Reprinting Huck Finn

Dear Chatto and Windus,

I am writing this to bring to your attention about my review of the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and why it should be considered for reprinting.

To begin with, this is a captivating novel that portrays Twain’s love for adventure in a life full of twists and turns. The characters in the text are selectively chosen, and they play their roles perfectly. This makes it easier for readers to relate more to them. Huck, a young teenage boy, barely educated, naïve, but strong-spirited, is fortunate enough to locate and secure a treasure alongside his friend Tom. Huck is wise enough to invest his money, a move that enables him to afford a more luxurious lifestyle. However, life does not go well as planned for him as his drunken father, who has a history of drunkenness and violence, kidnaps him in order to strip Huck of his fortune. The characters used in this novel bring out vital features, including themes such as ethical dilemmas and societal morality. In consideration of this, I firmly believe that the book should be reprinted to keep reminding readers about what life is and what is required of them.

Regarding the theme of moral confusion, the theme is well featured, and ways through which ordeals surrounding it can be managed are well revealed. The main character, Huck, struggles with a dilemma; he is unsure whether to turn a runaway slave, Jim, into authorities or help him as a genuine friend. Additionally, the book shows how Huck’s wisdom has enabled him to deal with his father, who is miserable and cares less about him. He is able to escape him by faking his death and traveling down the island to explore. Huck is later adopted by a widow, named Douglas, who lived with her sister. The widow takes him in wholeheartedly and even obligates herself to civilize him and educate him on ethical values, manners, and religion. This kind of life is, however, not pleasing enough for Huck, who yearns for the freedom to wander and discover new things. Thus, he runs away with Tom Sawyer’s gang and later on meets with Jim, who is a runaway slave. Jim is patient, kind, and caring, and the two cultivate a strong friendship that is tested several times in the story. Huck is in a dilemma as he was taught that slavery is right, and hiding a fugitive is wrong. He decides to help him even though his conscience is torn apart.

The book portrays Huck as a good child, but he disobeys Douglas and escapes from home as he finds his civilized life annoying. Huck and Jim have many adventures together. They even meet two con-men along the way who poses like a king and duke but are random fraudsters who move from town to town stealing from people. When the duke and king try to steal from the orphaned sisters, Huck’s character and integrity are displayed as he attempts to expose the fraudsters. The king and duke are disappointed with their lack of income and decide to turn Jim in, to gain some ransom from it. Huck remains a true friend and keeps fighting for Jim’s freedom even when it is tough and risky. With the help of Tom, they are able to free Jim after Tom reveals the death of Jim’s owner. The story ended shortly after Huck decided to keep wandering and not go back home with Tom.

Henceforth, the book should be reprinted as moral values depicted by it make it an excellent read for not only the youth but also people from other age brackets. The story illustrates how life is just a cycle of tests, temptations, and challenges. This informs people of the importance of striving on with life and not getting trapped in the status quo (Lester & Julius 43). The moral values are brought out through the development of Huck’s character by Mark Twain.  Twain depicts how the main character, Hack learns to care for other people when Jim is introduced to his life, and he must protect him. Huck goes an extra mile in ensuring Jim’s freedom and decrees that people should not be subjected to harsh treatment just because of the color of their skin.  Huck is just but a young teenage boy who is caring of others and responsible. Being raised by a drunken father, he does not let that get to him but learns how to survive. He was raised to believe that slavery is right but goes beyond himself to protect Jim from slavery and discrimination.

Samuel Langhorne, the author of the book, was popularly known as Mark Twain, a name that he chose as his pen name. His writing skills earned him praise and recognition in America, and it made him widely known by acclaimed artists and even Presidents. He was a women’s rights activist and even performed charity work that involved schooling black people. He was a good man who loved cats and always wanted them around. Also important to note is the author’s use of vernacular English throughout the novel. The purpose of this stylistic device did a great job of creating Hack’s character traits. The stylistic device is believed to have given the book an authentic, period feel, and helps to develop a sense of place as well.

Critics of the Novel

Williams and Kenny represent critics who did not like the work of Mark Twain. For instance, they believe that the book promotes negative social values such as disobedience. Additionally, these critics point out numerous cases that involved racial discrimination in the novel. Considering the negative impacts that racial insensitivity brings in a society, the critics supported the banning of the book (Williams & Kenny 40). Williams & Kenny dislike the racial stereotyping portrayed by Huck and Jim. Additionally, they also feel that drunks and fraudsters portray immoral characters that are undesirable in society.

Beidler and Peter support the novel in their review. Despite the banning of the book due to the presence of racially insensitive wording in the novel, the two authors use Huck and other characters in the story to satirize racism and stereotypes. While Jim is portrayed as unintelligent and superstitious, Huck, who is white, is also described as a hopeless boy who is not any better than his slave friend. The two supporters believe that instead of banning the novel, it is good to use it to give moral lessons to society, including the need for always following our gut and heart at all times. The courage and bravery displayed by Huck when he chooses to hide his fugitive friend instead of turning him in as expected is also a moral lesson. The two authors reveal the importance of not limiting ourselves in fear of what society thinks is right for us.  Meaning, people should always do what they believe is the best and smart thing to do (Beidler & Peter 11).

Moreover, the critics reveal Huck’s integrity and good character when he tries to prevent the fraudsters from conning the sisters. Mark Twain also portrays a balance of race. He achieves this by displaying whites who are fraudsters and miserable drunkards. Meaning, Mark was striving to eliminate a negative perception of a specific race.

Generally, I can say that the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is an excellent book. Regarding my recent research, most readers have confessed that the novel has made it easier for them to have a comprehensive overview of the significant issues affecting the society including, slavery, racial discrimination, and societal norms. The problems demonstrated gives moral lessons in a community. For instance, they reveal that people can still maintain their real and genuine character of caring and loving despite the trials and tribulations of their upbringing, as depicted by Huck. This brings out the necessity of doing what one believes in, in order to find happiness in the small things that life gives to them.