Anthony's Page

                    Anthony's perspective on Huckleberry Finn,  after reading Jane Smiley's article

             I have recently completed the novel Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. The book is considered a master piece by some people, however I don't find it to be a master piece. I believe that it was a good book and interesting to read but it was missing something; that could hold it all together and make it complete.

            The book was filled with small storys and adventures of Huck Finn, I found these to be the most entertaining part of the book. The in between parts of the story are the parts I find to be lacking, they seem to be almost thrown together just to be a filler in between the small adventures. I don't believe that all the filler time is bad, but as you read farther into the book it seems to lose interest and become less fun to read. Some people have said, that Twain used the character of Huck Finn to portray him self and use it as a way to put his small life storys and adventures into words. After he ran out of stories then the book seemed to lose its interest.

            Another problem i find with the story is that, there is a lack of main heroic character. Some may call Huck the hero of the story but i feel he is really nothing but the main character and far from being a hero. You can see Huck change threw the book for the better, but his inner conflict follows him and he never really fully matures. Huck needs characters like Jim and Tom Sawyer to help him along his way. Without these two people Huck can't really think for him self or take care of him self. It take Huck so long to finally "Humble him self to a nigger."(Twain Ch.17) You can't be a hero if you can't know your self and this is the down fall of Huck.

           People argue that the language used in the book is offensive and should be changed. NO! I see no point in changing the book. It has survived and been popular for what it is for this long way do we need to change it? Jane Smiley says,"Personally, if I were to teach Huck Finn, I would want my students to be shocked and repelled by the use of the n-word, and I would then want to discuss the issues". The book was written in a different time and people need to understand that going into reading the book. Literature is written to provoke a reaction and that is just what Twain is doing with this book. The book will lose its purpose and meaning if we remove the offensive language from the book. 

           All these things can be gathered up to become the book that is Huckleberry Finn. It is a book that has its moments and can be interesting. Everyone can have there opinion about how it is entertaining or not or weather or not it is offensive. I believe that it is a book that should still be read in schools and can bring up many questions that are good for people to talk about in a civilized manner. questions that effected the world then and some that still continue to affect it.