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The views given in Toni Morrison’s analysis were more negative than positive. My opinion on “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” matched up to her critique is highly on point. The issue of feeling uncomfortable when saying or reading the slang that refers to an african american male or women is described the same way I felt reading it. Morrison breaks down the book very easily and helps create an understandable analysis. She goes on a while interpreting how Huck can’t settle down anywhere and is afraid to travel alone since even the most simple things seem to trigger him. Except when Jim and Huck escape on the raft and go on an adventure all of those feelings of being afraid and left behind don’t appear as much as they intend to. Her view on Jim is one of fatherly figure that has been missing in Huck’s life since his pap was an abusive drunkard. Morrison goes deeper with this interpretation and states that Jim is the piece holding Huck together from breaking out in fear and remorse. Jim is helping take away all the troubles Huck has felt. The only thing holding this great friendship apart is segregation of blacks and whites that don’t allow this type of interaction since back then blacks were viewed as property and not people. Either Way even though races were viewed differently and social status was imperative, Huck is still wanting to go on this friendship.
Morrison’s reaction to Pap’s death is very different from mine since she explained that it was a very chilling and “cold” encounter when Jim told Huck his money was safe considering that his father is dead. I viewed his death as a brush off the shoulder since he didn’t really in my opinion play a big role in the hole novel but I do agree that he shaped Huck in some ways from his abuse. In another stance I partially agree when Morrison speaks on how Huck has had a troubling past especially because of his abusive childhood led on by his father. She specifies that Huck won’t let go of past events seeing that his father use to beat him and he’d have to hide away his inconveniences until time passed and never come to resolve them. Huck spent the majority of his time fleeing from his dad, because he was afraid his dad would beat him. After adding on to her interpretation I have to agree with her analysis. It truly wasn’t a great a book to read but helped touch on topics that have gone missing for a while now.
Morrison goes on to speak of Huck’s growth throughout the story which resembles Mr. Peterson’s treatment of him. Morrison goes on explaining that growth with Huck is inevitable, that there are many specific points in the book where growth can be spotted. This leads me to compare Mr. Peterson’s in depth analysis that the book dies when Huck comes to understand that people can be cruel and unforgiving at moments that shaped him. When growing up you often go alongside what others do, whether its your relatives or friends that have been influencing you in different but subtle ways.
Toni Morrison’s overall summary of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are very easy to agree with, because she plainly goes into detail about what she believes. Morrison of course wouldn’t be able to cover every little detail but she spoke upon topics that really stood out like the society, slavery, and spoke about the mood and tone that the book gave her when she read it in different phases of her life.