Summary Of Rethinking Huck Finn By Steven Mintz

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“Rethinking Huck Finn,” by Steven Mintz, is an essay that looks at and praises the novel “Huckleberry Finn.” Mintz compares “Huck Finn” to, and places it with, several American classics. He is able to present his stance from both his and the opposing side, but still persuades the reader to join in his opinion. He has a remarkable ability to make his opinion seem credible and persuasive. He displays a thorough understanding and appreciation for “Huck Finn.” Mintz has a compelling, well-written argument that shows his belief that “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is just as relevant in its messages and themes today as it was when it was written. Firstly, Mintz uses many references to other classic novels to emphasize “Huck Finn’s” importance. He compares the subtle social criticism to that of “The Great Gatsby” and “Death of a Salesman,” giving a common cultural context and reference point to the underlying themes of the book. He also uses “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” as a parallel both in dialect of characters and social reform. This is important because it gives a reference point to how characters were written and why the book is seen as the all-American novel, as even Huck, the …show more content…

He talks about the criticism of “Huck Finn’”- the misogyny, expletives, and racism. This is effective because though Mintz recognizes the negative aspects of the book, he is able to argue that Twain uses these to make more social criticism, when he writes “...’Huckleberry Finn’... is open-ended, offering complex portrayals of race and gender.” He also addresses the issue of Huck’s ambiguity, noting that “Huck uses the word [n-word]- derogatory and offensive in 1884 as it is today- 150 times or so, and yet is ultimately willing to go through Hell in order to help Jim achieve freedom.” Even though Huck is against abolition, this moral ambiguity makes him a more realistic

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