Essay on Critical Analysis of Huckleberry Finn - 5056 Words

Critical Analysis of Huckleberry Finn In outlawing reading for motive, moral, and plot, the notice proleptically--if unsuccessfully--attempts to ward off what in fact has become an unquestioned assumption behind most interpretations of Huckleberry Finn, namely, the premise that the text affords a critique of its extraliterary context by inveighing against the inequities of racism. In Mark Twain: The Fate of Humor James M. Cox analyzes why such readings of the novel are problematic. His contention, anomalous with respect to Mark Twain criticism in general, is that the novel mounts an attack against conscience, specifically the conscience of the moral reader. He locates this attack in the last†¦show more content†¦As an agent of aggression--aggression against the self or against another, conscience deprives the individual of free choice and subjects him or her to painful restraint (Cox, Mark Twain, p. 177). {2} While Coxs reading compellingly provides the grounds for understanding the rationale behind the notice at the beginning of the novel, I will argue that conscience, while an agent of aggression, is represented as an ambivalent force whose effects, while undisputably violent, cannot be dissociated from a certain epistemological or cognitive necessity. {3} Coxs analysis of the novels depiction of conscience as enacting self- and other-directed aggression and as a constraint upon free choice certainly describes the spirit in which Huck flees from the moral sensibility of the Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson. When Huck climbs out of the window and joins Tom on his evening adventures, he attempts to elude the vestments of society, both literally and figuratively: like clothing, the metaphorical terms that the Widow imposes upon him--she calls him, among other things, a poor lost lamb and tells him the story of Moses--as well as Miss Watsons moral and social admonishments breed lugubrious feelings of alienation and isolation. Huck writes, Miss Watson she kept pecking at me, and it got tiresome and lonesome. . . . I felt so lonesome I most wished I wasShow MoreRelatedHuckleberry Finn Critical Analysis1272 Words   |  6 Pages The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (published in 1885), considered a classic of American-literature, and to some the zenith of American realism in literature and the apex of satirical writing in history, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has proven itself as a milestone in the history of literature and a turning point in American literature. The garnering of such acclaim, and accolades were due to The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn possibly being the most poignant and successful critiqueRead MoreHuckleberry Finn And The Gold Rush1726 Words   |  7 Pagesattempted to highlight problems that exist in society and cast them under a critical spotlight. They criticize and mock society’s faults and urge their respective audiences to enact positive change. Although one may see Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush as two completely separate and different works of high comedy, their similarities are much more visible upon analys is. Using satire as a critical tool, Twain and Chaplin call for social change that fits in line with theRead MoreThe relation of form to content in Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn1097 Words   |  4 PagesIn discussing the structure and substance of a novel, one would be remiss not to explore the narrative strategies through which its story is told. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) is autobiographic, ensuring a valuable narrative unity; each scene is delivered as-is rather than being described into fruition. It is a tale of boyish adventure floating along the Mississippi told as it would have appeared to the boy himself. Thus, the novel ascribes to one of several contrasting aesthetics foundRead MoreAnalysis Of Mark Twain s Works Made A Huge Impact On Readers And Literary Critics1288 Words   |  6 Pagesin a way that the ordinary person could read about them. In the first way that Mark Twain has a huge impact on American â€Å"freedom† on his writing, which is Huckleberry Finn. In a 2001 periodical with Sanford Pinsker about a review of Huckleberry Finn, Sanford Pinsker makes an analysis and interpretation of Mark Twain’s theme of Huckleberry Finn to builds discussion of the problem of freedom in America. In Twain s case, what he did that so upset the moral arbiters of Concord is boldly announced inRead More Huck Finn Essay900 Words   |  4 Pages Tim Lively Critical Analysis: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Setting: Late 1800’s along the Mississippi River Plot: When the book begins, the main character, Huck Finn possesses a large sum of money. This causes his delinquent lifestyle to change drastically. Huck gets an education, and a home to live in with a caring elderly woman (the widow). One would think that Huck would be satisfied. Well, he wasn’t. He wanted his own lifestyle back. Huck’s drunkard father (pap), who had previouslyRead More Mark Twains Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Escape From an Oppressive Society6239 Words   |  25 PagesHuckleberry Finn - Escape From a Cruel and Oppressive Society America... land of the free and home of the brave; the utopian society which every European citizen desired to be a part of in the 18th and 19th centuries. The revolutionary ideas of The Age of Enlightenment such as democracy and universal male suffrage were finally becoming a reality to the philosophers and scholars that so elegantly dreamt of them. America was a playground for the ideas of these enlightened men. To EuropeansRead MoreAP English Language and Composition. Reading Assignment1480 Words   |  6 Pagesrevisit your ideas about critical reading. Follow the link below to the site â€Å"Critical Reading of an Essay’s Argument.† While this site focuses on finding the central argument of an essay, the strategies suggested will benefit your reading of any text. Please annotate the article and have it on the first day of class. (Link: http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/reading_basic.html) Your reading assignment for the summer consists of two works: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and a workRead More Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and Kerouac’s On the Road – The River and the Road3035 Words   |  13 PagesTwain’s Huckleberry Finn and Kerouac’s On the Road – The River and the Road One element that separates a good novel from a great novel is its enduring effects on society. A great novel transcends time; it changes and mirrors the consciousness of a civilization. One such novel is Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. For the past one hundred and fifteen years, it has remained in print and has been one of the most widely studied texts in high schools and colleges. According to Lionel TrillingRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn4280 Words   |  18 PagesNadeem Sbaiti Mrs. Greenlee HN ENG III 1, June 2015 Independent Novel Project The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Knowledge Significance Of Title The title The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn seems to be very self-explanatory of the significance hence the name. Furthermore after further review and thought I have realized there is a deeper meaning than just that of Huckleberry Finn. When the book first begins it is showing the start of the young boys band of robbers and it leads you to believe theRead MoreHuck Finn Essay1835 Words   |  8 PagesAdventures of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain By Brenda Tarin British Literature 2323 Lois Flanagan January 27, 2009 Tarin ii I. Introduction II. Biographical sketch of author A. Past to present B. Experiences and achievements III Plot analysis A. analysis of plot structure 1. Exposition 2. Complication 3. Crisis 4. Climax 5. Resolution B. Theme of plot IV Critical analysis