The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - American Classic or Just Another Book

A detailed Summary of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - American Classic or Just Another Book

A classic novel is one that stands the test of time, a book that teaches lessons and morals that readers of all ages can appreciate and learn from. There are many American novels that are considered classics, but there is one that is thought of before all others. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain has long been considered a classic piece of American literature, the book to which all other American work is compared to. It is revered to the point that it is a section of the curriculum for Literature classes all over the country. However, there are some that think that this book should not be taught in school, but rather something like Uncle Tom's Cabin, mostly because Huck Finn provides the reader with such low views of the African American. I think that Huck Finn should not be read for reasons such as Huck development as a character, the relationship between Huck and Jim, Jim's character, and the quality of the last twelve chapters.

Throughout the novel, the character of Huck Finn learns many lessons about life, and also becomes adept at being immoral when needed. This is one of the major criticisms of the book. For a book that is said to be a perfect example of American literature, the main character is not

exactly the greatest role model. He starts out as a boy who just wants to have a good time with his friend Tom. He kind of idolizes Tom Sawyer, and often would ask himself what Tom would do when he got into a situation. He even went so far as to change his course of action because he thought it's not how Tom would have done it, like when they find the wrecked steamboat in Chapter 12. When he boards the boat and discovers the criminals talking to Jim Turner, he doesn't run because "Tom Sawyer wouldn't back out now, and so I won't either; I'm a-going to see what's going on here." In doing this he risks his life and Jim's, when he shouldn't even have gotten onto the boat in the first place. He doesn't even think about Jim, but instead focuses on having an adventure. This kind of attitude shows that Huck thought of Jim as nothing more than a sidekick. Later in the novel, when Huck and Jim meat up with the king and the duke, Huck is forced to participate in the scams the king and duke attempt to pull. Through these episodes Huck becomes even more skilled in the art of lying, and therefore becomes more and more an immoral character, though not really by his choosing. He gets to the point where he lies to Tom's Aunt Sally and tells her that he is Tom, and then makes Tom tell her he's Sid, Tom's step-brother. He does have some redeemable qualities though, like how he decides to rescue Jim, even though he knows he'd probably be killed or jailed if someone found out. He also tells Mary Jane about the king and duke so that she doesn't get swindled. Another major problem with the book is Huck and Jim's relationship.

While Jim's character is controversial in his depiction, the major source of criticism of the book is its conclusion. Even people who praise the book as great admit that the last twelve chapters are boring in their content and that most of the end is unnecessary. Jim is sold back into slavery, more specifically to Silas Phelps, and Huck decides to rescue him. It could have led to a great ending, but instead Tom Sawyer is reintroduced into the novel and comes up with a plan that puts all three in danger. The worst part is that neither Huck nor Jim protests the plan very much, and it results in Tom being shot in the leg and Jim being captured again. Th

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Approximate Word count = 1539
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English