We all have them, classic works of literature we were required to conquer for high school English classes, and yes, I do mean conquer. Trudging through most assigned readings proved daunting, primarily due to my general but waning indifference toward reading that carried over from my younger days. If you read my post about Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends, you know my relationship with reading developed slowly and could be defined as noncommital, at best. Completing the books and plays for class therefore demonstrated a rather impressive feat of accomplishment in my mind.
Many of the works I encountered during high school left striking memories for one reason or another. I will never forget the scenes of violence depicted in The Lord of the Flies. Likewise the dystopian future American society of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. Hiroshima conveyed the utter despair and complete destruction caused by the dropping of atomic bombs me and forced me to question the purpose of such weapons. The racism and incest detailed by Toni Morrison in The Bluest Eye further opened my eyes to inequality and injustice. None of those works stuck with me more than Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Disguised as a Mississippi River adventure, Twain's satirical take on the inane nature of America's attitudes towards race and class drew me in almost immediately and managed to hold my attention more than the other novels we had to read. Actually, I'm pretty sure The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was the only book I plowed through faster than we were supposed to despite not wanting to get too far ahead. I truly loved it, regardless of the fact I had to read it for class. I found the racism portrayed throughout the book appalling, both because of its staunch support in American society and the general apathy felt towards the slaves and their plight. It was also enlightening, for Twain's prose communicated more about racism and prejudice than history texts ever did or probably could. Sadly, we continue to confront the entrenched racism that plagues our society. Or, more accurately, we continue to avoid confronting the reality of the entrenched and institutionalized racism that plagues our society. Thus, the lessons of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remain as important as ever in today's politically divided and seemingly intolerant society. If Huckleberry Finn, a stubborn white kid from rural Missouri concerned primarily with his own wellbeing over that of those around him, can look beyond Jim's status as defined by a deeply-prejudiced society, anyone can. After all, once he began to see Jim first and foremost as a person and not what society prescribed him to, Huck came to regard Jim as one of his only true friends.
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I am a self-proclaimed pop culture geek and list enthusiast who is celebrating the big four-zero by counting down the most important, influential, and favorite music, movies, television shows, books, and video games of my life so far. Categories
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