<p>Intro to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn & Mark Twain</p><p>MARK TWAIN Sam Clemens – gentleman / Mark Twain – rogue “Mark Twain” – 2 fathoms deep (“safe” water) - Grew up in Hannibal, Missouri (idyllic childhood) - First voices of Twain’s youth were black voices - Characters of TS and HF based on real people he knew - “Put his fingers on words” (typesetter) - Meticulous, careful writer (“The difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”) - Steamboat pilot in 1850s (understands the River – personalities on river) - Described as an “enormous noticer” – eye for detail, absorbs culture - The Mississippi was Twain’s Harvard (The Civil War put an end to Twain’s years on the River)</p><p>The Novel Huck Finn -Began in 1876 (Reconstruction had failed-KKK came out) as a sequel to TS (Chpt 1 begins with a deliberate attempt to connect TS to HF) -Puts it away for a number of years – takes trip downriver in 1882 to rework (Set 30 years before – pre Civil War) -Told from a Southerner whose perspective has shifted -Realistic depiction of a slave – before they were only ridiculed – -Twain takes a black person and makes him a human being -Clever attack on racism Structure of HF – 3 parts Prejourney, journey, after journey</p><p>-Twain creates “voice” of Huck (stage puppet) -Limited point of view -Regular language used for narration – controversial! (“not appropriate for children” – original complaint) -Made American speech something to be proud of -1st time American speech used for serious narration in literature “Liberated” American literature – cut it loose from proper grammar and elegant lofty speech. -We don’t hear Twain’s voice (compare to “Jumping Frog”) Earnest Hemingway called the novel “the beginning of American literature” </p><p>Introductory “Notice” - one level boy’s adventure story - another level: coming of age novel Deceptively simple story Beginning of truly American literature (“nation we set out to be)</p><p>Huck’s dilemma: to be “sivilized” - wear nice clothes - sit up straight – be “proper” - don’t smoke - learn about bible</p>