The Writing Process
The process of writing involves a great deal of hard work and dedication. Mark Twain was no exception. Twain was born in 1835 in the small town of Hannibal, Missouri. He was known as an American writer, public speaker, and social critic. Before beginning a project such as the writing of Huckleberry Finn, Twain would spend months to years researching, studying, and planning the full body of his eventual work.
Twain had to take the time to establish an understanding of the markets and genres he wanted to write in. His research into what American readers were reading at the time would form the basis for his novelistic ideas. For Huckleberry Finn, Twain had to look into understanding dialects, slangs, and speech accents from the deeply-divided and segregated Southern United States of the late 19th Century.
Twain was also heavily influenced by his environment. The novel’s themes of escape, growth, and rebellion can be seen as reflections of his own personal life. Throughout his life, Twain had faced financial and marital issues, as well as personal hurts and defeats. All of these ended up being channeled into the stories he wrote.
The Publishing of the Novel
Huckleberry Finn was first published in 1884. This was a relatively quick turn around after the six long years Twain spent researching, planning, and writing the novel. It was an immediate success. Twain’s publisher did a further job in marketing the novel to an international audience. Huckleberry Finn was then translated into many different languages and became a worldwide commercial success.
The original publication of the novel was seen as controversial and risky by Twain’s publisher. Critics argued that Twain was too liberal with his use of the N-Word, putting the publisher at risk of losing potential buyers due to potential backlash. Despite the risks, Twain’s publisher competed with editors from all over the country, wanting exclusive publication rights. Twain’s novel was an immediate success and sold hundreds of thousands of copies all over the world.
Even after its initial success, Huckleberry Finn was a consistently controversial subject in academic and literary circles. Twain’s liberal use of a racial slur particularly in the the late 1800s when racial inequalities in the US were even more rampant than they are today attracted a lot of criticism.
Themes & Characters
The novel tells the story of two adventurous boys, Huckleberry Finn and his companion, Tom Sawyer, who run away from their respective homes. The novel is set in the 1840s and involves themes of slavery, freedom, and morality. While Twain does draw upon memorable and interesting characters, including the illiterate run-away slave named Jim, the novel revolves around and focuses on the changing moral consciousness of its main protagonist and narrator, Huckleberry Finn.
Twain’s story takes place shortly after the emancipation of slavery in the US and addresses the consequences of this historic decision. The novel has been seen as a commentary on racism and civil rights. In addition, the novel addresses such topics as superstition, survival, virtue and interracial relationships. Twain makes use of sly wit and humor to make his point, offering a scathing critique of racism, small-town life and the hypocrisy of religious morality. He also critiques the error of believing that freedom exists externally instead of existing within an individual.
The novel also contains other social and political themes such as man’s relationship with nature and the state of slavery versus freedom. In his writing, Twain reveals his own thoughts on the social issues of the time.
Reception & Legacy
Huckleberry Finn has been extremely well-received by audiences across the world. It is one of Twain’s most beloved works and is regularly taught in school curriculums. It is often included in both the canon of American literature and is commonly considered one of the Great American Novels.
Twain had a natural ability to capture the culture and spirit of their times through his work and this was especially prominently seen in Huckleberry Finn. The novel has been praised for its realism and insight. The novel has also been seen as a commentary on the critiques of racism, freedom and morality in the 1800s.
Huckleberry Finn has become a staple of American literature and is one of the most widely read and diverse books of all time. Its legacy has made such a significant cultural impact that the novel has been adapted into film, theatre, opera and musicals. To this day, it is still widely praised for its linguistic ingenuity and for being able to capture the spirit of the American Age.
Critical Analysis
The novel has received significant criticism for the use of a racial slur in the text. Despite this, Twain’s original manuscript remains unchanged and the novel still appears in literature courses around the world. In fact, the use of the racial slur itself has been seen by some as part of the statement that Twain has been making in his writing. By using the racial slur, Twain was emphasizing how crude and unjustified racism is just as it was during the 1840s.
Huckleberry Finn serves as an important reminder of the issues of race and inequality, while raising questions and debates that are still relevant to this day. Twain’s narrative voice conveys how language can be used to separate and alienate people, something which is still seen in discourse today. The choice of dialect to the characters helped establish their personas and in a way, highlighted racial divides that are still persistent in society.
Though Twain’s work was seen as controversial at the time, his writing has become one of the oldest works to ever be adapted into theatrical performance. Huckleberry Finn has served as an important example of how literature can be used as an instrument of social commentary, as well as a commentary on the topic of free will. The novel has served as reminder that, no matter what external circumstance an individual may face, there will always be a choice for them to make.
Reception & Adaptations
Huckleberry Finn has been adapted many times over the years and has been met with a lot of success. The novel was adapted into a musical film in 1960 and a stage musical in 1985, which ran for five months on Broadway. In 2011, a movie adaptation of the novel was released and met with critical acclaim by viewers. There have also been many animated versions of the novel which have been released.
Huckleberry Finn has also been adapted into several video games, such as the 2002 game Huckleberry Finn and his Friends, which was released on the Nintendo Game Boy Color. The game sold over one million copies. It is safe to say that due to its popularity, Huckleberry Finn has withstood the test of time, continuing to appeal to different audiences for more than a century.
The novel has been praised for its realism and its ability to capture the moments and culture of the time period. Twain’s use of language and humor has been useful in reflecting social issues from the 1800s to this day. The success of the novel has made it a staple in literature courses around the world and its legacy remains unchanged.
Conclusion
Mark Twain wrote Huckleberry Finn amidst extensive research and careful planning. The novel was an immediate success and continues to be today. With themes of freedom, morality, and racism, the novel serves as an important reminder of social issues that were present during the late 19th Century and are still seen today. Through video games, musicals, and theatrical adaptations, Huckleberry Finn remains one of Twain’s most beloved works and continues to prove its timelessness across the world.
