Thursday, April 9, 2020
Phase 2, Week 1, day 4
Great work sharing your opinions on Eliot's and Smiley's readings of Huck Finn. Our third and final critic offers the most in-depth close-reading of the novel and yet another nuanced take on why Twain ended it the way he did. Once you've finished reading Smith's essay, respond below and consider which article was most though-provoking for you.
Please read Williams College professor (and critic) David L. Smith’s take on Huck Finn. Post a question, comment, or connection.
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A not-so-great hook. Visit https://thisibelieve.org/youth/ and look at the various hooks (e.g., first sentences or paragraphs) of the...
I thought one of the most interesting sections of this article was the section about Pap's reaction to learning that there is a free black who can vote. I thought it was interesting that the critic brought up that this book was written at the end of the Reconstruction when there was a huge backlash about blacks being able to vote. I think this background strengthens the idea that every detail in this book, including ones as small as a single interaction with Pap, are purposefully implemented as a form of social critique. However, I also agree with the critic that it was not stressed enough that most, if not all white southerners (regardless of social class) shared the belief that blacks should not be able to vote. I think if there was another detail added, such as a higher class character sharing similar feelings to Pap, this point would come across much stronger.
ReplyDeleteSmith brings up a very good point when discussing Twian's language use throughout the novel. I think it is interesting that just because certain language is used in the novel it is branded as bad, but Smith helps us understand that actually the language used is not really being used in as much of an offensive way as we might have assumed. I also think it is interesting to read a black man's take on the novel, since we haven't been able to see that perspective yet.
ReplyDeleteI found Smith’s analysis of Twain’s criticism of the Church interesting. Smith cites the crisis of conscience scene, but one could also point out Twain’s ridicule of the Grangerford feud. They out down their guns at church but then immediately resume fighting - a wholly absurd notion. The reader is given the opportunity to compare the absurdity of Christianity with the absurdity of Jim’s superstitions, and the reader finds Jim’s to be founded in logic and more practical than any other religion depicted in the novel.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Smith's dissection of the material to show how Jim is accurate to the time period without being portrayed as just a slave that is dumber than his white masters. With the hairball scene he points out how to some it looks like he is being stereotypical by being superstitious with his fortune telling hairball, but actually he is outwitting Huck by getting money out of him an exchange for a service.
ReplyDeleteThe article states that the n word was “universally recognized as an insulting, demeaning word” at the time Twain wrote the novel. Did Twain consider he would offend people with the use of the n word even though that was not his intention?
ReplyDeleteI think it was interesting how Smith explained how the language used it not necessarily bad, we just automatically think that it is negative. I also liked how Smith showed us that Jim wasn't made into some type of clown, and wasn't dumbed down in the novel.
ReplyDeleteReading Smith’s analysis increased my appreciation for Twain’s novel. Having the background that Smith shares about the time period in which Twain was writing, clarifies the reasoning behind Twain’s decisions and how they add to the criticism he presents in the novel. Through the careful choices Mark Twain made while writing the novel, he was able to create something that demonstrated that African Americans could be good people, despite the previously held belief that they were inferior.
ReplyDeleteI found this article to be very insightful, and raised points that I had not considered when reading the book. For example during the conscience scene where Huck decides not to turn in Jim, Smith's analysis of this scene made it clear to me that Twain intended to criticize the Southern church. The church taught that slavery was just and right and the choice that Huck made directly opposed those teachings. Through this Huck proved he was able disregard societies opinions and make decisions based on his own morals.
ReplyDeleteThis article held an opposite point about Twain’s treatment of racism and his use of racist language, and I appreciate the idea that his use of this language does not necessarily mean that the novel is racist, and highlights the fact that Jim is an intelligent character, something that a lot of novelists of Twain’s time never did with their African American characters.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting how Smith's view of Twain's purpose in writing Huck Finn the way he did contrasts Smiley's view, because I feel that both critics make good points about Jim's character development. Overall, I agree with Smith that people were scared away by the use of the n-word without bothering to appreciate Jim and how Twain defied racial prejudices in many regards in building Jim's relationship with Huck.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting for Smith to note that a “reader who objects to the “n” word might still insist that Twain could have avoided using it…..the specific function of the term in the book, however, is neither to offend nor merely to provide linguistic authenticity.” If this was the case, then why do most critics constantly argue that the term, however, is used to provide a sense of context on how people talked back then?
