One thing that really stuck with me was Pap's attempt to force Huck to quit school. He goes on and on about how Huck's mom never went to school before she died and how her mother didn't go to school before she died either and how he himself never got a proper education, and I think that this just shows again how unqualified he is to pass judgment on other people. One thing that Pap's behavior underlines is the unwillingness of some ignorant people to correct themselves or seek improvement. Pap could have gone to school, become a professor, worn nice clothing, and learned several languages - and maybe then be qualified to criticize the free man from Ohio (but not really, not unless he spoke more languages than the man from Ohio), but he didn't. Instead of doing any of those things, he resigned himself to a life of drunken staggerings and maybe that's a point that Twain makes: don't preach about something that you don't know. I'd really like to see Huck become the expert that his father never was and do something with that knowledge. I don't really have much optimism for the future of Huck's father. Well, actually that part when Huck is escaping and he sees his father, sober, coming down the river. I wasn't sure if he was out of money so he couldn't get drunk or if he was turning over a new leaf or if he was looking for Huck, but I thought that was intriguing.
I agree with Emma. Another thing that can be brought into this is the idea we talked about in class today, that Huck is (was?) enslaved to his father. The connection between Huck and the free black man is apparent, as well as pap's hatred of the idea that either one of them could surpass him. When pap learned Huck was attending school and could read, he was angry that Huck thought he was better than his father. When he heard about Huck's money, he immediately claimed it as his own. He has this idea that everyone who he conventionally has control over (black people, his son) should be kept in a state where he can continue to exploit them, and when that doesn't happen he blames the government. Seeing Huck in this context is helpful as it shows the mindset of racism without the race, then connects it back to race using characters like the free black man.
I agree with your dissertation on Twain's satire on the contrast of the educated black man and the white trash behavior of Finn's father, and I think another thing that reinforces this satire is the relationship between Finn and Jim. Early on in the novel, Finn describes Jim as a wise man, who is well-versed in the folklore of the witches and is admired by blacks all around. When Jim and Finn begin their relationship, Finn also displays this admiration for Jim. He listens to Jim's ideas on good and bad luck and watches him survive a snake bite. The white boy begins to look up to the black man, a occurrence that Twain uses to again satirize racism, slavery, and prevalent attitudes of the time.
I really enjoy this idea of language and position being analyzed here, and it may be the crux to understanding this entire work. Language derives its power from its user. It’s similar to how in some instances the n-word has been appropriated by some communities as a positive word rather than a negative word. However, many people would agree that though some black people may toss the word around casually, it still shouldn’t be uttered by a white person. This is a similar situation to the example that Pap sets. Someone with no credibility insulting someone else with so much more credibility. Discourse can be looked upon differently depending on who uses it. In this case, it causes us to discredit Huck’s father. I think we have to make note of these instances from now on. Someone may say something that we may perceive as commonplace, but then we have to look at the speaker and consider whether or not is remarkable that he/she made that comment.
Twain's juxtaposition of Pap and the Black man from Ohio really demonstrates how ridiculous and ignorant racism is. Pap, an illiterate drunk, talks about a rich and educated Black man as inferior to him. Normally, we would consider someone with intelligence and wealth (more merit) to consider an uneducated drunk as a lesser. Yet its the opposite in this situation, which forces us to recognize that something isn't adding up. Twain's satire forces us a readers to notice the issue, which gives the reader an opportunity to grow.
Yeah the contrast between Pap's use of the word and Huck's reinforces the idea that it's not necessarily what is said but rather who and how it's said that contributes to the content's meaning. I think maybe Twain's strong emphasis on language in this book is also a way of satirizing people's reliance on conventional associations of words. By assigning only one possible connotation to the word, the readers are also simplifying the word into somewhat of a stereotype, a flat identity. The contrast might serve to remind people of the complexity behind any identifying words such as the n-word. The emphasis on the speaker's intentions can also refer back to the theme of individual minds versus conventional understanding.
Mark Twain definitely juxtaposes the two men to draw the readers attention to the absurdity of Huck's father. Also, he does not blatantly point out that he's breaking the social conventions of the time period but leaves us to discover this on our own. Our satirical eyes have already been somewhat adjusted. What intrigues me about Huck's father is the scene where he is taught about temperance, and, moved to tears, Huck's father swears to "turn over a new leaf" in his life. This could mean three things. The first is a reveal of the author's optimism: we have the ideals take control over our own lives, even if we do not always act on them. The second is that Twain mocks the judge for attempting to instill morality in pap because these ideas are cliche, archaic, and useless. The third option is that we as readers choose either interpretation because we're supposed to think for ourselves.
