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Using the criticials essays by Mailer and Trilling, reflect on how Huckleberry Finn reflects the American dream and American values. 150 words. Use quotes from the critical essays in your response.
5 Comments
Brandon F
3/24/2014 05:26:02 am
These two critical essays by Mailer and Trilling, reflect on how Huckleberry Finn reflects the American dream and American values by Mailer and Trilling saying the book shows the modern American literature and how it was put in. They both had their own opinions on the book and how it worked but in the they both still found it to be a great book. established for written prose the virtues of American colloquial speech. Something Trilling said in his essay is, “As for the style of the book, it is not less than definitive in American literature. The prose of Huckleberry Finn established for written prose the virtues of American colloquial speech. This has nothing to do with pronunciation or grammar. It has something to do with ease and freedom in the use of language.” What I believe he is saying in this is that in the book people don’t talk with the best English so he makes them still sound understandable.
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Sarah
3/25/2014 11:41:11 pm
Both of the essays given to us tell about literature and the American values. Mailer and Trilling viewed the way things happened in the story differently, but ended their essays with saying they both thought the book reflected many things and was wonderful overall. "It is not less than definitive in American literature." (Same quote B-RAN used) but this quote definitely tells what is used throughout the story/the essays written by Mailer and Trilling. Brandon states that the best of English/grammar is not used in Huck Finn and I agree with him on that statement, they use the old-term English ways.
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Steven H
3/27/2014 07:55:10 pm
Both essays share one thing in common. They both show us how Huckleberry Finn reflects the American dream and American values. They go into detail explaining the vernacular that was used when creating the book. In Trilling's essay he says "The prose of Huckleberry Finn established for written prose the virtues of American colloquial speech. This has nothing to do with pronunciation or grammar. It has something to do with ease and freedom in the use of language." He is trying to say when Twain created the story he was laid back about the language it would be told in. It was to add a sense of "colloquial" speech. Because of Twain writing like this, he reflects the American Values of the south and their vernacular in a way that everyone can understand. As for the American Dream, Huck is able to achieve this essentially due to the fact that he escapes his hell world and breaks free and makes something of his life and discovers moral beliefs during the process.
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Jesse T
3/27/2014 08:43:13 pm
Huckleberry Finn represent the american dream in many different ways. Huck has no problem with Jim. Huck isn't a racist person who thinks that black people are less valuable than white people. It is an American dream where every human is treated equal. The mailer essay states: "READING ''Huckleberry Finn'' one comes to realize all over again that the near- burned-out, throttled, hate-filled dying affair between whites and blacks is still our great national love affair". Racism still is constantly happening, but it was even worse back then. Huck also is a great representation of the American dream, because everyone want to be free and not have to depend on others. Pascal, in the mailer essay says: "rivers are roads that move," . With the river, Huck could go anywhere, the options were endless. Huckleberry Finn, in the book says: "Next we slid into the river and had a swim . . . then we set down on the sandy bottom where the water was about knee-deep and watched the daylight come. " The river pretty much had everything they needed. They enjoyed the river, could travel anywhere on the river, and just be independent. Huck didn't have anyone to tell him what he should do, how he should do it and where he was supposed to go. Huck made his own decisions, which is something every American dreams of.
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Tatiana
4/2/2014 06:41:13 am
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