Huckleberry Finn
The way in which a young boy loses his innocence by realizing the truth in life symbolizes how the evolution of Transcendentalism to Realism destroys a nation, as the United States moves towards the Civil War. American transcendentalism began with the formation of the Transcendental Club in Boston, in 1836. Transcendentalists were influenced by romanticism, especially such aspects as self-examination, the celebration of individualism, and the extolling of the beauties of nature and humankind. As it spread throughout the country, the people lived in complete harmony, with themselves and among themselves, in a fantastic world. American Romanticism was followed by Dark Romanticism, in which Nathaniel Hawthorne is its most symbolic character. Realism was then introduced to American literature. It encompassed the time from the Civil War to the turn of the century during which William Dean Howells, Rebecca Harding Davis, Henry James, Mark Twain, and others wrote fiction "accurately representing the American Lives in various contexts."1 The Realism, which was a major cause of the American Civil War, can be defined as "the faithful representation of reality."2 Mark Twain's novel Huckleberry Finn symbolizes the loss o
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist whose works are deeply concerned with the ethical problems of sin, punishment, and atonement. Hawthorne's exploration of these themes was related to the sense of guilt he felt about the roles of his ancestors in the 17th century persecution of Quakers and in the 1692 witchcraft trials of Salem, Massachusetts. He was the most emblematic figure of Dark Romanticism although he characterized most of his books as romances, which freed him to manipulate the actions of his characters in order to symbolically represent the passions, emotions, and anxieties of his characters and to expose "the truth of the human heart" that he believed lies hidden beneath ordinary daily life. Dark Romanticism was a stage that followed American Romanticism and the people focused more in reality and not so much in utopian societies. This period is represented in Huckleberry Finn's life as he is beginning to lose his innocence and simplicity. He begins to learn that things are not like he wished it would be, but somehow he prefers to remain in silence to not cause any trouble. He also realizes things when he meets the duke and the dauphin and realizes that they are not who they say they are, but he prefers silence to prevent conflict, "It didn't take me long to make up my mind that these liars waren't no kings nor dukes, at all, but just low down humbugs and frauds. But I never said nothing, never let on, kept it to my self, it's the best way, then you don't have any quarrels, and don't get into trouble."(Page #95) The same way that Nathaniel Hawthorne reveals the truth that is hidden under ordinary daily life, Huckleberry Finn begins to realize the truth about certain things and begins to lose his in
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Approximate Word count = 1164
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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