As I was saying in class,
A friend of one of my friends claims that there is a quote, which stands out in the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, that indicates both its thematic depth and reputation as the "greatest American novel."
What quote did you find that supports this claim? Why did you choose that quote?
Click on "comments" below this post to leave your mark.
BRob
Monday, November 13, 2006
"The Greatest American Novel"?
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3 comments:
The quote I have chosen I believe represents the advanced literary techniques and deep spiritual journey needed to prove this story represents the greatest American novel. Although this quote is short, Twain makes you read between the lines to understand the point he is trying to make to get us thinking hard about the point he is trying to get across. Here is the quote I have chosen
"We said there warn't no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft."
From this quote, I understand that the raft may be a raft, but represents much more. To be alone on the river shows to us that people do not need fancy things, wealth, and many friends to survive living a happy and prosperous life. On this raft, Huck(and Jim) escape from the troubles and flaws of life and show us how to live easily and how to feel the freedom in which we all desire. Huck takes advantage of his freedom and lives life how he wants to live because he is removed from the problems of civilization. This freedom which is understood from the quote makes me understand why reading between the lines is so important because we can be taught be the author of how we can live easily and apply it to our own lives. The advanced literary techniques as well as the reading between the lines context of the quote and story is what persuades me to believe that this is the greatest American novel.
Joe,
Good call. Part of the reason I chose the picture I did for this blog was because it really expresses that comfort afforded to Huck and Jim by the freedom in escape. No doubt this novel fits into the general American attitude of individual freedom, yet we should keep in mind that with this freedom comes responsibility. As we see it in Twain's novel, Huck and Jim become responsible to each other in their freedom as experienced on the raft. Their individual freedom thus becomes more of a "communal" freedom as we see it in the bond Jim and Huck share.
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