One thing that really stuck with me was Pap's attempt to force Huck to quit school. He goes on and on about how Huck's mom never went to school before she died and how her mother didn't go to school before she died either and how he himself never got a proper education, and I think that this just shows again how unqualified he is to pass judgment on other people. One thing that Pap's behavior underlines is the unwillingness of some ignorant people to correct themselves or seek improvement. Pap could have gone to school, become a professor, worn nice clothing, and learned several languages - and maybe then be qualified to criticize the free man from Ohio (but not really, not unless he spoke more languages than the man from Ohio), but he didn't. Instead of doing any of those things, he resigned himself to a life of drunken staggerings and maybe that's a point that Twain makes: don't preach about something that you don't know. I'd really like to see Huck become the expert that his father never was and do something with that knowledge. I don't really have much optimism for the future of Huck's father. Well, actually that part when Huck is escaping and he sees his father, sober, coming down the river. I wasn't sure if he was out of money so he couldn't get drunk or if he was turning over a new leaf or if he was looking for Huck, but I thought that was intriguing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Emma. Another thing that can be brought into this is the idea we talked about in class today, that Huck is (was?) enslaved to his father. The connection between Huck and the free black man is apparent, as well as pap's hatred of the idea that either one of them could surpass him. When pap learned Huck was attending school and could read, he was angry that Huck thought he was better than his father. When he heard about Huck's money, he immediately claimed it as his own. He has this idea that everyone who he conventionally has control over (black people, his son) should be kept in a state where he can continue to exploit them, and when that doesn't happen he blames the government. Seeing Huck in this context is helpful as it shows the mindset of racism without the race, then connects it back to race using characters like the free black man.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your dissertation on Twain's satire on the contrast of the educated black man and the white trash behavior of Finn's father, and I think another thing that reinforces this satire is the relationship between Finn and Jim. Early on in the novel, Finn describes Jim as a wise man, who is well-versed in the folklore of the witches and is admired by blacks all around. When Jim and Finn begin their relationship, Finn also displays this admiration for Jim. He listens to Jim's ideas on good and bad luck and watches him survive a snake bite. The white boy begins to look up to the black man, a occurrence that Twain uses to again satirize racism, slavery, and prevalent attitudes of the time.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy this idea of language and position being analyzed here, and it may be the crux to understanding this entire work. Language derives its power from its user. It’s similar to how in some instances the n-word has been appropriated by some communities as a positive word rather than a negative word. However, many people would agree that though some black people may toss the word around casually, it still shouldn’t be uttered by a white person. This is a similar situation to the example that Pap sets. Someone with no credibility insulting someone else with so much more credibility. Discourse can be looked upon differently depending on who uses it. In this case, it causes us to discredit Huck’s father. I think we have to make note of these instances from now on. Someone may say something that we may perceive as commonplace, but then we have to look at the speaker and consider whether or not is remarkable that he/she made that comment.
ReplyDeleteTwain's juxtaposition of Pap and the Black man from Ohio really demonstrates how ridiculous and ignorant racism is. Pap, an illiterate drunk, talks about a rich and educated Black man as inferior to him. Normally, we would consider someone with intelligence and wealth (more merit) to consider an uneducated drunk as a lesser. Yet its the opposite in this situation, which forces us to recognize that something isn't adding up. Twain's satire forces us a readers to notice the issue, which gives the reader an opportunity to grow.
ReplyDeleteYeah the contrast between Pap's use of the word and Huck's reinforces the idea that it's not necessarily what is said but rather who and how it's said that contributes to the content's meaning. I think maybe Twain's strong emphasis on language in this book is also a way of satirizing people's reliance on conventional associations of words. By assigning only one possible connotation to the word, the readers are also simplifying the word into somewhat of a stereotype, a flat identity. The contrast might serve to remind people of the complexity behind any identifying words such as the n-word. The emphasis on the speaker's intentions can also refer back to the theme of individual minds versus conventional understanding.
ReplyDeleteMark Twain definitely juxtaposes the two men to draw the readers attention to the absurdity of Huck's father. Also, he does not blatantly point out that he's breaking the social conventions of the time period but leaves us to discover this on our own. Our satirical eyes have already been somewhat adjusted.
ReplyDeleteWhat intrigues me about Huck's father is the scene where he is taught about temperance, and, moved to tears, Huck's father swears to "turn over a new leaf" in his life. This could mean three things. The first is a reveal of the author's optimism: we have the ideals take control over our own lives, even if we do not always act on them. The second is that Twain mocks the judge for attempting to instill morality in pap because these ideas are cliche, archaic, and useless. The third option is that we as readers choose either interpretation because we're supposed to think for ourselves.