English III/WilshireName ______

Huck Finn Essay/Class NotesDate ______

Period ______

Satire and Authorial “Motive” in Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Following our reading, or viewing, of Twain’s Huck Finn, utilize the notes below and your own ideasto write an essay addressing the issue of authorial “motive.” In creating a type of rhetorical analysis, answer the question, Why do you believe Mark Twain wrote Huck Finn? (That is, what does Twain “want,” from your perspective?) I would like your essay to focus on eithersatire or the picaresque.

I would also like your essay to focus on two of the following “topics” (that would be relevant to either satire or the picaresque):

the duke and the dauphin (taking in $465 in 3 performances of “The Royal Nonesuch,” end of ch 23, beginning of ch 24; pp. 149-153, Bantam ed.; nearly conning Mary Jane Wilks of $6,000 through their disguise as the Wilks’ brothers (chs 25-30), and separating the slave mothers and children in the auction (p. 183; ch 27) in the process)

the feud of the Shepherdsons and Grangerfords (chs 17-18)

the “rescue” of Jim (chs 34-40)

Thus, the majority of your paper should be a discussion of these 2 topics (please deal with one of them at a time).

With a focus on either satire or the picaresque, I would like you to explain how Twain, through this novel, provides a satire of both human nature and American culture at that time (and even somewhat of today), providing yourperspectiveson why Mark Twain might have written this novel.

Requirements:

A Pre-writing (cluster or other prewriting) and Rough Draft are required. The final draft of your essay needs to be typed (and submitted through turnitin.com). Minimum 1 ½ to 2 pages (double-spaced, with one inch margins) is required for this. Also, your essay will need MLA style parenthetical references, and a Works Cited page specifying your edition. If you would like to get some extra credit for this essay, you may do some research (on Twain, satire, the picaresque, etc.) in books or articles, including these in your Works Cited page (no internet sources allowed for this). Pre-writing, rough draft, and final draft due on ______.

OPTIONAL: You may, instead of focusing on satire and the picaresque, make your focus the use of irony (both verbal and dramatic) in Huck Finn. (For example, where does Twain write one thing, but mean another? Where do we find unexpected endings?) However, you should still follow all guidelines above, including explanations of 2 of the above topics, a discussion of authorial motive, and reference to either satire or the picaresque in your discussion of irony in Huck Finn.

Examples of Quotes You Should Utilize in Your Essay (as well as Parenthetical References, page numbers will appear in parentheses in your essay):

Where do the following quotes come from, and how do they relate to satire?

  • “‘we’ll have them tarred and feathered, and flung in the river!’” (187) (p. 187; ch. 28)
  • “‘March off like a passel of fools and leave eight or nine thous’n’ dollars’ worth o’ property layin’ around jest sufferin’ to be scooped in?’” (176) (p. 176; ch 26)
  • “‘They can turn it into a picnic if they want to—they brought plenty of provisions” (153). (p. 153; ch 23)
  • “I ain’t a-going to tell all that happened—it would make me sick again if I was to do that. I wished I hadn’t ever come ashore that night to see such things. I ain’t ever going to get shut of them—lots of times I dream about them” (114-15). (pp. 114-15; ch 18)
  • “…found the two bodies laying in the edge of the water” (115). (p. 115; ch 18)
  • “He said if he ever got out this time he wouldn’t ever be a prisoner again, not for a salary” (266). (p. 266; ch 39)
  • “‘That ain’t got nothing to do with it. The thing for us to do is just to do our duty, and not worry about whether anybody sees us do it or not. Hain’t you go no principle at all?’” (267) (p. 267; ch 39).

Example of MLA style Works Cited page, the last page of your essay (entries are alphabetized):

______

3

Works Cited

Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Bantam: New York, 2003.

______

Class Notes:

I. Characteristics of satire

From ______= ______

Usually it involves an ______of something, in order to make it appear ______…

Examples: Compare…

______

Two types:

1) ______satire

A gentler satire, often humorous, lighthearted, criticizing some vice or folly in society, correcting through ______…

2) ______satire

A morally indignant exposé of ______and ______in society  for the purpose of improving society…

Vices – Examples (think of ______“Seven deadly sins”)

______

Follies = ______– Examples…

______

Examples of satires: ______

II. Characteristics of the picaresque

From Spanish picaro = a ______or rascal

Picaresque novel: Usually ______, it typically involves an ______account detailing the ______exploits of a typically poor, roguish hero, or ______who survives by his or her wits in a ______society. It is realistic, and often humorous. Examples: ______