What do you think of when you hear about the early American frontier? Do images of rifles or coon-skin caps come to mind? Or do you ponder the idea of covered wagons, the Oregon Trail, and pioneers and Indians? How about cowboys and horses, stage coach robbers, little towns in the middle of no where, or the first railroad crossing the United States? It is interesting to see how each person, or generation of people for that matter, has developed their own interpretation of the early American frontier and what its values and ideals stood for; and although as years go by and the representations of those values may change, their origins still develop the foundation of American fictional writing. In two of early America's greatest works, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest, readers are exposed to the vision of two great authors of the 18th and 19th centuries and while it is possible for one to simply read and enjoy the plot of these stories, it is impossible to overlook the similarities in their greater thematic issues.
Before actually plunging into the concepts presented in the two stories mentioned above, one must have a brief understanding of the historical setting. America was originally colonized by early Europeans in an attempt to flee the imposed conformity that was taking place in some early European societies. While American was seen as an escape of sorts, this European legacy created somewhat of a paradox for the American settlers. The desires for financial advancement, scientific improvements, industrial superiority, the growth of capitalism, and even democracy were persuading people to think, live, and act in terms of a growing homogeny of life and opinion. However, synonymous of the European migration to America, Americans alike attempted to escape this paradox by pushing westward. The west to them was a never ending source of individual freedom.
The title of the book I read was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. ... The genre of the novel is adventure. ... The Novel picks up from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer had became rich. ... Huckleberry Finn had to beg the judge to get the money. ...
I think that the book "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" isn't racist. ... We should not ban a literary work such as Huckleberry Finn simply because it is not accepted by modern day standards. ... At first glance at the novel Huckleberry Finn, many would protest to the explicit use of the "N" word which was used over two-hundred times. As a result Huck Finn, one of the greatest American novels is noteworthy. ... That is why I think the book "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" isn't racist. ...
Considered to be one of America's greatest novels, Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has captivated readers for over a hundred years. ... It is these adventures that make The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn an enjoyable piece of literature for readers of all ages. ... These are just two examples of many Mark Twain included in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. ... The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an excellent novel with enormous appeal. ... These are revealed through the experiences and observations of Huckleberry Finn over the course of his journey with Jim. ...
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain has always been a very controversial book. ... The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn does a very accurate job or portraying southern life in the late 1800's. ... Another reason The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is considered the great American novel is because of the moral examples that it sets. ... The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn will always be a controversial book and maybe that's what truly makes it the great American novel. ... No matter what critics say, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn will be, if not the, then one of the grea...
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ranks fifth on the American Library Association's list of the 100 most frequently challenged books of the 1990's. ... Two very important themes from The Adventures of Huck Finn are the acceptance of others and the quest for freedom. ... Over the many weeks Huck and Jim spend together, they each grow fond of one another and quickly bond their friendship. ... The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn contains an abundance of racial slurs, however, many of these critics can't go past the language and are unable to grasp Twain's true intent. The...
Being ranked fifth as one of the most challenged books in the 1990s, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, can definitely be considered a very controversial novel (Huckleberry 1). ... One of these examples is how Huckleberry Finn talks, "I never see such a nigger." ... When The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was first published, immediately many people began to think of it as offensive. ... However, this library was not the only one to believe The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was offensive. ... Ernest Hemingway wrote that "all modern literature comes from one book by Mark Twain...
In a diverse and constantly changing society, the issue of censoring classic literatures has long been controversial; does the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn perpetuate racism, or does it have literature value? ... In either case, the novel by Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, has dramatically opened the door to challenging the personal issue of racism versus a classic American novel. ... In comparison, many historians and teachers proclaim that the highly sensitive racial slurs that occur in the novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, are in context because of its histor...
Since its publication in 1885, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," by Mark Twain has been challenged for a variety of flaws. ... Challenging, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," from the curriculum, comes from the, "books frequent use of the 'n-word'-- 219 times by one count, 215 by another.... " Since the new edition's release, controversy still lingers whether, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," should be allowed to be a part of the required curriculum, and taught its original format. ... Mark Twain's, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," portrays a dar...
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn can be read as a novel that illustrates the moral growth of a young and nave teenager as he desperately attempts to escape the perils of civilization. ... The portrayal of African Americans in this novel is reflective of a racist attitude manifested through the use of language, depiction of African-American characters, and the general attitude towards the African-American race in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. ... The use of the word "nigger,"" a racially charged epithet in the contemporary era, is present more than 200 times in The Adventures of Huck...
Huckleberry Finn Debated, 1884-2001 You don't know about me, without you have read a book by the name of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," but that ain't no matter. --Huck Finn Few books in the American literary canon have been both as influential and as thoroughly debated as Mark Twain's 1885 novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. ... In his 1935 book, The Green Hills of Africa, Ernest Hemingway wrote that "all modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.... ... Interactions between the novel and American culture continue to influ...
