Click here to edit contents of this page.
Click here to toggle editing of individual sections of the page (if possible). Watch headings for an "edit" link when available.
Append content without editing the whole page source.
Check out how this page has evolved in the past.
If you want to discuss contents of this page - this is the easiest way to do it.
View and manage file attachments for this page.
A few useful tools to manage this Site.
See pages that link to and include this page.
Change the name (also URL address, possibly the category) of the page.
View wiki source for this page without editing.
View/set parent page (used for creating breadcrumbs and structured layout).
Notify administrators if there is objectionable content in this page.
Something does not work as expected? Find out what you can do.
General Wikidot.com documentation and help section.
Wikidot.com Terms of Service - what you can, what you should not etc.
Wikidot.com Privacy Policy.
Huck’s inner conflict, between right and wrong, prevents him from being a part of society and forces him to separate himself, in order to protect his ideals and prevent his own conformity.
(a) you could cut out a lot of words e.g. Huck debates inwardly right and wrong; to protect his ideals and to escape conformity, he must remove himself from society altogether. you could also use more specific words E.g. Prevent, separate
(b) this argument makes sense and I don't see any holes. Much of it is not arguable (merely a recitation of the plot E.g. That huck faces inner conflict focus the paper on the arguable parts; most important, prove that non-conformity and a life lived within society are incompatible, that if huck wants not to conform, he Must escape society.
(c) I think this argument needs to focus on his isolation. It won't be difficult, lengthy, or much of a stretch to show that huck faces inner conflict, so focus on you argument that the separation is necessary.
I think Mark has hit upon something here; there does not seem to be a strong "so what" to your argument. I like the suggestion that the "so what" is that nonconformity (because of inner conflict) leads to isolation. At the very least thought, be sure to stress the significance of Huck's conflict and subsequent separation from society.
Thank You!
I am definitely going to focus on the isolation, and how without his isolation he would not have been able to see that he shouldn't conform to society. Then, by not conforming to society he sees that he should live by his own morals, even if it means breaking the law.
Between the two moments of decision making, Huck has transformed into a more mature, considerate person, as he believes Jim to be human and has become further separated from the society that taught him to support slavery.
• The phrasing might be a little bit awkward….but the ideas behind it are really good.
o What about saying something along the lines of: Huck’s journey allows him to separate himself from society and see Jim as….
o (I think that maybe rewording it a little bit by rearranging the first and second phrases might help).
• What allows him to see Jim as a human?
o Focus on his detachment from society, which allows Huck to realize that his own morals/beliefs are not wrong—(this contributes to becoming more considerate and mature)
• Who/what contributes to his transformation?
o Does it have to do with the people he meets
• Grangerfords, Duke, and the King
• In order to prove this argument I would expect that you might talk about Huck’s original dilemma and how he was tempted to give up Jim, until Jim manipulated him by telling him that he was his best friend. You could talk about how Huck realizes this, and does not give Jim up. But then at the end of Chapter 31 he doesn’t even need Jim’s manipulation to know what is right from wrong, and to realize that it would be wrong to give Jim up.
• I also think that his stay with the Grangerfords might have helped Jim decide that society’s morals are not always right and that he should listen to himself
o Specifically the scene where they explain the fight with the Shepherdsons, even though they don’t really know what they are fighting about.
Nice. I like Dempsey's idea about Huck's decision in chapter 31 NOT being the product of Jim's emotional manipulation, but rather the result of Huck's own real emotions.
I also agree with Dempsey that you want to consider the significance of the transformation: the "so what." Making your language more declarative may help with that (again, Dempsey's suggestion for re-wording is a nice start).
Finally, a small point: be sure to use simple present tense. Instead of "has transformed" and "has become," use "transforms" and "becomes."
Thank you for editing! I am currently trying to figure out what my "so what" and I totally agree that it needs rewording.
Huck's inward questioning and self-reliant nature causes him to reject societal norms and recognize Jim's humanity.
Short, simple. Cool. It seems like you're arguing how Huck has had to make a decision that runs counter to his societal upbringing. You may want to add some detail (if this is the direction in which you're heading) around why his decision is significant, and "inward questioning" is good, but a little vague. Consider adding some explanation to make your argument more nuanced. Your thesis is nice and arguable. You might consider (I'm not entirely sure if this is necessary or not) adding something about the actual quandary Huck faced, before he decided to reject society's values, as the question does mention "a character who is tempted to make a decision" implying that some of the significance lies in the moral question itself.
