Ahh, the classic Huck Finn... I had read it way back in high school and didn't really remember too much about it. Before I started reading it I wondered if I would find it to be an over-rated outdated book that is no longer relevant and also racist... or would I find it to be deserving of "classic" book status. Well after reading it I found the decision easy... CLASSIC! A+ Easily in my own top 50.
There's a lot that can be said about this book... but I don't really feel like writing an entire analysis on a book that has already been analyzed by everyone in high school English classes. I will say a few things though... First, this book is totally hilarious. From Huck's dad's rant against the government to the super elaborate plan Tom Sawyer creates to help free Jim, there are all kinds of humor present, from social satire to kids just being kids. The book is pretty episodic, but each episode is filled with great characters that show the different types of people in society, both good and bad.
Next, the book is pretty clearly not racist. Yes, there is a particular word used throughout the book which will make most people uncomfortable, but given when the book was written, that word didn't really have the same impact or connotation then as it does now. Also, a major part of the story is Huck slowly changing his opinion of Jim. At first Huck feels bad that he's helping Jim escape because he still thinks of him as "property" and he feels bad for the owner. Eventually though he really starts to care about Jim and in the end he vows to help Jim escape because he thinks it is the right thing for him to do morally regardless of what society tells him.
So, overall I'm sure most of you have read this one before... but it is well worth a re-reading. I know I picked up more of the satire and social commentary this time than I did in high school, plus I laughed out loud several times.
My Rankings So Far
1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
2. The Stand
3. Rebecca
4. Winnie-the-Pooh
5. Mrs. Dalloway
No comments:
Post a Comment