Consider the following open ended questions as you read:
What does it mean to be human?
What is Twain criticizing about society?
How is the theme of freedom apparent in the novel?
How is the theme of society vs. the individual apparent in the novel?
How does the novel relate to other themes we have discussed in class?
15 comments:
What does it mean to be human? Well, throughout the book i've noticed that when referring to an actual human, Mark uses the word "body." He asserts a "body" won't do this or a body will do that, etc....
I think he portrays different perceptions of what it means to be human throughout the book. I mean, he offers different versions of being "human" from different characters. For example, he presents Miss WAtson's version of being human as that of being "civilized," having a set time to do everything, making life revolve around order and organiztion, being clean, having good manners, being educated, etc... However, if we look at Huck's father's point of view, being human doesn't mean doing things Miss Watson's way; it means living life on the edge....not doing everything according to a set time....not going to school everyday and being a good little boy, not being well mannered, and not dressing all fancy. (He mentions this to Huck when he first sees him, the part where he's obsessed with the fact that Huck can read and mad at the fact that Huck goes to school all the time.) Now, if we look at it from let's say Huck's, or any white man's for that matter, point of view, his version of being human is different. For one thing, Jim is termed as being a "nigger," so right away he is a pariah in society at the time. He is not considered to be human by the whites, and Huck makes this clear in chapter 15, page 89, when he claim's he had to go "humble himself to a nigger." Huck defines Jim as being someone less than the white man; as being less than a human. Now, if we look at it from Jim's point of view, he views the white men as being inhuman, of course as a result of slavery. He calrifies this by saying that Huck was the first white man to keep his promise to Jim, and that Huck was the best and only friend he ever had. He looked at Huck as being a human in regards to the whites because of his generosity toward the black man. So now we have different viewpoints of what it is to be human from Miss Watson, Huck's father, Huck himself, and Jim.
How does the novel relate to other themes we hav discussed in class? Well, I thought it kind of related to the essential of question of what it means to being an American. It's discussed in chapter 14, when Jim talks about the average FRenchman not talking like a "man," b/c he doesn't speak English. Him and Huck go on talking about cows and pigs and humans, saying how cows and pigs are different form a "man"-that a cow and pig are different from a man, so they talk differently from the average man. But then Jim makes the point of saying that cows and pigs are different from a man, but a FRenchman and an American man are stil both "men," so they should talk the same way. He asserts that an American speaks a certain way and speaks the right way, relative to the rest of the world. That's why Jim is angry that the Frenchman doesn't speak English like an American would.
I think Shelley brought up a great point. Humanity, in this book is very much categorized by gender. Jim would view the white's as inhuman because, obviously, the ones who have caused him most pain fall under that term. Also, unlike Miss Watson, Huck does not want to take part in society, as made clear through out the novel. He does not believe it takes an education or a strict moral code that is accepted by those around him, defines humanity. I think, instead, Huck believes that society is inhuman as it is.
How is the theme of freedom apparent in the novel?
The obvious would be Jim's situation in slavery. However, i think freedom is also a want of Huck's. He does not want to follow society and as you can see, especially in the beginning, he is pushed back into it.
How is the theme of society vs. the individual apparent in the novel?
The story behind Jim shows this theme in a more obvious way-- He, as a slave vs. the white man. He is viewed more as "property" by society, making power more importantly viewed then the wellbeing of an african american.
However, more elusively shown, is the theme of Huck vs. society. For one thing, he is against societies ideas, he views them as corrupt and unjustified. For example, his father is allowed custody. The judge gave him his rights as a "birth father" which like in Jim's position, emphasis more importance on the fathers position than the endangered well being of Huck.
I think this novel relates to argument. Written through times where especially in the south, we were still not living as equals. Through Huck, Twain shows the horrids of living in an unjust society, outside of slavery. Through Jim, he shows a life through slavery.
How is the thems of society vs. the individual apparent in the novel?
Like Kristin said, Huck vs. society ad Jim vs. society can be analyzed. For one thing, Huck' whole adventure on te raft is against society. BEginning with Miss Watson, we see Huck battling the standard conventions of southern society b/c he doesn't want to live according to Miss WAtson's rules. He doesn't want to live a set life-waking up a certain time, dressing proper, go to school all the time, be "civilized." Then we see him battle society as he ventures out on the raft and journey through the Mississipi. For example, he's conflicted about turning Jim in as a runaway slave when they are anticipating reaching Cairo (I forgot which chapter this is in...) But yea, we see Huck battle society as he struggles to make a decision. He knows society expects him to turn Jim in, and at one point he decides to turn him in. But then he chickens out and doesn't have the guts to do it. We see how the conventions of society challenged Huck and forced him as an individual to make a decision.