ReplyDeleteI thought when Smith said, "Indeed, his portrayal of Jim contradicts every claim presented in Jefferson's description of 'the Negro.' Jim is cautious, he gives excellent advice, he suffers persistent anguish over separation from his wife and child, and he even sacrifices his own sleep in order that Huck may rest. Jim, in short, exhibits all qualities that 'the Negro' supposedly lacks" was really interesting and it got me thinking about what we have learned in class.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting when Smith said “Freedom from slavery, the novel implies, is not freedom from gratuitous cruelty“ because it shows Twain’s progressive thinking about racism and white supremacy.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting when he mentioned Hucks choice. He says, "Yet despite Huck's anxiety, his choice is obviously correct. Furthermore, by the time that Twain wrote these words, more than twenty years of national strife, including Civil War and Reconstruction, had established Huck's conclusion regarding slavery as a dominant national consensus." because it ties the book to history and the background around it.
ReplyDeleteIn class, we discussed how the n-word in Huck Fin could not be substituted with just the word slave because slave was a condition and the n-word was a general, derogatory term. Smith identified that Twain actually did have his characters use the n-word as a synonym for slave citing that it was part of Jim's title: "N-word Jim". Although I agree with Smith's conclusion, the n-word carries much more impactful connotations. The subtlety of Twain's critique of racism is undermined by avoiding the use of the n-word in the text because the connotations that go along with the n-words make it more meaningful than just a slave.
ReplyDeleteIf Twain sought to critique American society and undermine the racial stereotypes created by society, why did he choose to do so in such a subtle way? Or is it that we are too fixated on certain ideas of race and racism that we are not able to look past the first layer of Twain's writing?
ReplyDeleteI thought it was very interesting to read Smith's review just after Smiley's yesterday as they have very different views on Huck Finn. I do see how each writer could be correct but Twain's critique of racism was very subtle, I didn't see it while reading the book. I do think it was intereesting though how Smith brought up the conversation Huck and Aunt Sally had when she basically said black people aren't people, that was definitely a hint from Twain of his critique on how society views people from different races.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a very interesting observation that Twain started making the book an exact century after the American Declaration of Independence was made, the book talks about many topics like everyone being treated equal no matter the race you are, which can be found in different saying in the Declaration of Independence, I wouldn't have noticed that Twain might've thought of this document while creating the book until now. Smiley's perspective was the most intriguing to me based on the fact she had a lot of opinions I didn't think of before reading.
ReplyDeleteSmith explains the conversation between Huck and Aunt Sally in greater detail and mentions, "The conception of the "nigger" is a socially constituted and sanctioned fiction, and it is just as false and as absurd as Huck's explicit fabrication, which Aunt Sally also swallows whole" At this point in the book (ch.32), Huck views Jim as an equal, a human, and this conversation is to be able to talk to Aunt Sally on her "terms", since Huck realizes she is a slave owner.
ReplyDeleteI liked how Smith gave a brief history about the n-word and I agree that it is important to include it in the book to convey the full message. It gives the book more authenticity. Another interesting thing I noticed was that a lot of Smith's comments about the book, particularly about stereotypes and race, went back to how Twain chose to write about them to “elaborate them in order to undermine them”. Smith talks about Jim’s superstitions and the use of the n-word as examples.
ReplyDeleteSmith talks about how, “There is no promised land, where one may enjoy absolute personal freedom. An individual’s freedom is always constrained by one’s social relations to other people”. Smith is saying that even though Jim becomes a free man, the harsh reality of racism prevents him from being able to be truly free. Despite the fact that Jim was a great man, he is still regarded as “inferior” because of the color of his skin. Ultimately I think that Twain, while he could have done more, did a good job of addressing the issue of racism.
ReplyDeleteSmith mentions how Huck “plays upon” people’s racist beliefs as he lies, which might be part of Twain’s satire. I think this may explain how Huck uses these “common beliefs” to make people believe him or trust him. But then Smith claims that “Huck's relationship to Jim has already invalidated for him such obtuse racial notions”, which I think is doubtful. I think Huck may still retain these notions and just doesn’t act on them because he’s compelled by stronger values.
