When I first started reading Huckleberry Finn, I could easily note that the book was written from a little boy's view. I've read the Adventures of Tom Sawyer before, but it was such a long time ago that I don't remember a thing. So, I began reading with no background information. At first, I thought Huck Finn was a black kid and wondered why he was raised by widow Douglas when other blacks were just treated as slaves. Then I realized he was white and I was quite surprised because the way he talked made me so convinced that he was black.
After reading this article, now I understand why I thought that way. A "Twain scholar has linked Huck's voice to a 10-year-old black servant Twain met just before starting work on the book." Even if this was wrong and "model for Huck Finn was a poor white boy in Hannibal, Mo., named Tom Blankenship and Tom's brother Bence, who once helped a runaway slave", there definitely is a link, even a minimal one, between Huck's voice and black inffluence. Mark Twain's use of voice as Huck and Jim leads to the idea that "This shows a real black root in a white consciousness". This article further proves Mark Twain's pro-black attitude showing examples of his actions as supporting a black student in college. Mark Twain is one white author deeply influenced by the black culture.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Black-Face Minstrelsy
I didn't know about Balck-Face Minstrelsy until I read this essay. I see, from what I read, that the shows involved some sense of mockery of the blacks. When you mimic someone, you are usually poking fun at him or her. This essay shows how Jim's character was taken from a white boy who plays a black in Minstrelsy. "Does MT's representation of Jim reinforce or complicate or subvert such prejudices?"
I think Mark Twain tries to "subvert such prejudices" in his depiction of Jim in Huckleberry Finn. If we were to be familiar with who Cort was, it may be true that ,as the author states, "when I(we) look at Kemble's representations of Jim, I(we) don't see a human being, but this same caricature." Using a stereotyped image of a black slave, Mark Twain may be reinforcing the prejudices against blacks. However in Huckleberry Finn, Huck Finn often describes Jim to be different from other blacks. He sees him as a rather smart black.
Jim is not a typical submissive and foolish black, which is how they stereotyped the blacks. Though, As the "Ethiopian dialogues" reveal, he may seem stupid at times. He knows what he's doing, he has future plans and he can improvise quickly when danger aproaches. I think Mark Twain was more pro-black than racist and thus think he used the imagery of Jim against the prejudices.
I think Mark Twain tries to "subvert such prejudices" in his depiction of Jim in Huckleberry Finn. If we were to be familiar with who Cort was, it may be true that ,as the author states, "when I(we) look at Kemble's representations of Jim, I(we) don't see a human being, but this same caricature." Using a stereotyped image of a black slave, Mark Twain may be reinforcing the prejudices against blacks. However in Huckleberry Finn, Huck Finn often describes Jim to be different from other blacks. He sees him as a rather smart black.
Jim is not a typical submissive and foolish black, which is how they stereotyped the blacks. Though, As the "Ethiopian dialogues" reveal, he may seem stupid at times. He knows what he's doing, he has future plans and he can improvise quickly when danger aproaches. I think Mark Twain was more pro-black than racist and thus think he used the imagery of Jim against the prejudices.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Filtering The "N" Word
"Changing the language in the novel in order to boost its popularity" is a very inappropiate and absurd idea. It is hard to teach Shakespear because his language is difficult to understand and has so many different possible translation. We dont read Shakespear at school until we've established some skills in English. But we do not change Shakespear's language. Why? Because we value his style and writing. Also, if we change his language, that would no longer be Shakespear. The Shakespearian language is what distinguishes him from anyone else.
An author uses the language he uses for a purpose. In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain's intention for using of the "n" word is not to degrade a certain race but to portray the life in his era. As Geff Barton says we should "explore issues of how language changes in context and culture". To change Mark Twain's language just because it does not sound right to us today would be something that would alter the literary value of the text.
Let's say there is a need to change his words, is slave an appropiate synonym? No, replacing the "n" word for the word "slave" is inaccurate. Not all "niggers" at the time were slaves, free blacks existed in Mark Twain's times. Jim, who Huck Finn often calls "nigger", is technically a free black. Rather than making a wrong "correction" they should leave it alone so that it creats the same effect to the readers who read different editions.
An author uses the language he uses for a purpose. In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain's intention for using of the "n" word is not to degrade a certain race but to portray the life in his era. As Geff Barton says we should "explore issues of how language changes in context and culture". To change Mark Twain's language just because it does not sound right to us today would be something that would alter the literary value of the text.
Let's say there is a need to change his words, is slave an appropiate synonym? No, replacing the "n" word for the word "slave" is inaccurate. Not all "niggers" at the time were slaves, free blacks existed in Mark Twain's times. Jim, who Huck Finn often calls "nigger", is technically a free black. Rather than making a wrong "correction" they should leave it alone so that it creats the same effect to the readers who read different editions.
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