Huck Finn
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Journal 4
Huck Finn is a different kind of book, and I must say that I am not a fan of it. Mark Twain has some great writing about the beauty of the south in the story, but that is about the only thing I like about it. The storyline is not fluent and has too many random side stories to have a reader understand Twain’s main point in the story. There are too many themes, and none of them are supported by more than a few chapters throughout the book. For example, just in brainstorming in class for five minutes my partner and I came up with nine possible themes for the book…but none of them were necessarily the perfect fit. Twain used this book to cram all his possible ideas and frustrations in to a story at once, not worrying about how the actual story read.
If I was reading this book for leisure, I think it would be more enjoyable. The story of Jim and Huck and the adventures they encounter is a nice enough read, but when looking at the deeper meaning behind the book I tend to get frustrated because of all of the side notes. I feel that if Twain was able to make his point in a more streamlined or clear way, the book would be leaps and bounds better.
The other thing that I hate about the book is the extent that Twain uses the local vernacular. It is entertaining, and does add color to a boring story. However, it also takes away from reader comprehension and honestly just gets annoying after a while. I am also not a fan of most of the characters. There is no real character development in the story, and I cannot relate to the characters at all. Even though I have been following the story of Huck through the entire story, I feel like he never has a true identity. He does not stand for one particular thing. I guess the point Twain is trying to make is that Huck is trying to find himself throughout the book, and makes small revelations through his adventures. Even so, that story line makes it hard to see Twain’s themes and points in the story. It’s a hard read for an English class.
There are, however, a few things I like about Huck Finn. I like the time period the book is set in. I find it interesting that Twain chose to write about the down and outs of America instead of the glorified East. He makes the South sound rough and exciting, and allows the readers to appreciate the beauty of the Mississippi River. I like how the river is the center for Huck’s freedom in the book. Since I have grown up near the James River, I understand the appreciation of a river. It’s always moving through with new fresh water, teeming with life and yet the most peaceful existence in this land.
The more I sit down and think about Huck Finn, the more I like it. It is frusterating, and a boring read. The themes are all jumbled up and are not streamlined enough to make a real point. But I like the idea that Huck is learning who he is through a voyage down the river. The river is a pure soul, and that Huck learns to stand by his soul instead of what society thinks of him. I feel like that is the most important point in the book. That is what I can take from this 43 chapter story. It is long, it is confusing, but I guess there might be a silver lining. I think the ending of this book will be the deciding factor in whether or not I find it a decent piece of literature or an overrated classic.
¶ 8:14 AM 0 Comments
Monday, April 4, 2011
Journal 3
Is the truth subjective?
No one is omniscient in this world. No one knows the complete truth. So how does one define the truth? Is it the actual events that occurred, or what someone thought the actual events were. This is the real debate of the question.
In life, it has become a moral dilemma to always tell the truth. Regular people are considered “sinners,” unjust people if they lie. Parents punish children, schools kick students out of programs and churches hold confessions all for people who lie knowingly. And yet, what is there to say for capitalistic industries in America? Are they lying when the deceive millions of Americans each day? Or is that type of lie overlooked since it is making millions of dollars. What about someone or a company who actually tells the truth? How are they rewarded? These debates can be applied to the story of Huckleberry Finn.
In chapters 26 to 30, Huck encounters several situations in which he must choose to lie or tell the truth. He has to fake that he is a servant to the king, who is pretending to be an uncle to recently orphaned children in order to reap the inheritance of their lost father. He must keep the king’s plight and their identities sealed from the public in order to be able to keep traveling with the king. However, Huck’s pure soul cannot allow this to happen when he sees one of the girls crying. He promptly steals the inherited money from the king and hides it in the coffin of the dead man. He tells the truth to Mary, one of the orphaned girls, but then lies to others in order to make his plan work. Huck has the right ideals, and yet is still lying. That is where I don’t know what to think. Machiavelli would say that the end justifies the means, that the truth will prevail in the end—and that all the lies in between are insignificant. In a way, I must agree. Huck does tell the truth, but it is a subjective truth. He lies in order for the real events to be found by the general public. His intentions are truthful. In this way, truth is subjective. However, manipulation is not. The King and Duke do not intend to tell the truth to the townspeople in the end. Their lies are for manipulation, and therefore are not under the category of “subjective truth.”
¶ 7:24 PM 0 Comments