ReplyDeleteThe article caused me to consider how not only race, but religion and socio-economic status are mere vehicles for inequitable treatment and possibly even the justification of these actions. This raises the question as to why people treat certain groups with a derogatory connotation? Furthermore, why do they make blanket assumptions based off of only a handful of the groups subscribers? The latter of these questions is easily connectable to Jim. Many judge him before even allowing themselves the chance to learn that he is different from the stereotypical African American man that they believe he is.
ReplyDeleteThis article brought to my attention how many factors there are when people are being judge or stereotypes are being out on them. I usually think only of race but this article talks about how financials and religion are factors that are brought up in the novel as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the use of the n-word in this novel is to educate people, not to be offensive. Without it, I don’t think that the reader would have the same understanding of the novel as they do now.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this article, because I feel a greater appreciation for Twain's work after reading some of Smith's explanations. I loved Smith's explanation of how Huck Finn isn't actually a racist novel, and when compared to the way that society viewed black people back then, Jim is written in quite a progressive way. Twain portrays Jim as a "compassionate, shrewd, thoughtful, self-sacrificing, and even wise man," and the contradiction that this portrayal of a black man has with the idea of who a black man was during that time really shows how progressive this novel was and gives me a newfound appreciation for it.
ReplyDeleteI like how we read totally contrasting views on the same book. It was interesting to see how both critics showed different ideas and focused on so many great points. I guess smith was right about how it’s not easy to hack through the vernacular dialogue and narration of Huck Finn as it can be hurtful or confusing to encounter the N-word so frequently. This book that emphasizes so much about freedom, identity, and growth through the language, which may be hard to penetrate but creates a sense of appreciation towards the liberal ideas that was explored throughout.
ReplyDeleteSmith says that Twain was subtle in his approach to race. Has Twain ever explained what he believed was the main message of his book? He may or may not have unintentionally tackled the topics of race and prejudice.
ReplyDeleteI was really struck by the line of Smiths essay saying Twain "... also shows how little correlation there may be between the treatment one deserves and the treatment one receives." And that "An individual's freedom is always constrained by one's social relations to other people." The themes of freedom, social obligation and also injustice are very admirable in Huck Finn as they give a pretty realistic criticism of society.
ReplyDeleteI think all the points that Smith made were incredibly relevant and impactful but It becomes more complex as we acknowledge that this could be just one or the many layer this book carries. And It is interesting to contrast the two critics (today's and yesterday)as it shows just how open ended Twain made his novel and how different lens can take on different approaches to criticism, but I guess that's what literature is all about.
ReplyDelete(Evan Bak) I think that Smith's point about people who object to the use of the n word and then shun the book was accurate. Those people don't see it being used and realize that it is a criticism, they are just distracted by the stigma around it. He also showed how in some instances characters were purposefully racist in order to seem normal, which was something I had not entirely realized.
ReplyDeleteDavid Smith is correct in saying that Mark Twain's subversion of stereotypes is a major piece of evidence that Twain sought to challenge racist views. However, there are several issues with this. Huck Finn is a great commentary on race if the reader is not racist. If the reader goes into the book knowing that Americans were horribly wrong in their views at the time, then they will be able to appreciate the nuanced subtleties that Mark Twain puts into his criticism of racism. After all, the purpose at that point isn't to learn if African Americans are human or not (the reader, assuming that they are not a racist, should already know that they are), but more to see a different an uncommon way in literature of exploring racism. Smith's point about the subtle use of the n-word is a major example of a seemingly racist choice on Twain's part is actually a subtle way at criticizing racism. However, there are unfortunately people out their who are either already racist or are just learning about the concept of race and are easily impressionable. This is where Huck Finn's subtly actually works against it. To a racist the book's seemingly racist components will only serve to validate their flawed view. I do not have much faith that a racist will look critically at the novel and realize that it is critiquing them instead of agreeing. People who are impressionable (kids) and are just learning about race also shouldn't read this because they will not understand complexities that make Huck Finn an anti-racist novel.
ReplyDelete- Seiyoung Jang
I agree with David Smith’s perspective on the use of the n-word in Twain’s novel. I believe that if the word was not included from the beginning, it wouldn’t have had such an impact on American literature, or the novel’s deeper message would not have been conveyed properly.
