The Truth About Being 'Sivilized'
During the 1840's, the people who lived in America's Southern states considered themselves fairly civilized. Living luxuriously on mansion sized plantations, they preached of chivalry and honor, and believed in a somewhat feudal society. Although this may seem a rosy picture, to many it was not. Mark Twain, champion of the pen, asks the American people in his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, whether Southern society is truly a landmark of civilization, or if it is all a lie.
Twain depicts Huckleberry Finn as a boy who does not care to be civilized. Although he is accused of using the most "infant-schooliest ways of going at a thing" (253) by Tom Sawyer, Huck is a pragmatic boy, making decisions that are practical, not elaborate. Huck could care less about a society that would make him work harder than he should. Huck has a simple view of the world, and does not see the need to use his imagination unless it can benefit him in some way. But Tom, armed with knowledge garnered from books, is determined to show simple-minded Huck the 'regular' or civilized way of doing things. This includes setting the duo up into dangerous situations when trying to free their friend Jim. Despite his lack of literary knowledge, Huck understands the risks involved, and sets about a way to do it efficiently. But unimpressed by his friend's resourcefulness, Tom explains how "there's more honor in getting [Jim] out through a lot of difficulties and dangers" (252). Tom does not realize that Huck's simple plans are more likely to leave them alive by the end of the day, while accomplishing their goal of freeing Jim at the same time. If the civilized way puts them in unnecessary harm, Huck cannot see why Tom would want to take that path. But Tom repeatedly insults Huck about how dim-witted he is, for anyone who has not read such novels must be a "sap-head" (22). Twain exploits the irony in that the 'uncivilized' Huck Finn has more sense than the book-devotee Tom Sawyer.
From Huckleberry Finn's perspective, Tom Sawyer appears to be 'civilized', but his actions make Huck question this. Gifted with perhaps too much imagination, Tom embellishes reality to mimic his favorite novels. Thus, boys become bloodthirsty robbers, turnips become "julery" (20) and Sunday School children transform into "Spaniards and A-rabs" (21). To Tom, the world can be manipulated into his own imaginary play land, while Huck is satisfied with how the world looks already. Granted, all children have their fantasies, but Tom takes the books literally, adamantly saying that the "books knows what's the correct thing to do" (18) for every circumstance. Tom does not realize that his actions appear ludicrous to Huck Finn, who wonders why life must be dictated according to what is written on a page instead of what a person learns through experience. Whenever Huck suggests an alternate plan to their latest game, he finds it is not "romantical enough for Tom Sawyer"(249). Because Tom reads adventure novels laced with action , he believes that all aspects of life, including simple tasks must be suspenseful. Huck notes that no matter what he comes up with, Tom's plans will be superior. This is because whatever Tom thinks of will naturally be "worth fifteen of [Huck's], for style" (247) and possibly life threatening. But while Tom's beliefs contradict with Huck's simplistic views, Huck goes along with the plan because Tom insists it is the way things are done. When Huck discovers that Tom knew about Jim's free status, he wonders if all the work they made Jim go through to escape was truly right.
Mark Twain questions whether society is truly civilized. When the Widow Douglas tries to educate Huck, he finds that "it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal and regular and decent the widow was in all her ways" (9). Unused to the regulations of society, Huck prefers his normal rags to the stuffy clothes the widow offers. When he is suddenly asked to become respectable, Huck finds it hard to conform, as he must give up his old ways of life after living mostly on the edge. Also, Huck notes throughout his journey how society is perhaps not as urbane as people like the widow portray it to be. As Huck learns, "the average man's a coward" (158) that hides behind a mask of decency to disguise his true intentions. He sees how those that are considered 'gentlemen' are all too willing to kill others that insult their family honor, and that people will pretend to be royalty, the highest form of civilization, just to swindle others out of their money. Huck becomes mortified at how civilized people are so willing to cheat or kill each other for the simplest things. Twain takes Huck through the Deep South, where this behavior is rampant. The unsaid irony is that the gentlemen who claim to be cultured and civilized are in fact those who employ thousands of slave laborers. As Huck notes, "human beings can be awful cruel to one another"(245). If these civilized men practice barbarism, then why would anyone wish to join their society? This is why, when Huck returns home to the widow's house, he plans to escape and go West, instead of joining a society that is perhaps more dangerous than the wilderness.
Civilization is a subjective term. Many times, those that are considered proper and civilized commit heinous crimes, as the South did with enslaving the blacks. But Huckleberry Finn, a mere child, finds a way to see past the trappings of civilization, and discovers he is better off without being civilized. Twain's persuasive argument is that the Southern 'romantic' life was hardly romantic at all. For in the 1840's that Huck lived, a wilderness existed that would only be tamed by courageous people who relied upon their ability to survive in a harsh environment, not the fanciful tales told in books.
Works Cited
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Penguin Books, 1985.
Analysis
This example high school AP English paper is at its best when it illustrates how Huck rejects civilization. The paragraph about Tom Sawyer's comical adherence to rules - and Huck's views about his friend's reliance on books - reveals how civilization is oppressive and even ludicrous. The essay is well-written, does not repeat itself and has few awkward moments.
This sample literary analysis essay could be improved if the author better connected the thesis to the actual body paragraphs. While the thesis suggests the essay will be a commentary on the American South before the Civil War, there are few references to the South until the second to last paragraph. The author could either connect the novel to its Southern context more frequently, or change the thesis to simply talk about "civilization" in general.
1,028 words / 5 pages
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