The relation of form to content in Mark Twains The...

In discussing the structure and substance of a novel, one would be remiss not to explore the narrative strategies through which its story is told. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) is autobiographic, ensuring a valuable narrative unity; each scene is delivered as-is rather than being described into fruition. It is a tale of boyish adventure floating along the Mississippi told as it would have appeared to the boy himself. Thus, the novel ascribes to one of several contrasting aesthetics found throughout American literature: Twain’s creation and manipulation of aesthetic through an emphasis of the ‘Vernacular’ rather than the ‘Literary’. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is therefore a novel that speaks for, and is demotic of, the people of the American South. The form of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, manifest in this vernacular aesthetic, is achieved through an attempt to approximate and reproduce idiomatic speech. Looking to Twainâ€⠄¢s ‘Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offences’, one is readily able to explicate the formal principles of this novel. Consider the following excerpt: 5. [The nineteen rules governing literary art in the domain of romantic fiction] require that when the personages of a tale deal in conversation, the talk shall sound like human talk, and be talk such as human beings would be likely to talk in the given circumstances, and have discoverable meaning, also a discoverable purpose, and a show of relevancy, and remain in the neighbourhood of theShow MoreRelatedEssay on Huckleberry Finn and Slavery1227 Words   |  5 Pagesoverwhelmingly racist atmosphere that he was placed in, this is an example of how young Huck Finn is able to see a black man with the human qualities that Huck’s upbringing was supposed to rip from all blacks. Huck’s mind, from the very beginning, is open to the possibility of Jim being just another human being, regardless of him being taught otherwise. Around the time period in which The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is loosely based (1830-1845, roughly), slavery was prominent throughout the U.S. and ther eRead MoreHuckleberry Finn Too Offensive For School?880 Words   |  4 PagesHuckleberry Finn too Offensive for School? A widely debated topic concerning, Mark Twain’s classic Huckleberry Finn centers on its content which may or may not be too offensive to be allowed on public school reading lists. The NAACP and concerned parents want Huckleberry Finn â€Å"removed from mandatory reading lists, for the books damaging effects on African-American students† (Hentoff 98). The book did not get removed; in â€Å"1998 Judge Reinhardt wrote: ‘an important part of education is thinking criticallyRead MoreMark Twains Humorous Satire in Running for Governor1692 Words   |  7 Pageszwwx@overseaen.com http://www.overseaen.com 2012 Ã¥ ¹ ´ 02 æÅ"ˆ Tel:+86-551-5690811 5690812 ISSN 1009-5039 Overseas English æ µ · Ã¥ ¤â€" è‹ ± è ¯ ­ Overseas English æ µ · Ã¥ ¤â€" è‹ ± è ¯ ­ Mark Twains Humorous Satire in Running for Governor ç” °Ã¥â‚¬ © ï ¼Ë†Ã¥ ® Ã¥ ¤ Ã¥ ¤ §Ã¥ ­ ¦ Ã¥ ¤â€"å› ½Ã¨ ¯ ­Ã¥ ­ ¦Ã©â„¢ ¢Ã¯ ¼Å' Ã¥ ® Ã¥ ¤  é“ ¶Ã¥ ·  750021ï ¼â€° Abstract: Mark Twain, a mastermind of humor and realism, is seen as a giant in world literature. His humorous satire had great impact on the following men of letters; critics also attached significant importance to it and put forward various interpretations. NoticeablyRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesopposition between man and nature (such as in Jack London’s famous short story â€Å"To Build a Fire† or Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"The Old Man and the Sea†) or between man and society (as in Richard Wright’s â€Å"The Man Who Was Almost a Man†). It may also take the form of an opposition between man and man (between the protagonist and a human adversary, the antagonist), as, for example, in most detective fiction. Internal conflict, on the other hand, is confined to the protagonist. In this case, the opposition isRead Morewisdom,humor and faith19596 Words   |  79 Pages WISDOM, HUMOR, AND FAITH: A HISTORICAL VIEW Walter G. Moss Table of Contents (with links) Walter G. Moss 1 Table of Contents (with links) 1 Wisdom, Perspective, and Values 2 Humor’s Contribution to Wisdom 4 Humor and Wisdom in Europe: Some Highlights 5 Renaissance Humor: Erasmus, Rabelais, Cervantes, Shakespeare 5 Two European Russians: Anton Chekhov and Vladimir Soloviev 9 Reflections on Humor from Nietzsche to the Theatre of the Absurd 12 Humor and Wisdom in the United States: Lincoln, BeecherRead MoreInterpretation of the Text13649 Words   |  55 Pagesways. We can read it as a form of history, biography, or autobiography. We can read it as an example of linguistic structures or rhetorical conventions manipulated for special effect. We can view it as a material product of the culture that produced it. We can see it as an expression of beliefs and values of a particular class. We can also see a work of literature as a selfcontained structure of words - as writing that calls attention to itself, to its own images and forms. Viewed in this light, literatureRead MoreLangston Hughes Research Paper25309 Words   |  102 Pagesbookish smell, the long, polished tables, and helpful librarians. Curiosity about the story inside a books attractive cover encouraged him to read at an early age. Langston loved to hold a book and examine the artists illustrations. Through adventures in books, he escaped his lonely, restricted lif e. Because the school for black children in Topeka was across town, Carrie enrolled Langston in first grade at the all-white Harrison Street School, which was within walking distance of their apartmentRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pages Joshua, 8, and Justine, 3, for comic relief during the months of writing. This book is dedicated to them. For the 2012 edition: This book is dedicated to my wife Hellan whose good advice has improved the book in many ways. vi Table of Contents Preface.........................................................................................................................................................iii Copyright .....................................................................