Abstract A controversy has developed around the inclusion of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain in high school classes with charges that the book is racist because it includes the word "nigger" and because it does not offer a flattering portrait of Jim, the slave who travels down the river with Huck on the raft. The paper argues that the second complaint is simply a false reading of the book, for indeed Twain does show Jim to be not an object but a human being. If he does not have the same sensibilities as a modern black would, that is hardly surprising given that he is representative of his time and place and not of some later social milieu. The paper argues that to claim that the book is racist simply because it includes the word "nigger" is also false. A character using the word might or might not be racist, but the fact that the word is used at all reflects the mores of the time more than approval, especially in a book where Huck learns that Jim is not simply the less-than-human he may have assumed because of the way slaves are treated by everyone else. Huck is, after all, a character shown to be out of step with "civilized" society and usually proud of it.
From the Paper "The slave Jim has been treated relatively well by his masters, but he is still a slave and knows the value of freedom. His journey with Huck makes this a reality. Completely innocent characters in fiction are often used by writers as a way of creating an ironic comment on the society in which they live, a society the innocent may not understand but which he or she can still convey to the reader by contrast, understatement, and an ironic counterpoint. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain depicts what could be called "The Education of Huck Finn" as the young man travels down the river and experiences different aspects of the society of his time. Huck is intuitive about what is right, and in the long term what he learns is to trust his intuition, his own innate sense of right and wrong. Huck Finn is the innocent who serves to illuminate the hypocrisy and corruption of society through his pragmatic nature, his willingness to accept others until they show their true colors, and his innate sense of honor and fairness. He extends this to Jim as the two share the dangers of their flight for freedom."
Abstract The paper analyzes two places in the novel where Twain uses satire and explains what he is trying to prove through this use of irony. The first paragraph serves as an introduction to the piece and the second and third detail specific instances where Twain utilizes his satirical method. The fourth paragraph concludes the essay by summarizing the ideas within it. The paper includes quotations from the novel.
From the Paper "Satire is a technique in which a writer uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to expose the wrongs of another group or individual. Mark Twain uses satire in his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, to communicate the problems with nineteenth century American society. Behind the seemingly uncomplicated adventures of a young boy, Huck, and a runaway slave, Jim, Twain subtly uses humor and irony to reveal and hint at ways to correct society's mistakes. Two cases in which Twain utilizes this method are the feud between the Shepherdson and Grangerford families, and the mob scene in Alabama."
Abstract The paper describes Joan of Arc's claims of voices and visions which told her to save Orleans from the English. The paper looks at the battles she led against the English and her successes and setbacks. The paper describes her capture by the English and her trial and death. The paper shows how during her short life, Joan of Arc was not considered as someone who deserved to be named in the pages of history, but since her death she is considered a true patriot.
From the Paper "According to Elizabeth Lucie-Smith, in 1428, an illiterate shepherdess of seventeen decided she had been called by God to save her native France by expelling the English invaders who viewed this French rebel as a witch sent by the devil to be their ruination" (34). This "foul fiend of France and hag of all despised" was Joan of Arc, born around 1412 in the village of Domremy on the River Meuse in eastern Champagne. As a young girl, Joan worked as a farmhand and during her time away from this lowly occupation, she spent hours in the local parish church, where she prayed for her salvation. Some scholars support the idea that Joan saw visions in this church and at the age of thirteen heard voices which told her to save Orleans."
Abstract The paper discusses how Joan of Arc has been made a canonized Catholic saint, portrayed by writers as a victim of persecution, been hailed a feminist military leader, and even diagnosed posthumously as a schizophrenic. The paper explains that the authors of "Joan of Arc, Her Story" strive to provide a lay reader with access to the documents that show Joan as she was, allowing history and the reader's imagination to judge her legacy. The paper describes the three sections of which the book is comprised.
From the Paper "The young French girl Joan of Arc only lived to see her 19th birthday. She did not even attain the age of adulthood by the modest standards of her own era. Yet Joan's brief life has spawned many historical and literary interpretations, often reaching far beyond the touchingly simple facts known about her actual existence. Joan has been made a canonized Catholic saint, portrayed by writers as a victim of persecution by one of the earliest known political witch hunts, been hailed a feminist military leader, and even diagnosed posthumously as a schizophrenic. In Joan of Arc, Her Story by Regine Pernoud and co-author Marie-Vbronique Clin, the authors attempt to let Joan speak for herself in the extant historical documents of the period."