ReplyDelete"My use of "racial discourse" has some affinities to Foucault's conception of "discourse." This is not, however, a strictly Foucaultian reading. While Foucault's definition of discursive practices provides one of the most sophisticated tools presently available for cultural analysis, his conception of power seems to me problematic. I prefer an account of power which allows for a consideration of interest and hegemony. Theorists such as Marshall Berman (34-35) and Catherine MacKinnon (526) have indicated similar reservations. Frank Lentriccia, however, has made a provocative attempt to modify Foucaultian analysis, drawing upon Gramsci's analysis of hegemony. See Foucault, The Archaeology of Knowledge, Power/ Knowledge (esp. 92-108), and The History of Sexuality, (esp. 92-102)"
ReplyDeleteI felt that David Smith's argument over the use of the n-word is greatly supported here. Smith is able to blend personal and historical context to create a convincing claim.
--Jack Hayes
I thought that the ideas Smith presented on the N word were similar to ideas that were brought up when we watched the 60 minutes segment at the beginning of reading this book. While some editors want to sell versions with the n word replaced with "slave", I agree with Smith that in order to convey the message that Twain wanted to get across, the n word should be included.
ReplyDeleteI found Smith's article very interesting, as it brings up topics that many are uncomfortable talking about. I agree that this novel is not racist in its nature, but rather can be used to expose the racism present during that time period and also today. By giving Jim qualities that many thought were impossible for a black person to posses (such as the radical notion of empathy and intelligence), Twain puts old stereotypes to rest. Huck is used as a medium to demonstrate how one can overcome these prejudices and gives the reader a story full of growth and change.
ReplyDeleteI thought Smith writing The Enlightenment in quotes was interesting but writing civilization in American civilization felt like he was trying to force a point that isn’t really an argument to me. By definition America is a civilization. I think him saying that Twain uses a subversive strategy to attack race in America by showing Jim as a morally good person is true and is a very effective way to help make people question societies views of African Americans at the time. Smith also brings up the use of the n-word in a way that feels similar to the way the people in the 60 minutes video did. Both seem to agree that it’s meant to make readers uncomfortable and therefore open room for them the grow their understanding on the issue of race in this country.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I agree that Twain's work appears to combat racism but just in a different way than many other anti-racist works, I believe that it may be ineffective at portraying this. Given that the work was banned from schools for some time for being a racist work, I feel as though it's original purpose of being anti-racist by overly exaggerating Jim's behavior was ultimately a detriment to the work. I think it can be seen as anti-racist now, but for a long period of time people were shut off from this book by schools systems. I feel as though those people could've benefited from a book like this to fuel anti-racism movements but that it was dragged down by how it went about displaying those sentiments.
ReplyDelete-Cameron Gurwell
A lot of what this article attempts to do is to justify the various elements of racism in the book, notably the n-word and the treatment of Jim as a character, by showing how they're used to deepen the anti racism message of the book. He specifically notes the scene where Jim uses the hat prank Tom and Huck pulled to gain popularity among his fellow slaves, and how this scene could be read as a cunning reversal instead of an example of Jim's innocence. I hadn't considered this before, and it certainly tracks with the scene where he tries to get Huck to pay for advice from his magic hairball. But I still find that Twain's use of Jim as a plot point to further Huck's story instead of making him into a fully fledged character tends to mislead the reader about his intentions. If Mark Twain wrote Jim as his own character, and not just a device for Huck's moral uplifting, scenes like the hat prank and the magic hairball would have seemed more obviously cunning and not just like more examples of Twain projecting superstition onto people he had biases about.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I completely agree with Smith's idea that if the N word was not present in the novel, the impact of the novel would not have been the same. A watered down, sugar coated story would not have delivered the authenticity and meaning of what Twain was trying to convey
ReplyDeleteI agree with Smith that the use of the n-word and various other accurate portrayals of racial issues prevalent at the time are very useful for the book’s overall message. Removing these truthful aspects of American society would only give the reader an inaccurate understanding of society at that time. It is much more impactful with these elements as Twain is able to illustrate stereotypes and subsequently counter them.
