Talk:Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Ironically, reading this book was the single biggest factor in my life that made me, a middle-class white, an anti-racist. I won't get into details here of how I suffered for my principled stand, suffice it to say that my family and I rarely lost an opportunity to oppose discrimination and prejudice against blacks and other races. Ed Poor
- An excellent argument for keeping the book in US schools! :) -- April
Yes, I think opposition to Huck was primarily a straw man -- any non-black using the term nigger must be a racist; the use must be hate speech. The Disney Channel made a movie called "Return to Hannibal" and made a publiticy point of quoting the actor portraying Jim as saying that he refused to take the part if the word nigger appeared in the screenplay.
My take on taboo words is: if you use a word to hurt, that is teasing (which is generally wrong, or at least impolite). However, the mere use of a word does not IMHO imply the intent to hurt; nor does the mere expression of an opinion. Which is why I think hate speech rules are silly at best and actually an infringement on free speech probably aimed at enforcing political correctness.
But I digress . . .
It could also be that some black racists (i.e., they hate whites) don't want anyone to know about prominent whites who oppose racism. Suppressing Huck (while branding it racist) keeps people from realizing just how prevalent anti-racism is among whites. Sheer speculation, of course; how could I be so cynical?
Moved from Toboo word
A friend, a father figure, and a silent mentor; these three traits portray Jim from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in more ways then one. Jim is a symbol of equality that shows Huck that in truth, blacks and whites can be equal. The bizarre part of it is, that Jim has no idea that he is such an influence on Huck. Take this quote for example, “Huck; you’s de bes’ fren’ Jim’s ever had; en you’s de only fren’ old Jim’s got now. -Dah you goes, de ole true Huck; de on’y white genlman dat ever up’ his promise to ole Jim.” (Twain 87). Huck realizes that he means something to Jim, he is a friend, and in turn he takes a closer look at what Jim really stands for. In the quote, “He was thinking about his wife and his children, away up yonder, and he was low and homesick; because he hadn’t ever been away from home before in his life; and I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their’n.” (Twain 150). Huck is changing his whole perspective of Jim and taking it into consideration that the way he was brought up was unethical and entirely racist towards good people, like Jim. Huck recognizes that Jim has a family of his own that he has to be parted with, and like a sincere man, this dismays him. Whether Huck perceives it, or not, Jim is a fatherly icon whose advice needs to be taken advantage of and this reference validates this point, “Jim whispered and said he was feeling powerful sick, and told me to come along.” (Twain 66). This particular incident happens when Huck wants to explore a sinking ship, and like a troubled father, Jim was late to provide an answer. Seeing that Huck keeps nagging, Jim agrees, but soon after he pretends to be ill to con Huck off the ship, given that he is worried about him. Jim does not see his impact on Huck and an example of this is the turning part in the story when Huck proceeds to yell, “All right, then, I’ll go to hell” (Twain 206). for Jim’s sake of not turning him in. Jim was a silent mentor to Huck, but just the same, he was a good one. (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn).
- This needs to be cleaned up a bit to be encyclopedic and perhaps shortened, but can and should be included in this article. --maveric149
I haven't read the book, but this article clearly propagates the opinion that it is definitely not racist, in spite of its numerous bannings. I think the article should be rewritten to remove this bias. Jheijmans 05:42 Jul 21, 2002 (PDT)
- There's far too much about racism and far too little about the first great American novel in this article. Ortolan88 08:53 Jul 21, 2002 (PDT)
Thanks for taking this up, but the new sentence in the first section, the quote from Hemingway doesn't look very encyclopedic to me either, since this is one man's opinion (I assume), and not the general truth (again, I assume). So maybe something like this is a little better: "Some, like Hemingway, claim that "<quote>".
Even then I'm not too pleased with adding quotes to articles, but that's my personal opinion. Jheijmans 10:14 Jul 21, 2002 (PDT)
- I, on the other hand, the old reporter, am a sucker for a quote, and if the greatest American novelist of the 20th century tips his hat to the greatest American novelist of the 19th century, and also summarizes a widely held position, then it seems okay to me. I just looked at it. I think the Hemingway quote supports the previous sentence, "commonly accounted the first great American novel", which isn't just my opinion or Hemingway's. Oh, what the heck, I'll change it as you suggest! It reads better as a separate paragraph, and Hemingway was talking about the vernacular as well as the literary impact. As for the utility of quotes, see what two Miles Davis quotes at the beginning and end contribute to the Louis Armstrong article. Ortolan88 10:29 Jul 21, 2002 (PDT)
What about the rest of the Hemingway quote, which says to ignore the end of the book, since it's cheating? Koyaanis Qatsi 11:49 Jul 21, 2002 (PDT)
- Well, if I put that in (which I had forgotten), then the quote definitely wouldn't go at the top. On the other had, I do deal with the issue in a more broad way, when I talk about whether the beginning and end with Tom Sawyer are as good as the middle without him. Article is a work in progress.Ortolan88 12:48 Jul 21, 2002 (PDT) PS - I found several more versions of the quote, but none with the "cheat" part. Do you have?Ortolan88 12:57 Jul 21, 2002 (PDT)
I encountered that quote in class about 5 years ago, I'll look for it but make no guarantees. I'm sure I don't have the notes any more. Koyaanis Qatsi
...
I looked in the Norton Anthology of American Lit, but they just mention Hemingway's praise, not the other half. So to find the quote I'll have to email my former professor, which means that first I'll have to remember his name. Funny, I can remember what he looks like and that he was a big fan of Saul Bellow. Koyaanis Qatsi
I never expected to find it, but I did--just after finding a paper with the professor's name on it and just before giving up to email him.
- "All American literature comes from Huck Finn. But don't read the last 11 chapters; that's just cheating."
I cited it as Green Hills of Africa p.22, 1935. Oh, and alsot that T. S. Eliot apparently loved even the ending. No quote on that, though. Koyaanis Qatsi 16:59 Jul 21, 2002 (PDT)