to distinguish reality and fakery, along with doom and deliverance; he con artists cause constant confusion to those they come across. One thing Huck knows for sure is he is discovering a new side to Jim that adds a new understanding to him. Huck is traveling with Jim when Jim gets "homesick" (173). Huck finally sees Jim similar to "white folks" because he cares for his family just as much as everyone else does (173). Jim willingly put himself in a vulnerable state and admits his faults to Huck; this new revelation creates a new sense of humanity Huck sees in Jim.
Blog Post #3 - Bethany (pg. 200-250)
Mark Twain uses his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, to show pre-Civil War Americans within the South, that slaves are people. The friendship that forms between Huck, a white boy, and Jim, a runaway slave, is used to invoke pathos in the reader. By seeing a white and black boy traveling and living together, Twain hopes the reader will see both characters as equal. He also, uses ethos to show that it is against morals to sell a boy, even though he is black. By using these two forms of persuasion, Twain wants the audience to see a true friendship between two equals, and ultimately change their stance on slavery.
Blog Post #4 - Gaby (pg. 250-300)
Slavery prevailed in American during the 1830s - 1840s, thus the predominance of African Americans faced verbal and physical abuse from Caucasians. Without hesitation, masters whipped and yelled racial slurs in the faces of slaves, even though slave owners would never tolerate their loved ones or themselves being treated as they behaved towards drudges. In addition to masters being brutal towards their slaves, most slave owners could care less about the emotional and physical pain their slaves were undergoing. For these reasons, Twain’s essential purpose for writing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is to inform the audience of the hardships slaves endured on a daily basis. As contemporary readers, Twain allows the audience to be a witness of the numerous forms of abuse slaves received. Twain wants his audience to understand slavery is ridiculous and that treating blacks equally is the “right way- and it's the regular way” to behave. Twain demonstrates that separating ethnic groups only causes complications and an unbalanced society; diversity is what has allowed America to prosper and develop into the country that it is today.
Blog Post #5 - Bethany (pg. 300-350)
Another possible purpose portrayed throughout the novel, the Adventures of Huckleberry, is the theme of superstitions and childish beliefs. Both Huck and Jim are seen throughout the novel practicing and taking part in various silly beliefs that they think will help them, or give them an upper hand in life. This rare system of strange beliefs can be seen as a parallel for racism. People will act a certain a way because of what they believe, and it may change the way people feel about others. Though racism is extremely harmful to those being discriminated, it is still their belief and is an explanation as to why people act a certain way.
Great analysis Kelly! I find it really interesting how you described Pap as "unorthodox and obnoxious". Pap's character is definitely racist and there's not doubt about it. I believe that due to Pap's hatred towards African-Americans, Huck was exposed and taught to exhibit the same mentality. However, as Huck begins to interact more with Jim, we see a change.
ReplyDeleteIn blog post #2, Christine connects Jim's homesickness to Huck's ability to empathize with him, one example of the novel's heavy reliance on pathos as a means of motivation of characters and, as Twain hoped, his audience. As Huck sympathizes with Jim's family situation, the 19th century reader is able to draw a parallel to the slaves in his own life, to gradually see them as people rather than objects and eventually to view them as equals.
ReplyDeleteBlog Post #2:I totally agree with Laura and Christine, which was to inform and provide better explanations. Despite being homesick, he is going off on an adventure and becoming more independent. Through this journey, he learns to grow from past experiences and to develop into more of s responsible character. But, going off on what Laura said about sympathizing with Jim, Huck realizes how much Jim misses his own family and develops sympathy for him where he gradually becomes a caring friend to substitute for his family.
DeleteBlog Post #3: Lovely job with the purpose, Bethany. I loved how you explained Twain's purpose by being informed and recognize the two characters, whites and blacks as equal. This can also reveal a message to the audience to stop racism and see people by their personalities and character through friendships.
ReplyDeleteBlog Post #4: Although not perfect, the growth of America since the time of 1830 shows strength of the citizens that work to make our country better everyday. America completely strives off of diversity. Without immigration into the United States years ago, the country would not be what it is today. Without the diverse opinions in the 1850s, the Civil War would not have happened, mean slavery could possibly still exist and African Americans would not have a voice. I completely agree; Twain definitely wrote this to show the importance of unification in America and the problems that come along with segregation.
ReplyDeleteBlog Post #4 Reply:
DeleteTwain wrote Huck Finn to demonstrate the necessity of unification: unification on the side of what is right. As someone who supported abolition, Twain viewed the necessity of outspokenness as a pillar of democracy. In his opposition to slavery, Twain believed like-minded Americans should stand together, evident from his portrayal of Huck's determination to free Jim as a noble pursuit as noble in spite of a 19th century southern culture which might say otherwise.
Blog post #5- Depending on a persons view, it will determine the way he or she behaves. Particularly when it comes to race views, if an indivduals has racist views, inevitably those beliefs will show. It is awful to think that indivduals are ingrained with racist ideas as a child by their family and community, because that affects who they will regard minorities when they are adults. In a country where populations of minorities are growing, it seems odd that people are STILL racist. After all we have been through.... Come on America.
ReplyDelete