ReplyDeleteI liked how David L. Smith discussed the use of words and how it can really mean more than one thing, that it can imply other characteristics ... Even if I already knew that, I think that bringing it out is still important, and can really remind us key points that we might overlook. I thought that it was very intersting how the word "race" really is a "discursive formation, which delimits social relations on the basis of alleged physical differences" and how it is mostly used to relagate "a segement of the population to a permanent inferior status". I also liked how he addressed the n-word, how in the book as well as before, it was often used to talk about slaves, and more like a "piece of property", and how Jim contradicts everything that this word implies, as he "gives exellent advice, he suffers from persistent anguish over separation from his wofe and child"... - Zoe Rigoulot
ReplyDeleteI, like David L. Smith, thought that the use of the N-world in Huck Finn was crucial. The N-word, at the time, was an everyday occurrence in the south, and taking it away is like deleting an important part of the story. Although controversial and racist, the world has a meaning and cannot be replaced and have the same impact.
ReplyDeleteI really agree with Smith when he says that it's important to have a definition of discourse that includes Gramsci's cultural hegemony as well as Foucaultian discourse analysis. When we think about who had the time to read a lot and think about books and about who had the money to afford them, it's largely upper middle class people and higher. So when we think about the context of the text, we should consider that maybe Twain was appealing to the rhetoric of people with power to try to shift cultural attitudes. Sometimes when we talk about racism we talk about the racism perpetuated by poor or middle class white people against minorities who have been raised with prejudiced ideas. If we account for cultural hegemony we can make the case that you really only have to change the hegemony's beliefs and the things they perpetuate to change the rest of society. Therefore, the novel can be seen as 'meeting the audience halfway'. In my opinion that's more than half of what makes effective activism even though it's not the most morally pure form. Still, appealing only to morality has never really been the thing to make the hegemony make changes.
ReplyDelete-Jona Lehmann
DeleteReading the section in where Smith talks about the ending reminds me that Huck Finn is a satire, and it probably intended the ending to feel like Tom's adventure was distracting the reader from the issue of slavery because the novel once again uses the ending to mock Southern romanticism. That this novel functions as a satire is probably why different critics have such contrasting responses to the novel.
ReplyDeleteThough I feel that as a white person I have no right to speak on this issue, I agree with David L. Smith that the use of the N-world in Huck Finn was crucial. By using the N-word Twain is able to give an accurate portrayal of the racial issues prevalent at the time that Huck Finn was written. By removing this aspect from the book, it would be harmful to the books overall message, and would give the reader an inadequate understanding of American Society at the time. Through his use of the n-word and other accurate portrayals of racial issues, Twain is able to illustrate and counter racist stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteSmith ignores a critical aspect of Huckleberry Finn and the dependence on complex literary analysis to find positive messages in Twain's work; the audience. As a sequel to The Adventure's of Tom Sawyer, most readers at the time of the novel's publication would have read the book with the intention to be entertained, rather than to think critically about Southern society and the morality of slave-holding culture. Because its predecessor was clearly a children's book, much of Smith's commentary regarding Twain's deep criticism of Southern values is rendered somewhat invalid. Other than his recognition of the word nigger as a tool to frame the inherent racism in Huck's society, it is difficult to find truth in Smith's claims outside of a purely academic standpoint.
ReplyDeleteBarrett - I have written this comment 3 times already and all 3 times it has been erased when I try to post it so, I have a short temper and I’m cutting this short. Long story short, I like the authors argument but I think that his final statement isn’t quite right. I feel that debating things from the past to see if the intentions were racist Is not inherently bad. I don’t like if it leads to no further discussion after accusing the author of being racist. However, if it serves as inspiration for further talks about race, specifically about how that impacts or represents views on racism today, then it is good.
ReplyDeleteSmith makes a powerful argument how Huck Finn is a powerfully anti racist book, and how Twain subtly promotes equality in scenes that seem like caricatures. However, I feel that much of this subtle attack on racism is lost on us readers reading it the first time at this moment in history. The same way that great expectations, which I’m told is a hilarious satire, was considered a difficult and unpleasant read for a lot of the ninth graders, a lot of humor is lost on us, which makes it easy to not see the true purpose and strength of the book
ReplyDelete-Alicia
DeleteOliver: I wrote a comment Monday which I cannot find (probably erased somehow). I will reiterate what I said.
ReplyDeleteI think Smith's arguments are compelling but also hard to get on a first read of many of the passages he cites. For example, his analysis of the scene between Sally and Huck is one which I agree with but which was also something I did not see when I read it myself. I think that overall the arguments and inferences he makes about Huck Finn being racist come from information that is subtle, in some cases too subtle.