Huck Finn, written by Samuel Clemons, is not racist, for the reasons many have banned the novel, and is worthwhile in teaching; but only for advanced students who accept the controversies this novel brings because having it be a mandatory book for students younger than juniors is probably not ok as it wasn’t meant to be a children’s book and it will be a waste of time as they will not fully understand and focus all the novel around the word “nigger”.
Parents and students need to understand before hand the controversies surrounding the novel and the racial conflicts brought to light or it will be a big waste of time and anger.
“Having all focus on word “nigger” like having all focus on Thomas Jefferson being that he owned slaves”
Good teaching opportunity to discuss what word meant back then, and how important it is to be historically accurate in a work. Can’t look over this racism more than we can look over the racism in our own country. Can’t brush aside these topics, they need to be discussed as they have been huge factors in the construction of America and process we have gone through as a nation and people.
Tells us a lot about the time, like Shakespeare and can be primary sources for historians. Cleaning up the art by changing to “slave” takes away meaning from novel and is then just, nothing. Like covering up nudity in art.
Although Clemons didn’t set out to make a novel that addresses issues of race, writing a follow up to Tom Sawyer as Tom was a total cash cow, he discovered the topics of the quest for a slaves freedom and the racist society of that time and was the reason he put aside the manuscript for 3 years. When he came back and had his two months of enlightenment, Clemons used a satire to show people how ridiculous, unfair, and awful slavery was (is back then) for the entire world and the people.
Equality is on the river, where Jim tells off Huck and Huck apologizes to him. They are equals.
Jim stays with Huck because he knows Pap is dead and realizes he has to care for him because he has no father. Jim is portrayed better in contrast to Pap, a white racist alcoholic that left his kid and comes back for Huck’s money, whereas Jim is fighting for his freedom and the freedom of his family that he loves but still takes care of this young child. Protecting him, staying up late on the raft for the lookout so he could sleep, and jeopardizing his life, in terms of being under harsher slave rule, for Huck. Then in the end Jim steps out and again realizes he will jeopardize his freedom and become a slave again by helping the doctor save Tom after he was shot in the leg.
Critics that agree:
Shelly Fischkin
Cherry Hill article
Peaches Henry
Kaplan
Fiedler
Critics as foils:
Marx (Against)
Jane Smiley: we read these things, Shakespeare, Huck Finn, others because they also tell us about the time period in which it was written.
Justin Cathin (Morality one on web page)
Not sure that nudity is the same as racism, but you make some very good points here, and seem to have identified those critics who will be most useful to you (though, it's Kaplan, not Cathin).
ReplyDeleteI look forward to seeing your first draft on Thursday!