Another thing about the theme of society vs. the individual and the theme of freedom: In chapter 19, Huck mentions "I thought I was a goner, for whenever anybody was after anybody I judged it was me-or maybe Jim." This shows how Huck was battling society b/c he thought society was out to get him. He had to run from Miss WAtson and her strict, orderly ways: he had to run from his crazy, drunk father; he even had to run from that women in chapter 11,(he one who's house he went to when he pretended to be a girl...) In all of these cases, it was Huck vs. society. Additionally, we see Huck and Jim fighting for their freedom: Huck wants to be free of living the lifestyles of Miss Watson or his father, while Jim wants to be free from slavery.
You guys are amazing!!! You identified and discussed many of the main issues that Twain satirizes in his novel.
If Frederick Douglass illuminated the idea that slaves were dehumanized in order to justify slavery, how does Twain attempt to humanize Jim?
What is Twain satirizing about society in this novel?
Why is it ironic that Huck thinks he is breaking a law in regards to not turning Jim in? He actually thinks that he will go to hell for it. Is it ever ok to break a law?
Actually, that will be a topic when we come back and you read civil disobedience, ghandi and martin luther king.
BLOG ON!
I am going to have to agree with Shelley about what it means to be human (in this book).Every character has there own meaning of what it is to be human.Miss Watson is a very structured individual who thinks being human means to have a specific time to do things, being educated, and organized. On the other hand, Pap is an out of control individual who thinks in order to be a human, one should be allowed to do as they please. For example, when he is first introduced in the novel he is drunk and wearing rags. I think Huck thinks to be a human means to have a good friend. Lastly, Huck classified Jim as someone who isn't a human. So there are various meaning of being a human.
What is Twain criticizing about society?
Well, I think he is satirizing slavery and the Southern way of life. For one ting, he is making fun of the religious beliefs of southern society: that if you helped a so-called "nigger" or stole him or soemthing then you'd go to hell, and Huck at one point believs this. He was coflicted over going to hel and having God despise him b/c he had supposedly done "wrong" by making up his mind to steal Jim. I think TWain is trying to show how Southern society used religion and God for their own benefit; how in southern society, they used God to instill more fear into those who wanted to help the slaves. I think he's criticizing this aspect of southern society.
I also think he's criticizing slavery in itself, especially the part of it that's profit. Slaves were viewed as property, so making profit was the main thing white slaveholders cared about. I think the Duke and King represent the white slaveholders of southern society who went through any means to get their hands on money. Twain depcited the king and duke as cahracters that went through any means necessary to get their hands on money, like with the shakespeare show they they robbed the townspeople with to get their money and like the time they pretended to be the brothers of the dead man. In regards to their masquerade as the brothers of Peter Wilks, I believe Huck's words were "it was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race." Huck was revolted by their actions, and he saw them as being greedy and impudent; as people who go through any lengths to get their hands on money, even if it meant hurting others, just like white slaveholders would do w/ slavery. Whit slaveholders would do practically anything for their filthy money.
What is Twain criticizing about society?
I agree with Shelley, but i also have to add something. I think that, during thse times the south was still lacking social equality,and Twain's main idea was the harsh reality towards slavery, but i also think he is critisizing society in a more broad sense. I think he is trying to show that the morals society follows can be corrupt, as they are here. Also, to show that those who go against it and rebel are not accepted. Those who stand up against the corrupt morals are put aside.
I agree with Kristin's view. If you look at it in a more broad and general sense, Twain really is trying to say that the morals society follows can be corrupt and that whoever tries to stand up against it is just put aside. To give an example to support what Kristin said, we can look at the doctor, who from the beginnning snesed that the duke and king were frauds. He stood up to eveyrone and tried to make them see that the duke and king were frauds, but nobody listened to him. They just cast him aside and went on believing what they wanted to believe.
what does it mean to be human?
I agree with Shelley on this question. She totally took the reasonings right out of my head..lol.
I think that humanity is affected by society. For example, in society, Miss Watson and her sister are seen as high class, and wealthy people. Their views are different from the views of her slave, Jim. Miss Watson speaks of prayer and selflessness to Huck several times but she herself does not practice it. In contrast the slave Jim has gone through so much more and yet he is much more kind. Because he is a slave, people do not see him for who he really is. Society has a great affect on people, and I think therefore affects what makes a human.
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