Mark Twain: Controversy and Admiration

Many writers have used their talents to influence the way a generation thinks, but few writers have had the remarkable influence of the legendary Mark Twain. In his books, you see insights into the human psyche and each word he wrote stirs both controversy and admiration. In the following paper, we will see if Mark Twain used this to show a true emotional bond between Huckleberry Finn and, the negro, Jim or if he used them to make the statement that these two races could live as one. During the time that Mark Twain was a young man slavery was practiced very often and not looked down upon by the people, actually it was almost a status symbol to have many slaves, due to the fact that slaves were expensive both to take care of and buy. The conditions in which a slave lived were atrocious, a slave was often under nourished and disease riddled. In the time Mark Twain lived, most of the people would have looked at a free slave unfavorably. This proves that beyond a shadow of a doubt Twain was before his time and embraced the ideals that all men were created equal. Huckleberry finn stated in reference to his father, "...you can 't never find him these days. He used to lay drunk with the hogs in the tanyard" (Twain PG#. 20). Twain obviously meant, for the reader, to infer from that statement that Huck was not only mistreated by his father but also shut out by him. Franklin Dahal, of Psychology today stated, "as a rebellion towards parents or authority, most teenagers will strike at the beliefs or cultures of their predecessors" (Dahal PG#. 136). By Huck 's willingness to help a negro he rebelled against one of the most deeply felt ideals of his time. "The intensity of his struggle over the act, suggests how

Cited: 1) Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Views Of Mark Twain New York: The Franklin Library 1950 2) Smith, Nash. The Development Of A Writer Toronto: The Banan Company 1955 3) Cardwell, Guy A. Discussion Of Mark Twain New York. New York 1968 (Article) 4) Franklin, Dahl. Psychology Today New York. New York 1977 ( Title of Article: Parental counterparts)