The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay In some works of literature, the main character often finds himself or herself in conflict with the social or moral values of his environment. Choose one novel or play of literary merit in which the character is at odds with the people around him or her, or with society at large. Write an essay in which you explain how these conflicts are essential to the overall meaning of the work. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: An Analysis of Conflict In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, author Mark Twain introduces the conflict of an individual versus society. Huckleberry Finn, the protagonist, embarks on an adventure of his own in order to escape the society that has done him wrong. With a runaway slave as his companion, Huck ventures out on the Mississippi River, observing and analyzing all aspects of the world around him. On his journey, Huck not only uncovers the hidden hypocrisy of his so-called â€Å"civilized† society, but also discovers his own inner conscience and sense of morality. Set in pre-Civil War Missouri, Huckleberry Finn’s tale captures the essence of southern society during that time period. During the early nineteenth century, slavery was still a predominant establishment in southern life. Those who owned slaves saw nothing wrong with the practice, for they had been raised believing slavery was just and acceptable. And the slaves themselves were born into the system simply accepting their fate as inferior beings. The reader sees this strange predicament in almost every situation Huck is faced with, from his temporary stay with the Widow Douglas to his encounter with Mrs. Loftus. During his stay with the Widow Douglas and her sister Miss Watson, Huck is constantly pestered to be more well-mannered and â€Å"civilized. † Miss Watson feels that Huck is in need of a spiritual saving, and so â€Å"By-and-by they fetched the niggers in and had prayers, and then everybody was off to bed,† (Page 2). While she tries to save Huck from eternal damnation, she fails to realize that she herself is practicing a much more damning institution. She ironically preaches salvation, but she herself is involved with slavery – something the Bible condemns. Another example of this irony is Huck’s confrontation with Mrs. Loftus. Although she seeks to aid Huck, she ultimately is part of the reason he is in danger. Her husband is on a search for Jim, who is wanted for not only being a runaway but also for being a suspect in Huck’s â€Å"murder. † With this, the Loftus family puts Huck in more danger than he already was in. As Huck observes the hypocrisy of his society, he feels more inclined to break away from their way of life and instead form his own conclusions about what is right and what is wrong. Huck’s struggle against society and its attempts to civilize him is the starting point of the conflict in the novel. He feels trapped by the standards society has set for him. In order to avoid his culture’s influence, Huck flees his life with the adults that have done nothing but set a bad example for him. As he forms a relationship with Jim, a runaway slave, Huck truly begins to question the morals upheld by his society. To Huck, being associated with a slave is one thing, but aiding one in escaping is an entirely different and more dangerous predicament. When Jim is captured, Huck must decide whether to turn Jim in, as society demands, or to protect and help his friend instead. Eventually, though, Huck’s inner conscience and humanity prevail, and declares that he rather â€Å"go to hell,† (Page 170) than let Jim be enslaved again. Huck’s sacrifice to save Jim in return for his own eternal soul is the ultimate climax of the story. After dealing with the conflict of a morally corrupt society, Huck’s decision to disregard the norms set for him and make up his own mind creates an epic conclusion to the story. In the end, Huck not only frees Jim from bondage but also metaphorically liberates himself of society’s control over him. With this moral reckoning, Huck can learn from the mistakes of his society and set a new path for others to follow.

A, B, C...Not As Easy As 1, 2, 3: Are College-Bound Students Prepared?

Students that go to college â€Å"to get a good job† and those â€Å"optimistic, high achieving, civic minded that hold the promise of true greatness† according to American historian and Yale graduate Neil Howe, along with his American author and Harvard graduate William Strauss, are in for quite the reality check upon arriving to college and finding that they are ill-prepared for the curriculum established at a university. The educational system in the United States has seen many changes over its history as a country, and most recently, alarming news of the US slipping greatly behind in the Global Education Race and the College Board changing college admission standards have drastically changed the face of higher education (Snider, Global Education Race). As it is, students already struggle tremendously to adjust to the overwhelming new aspects of a college life. With little preparation, these events only worsen the minimum forms of preparation offered. Many schools co ntinue to struggle to adequately arm their students with the necessary tools needed in college. In addition, George Bush’s â€Å"No Child Left Behind Act† of 2001 has been a turning point in the history of America’s Education. The placement and expectation of all students on the same level has been argued a negative one. It is clear that the repercussions of events in history have altered the environment of contemporary education of high school students aspiring to continue onto higher education. The problem of declining University retention rates and of Americans attaining a collegiate degree can be seen as a failure of the lack of academic preparation, largely due to state standardized testing and curriculum deficiencies. This failure was a result of several important events; th... ...n. â€Å"In Global Education Race, US Falls Behind.† The Hechinger Report; Huffington Internet Newspaper. October 2011. 12, May 2012 Kirst, Michael., Aguilar, Antonio., and Bueschel, Abraham. Improving Transition From High School To Postsecondary Education. Policy Analysis California Education. Berkely, California. Lotkowski, VA., Robbins, SB., and Noeth, RJ. The Role of Nonacademic Factors in College Readiness and Success. Downloaded from ACT Website. 6 May 2012. Ulluci, Kerri and Spencer, Joi. â€Å"Unravelling the Myths Of Accountability: A Case Study of the California High School Exit Exam.† Urban Review. 41.2 (2009): pages 161-173. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 May 2012 United States. Dept. of Education. National Commission on Excellence in Education. A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform. Washington: GPO, 1983. Print.

