Huck Finn Essay

Requirements:

2-3 pages max, MLA Format (double spaced, headers with name and page number, 1 inch margins, Times New Roman), focus on organization with a review of element focus (thesis, topic sentences, quote integration) from TSL essay.

Topics

1.  Trace the River as a symbol throughout the story. What do you think the river symbolizes? How do you know?

2.  What is the biggest obstacle that Huck must overcome/what is his biggest struggle (Family, Society, government, nature, religion, his peers)? Why do you think so?

3.  Which literary movement (Naturalism, Regionalism, or Realism) do you think influenced Mark Twain the most as he was writing Huck Finn? Why do you think so? Why is this important?

4.  Pick one theme: racism, hypocrisy/ pretending, civilization vs. savagery, nature vs. nurture, or friendship and trace its development. What plot elements does Twain use to further this theme? What commentary on society does Twain make by incorporating this theme into the novel?

5.  Is Huck Finn a call to fight racism or a racist piece? Defend your view using evidence from the text.

6.  Consider Twain’s choice to write this novel from Huck’s first person point of view. Why did Twain choose Huck? What kind of commentary does he make through Huck that he would not be able to make through other characters? If he had chosen another character’s point of view, what would be lost from this story? Consider Huck’s age, background, innocence, and humor.

7.  Tom Vs. Huck. Consider Tom and Huck as symbols for establishment and anti-establishment. Or, consider how background, education and relationships mold their attitudes and values.

For a challenge:

8.  Consider the use of diction in this novel. Why does Twain use particularly powerful words? Does he use them effectively? How does his use of these words enhance diction, character development, or theme?

9.  Consider the use of humor in the novel. Humor often stems from cruelty. What is Twain’s purpose for the humor in this novel? Is it to lighten dark situations? Is it to satirize? Trace three situations in which Twain uses humor and elaborate on Twain’s purpose. Why is this significant?

Writing Focus: ELA11W1, and ELA11W2

Through your Scarlet Letter essay, you have mastered quote integration (lead-ins, lead-outs, and punctuation), thesis statement development, and use of topic sentences. In this paper, you should continue to demonstrate your mastery of these elements, and work towards demonstrating mastery of the following:

Introduction:

-  Uses a hook to engage the reader

-  Moves from general to more specific (flying v form) as the argument progresses

-  Thesis statement acts as the final sentence of the introductory paragraph

Organization:

-  Supports statements and claims with anecdotes, descriptions, facts and statistics, and specific examples.

-  Structures ideas and arguments effectively in a sustained way and follows an organizational pattern appropriate to the purpose and intended audience of the essay.

Conclusion:

-  Attains closure (I.E. By including a detailed summary of the main points, restating the thesis, generalizing the thesis or controlling idea for additional purposes, or employing a significant quotation that brings the argument in the composition together.)

-  ANSWERS the SO WHAT? QUESTION!

Rubric for Huck Finn Paper: FOCUS: ORGANIZATION!

Component / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 / Total
Introduction / Uses an interesting and relevant hook. Moves smoothly and interestingly from general to specific to establish the thesis. Thesis statement is the final sentence. / Uses a relevant hook. Moves smoothly from general to specific to establish the thesis. Thesis statement is the final sentence. / Uses a hook. Moves from general to specific to establish the thesis. Thesis statement is the final sentence. / Attempts to use a hook but does not do so effectively. Attempts to move from general to specific. Thesis statement is not the final sentence. / Does not use a hook. Does not attempt to move from general to specific. Thesis statement does not exist.
Organization / Always Supports ideas with appropriate, interesting, and eloquent anecdotes, descriptions, facts and statistics, and/or specific examples.
Structures ideas and arguments effectively in a sustained way and follows an organizational pattern appropriate to the purpose and intended audience of the essay. / Consistently Supports ideas with appropriate anecdotes, descriptions, facts and statistics, and/or specific examples.
Structures ideas and arguments in a sustained way and follows an organizational pattern. / Consistently supports ideas with anecdotes, descriptions, facts and statistics, and/or specific examples.
Struggles to structure ideas and arguments or follow an organizational pattern. / Sometimes supports ideas with anecdotes, descriptions, facts and statistics, and/or specific examples, OR
struggles to structure ideas and arguments or follow an organizational pattern. / Rarely Supports ideas with appropriate, interesting, and eloquent anecdotes, descriptions, facts and statistics, and/or specific examples. Struggles to structure ideas and arguments. Little semblance of an organizational pattern.
Closure / Eloquently and relevantly attains closure by including a detailed summary of the main points, restating the thesis, generalizing the thesis or controlling idea for additional purposes, or employing a significant quotation that brings the argument in the composition together.)
Successfully and relevantly ANSWERS the SO WHAT? QUESTION! / Relevantly attains closure by including a detailed summary of the main points, restating the thesis, generalizing the thesis or controlling idea for additional purposes, or employing a significant quotation that brings the argument in the composition together.)
Attempts somewhat successfully to answer the so what? question / Attains adequate closure by including a detailed summary of the main points, restating the thesis, generalizing the thesis or controlling idea for additional purposes, or employing a significant quotation that brings the argument in the composition together.)
Clearly struggles to answer the so what? question / Attains minimal or insufficient closure by including a summary of the main points, restating the thesis, generalizing the thesis or controlling idea for additional purposes, or employing a significant quotation that brings the argument in the composition together.)
Does not answer the so what? question. / Does not attain closure by including detailed summary of the main points, restating the thesis, generalizing the thesis or controlling idea for additional purposes, or employing a significant quotation that brings the argument in the composition together.)
Does not attempt to answer the so what? question
EXTRA CREDIT / 5 points extra for perfect use of thesis, topic sentence, and quotation integration. Highlight all elements. / 4 points extra for only 1 mistake in thesis, topic sentence, and quotation integration. Highlight all elements. FIX your 1 mistake. / 3 points extra for 2-3 mistakes in thesis, topic sentence, and/or quotation integration. Highlight all elements. FIX all of your mistakes. / 2 points extra for highlight all elements of thesis, topic sentences, and quotation integration. FIX all of your mistakes. / 1 point extra for highlighting all elements of thesis, topic sentences, and quotation integration. Did not attempt to fix mistakes or did not fix all mistakes.