Book #2: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Book #2! Rory reads Huck Finn during her last week in public high school before transferring to Chilton, an elite private school. Of course, she is one of the few students who actually reads the book and references it later in life. As a high school English teacher myself, this makes me very happy. Maybe there are a few Rories or myselves in my classes who actually enjoy reading the books I assign. Huck Finn is a staple of high school reading; I was assigned to read this during my sophomore year of high school and it was “highly suggested” for the summer before I started college so I read it again. I’m pretty sure I am the only one who read it that summer. Instead of reading it again; I took this time to reflect on my life during my times reading it and my life now.

           

Huck <3

Looking back on this novel, I realized that Huck Finn was exactly the type of boy I would have a crush on in in my teenage years (and my friends will tell you it’s the type of boy I still find myself interested in today). I always had a thing for troublemakers; those with a mischievous smile and a touch of the devil in his eyes, as my grandmother would say. Obviously, these boys are not the most reliable for a relationship, but a good girl cannot resist. We like the bit of excitement they bring and,

for some reason, they have a knack for making you feel special. Huck fits this mold to a T. He’s constantly getting into trouble, but people can’t seem to help but fall for his charm. While people fall under his spell, they also desperately want to help him and take care of him. This is similar to how when we are attracted to these troublemakers, we hope we can be the one to change him. I have found myself in this situation countless of times. I hope that I am the one that will be different for these boys; that I am not just another girl passing by, but one actually worth sticking around for. But you cannot force someone to change or be the way you hope them to be in your imagination. The most you can do is just accept people for who they are and love them for it, which is exactly what Jim does with Huck. Jim accepts Huck for all of his mischievous ways and sticks wit him until the end.

Life on the River: Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summertime

One could argue that the Mississippi River is as an important character as Huck and Jim. Huck and Jim travel up and down the Mississippi River throughout the novel; it is a constant in their lives when nothing else is. Water has a profound impact on people. I had a river in my life, although I was not constantly travelling amongst it. My college was right on the river and I spent four years of my life within walking distance of it. Freshman year, I could see the river from my dorm room window. I was very lucky. Throughout my years at college, the river was a constant. Boys came and went; fights with friends faded away; and stresses from school eventually became manageable. The river was there through it all. It relaxed me and was a means for fun. It allowed many rebellious moments for college kids such as skinny-dipping. The river made us feel free the moment ; it unleashed an inhibition that we never knew we had. The river worked in a different way for Huck (as we know, he was way more rebellious than I), but remained a constant in his life throughout the novel when he had nothing else.

Humor Haha

Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, is well known for his use of humor in his writing. However, this humor is not always discernable to the naked eye. Twain purposely hides his true humor underneath the slapstick humor of the story. Of course, it is hilarious to see Huck dress up like a girl to try to full adults, but the true humor lies in how Twain portrays life on the Mississippi River on the verge of the

Civil War. While Jim is not always portrayed in a positive light and Huck might not always treat him well, the focus on Jim as a character is very progressive of Twain. Twain uses this slapstick character as a means of commenting on how horrible the situation was around the Civil War and how people have not progressed as much as they thought since. Many people were appalled by Twain’s writing, claiming it was not politically correct. But what exactly is politically correct? Today, people walk on eggshells to not offend anyone; and it seems like many people walked around thinking this way. Humor was considered low brow, but, perhaps people did not understand Twain’s brand of humor which was ahead of its time.

Approved Book List

As a high school English teacher, I could not end this post without discussing banned books. If you are not aware, teachers do not have free reign to choose any book they want to teach. One, they have to fit the unit and overall theme we are supposed to teach (which is decided by the board). Two, they have to be on the pre-approved book list. And, third, there has to be enough copies in the school book room to be given to each student. My focus right now is the pre approved list. I do not have a problem with any of the books on the approved book list because, as of today, it is a very long list and contains many progressive books. However, Huck Finn, is still one of the most challenged books. This is mostly because of the use of the n word and Huck’s resistance to authority. While this book has not been banned in recent history, a world win of controversy always follows it. One of the best things about books, in my opinion, is that they expose us to a world that we may not be award of otherwise. Parents (who are the ones who usually challenge books in schools) may not want to expose their children to certain situations or examples, such as Huck’s disobedience. Huck, though, can provide a good example as he teaches young teens to be independent and creative (albeit, not in the most adult approved ways).

Pictures

Book Cover  https://mybookbagblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/huckfinn.jpg

MarkTwain 

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