Huck Finn

It's amazing to see how little progress mankind has made since the days of Mark Twain. It's been more than one hundred years since Huck Finn was first published, since that time there's been very little improvement in man's character.We still see the same things: theft, dishonesty, riots, war, slavery, child abuse, superstition, hypocrisy, murder, and fear! Though pessimistic, Twain does see some good in man's character, just not much.Since the writing of this book, we've seen the abolishment of slavery (which I think was the reason for Twain writing this story), though we are still fighting the stigma of the prejudices caused by it!We've got all same character flaws, and the best we can say for ourselves is that we still have some of the same redeeming characteristics that Huck had: Loyalty, friendship, sincerity, and love. These may not be much, but they are enough for hope for the future.These are the things that can help us to grow and progress, as Huck did. With them, we can open our eyes, and our hearts to our own weaknesses, and in so doing help us down our own rivers.And who knows, perhaps in another hundred years we can look back and be proud. This is the possibility that is Huck Finn!

After reading Huck Finn at age eight, and then reading it again in English class at age fourteen, I found that, though this is a delightful book, it is not the moral monster it is made out to be by English teachers everywhere. I don't believe that it should be banned from libraries or schools, having read it at a young age with no particular evils coming from it, but I also don't believe that it is a book that should be scrutinized as it is now. I think that everyone will take away something different from this book, and that it should be discussed, but while reading this in class everyone came up with the "right" answers, not their own personal opinions and ideas. An extension of Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn is a book that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. -LJ