The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Persuasive Essay Questions

1.  Is The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn a novel of bildungsroman?

Many critics like Lionel Trilling and T.S. Eliot have called the ending (specifically the episode surrounding the Phelps’ place) disappointing. Other critics are harsher: “What went wrong with Twain’s novel?” One source of their frustration is the seeming moral regression of the narrator during this episode. Use three different episodes of Huck’s travels considering his decisions, reactions and behavior to argue why The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is or is not a novel of Bildungsroman. You must address the Phelps’ episode in one of the supporting paragraphs of your argument.

2.  Can a seemingly unconnected episode or symbol actually work as the cornerstone for Twain’s novel?

The structure of Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is episodic from the beginning to end; however, all of these episodes, despite their seeming randomness, can be analyzed to identify a common theme. Choose a specific episode or symbol that appears to be an unrelated incident or an insignificant item/occurrence and create an argument that demonstrates this incident, item or occurrence as paramount in conveying one of the novel’s themes and unifying/clarifying other episodes from the novel.

3.  Is Twain’s novel one of optimism or pessimism?

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn portrays a wide variety of settings, characters and moral dilemmas. Some critics argue that Twain’s acerbic use of humor is a mask for highlighting the extraordinary potential of human beings to improve the world around them while others suggest that his humor is a thin veil for consistent criticism of man’s inability to empathize and think critically. Create an argument that proves Twain uses humor and satire to evince a theme of guarded optimism or one of outright pessimism.

4. Does Twain’s satire succeed?

It is widely accepted that Twain’s protagonist brings both humor and purpose to what would otherwise be a

darker tale of human subjugation and cultural blindness. However, many critics argue that Twain’s intended

purpose is lost through his use of humor, giving the audience more to laugh at than to actually think about.

Create an argument that proves that Twain successfully employs satire to point out human failings

and create a pathway toward improved morality, or create an argument that proves that Twain

creates a novel with a sense of humor but no real constructive message.