1976. The
conflict created when the will of an individual opposes the will of the
majority is the recurring theme of many novels, plays, and essays. Select the
work of an essayist who is in opposition to his or her society; or from a work
of recognized literary merit, select a fictional character who is in opposition
to his or her society. In a critical essay, analyze the conflict and discuss
the moral and ethical implications for both the individual and the society. Do
not summarize the plot or action of the work you choose.
In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain centers around a child's perception of society. Living in Mississippi in the 1880's, Huck was often confused of his placement in society. He was told how to act towards social classes, but he couldn't understand why individuals were treated differently. Huck completely goes against all standards as he sets sails from society with Jim. Huck's ignorance of the social problems during the time period give an unbiased approach to slavery and treatment of African Americans.
Mark Twain conveys racist issues through the adults. The actions and discussions of the adults show one's view of society during this time period. This method is effective for Twain because he easily displays how one opinion is heavily influenced by the mass of numbers. The conflict of racism could not be fairly debated between the adults in Twain's novel. This is because if one person opposed, then the majority will still over rule. The one who stood up is unseen due to the popular vote. These adults have no respectable morals on this subject and this is shown by the conformity of them. I don't think this is a good message for Huck to receive. It may make him carry the thought that his idea is irrelevant. Kids look up to adults, and this isn't the attitude adults should want to give off to children.
As Huck dares to be different, Twain expresses the hope in the future society to follow what they believe. The journey on the Mississippi River is a way to measure the progress between Huck and Jim. The two face multiple obstacles in which they must work together in different social interactions. The raft shows the moral growth between the characters as they ignore the social standards. The boys work through their struggles with what they think is right, not by what society says. I think this accomplishment can be compared with the accomplishments within modern day society.
Good work, the only thing I would think about is WHY Twain thought this message needed to be sent, and why he chose this situation with kids as the way to do it.
ReplyDeleteI think you did a really good job of analyzing the conflict between Huck and Jim. You stay focused on the topic at hand a really elaborated on making a good analysis of the conflict. You could elaborate more on the implications with the society because I do not think there is enough to support that. But otherwise the rest of the essay gets your point across and is really effective. I know because we have limited time you might not have been able to put all the details that you wanted to but you did a really good job. :)
ReplyDeleteThis was a a great analysis of the conflict between Huck Finn and Jim. You answered the topic well and chose a great piece of literature to answer the prompt with. I especially was impressed at the way you could pick out symbols in the story and relate them to the conflict. You did a fantastic job relating the literary elements you found to the meaning of the story which is very important. I agree with Roz in that analyzing why Twaine wrote this story would be very helpful information and the only other thing I would work on is providing more details. Your analysis was adequate but it was a little short as the whole first paragraph was a summary. In the future I would try to support your analysis with other examples using the DIDLS method we learned in class.
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