Huck Finn Experienced?

Huck Finn Experienced?

1. Have you read the novel –Huck Finn- before?  If so where and why?

I read the book in my sophomore of high school for my English class. I really didn’t remember to much about the book so, reading it again refreshed my memory of the book and gave me an updated perspective on the novel.

2. If you have not read Huck Finn before, surely you know something about the novel and character from references and allusions in popular culture.  What do you know about either the novel and/or character?

3. What was your response to reading Huck Finn, and what do you remember from your reading?  Also, did you actually read the whole novel, or just parts of it?  Did you read Cliff Notes or Monarch Notes instead?

I got a new perspective reading the book for a second time. The first time I read it I didn’t focus to much on the aspect of racism in the novel. However when we talked about it in class, we focused almost entirely on the aspect of racism.

4. If you were assigned to read Huck Finn in a previous class, either here or in high school, how did your class as a whole react to the novel?  Why do you think your instructor assigned the novel?  How did he or she try to “teach” the novel?

When we read the novel in high school the class didn’t have any extraordinary reactions to the book. I think my instructor assigned the book mostly because it was the most banned book in US history and she wanted to focus on that aspect.

5. If you were required to read Huck Finn in a previous class, what sort of assignments were you required to complete, and what exactly did you do during the classes when

Huck Finn was being discussed.

I don’t really remember a lot about the class assignments for the reading. However, I know we were required to write an essay on the use of folklore in the novel, which I used as a framework for my blog post.

6. Huck Finn is still one of the most controversial and most banned books in America.  Why is it so controversial?

The aspect of racism in the book can be seen as both pro and anti racism. This means that the message behind the novel can be seen as negative or positive. Also the use of vulgar terminology makes it inappropriate for some readers.   

7. Is Huck Finn still relevant to you as college student today?  Should it continue to be taught in college classrooms?

I think the book is a vital component of America’s literary canon thus, it should be taught to give a perspective on other works of the time period.

8.  The general consensus among critics is that Huck Finn is a brilliant and powerful novel, but also a flawed and problematic novel.  What do you think might be flawed and/or problematic about the novel?

The novel does not flow smoothly throughout. While brilliant, it seems to be, somewhat, randomly thrown together. This makes it a novel that is hard to judge from the standpoint of a literary critic.