As far as what you have to prove, you would have to prove that Huck was facing inward questioning (and likely what kind of questioning), his self-reliance, and how these two traits tie into his decision to accept Jim's humanity. Somewhere in there you should also find evidence that Huck does indeed accept Jim as fully human, and why that contradicts society's norms.
I think Graham is right that you need something else: a So What? Your argument will really come to light in that "so what" clause. What is the point or significance of his being forced "to reject societal norms and recognize Jim's humanity"? Therein lies your argument.
Yeah, I really agree with both of you that I have to develop a "so what" clause to guide my essay.
Huck’s internal moral struggle and inability to tell the truth about Jim necessitate his outward conformity and inward questioning. The confusion brought on by his different inward and outward states (?) mirrors the confusion Twain makes evident in both the other characters and during this specific time period in America.
Grammar looks good to me.
Maybe replace "specific time period" with actual name of period.
You might want to use different words for "inward" and "outward" the second time around.
Argument makes sense, but maybe you should be more concise and combine the thesis into one sentence.
You could make it stronger by being a little more detailed (what type of confusion do you see?,
"states" is a little vague)
I would expect to see examples of outward conformity, inward questioning, and how this is evident in other characters through the confusion that Twain portrays.
I changed "specific time period" to "pre-Civil War America" and "inward" and "outward" to "internal and external feelings and representations"- I'm wondering if you think I should take out "feelings" and just leave in "representations" and explain that further in the rest of the essay?
I plan on using the Grangerfords, mainly, to show the confusion in other characters. I'll also try to combine it into one so that it's less disjointed.
I think Daniel's assessment of your thesis is good. In addition to needing to bring the many ideas together, I'm not sure about the cause-and-effect relationship you've set up between the various elements of your thesis. I'm not sure how "Huck's internal struggle and inability to tell the truth" (ie. his inward questioning and outward conformity) "NECESSITATE" his outward conformity and inward questioning. That seems like circular thinking to me. Then you have another cause-and-effect relationship in the next sentence with the very vague, "the confusion brought on by…" Try to release yourself from those cause-and-effect ideas, and simply state the excellent idea that you're trying to get across, which is, I think, that Huck's outward conformity and inward questioning throws up a mirror to a morally conflicted era.
The contrast between Huck’s uncertainty after he surrenders to his instincts in Chapter 16 and his confidence after he deliberately decides to free Jim in Chapter 31 marks his growth as an individual. Just as Huck learns to follow his sense of morality about Jim’s humanity, Twain argues that America must follow its subconscious understanding of slavery’s immorality and pursue an emancipationist path in order to advance as a nation.
So far, this is really clear and I think it will lend itself easily to writing an essay with a lot of evidence. The only part that I think may require really digging into the text is Twain's argument about America. While the growth in Huck is somewhat obvious, the argument about America will need a lot of support through the text and explanations of the meaning of said text. Because this "subconscious understanding" is in fact subconscious, your argument will have to be really clear and heavily supported with text and analysis. Overall, your thesis is well written and I think it's very arguable and supportable. Nice job :).
Toki, this thesis looks very strong. I'm not sure about Stevie's advise about scouring the text for evidence of Twain's comment on America. Rather, it sounds like you are suggesting that Twain's handling of Huck's character, through moments of moral uncertainty and moral confidence, provides a metaphor for America's own conflict and questioning during reconstruction. Go for it.
Huck shows an increase in maturity from chapters 16 to 31, becoming more of an individual with one identity. He finally acts in character with regards to slavery, standing up to society and deviating from the social norm by dedicating himself to freeing Jim.
I still need to address the second part of the prompt in my thesis.
I meant prompt 4
Hi Bob,
I think you should combine your two existing sentences so you have room to address the second part of the prompt. I'm not sure how to do this without completely changing your thesis, but maybe: "Huck matures as an individual from chapters 16 to 31, acting according to his principles by rejecting the social norm and dedicating himself to freeing Jim."
Your thesis will definitely be stronger after you include a "broader interpretation of the novel" based on from Huck's transformation.
In order to prove this thesis:
How do I do the third bullet point aahhhhhhhhhahhhhhghghghhhghghghhghghghhghhgh
Yes, what Toki said. If you need help developing that broader interpretation of the novel, come talk to me.
Huck has run away from constrictive families and societies his entire life until he finds Jim and the River who share his values and help create the unlikely atmosphere needed to sustain his new, nontraditional family.
Elaborate a little bit on what you mean by "values," list a couple core beliefs of behaviors that huck shares with Jim and the river that make them so relatable to him to the point of becoming a sort of family.
