London, Crane, Dreiser

            Within three of the stories that we read for Thursday seemed to have the same theme woven within them; survival.  Sister Carrie dealt with Carrie trying to find a job in order to survive in Chicago.  She persevered through the struggles of the big city and rejection from the various shops that she tried to apply to for employment.  At the end she does find a job, although it is not the pay that she had wished it would be.  The Open Boat is not just one character surviving but a whole crew that are on a boat.  They persevere through the many trials and difficulties on the ocean.  In the end, all of them except for one find help and end up surviving.  To Build a Fire also contains the death of the main character; however, his companion does survive through the excursion. 

            I found these stories interesting especially the way that each one ends—considering that they are written during the Realism and Naturalism period.  I think that these three stories marginally show the harsh realities of life that draws from the Realism aspect.  While The Open Boat does have a death occurring at the end it seems highly improbable that all others should survive—epically the captain who was injured.  What’s even more surprising is that none of the crew dies from the freezing temperatures and being splashed with water.  Also, the story never mentions the crew eating anything, only drinking whisky, and it seems unlikely that the men would be able to be burning so much energy and not eating anything. 

Sister Carrie, on the other hand, paints a very real picture of how difficult it was for people, especially women, to find jobs in Chicago if they have no previous experience.  I think in America this is still a real dilemma because businesses do not want to take time to train people to do the job so they will look for people with experience.  However, how can someone gain experience if they are not given the chance?  

Booker T. Washington- "Up from Slavery"

                It’s interesting reading this excerpt right after reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because that novel dealt with the issue of slavery and the relations between white and blacks—blacks being less equal than whites.  Booker T. Washington was asked to make a speech and in his speech he mentions the tensions between blacks and whites.  He begins his speech with an story about dropping one’s bucket down to others—whites need to drop their buckets to blacks.  Washington was trying to challenge their old convictions about blacks not being their equal brethren.  Each race needs to realize that neither blacks nor whites are superior to either one.  Washington states, “nor should we permit our grievances to overshadow our opportunities.”  If they allow their old tensions to outweigh new experiences, then they will never experience life at its fullest.

            Washington continues by speaking about how blacks need to drop their buckets to other blacks.  They must encourage one another; just like we as Americans must also.  In America today we often talk about being proud of our heritage and our freedom as a people.  While we can or cannot be at times friendly to those who come from other countries we also must stand strong next to our culture and our people.  For example, instead of assuming the worst in someone instead assume the best of them and the worst in the situation.  We need to give more credit to people rather than looking at them from negative lenses. 

            During his speech Washington has one key idea that has been his platform which is “which blacks and whites can stand with full justice to each other.”  Now, for this time or for the present the aspect of justice can be very subjective—especially for an individual.  Most people believe that they, in fact, are right—they are morally making the right choices.  This makes it considerable more complicated and more difficult to find the real meaning and true justice.

Chapters 37-43

            The ending to this novel seemed, like we discussed in class, more romanticized than realistic.  Jim is freed and given money—he also is treated like a king and given money.  Whether it is prior or after the civil war it does not seem realistic as to how African Americans were treated.  It seems like a feel-good ending with Jim and Huck making plans to go on another adventure with no repercussions.  These guys have been lying to everyone and it seems that they are not punished in the least bit for what they did. 

The fact that Pap died I was not expecting to happen—yet again a problem that Huck will no longer have to deal with.  I did not pick up on the foreshadowing back in earlier chapters when Jim tells Huck not to look at the face of the body that was floating in the house.  My question is what Pap’s body was doing there in the first place; perhaps I need to go back and read it again.  I actually read this book in high school and I do not remember Pap dying when I read it the first time.

It seems the second part of Huckleberry Finn is used as a social commentary that Twain is making on society of the time—especially of the African Americans.  Perhaps he was being hopeful for blacks that they would be treated equally one day and as whites were treated in that day. 

