summary on Adventure of Huckleberry Finn

summary on Adventure of Huckleberry Finn
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Although probably no other work of American literature has been the source of so much controversy,Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is regarded by many as the greatest literary achievement America has yet produced.Inspired by many of the author's own experiences as a river-boat pilot,the book tells of two runaways - a white boy and a black man - and their journey down the mighty Mississippi River.When the book first appeared,it scandalized reviewers and parents who thought it would corrupt young children with its depiction of a hero who lies,steals,and uses coarse language.In the last half of the twentieth century,the condemnation of the book has continued on the grounds that its portrayal of Jim and use of the word "nigger' is racist.The novel continues to appear on lists of books banned in schools across the country.
Nevertheless,from the beginning The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was also recognized as a book that would revolutionize American literature.The strong point of view,skillful depiction of dialects,and confrontation of issues of race and prejudice have inspired critics to dub it "the great American novel." Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway claimed in The Green Hills of Africa (1935),for example,that "All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huck Finn.There was nothing before.There has been nothing as good since."
Author Biography
Best known as Mark Twain,Samuel Clemens was born 30 November 1835 and raised in Hannibal,Missouri.There he absorbed many of the influences that would inform his most lasting contributions to American literature.During his youth,he delighted in the rowdy play of boys on the river and became exposed to the institution of slavery.He began to work as a typesetter for a number of Hannibal newspapers at the age of twelve.In the late 1850s,he became a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River.This job taught him the dangers of navigating the river at night and gave him a first-hand understanding of the river's beauty and perils.These would later be depicted in the books Life on the Mississippi and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.(click for more)
Plot Summary (click for more)
Characters (click for more)
Themes (click for more)
Historical Context (click for more)
Critical Overview
When it was first published,responses to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were fairly nonexistent until the Concord Public Library in Massachusetts announced that it was banning the book from its shelves.This action set off a public debate over the merits of the book.The most vocal were those who deemed the book to be unsuitable for children,fearing their corruption by exposure to its lower-class hero.Howard G.Baetzhold reports that beloved children's author Louisa May Alcott said about the book,"if Mr.Clemens cannot think of something better to tell our pure-minded lads and lasses,he had best stop writing books for them." Critics who demanded that literature be uplifting cited rough language,lack of moral values,and a disrespectful stance towards authority as the book's faults.But some critics rallied behind the author and wrote reviews that praised the book as a lasting contribution to American literature.(click for more)
Criticism (click for more)