Ernest Hemingway Essay Example for Free

Ernest Heming room EssayErnest Hemingway probably summed it up best when he said, All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark bracing called Huckleberry Finn (source). Were dealing with quite a book here. Published in 1885, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twains follow-up to the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, carved new territory into the American literary landscape in several ways.As one of the first sassys to use a specific regions vernacular in its narration, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn couch a precedent for many other distinctly American works to follow. Some readers didnt exactly get this new colloquial style, however. Accustomed to the straightlaced prose of Hawthorne, Thoreau, and Emerson, some readers didnt k this instant what to do with Hucks particular way of storytelling.Aside from the novels new style of writing, Twains decision to use thirteen-year-old Huck as the narrator allowed him to include certain content that a more civilized narrator pro bably would have left(a) out. At first, Twains novel was labeled crass by some readers. The book was even banned in schools for its use of the n-word which is humourous, given that the novel is up in arms over slavery. Even today, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn makes Banned Books lists.Twains novel jumped head first into one of the biggest issues of its day racism. Although the Emancipation annunciation had been signed over two decades before Huckleberry Finns original publication date, African-Americans everywhere were still victims of oppression and racism. They were technically free, but often by heel only in Reconstruction-era America. Many southerners were bitter about the outcome of the Civil War.By guiding his characters through several states of the Confederacy, Twain was able to reveal the fabrication of many pre-war southern communities. As a southerner himself, Twain had first-hand experiences to draw on, and he was able to walk the fine line between realistic dep iction and ironic farce. Not to mention, Twain created the now-iconic character of Jim, a runaway slave who convinces Huck that African-Americans are deserving of freedom, and thatequality is a goal for which we all should be fighting.The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is now considered to be one of the Great American Novels, mostly due to how it so heartily champions the American ideals of freedom, independence, and rugged individualism. Hucks dedication to his own moral standards and his bold sense of adventure and self-sufficiency have earned him a place in the All-American Hall of Fame. In addition, Twain is a hilarious storyteller, and the plat of this novel is a roller-coaster ride of moral dilemmas so trust us when we say that if you havent taken the ride yet, you probably should.Why Should I Care?Mark Twain wrote Adventures of Huckleberry Finn twenty years after the American Civil War. Slavery had been abolished, and the North and South were making up (albeit with some sy mmetry anger). So why publish a highly moralistic tale about a system that was no longer in place? Werent race issues a moot point once slavery was out of the picture?Hardly. Freedom didnt conceive equality by any delegacy not legally, socially, or practically. (See Shmoop Historys Jim Crow in America for more.) Actually, come to think of it, this isnt an outdated notion at all. Rules and laws often dont accurately reflect whats really going on. From a legal standpoint today, we have equality of race yet racism is still a problem. workforce and women are equal, yet many still see a glass ceiling for women in the workplace, meaning they often have invisible boundaries to advancement.That doesnt mean laws are useless.Laws may not immediately effect change, but weve seen that they do precede change. While laws can affect how people act, it takes more to change the way we think. We cant rely on laws alone. Thats where The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn comes back into the picture. W e need people like Mark Twain to remind us not to be self-congratulatory for starting a process in motion, but instead to realize that greater change is always necessary.