Chapters 25-37

            There seems to be a pattern in Huck Finn: more lying and more deceit.  I know that at the beginning of the novel it has the caution sign about not finding a moral in the book but it seems strange since there is so much lying in it.  There’s Jim who is an escape slave who is running away from his master; however, his master was going to try and sell him for her own gain.  There’s also Huck who is running away from the widow, who provided and educated him, and from his Pap who abused him.  Huck lies to the old lady and anyone that he meets on the river about his identity and who Jim is. 

Finally, there is the duke and dauphin who con Jim and Huck into thinking that they are royalty as well as when they are doing their plays.  Then the two con the town into thinking that they are Wilks’ old relatives and end up getting a large sum of money.  All of these moral issues are problems that Huck seems to be wrestling with as he tries to find what he should let bother him and what he should ignore and go along with—such as the duke and dauphin. 

Jim becomes more honest and confides in Huck about how he beat his daughter—he feels guilty for what he did and seems to not be able to forgive himself because he is still not with his family.  He forgives Huck for playing tricks on him and lying to him though.  While he does have superstitions and believes in magic, his morality seems to be leaning towards Christian principles.

Chapters 18-24

            The idea of Emmeline seemed very strange and interesting all the same.  She is only given a small section, yet it seems odd that she is mentioned at all and that Huck is so intrigued by her.  She made strange artwork and seems comical; even though her death is a morbid subject.  This makes me contemplate whether Twain was using her as comical relief; however, the seriousness that Huck sees the artwork is possibly a way of him realizes and having first-hand experience with death. 

Sophia’s love life seems like a parody for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet from the family rivalry.  The two families are feuding and there is an unspoken love between the young couple so they run away in order to keep their love alive.  Also, the fact that the “duke” and “dauphin” decide to put on a Shakespeare play just alluding more to Twain’s purpose for the Shepherds and Grangerfords.  The two practice a scene from Romeo and Juliet that comes from the balcony scene; simply directing more attention to the parody.

Chapter 6-17

     In class on Thursday we talked about Huck's father and his personality.  Whether he was being selfish, protective, or something else all together.  Chapter 6 begins with Pap taking Huck away and locking him in a cabin; beating on him and getting drunk.  While I realize before he may have had his reasons for taking him out of school to possibly keep Huck similar to himself and shelter him from the educated society, beating Huck senseless is not being protective regardless.
       He left his son for days locked up and then went on tangents about the government and blacks.  While I have read Huckleberry Finn previously I had not noticed previously that this may have been used as a foreshadowing.  Pap went off about how blacks were getting rights to vote and how he couldn't stand it--later on Huck finds Jim and the two become comrades.  This friendship seems to be an oxymoron as well since Huck and Jim take care of each other as they drift down the river; even though he grew up with the mentality that blacks should be treated as property.  In chapter 16, Huck seems to change and question what he had been doing.  He had been raised by both his Pap and the widow to view blacks as slaves and property; not free men.  While Huck does "tease" and kid around with Jim he never really treats him as less than himself.  They work together as a team to survive.  It seems strange that all of a sudden his attitude changes and he feels guilty for helping Jim.  He stole, lied, and is helping an escapee; perhaps his conscience is beginning to catch up with him.

Huckelberry Finn: Introduction and Chapters 1-5

       This interm I took a class called banned books and Huckleberry Finn was actually a text that we discussed.  Just like the introduction mentions it is the 5th most banned book in America; even though it is a classic.  Some of the issues with the book deal with racial issues and language.  In my other class we talked about how a group of teachers actually rewrote the book and substituted words for "nigger" that were more "appropriate".  These teachers felt that the students would not be able to handle the words or that there could even possibly be some violence that may ensue if these words were not changed.
      Chapter two seemed to stick out most for me because of the forming of "the gang".  I thought it was interesting how these boys followed Tom so willingly and where Tom got all of his ideas from.  When anyone questioned Tom's reasoning he simply replied that he got it from a book and that they had to go "by the book".  Everything from killing to robbery.