Huckleberry Finn Research Paper

Prompt: What role should literature play in defining social values? What place does Huckleberry Finn play in modern American society? Use the novel and any literary criticism as support.

Huckleberry Finn

At a starting point, literature is a form of art and of expression that functions as a social and communicative system in society. And while it makes us laugh and cry and feel, it should, above all, make us think. Literature—in this context, real literature—should be a subject of contention. What it means to be contentious is to divulge the obscure, the nuances of society that, when exposed, bring to attention the flaws of social action. In this way, literature is meant to challenge social values, which is more or less equivalent to defining these aforementioned values. But in this setting, definition does not mean solution. When it proposes a “fix” or establishes an “axiom”, real literature loses its epithet and becomes an editorial or critique or review. The flaw here lies not in opinion, but in the attempt to authorize a set of social values—singular. But it can’t. It can only propose and suggest, prod and urge, and ultimately allow the audience to wield their right to decide. And that’s what real literature does;
Young Huck, Nigger Jim, Tom Sawyer, the characters of the book establish the boundaries of social values. Fiedler’s thesis challenges the homoerotic implications of Twain’s piece of literature and Smiley disputes his lack of anti-slavery sentiment. Jehlen, Looby, and Marx attempt to reveal their own truth behind the story epitomized by racism and sexuality and coming-of-age (a bildungsroman!) when the truth is, there is none. Fielder is not wrong in his interpretation, neither are Smiley nor Jehlen; and that’s the point. Twain suggests abolition, he hints at sexual oddity, but he doesn’t try to take a stance, not because he is scared of the repercussions, but because he knows his role and the role of his