Your argument makes sense, make sure to not split the essay into two parts though, it seems easy to explain how huck relates with Jim separately to how huck relates with the river. A hybrid prompt could be a little difficult to write, make sure you find things Jim has in common with the river.
For the essay, I would expect to see elaboration on what sorts of societal and familial constructs huck is running away from. What is it about the family structures before that haven't worked for him? Be sure to establish the free spirit of huck and how everything in his past has had him cooped up.
The majority of the paper should probably focus on what you mean by Jim and the river
providing huck with a "nontraditional family." What is is about the atmosphere that huck enjoys? What is the atmosphere?
You have an interesting idea of the river and Jim both providing a family, it could be a little difficult to write though
I know it's a little weird but when I was brainstorming about question two I kind of realized that Huck and Jim are a family kind of in the society the river provides. Like both Jim and Huck are searching for mobility and freedom and agency, and like a normal society provides a larger structure for a family to function within the river provides that for Huck and Jim.
I agree that it could be difficult to relate the three together, instead of Huck to the river and Huck to Jim. I might group Jim and the river together as both parental figures (or you could go the other way and say that while Jim is a father figure to Huck, the river provides safety and care for Jim as well) and add something about how although this family is "nontraditional", nothing in his life has been and no home he's been at has been "traditional". I think that Jim also relates to that idea of "traditional" vs. "nontraditional" and could help like all three together.
Yes
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck is repeatedly faced with decisions that he must make while being pressured by both his own morality and society. As the primary goal of Jim's freedom is repeatedly threatened, Huck is forced to find his own morality by remaining loyal to Jim while at the same time learning to become more mature and resilient through setbacks.
Ok so I think that instead of 'as the primary goal…' it could be 'as his…' referring to Huck because that first clause is a little awkward. You also might want to say your argument before you state the example. I also think that you should maybe focus in the second sentence more on which decision he is tempted by against his __, I think from the first sentence you are saying he is tempted by society to go against his own moral code but I'm not completely sure. But over all I really like your argument and think you could take it in a lot of different directions. Your argument is strong but to make it more focused I think a one sentence thesis is preferable and maybe trying to make it a little more clear what is tempting and what is Hucks contradictory decision to that temptation.
Okay, thank you for your help. I will make my thesis more focused on what exactly Huck is "tempted by" by going into greater detail in my thesis.
This is for question one.
Through Huck's values of non-conformity, his morals are tested with the decision to free Jim or turn him in throughout the book. The further on in Huck Finn the more Huck has to deal with society's morals vs the his own morals of whether turning in Jim is right or wrong.
Check over the grammar in the beginning, you could insert some commas to provide better organization. some of the wording is awkward also.
So, I assume your argument is whether the decision to free Jim is right or wrong and how Huck deals with the pressures of his own morals vs society's. Although this argument is good, it may be better to choose whether it is right or wrong and describe how/why it is right or wrong. That way, you will have a stronger argument because you will be more specific in your reasoning. To prove this thesis, I expect to see points of evidence in the text where Huck must decide between his own personal morals and the pressure from society.
Overall, I think this is a good start. Just focus on proving an argument, not just a claim. Also, proof-read it to make sure it all flows smoothly and makes sense.
I'll make sure to make my argument more specific by choosing that turning in Jim is wrong. Relating the topic back to Huck's morality will help me to explain further as well.
Sam, I agree with Chris that this is a good start, but it is mainly fact, rather than argument at the moment. You need a "So What?" What is the significance of Huck's having to deal more and more with the conflict between his views and those of society? When you can answer that, you'll have a thesis
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain portrays the Mississippi River as the path to freedom, however, as the novel progresses, Huck and Jim’s escapade threatens their desire of freedom, imposing a downward spiral upon the characters, essentially leading them into danger and broadening their stretch to freedom.
For the diction, try to not have run-on sentences. Your thesis doesn't have to be one sentence, it can be made into more sentences that convey the message you want to say better. As for the argument, when you say "Jim and Huck's escapade," try to define what their escapade is. The same goes for the "downward spiral" part, try to give a small example of how it was a downward spiral. Also, since the main question focuses on the river, try not to lose the idea that the river should be the main focus of the paper. When proving the thesis, always remember to see if the river is a major part of the paragraph or idea you are writing. Use evidence from the text that relates the river to your overall idea about how it threatens their desire for freedom.
Thanks Man, yeah i tend to do run ons and forget that i can put it into two sentences, thanks, and i will make it more clear about the downward spiral they enter, through experiences and the deeper into the south they enter. I will make sure to keep my main focus on the river