Apologia

Catherine Kish

Mrs. McConkey

ENG 3UE

December 5, 2011

Mark Twain: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Are The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn classic novels? One of the meanings that defines classic is ,"of an established set of artistic or scientific methods or standards" (Dictionary.com). Are these novels classics? Well, when faced with this meaning, and the novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn only one answer comes to mind; absolutely! One might think this because both of these novels are relatable, they teach lessons and they have historical significance. Both of these books are hard to forget and are sure to leave an impact on any reader now and well into the future.

One reason why these books are classics is because they are and will continue to be very relatable. In both of these books the main characters have to deal with their conscience. For example, when Huck and Tom see a man get murdered, they debate whether they should tell or keep it a secret; "Every reference to the murder sent a shudder to his heart, for his troubled conscience" (Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 117). This is significant because, people of today and well into the future will always have struggles between good and bad. There are always two paths in life and the decision over which path to choose is always influenced by human conscience. Another aspect of both of these books is the wanting to have a carefree life of fun and adventure. Everyone at some point feels the urge to rebel and break the rules to have fun. Huck and Tom also feel this way which inspires them to go on all of these exciting adventures; "[Huck] 'I'll foller him; I will by jingoes.' [Tom] 'Now your talking! Don't you ever weaken, Huck, and I won't" (Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 137). The last way in which this books are relatable is through the discrimination that takes place, particularly in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Inequality still exists in many aspects of our society and will continue to well into the future. It has been shown through history that discrimination is always imminent and there have even been numerous wars such as the Civil War because of it. Regardless of how fair society tries to make life, someone is always going to feel like an outsider. These books show how we can adapt to the discrimination around us and not let society influence our lives. For example, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck befriends Jim even though at that time, it was extremely looked down upon. If there ever comes a time when conscience, freedom and inequality aren't issues, this book will still be popular because even though "[Huckleberry Finn's] a rapscallion, but we can't help but like and remember him." (Book Review) Overall, these books are very relatable because, they deal with conscience, freedom and discrimination.

The lessons that are taught in these books are substantial and significant. One of the first in the book occurs when Tom runs away from home. While away, Tom learns that with freedom comes responsibility. These books also prove the fact that "freedom is equated with standing outside society's rules"(Novelguide). When people know that they can get away with something, an element of freedom and independence is always brought in. For example, every teenager in the world at some point has to leave their parents and childhood behind. Some do crazy thinks like drugs and alcohol just to say they did. Most through just chose to leave their rooms messy because they know their parents won't say anything. However, they all come to learn the same thing as Tom when he runs away. Another lesson that these books teach is to tell the truth. When Huck tells the truth, he reaps the rewards and shows the benefits of doing what's right. "This novel seems to draw a thick line between harmless lies and morally corrupt ones" (Shmoop). The last lesson is to treat everyone equally. This lesson is particularly important in terms of what is mentioned in the previous paragraph. In-equality does and will exist forever. This lesson can hopefully minimize the effects in-equality has on people.

The last reason why these books are classics is because they are historically significant. In the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, African-Americans are forced into slavery and are treated very poorly. However, Huck chooses not to listen to the people around him and befriend a slave so that he can save him. This is historically significant because at the time that this book is set in (right before the civil war) this would have been looked at as a horrible and disgusting. As a matter of fact, when this book was published, there was a lot of controversy surrounding it because people still weren't ready to accept the slaves as equals; "A month after it's publication, a Concord, Massachusetts, library banned the book, calling its subject matter "tawdry" and its narrative voice "coarse and "ignorant." (history.org). It is also significant because, it is almost a prediction of what is to come in the future. Nowadays, equality is put from in center and a substantial effort is made for people of every race and religion to feel included. A way in which The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is historically significant is through the treatment of children. In this book, the parents have a lot more trust in their children and let them have a little bit more free range. Now, children are coddled and overprotected way too much. This books show how children can have a bit more freedom and can make decisions for themselves. In general, these books are historically significant because they are a prediction of future societies and show the circumstances from which this book is written.

Overall, both of these books deserve the title 'classic'. They both cover historically relevant topics, teach lessons, and will continue to be very relatable. These attributes combine into an exciting, interesting and undoubtedly classic book.