Airline Bankruptcy Filings May Be Soon

Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines are expected to file for bankruptcy protection in September to get ahead of the new bankruptcy law. The new legislature includes a provision that restricts payouts to executives in the time of bankruptcy protection and calls for quicker reorganization. Both Northwest and Delta failed to cope with rising fuel costs and continue to lose money. In fact, Northwest’s losses got even worse, with second-quarter loss going from $182 million in 2004 to $225 million in 2005. Delta’s loss in the second quarter was still higher: the airline lost $382 million. The new, more restrictive law was probably inspired by delays in the reorganization of some companies. For instance, United has been under bankruptcy protection for two and a half years. During this period the management failed to prepare a reorganization plan and has asked for several extensions of the exclusivity period. I believe this shows two things. First, it is painful to realize that the once booming airline industry has not yet recovered after September 11th attacks. True, an important factor is fuel cost, and this has been rising for a while due to increasing oil costs. But I think if the industry had not survived the nasty crisis of the attacks, it would be better prepared to meet the rise in fuel cost. Second, it shows the difficult choices the rulers of the nation have to make. Take, for instance, bankruptcy – they certainly do not want to leave the airline companies out there in the cold coping with problems on their own. On the contrary, they do not want to encourage management to reserve huge bonuses for themselves at the time of the crisis. And yet companies in trouble need all the managerial talent they can get and so need to keep their managers. It sometimes scares me to think how careful a government leader needs to be to balance all these issues in order to stimulate management but also to keep their appetites in check. No Driver’s License? No Parking Space The article by Daniel Li focuses on the problems of illegal immigrants residing in one of the apartment complexes in Anaheim, Ca., caused by the decision of the management company to deny parking right to everybody who is unable to produce a driver’s license, vehicle registration and proof of insurance. The opponents of the decision say that it is discriminating against illegal immigrants who are residing in Hermosa Village. The management definitely knows that many of the tenants are undocumented and thus have trouble getting a driver’s license. These people cannot park in the streets of the low-income neighborhood after its streets became public. Now they cannot park in front of their houses as well. The management company representatives say that they did not mean to discriminate against illegal immigrants. They merely wanted to protect the safety of their tenants and remove those who had licenses revoked after they got in trouble on the road. The issue revives the debate the rights of illegal immigrants. Many believe they should be given drivers’ licenses. On the contrary, others say giving them the right would encourage more illegal immigration. In my view, the management company has to decide for themselves how they position their housing. If they present themselves as cheap property for all kinds of low-income families and singles including illegal immigrants, it is probably absurd to ask people to present the documents they cannot have. Otherwise, they have to declare a war on illegal immigration and start looking for more ‘decent’ tenants. True, this can be very much like cutting the branch on which one is sitting. As a management company, they have to show more consideration for the people they cater to and to be more committed to their customers who may not always be the most wealthy, well-bred or even law-abiding people in the world. Taking a stand on illegal immigration is a personal choice, but one has to be caring with one’s clients. Â  

Definition of Boycott

The word boycott entered the English language because of a dispute between a man named Boycott and the Irish Land League in 1880. Where Boycott Got Its Name Captain Charles Boycott was a British Army veteran who worked as a landlords agent, a man whose job was to collect rents from tenant farmers on an estate in northwest Ireland. At the time, landlords, many of whom were British, were exploiting Irish tenant farmers. As part of a protest, the farmers on the estate where Boycott worked demanded a reduction in their rents. Boycott refused their demands and evicted some tenants. The Irish Land League advocated that people in the area not attack Boycott, but rather use a new tactic: refuse to do business with him at all. This new form of protest was effective, as Boycott wasnt able to get workers to harvest crops. By the end of 1880 newspapers in Britain began using the word. A front-page article in the New York Times on December 6, 1880, referred to the affair of Capt. Boycott and used the term boycottism to describe tactics of the Irish Land League. Research in American newspapers indicates that the word crossed the ocean during the 1880s. In the late 1880s boycotts in America were being referred to in the pages of the New York Times. The word was generally used to denote labor actions against businesses. For example, the Pullman Strike of 1894 became a national crisis when a boycott of railroads brought the nations rail system to a halt. Captain Boycott died in 1897, and an article in the New York Times on June 22, 1897, noted how his name had become a common word: Capt. Boycott became famous through the application of his name to the relentless social and business ostracism first practiced by the Irish peasantry against the detested representatives of landlordism in Ireland. Although a descendant of an old Essex County family in England, Capt. Boycott was an Irishman by birth. He made his appearance in County Mayo in 1863 and according to James Redpath, he had not lived there five years before he won the reputation of being the worst land agent in that section of the country. The 1897 newspaper article also provided an account of the tactic that would take his name. It described how Charles Stewart Parnell  proposed  a plan to ostracize land agents during a speech in Ennis, Ireland, in 1880. And it described in detail how the tactic was utilized against Captain Boycott: When the Captain sent for the tenantry on the estates for which he was agent to cut the oats, the whole neighborhood combined in a refusal to work for him. Boycotts herdsmen and drivers were sought out and persuaded to strike, his female servants were induced to leave him, and his wife and children were obliged to do all of the house and farm work themselves. Meanwhile his oats and corn remained standing, and his stock would have been unfed had he not exerted himself night and day to attend to their wants. Next the village butcher and grocer declined to sell provisions to Capt. Boycott or his family, and when he sent to neighboring towns for supplies he found it absolutely impossible to get anything. There was no fuel in the house, and nobody would cut turf or carry coal for the Captains family. He had to tear up floors for firewood. Boycotting Today The tactic of boycotting was adapted to other social movements in the 20th century. One of the most significant protest movements in American history, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, demonstrated the power of the tactic. To protest segregation on city buses, African American residents of Montgomery, Alabama, refused to patronize the buses for more than 300 days from late 1955 to late 1956. The bus boycott inspired the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and changed the course of American history. Over time the word has become quite common, and its connection to Ireland and the land agitation of the late 19th century has been generally forgotten.