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Analysis of Say It Ain't so Huck

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Submitted By nishu27
Words 356
Pages 2
Nishat Anzum
RR #5
Say It Ain’t So, Huck by Jane Smiley, Pg. 815
Brief Summary
Throughout her piece, Jane Smiley’s underlying purpose remains to criticize Twain in his writing of Huckleberry Finn. Smiley carries a skeptical and disapproving tone throughout her essay. Her first argument is that the last twelve chapters of the book was a complete “failure”. She supports this with the fact that the novel strayed from its central focus: the relationship between Huck and Jim. She also argues that the novel had a weak beginning as well as a weak ending and that the author did not really know the actual meaning of racism, and due to this, the novel had no deep meaning. Lastly, Smiley argues that a better novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, should be considered a greater novel than Huckleberry Finn because it carries better propaganda and holds better messages of racism.
Questions
1. Literal- Is Smiley’s thesis clearly stated in the essay? If so, where is it and what is it? 2. Literal- What novel does Smiley contrast Huckleberry Finn to? Why does she say that it is a better novel? 3. Interpretive- Huck is supposed to be the hero of the story. What major aspect of the novel demonstrates that the novel is another failure because Huck was not emphasized as a hero? 4. Interpretive- What characteristics of the character Jim make him inferior in the novel, according to Smiley? 5. Evaluative- Early in the essay, Smiley says that she isn’t criticizing the character Huck, but do you think that is true? Isn’t because of Huck that Jim is seen as inferior? 6. Evaluative- What are some notable omissions/shortcomings in Smiley’s arguments? What does she leave out that decreases her credibility?

Significant Quotation and Why
“Jim is never autonomous, never has a vote, always finds his purposes subordinate to Huck’s, and, like every good sidekick, he never minds” Pg.

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