The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been viewed as one of the best novels ever written. Matt Berman, a book review writer says “many consider The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to be one of the great -- if not the greatest -- American novel." The meaning of the story is a controversial topic with many different opinions. Some say it is merely Twain’s way of showing his views upon slavery. Though parts of the story may be linked to that idea, the story alludes itself to the Old Testament story of Moses and Egypt. Throughout history the Bible has proven itself to be a key document, and relevant in many parts of life whether one realizes it or not. The Bible was a religious book that told stories about how the world came to be, Jesus Christ's life, and what we should do with our lives. The Bible or more specifically; the Old Testament has found its way into our government, our lives, and our literature. Indeed, it is evident that Mark Twain, the author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, attempted to create a parallel to the biblical story of Moses. Huckleberry Finn exhibits strong parallels to the story of Moses; these parallels include the important role that the rivers played in the start of the protagonists’ respective origins and escape from their respective father-figures, their being plucked from the river and adopted by foreign families, the role that adversity and tests have in forming their character, their strong faith in the supernatural, and their roles in freeing slaves.
The beginning of Moses’ and Huck’s respective journeys begin near or on large, powerful rives. The Mississippi and the Nile river are the greatest river in their respective continent and billions of gallons of water flow through these rivers dail...
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... loyalties and addressing major challenges suggests a strong influence on Twain’s classic novel.
Works Cited
Collins, Billy G. "Full Text of "Huckleberry Finn: A Mississippi Moses"" Full Text of "Huckleberry Finn: A Mississippi Moses" Journal of Narrative Theory, May 1975. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
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Berman, Matt. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." - Book Review. Common Sence Media, n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.
Major Robert E. Cheesman, British Consul for Northwest Ethiopia 1924-1934
"Dangers." Weblog post. Colours of the Nile. Nile Trip.com, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
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"Full Text of "Huckleberry Finn : A Mississippi Moses"" Full Text of "Huckleberry Finn : A Mississippi Moses" N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2014.
Kaplan, Justin. "Born to Trouble: One Hundred Years of Huckleberry Finn." Mark Twain Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Case Study in Critical Controversy. Eds. Gerald Graff and James Phelan. Boston: St. Martin's, 1995. 348-359.
Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the greatest American novels ever written. The story is about Huck, a young boy who is coming of age and is escaping from his drunken father. Along the way he stumbles across Miss Watson's slave, Jim, who has run away because he overhead that he would be sold. Throughout the story, Huck is faced with the moral dilemma of whether or not to turn Jim in. Mark Twain has purposely placed these two polar opposites together in order to make a satire of the society's institution of slavery. Along the journey, Twain implies his values through Huck on slavery, the two-facedness of society, and represents ideas with the Mississippi River.
"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." SparkNotes Mobile Web Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.
Pritchett, V. S. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: An Annotated Text, Background and Sources, Essays in Criticism. Eds. Sculley Bradley, Richmond Croom Beatty, and E. Hudson Long. New York: Norton, 1961.
Lester, Julius. “Morality and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Case Study in Critical Controversy. Ed. Graff, Gerald, and James Phelan. Boston and New York: Bedford Books of St. Martin’s Press, 1995. 349-359. Print.
Mark Twain’s masterpiece The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn through much criticism and denunciation has become a well-respected novel. Through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old boy, Huckleberry Finn, Twain illustrates the controversy of racism and slavery during the aftermath of the Civil War. Since Huck is an adolescent, he is vulnerable and greatly influenced by the adults he meets during his coming of age. His expedition down the Mississippi steers him into the lives of a diverse group of inhabitants who have conflicting morals. Though he lacks valid morals, Huck demonstrates the potential of humanity as a pensive, sensitive individual rather than conforming to a repressive society. In these modes, the novel places Jim and Huck on pedestals where their views on morality, learning, and society are compared.
Kaplan, Justin. “Born to Trouble: One Hundred Years of Huckleberry Finn.” Mark Twain Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Case Study in Critical Controversy. Eds. Gerald Graff and James Phelan. Boston: St. Martin’s, 1995. 348-359.
...cal Edition, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, An Authoritative Text Backgrounds and Sources Criticism. Ed. and Trans. Sculley Bradley, Richmond Croom Beaty, E. Hudson Long, and Thomas Cooley. New York: Norton, 1977. 328-335.
This essay will analyze the themes of religion, slavery, and democracy in the book Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. By exploring these themes that lie behind the book’s veneer, we can understand Twain’s objective for writing this book.
...ke." Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. An Authoritative Text Backgrounds and Sources Criticism. Ed. Sculley Bradley, et al. 2nd ed. New York: Norton, 1977. 421-22.
Twain, Mark. “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” The Norton Anthology: American Literature. Ed. Julia Reidhead. New York: Norton & Company Inc., 2012. 130-309. Print.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a classic novel about a young boy who struggles to save and free himself from captivity, responsibility, and social injustice. Along his river to freedom, he aids and befriends a runaway slave named Jim. The two travel down the Mississippi, hoping to reach Cairo successfully. However, along the way they run into many obstacles that interrupt their journey. By solving these difficult tasks, they learn life lessons important to survival.
Twain, Mark, and Cynthia Johnson. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. Print.
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 2008. Print.
Nichols, Charles H. “‘A True Book — With Some Stretchers’: Huck Finn Today.” Satire or Evasion? Black Perspectives on Huckleberry Finn. Ed. Thadious M. Davis, Thomas A. Tenney, and James S. Leonard. Durham: Duke University Press, 1992. 208–215.