Discuss "Huckleberry Finn" as a Realist novel.

by akulmunjal (student)

International Baccalaureate World Literature

December 2nd 2012

IB lit. Morris

Essay choice 1

        Realism emerged as a literary movement in the late 19th century, as a response to the growing Romantic Movement. Realism heavily relies on lifelike experiences, whereas Romanticism is centered on exuberance, and extraordinary situations. Realists prided themselves with basing their works on ordinary situations, and ordinary people. In Jack London’s To Build A Fire, as well as Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the protagonists are both ordinary people, however their circumstances result in extraordinary outcomes. Both Twain, and London exemplify realism in various aspects of their writing; however, the description of the physical setting (nature), as well as the description of the social environment (society) construct a realistic and realist situation.

In Realist literature authors describe physical settings without emotional interference. The settings compromise realistic physical environments. Twain uses sophisticated yet simple language to engineer his Realist environment, “The first thing to see, looking away over the water, was a kind of dull line - that was the woods on t'other side; you couldn't make nothing else out,” (90). Although Huck connects with nature, Twain confines his setting to reality. London depicts the natural environment in a similar fashion, “It was a clear day, and yet there seemed an intangible pall over the face of things, a subtle gloom that made the day dark, and that was due to the absence of the sun,”(London 1). This line creates an unremarkable setting in the Yukon. However, London also portrays his naturalist beliefs when he constructs this environment. Naturalism emphasized the belief that natural environments were impossible to conquer, and in the bout for survival one must accept his or her shortcomings. In the passage London describes the weather as well as the light in order to create a threatening mood. This use of imagery portrays how the man is at the mercy of his physical environment. Both Huck and The Man exist as individuals within physical environments that do not bear Romantic characteristics-the environments simply exist.

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        Twain and London create Realist social environments. Huck exists within the mid 19th century slave owning environment; Twain places Huck in a society that Huck does not belong in, and Twain portrays the society with positives as well as negatives, the Widow Douglas acts morally on several accounts: by adopting Huck, and by going to church. However she has a darker side, “And she took snuff too; of course that was all right, because she done it herself,” (Twain 2). The widow prohibits Huck from smoking; however, she will consume snuff. Twain uses the widow and other characters such as Aunt Polly, Tom Sawyer, and Judge Thatcher to illustrate the paradoxical social order. These characters all attempt to act morally, however they all condone slavery and the subjugation of blacks. This paradox makes Huck feel stifled and he resorts to the Mississippi for refuge, and he breaks free from society, “it's lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened,” (Twain 90).  Huck learns that he can live on his own terms, by existing in a closed circuit environment without the stifling effects of society. London begins To Build A Fire by describing The Man’s environment and hereditary, thus he effectively describes The Man’s descent to fate, “ It was not because he was long used to it. He was a newcomer!” (London 1). The man’s arrogance and ignorance result in his suffering. London describes The Man’s mindset with ordinary language to show the ordinary nature of arrogance; anybody can act arrogantly and ignorantly. Furthermore London refers to The Man simply as The Man, because London wants his protagonist to symbolize society.

Both Twain and London emphasize the importance of hereditary, as well as the environment. Twain ridicules society by creating a Realist environment; one in which nobody is perfect. London creates a character that ignores his physical environment while relying solely on his heredity. These contrasting focal points create two characters that do end up acting in extraordinary fashions. Twain and London do this to show how everybody has the potential to achieve greatness; however, in order to achieve greatness one first accept his or her shortcomings.