Dreiser and London

True Art Speaks Plainly
I now fully understand the meaning of realism. According to Theodore, from what I gather, art is not art unless its tells the truth exactly as life is. that is why many people argued against the ending of Huckleberry Finn. "The sum and substance of literary as well as social morality maybe expressed in three words--tell the truth." However, I don't exactly agree as to what his definition of truth is. True art tells the truth of the human spirit, even if the tale is unrealistic. I do sincerely appreciate what Dreiser had to say about "the mental virtue of the reader." Anyone who is ready The Kite Runner should agree.

What Life Means to Me
Well, London certainly speaks his truth and is highly effective in defending his beliefs about society. And holy cow. I do feel bad for the guy, but what an excellent writer he has become through his struggles. Not only a socialist but a rhetorician as well. He definitely presents a unique perspective of society that gets the reader thinking.

At this point I realize I have read the wrong texts. Screw it. I'm publishing these anyway.

King and Duke?

More like Knave and Douche!

"After all this long journey, and after all we'd done for them scoundrels, here was all come to nothing, everything all busted up and ruined, because they could have the heart to serve Jim such a trick as that, and make him a slave again all his life, and amongst strangers, too, for forty dirty dollars."

Congrats Twain. Your pen has done its job. My emotions have been evoked. Prepare yourself.

Adults do tend to screw things up for Huck. He escaped pap, he's managed his freedom for this long, his plans are generally logical and he's never out to harm anyone. And then the two douchey douchebag frauds come along and mess up everything.

It does make me sad how honest Twain's portrayal is of men like the "Duke" and the "King."

What does this say about humanity? Adulthood? Of course a person isn't actually required to be mature to be an adult. Kind of like horrible people don't have to be tested to be allowed to have children. But still, it does make me frustrated. But there will always be bad guys, there will always be sellouts, there will always be horrible parents, and a child's dreams will always get interrupted by douchebags at some point in time. And yes, I KNOW that Twain told me not to go moral hunting.... but come on. Obviously we're supposed to learn something here.

I guess I just need still to figure out where in the novel the hope for society is. Because obviously we all can't just fake our deaths and go floating around a river for the rest of our lives. And even then, we can't avoid the crazies.

I'm getting ahead of myself. It's not like this is a tale about all the bad people Huck has met. There are the Mary Janes of the novel too. And the Grangerfords. Though they definitely still fit the crazy category.

However, it's all just a story. A commentary on society and an artistic approach to regionalism.

Where bad things happen to my Good Buddy Huck.

Time to read on!

Huck's Hiatus

People are crazy. I can't get over how many illogical, ignorant and violent tendencies people in large groups can have. Groups of people are an intriguing animal. Twain holds up a critical mirror to society in that respect several times throughout the novel, especially after the Duke and King show up. People in groups get weird.

Examples of these Occurrences:

• Jim's Hat
• when a couple people believe Jim's superstitious tales, the word spreads quickly and several people follow lead, despite the fact that he truly makes it up
• Tom Sawyer's Gang
• innocent boys plan to become murderers and robbers... for no other reason then to be doing it together
• Sheperdsons vs. Grangerfords
• families murder each other for reasons no one can remember
• Col. Sherbern's Lynch Mob
• people decide to lynch a man in broad daylight and HE convinces them to scatter
• The Royal Nonesuch
• audience members decide to lie to their friends so they aren't singled out as stupid

Perhaps that's where Twain decided to take the novel after his three year hiatus--to give a social commentary on man's lack of ability to think for himself. I also think humans have a tendency to feel entitled and to look for reasons to prove their entitlements. And they might find that opportunity anywhere, whether its by lynching a man to honking their horns in traffic. This illustrative mirror of human tendencies is an example of how this novel is realist.

Twain pulls an "Alice and Mad Hatter" tactic in his story telling. For you can't tell how crazy society can be unless there is a character who the reader can sharply contrast it with. From the outside of "civilization" and on his raft, Huck observes how messed up people are on land. He tries to shed their ways like he sheds his clothes. This is also apparent in the way Huck makes moral decisions. They are never based on societal rules, but rather spiritual questions of right and wrong (another reason why I love him). And because he is not man but rather a boy on a raft in a river, he thinks for himself.

My Good Buddy Huck

I never thought I would like a character so much as Lizzie Bennett or Peter Pan. However, this sad failure of an English major (I say this because I am probably the only major who hasn't) had never met Huckleberry Finn. I find myself becoming distracted at times because I can't stop wondering how Mr. Samuel Langhorne Clemens Mark Twain created such a boy. It's as though along with his two names, Twain carried two full minds, two sets of experiences. Its rare in a novel, even in one that's in first person, when the reader can easily understand and still be delightfully surprised by a character's thoughts, ideas and actions.
Something that makes me a little sad however is that I'm a little hesitant to look for symbolism. Perhaps I took Twain's warnings at the beginning of the novel a little too seriously. 
On second thought, perhaps its symbolism in itself. My Good Buddy Huck is like the river he's ridden on. And it's obvious why.

Fancy for Fiction

How much could we accomplish if we gave up watching television shows for an extra hour of work? Or gave up reading stories to our children and instead read them textbooks and biographies? Or if instead of supporting theater, we attended science conventions every weekend. Something would be missing. 

From the very first "Once Upon a Time" humans have illustrated an inkling for made up stories, folklore and tales--a fancy for fiction. But why is this? Why do we feel compelled to the network comedies, featured films, and best seller books? The answer is not to attempt escape from reality. And it certainly isn't because reality is boring. But if we look back to the Realist Age of Literature, we find that fiction is tool for exploring inner truths. (page 11)

Humans have a fancy for fiction because we find ourselves in it, as a people. Even when I read a tale of someone as different from me as Huckleberry Finn, I'm looking for a new understanding of myself in God's world. Next time you think to yourself that your fictitious fancies might be a waste of time, think again. The discoveries made through stories will doubtlessly lead to some of your own. Read, react, respond. Endlessly.