Huck Finn Experiences

1. Have you read the novel –Huck Finn- before?  If so where and why?

I have read Huck Finn in high school because it was required.

2. What was your response to reading Huck Finn, and what do you remember from your reading?  Also, did you actually read the whole novel, or just parts of it?  Did you read Cliff Notes or Monarch Notes instead?

Once I stated reading Huck Finn many of the scenes and characters came back to me, most notably the wreck scene and the King and the Duke. Prior to this all I could remember is the basic plot, and a few of the characters, namely Huck and Jim. I think I read most of the book the first time, but I'm sure there were some cliff notes involved somewhere.

3. If you were assigned to read Huck Finn in a previous class, either here or in high school, how did your class as a whole react to the novel?  Why do you think your instructor assigned the novel?  How did he or she try to “teach” the novel?

I believe that we read the novel because it is a classic piece of American literature. I believe that we read the original version and did discuss the views and wording of the work. Other than that I can’t recall much more about the lesson.

4. If you were required to read Huck Finn in a previous class, what sort of assignments were you required to complete, and what exactly did you do during the classes when Huck Finn was being discussed.

I wish I could tell you, but I think we also watched the movie.

5. Huck Finn is still one of the most controversial and most banned books in America.  Why is it so controversial? 

For the most part its conflicting views on slavery and blacks in general. Arguments can be made for either side of the work, but its more about the pure content rather than the meaning behind it that earns its spot on the list.

6. Is Huck Finn still relevant to you as college student today?  Should it continue to be taught in college classrooms?

I think that it is still relevant, if nothing else just for the fact that it is a classic piece. But there are many other themes within the book that pertain to college classrooms. Some of these include the coming of age, the humanity of Jim, reflections of society through writing, and determining what is historical fact from historical fiction.

7.  The general consensus among critics is that Huck Finn is a brilliant and powerful novel, but also a flawed and problematic novel.  What do you think might be flawed and/or problematic about the novel?

I think in some parts the plot structure is a bit flawed, namely in the ending of the book. Its almost as if such a book needs an ending that will sum up the events and provide some sort of moral guidance to the reader. It is also this lack of moral guidance that I feel makes the book problematic. Some of the things Huck does in the novel are not exactly models all people should follow; yet sometimes they are portrayed as the right thing to do.

Meeting Nasser

I sat down today to speak with Nasser Almousa or as he informed me Nasser “Moses”. At first it was a bit daunting where to start with someone so culturally different than myself. We of course started with introductions and a little bit of background. I learned that Nasser is from Saudi Arabia and has been living in the US now for 2 months. He informed me that his intent was to major in sociology with a minor in political science upon completion of the intensive English program. I wasn’t quite able to determine when he began speaking English, but I had not trouble understanding what he was trying to say. It became apparent that I am not exactly the best English teacher either, which was no surprise to me, however I was able to help with a few things such as “pronounce” and “poem”.

Gradually we learned more and more about each other and he encouraged me to ask him questions about his home and his background as did I. We talked about Saudi Arabia and I told him I was interceded in visiting the United Arab Emirates. Nasser said that he had been there before and that I should definitely go if I get a chance and that the UAE is a lot more exciting for tourists than Saudi Arabia is. He also suggested that I visit Qatar, as that was one of his favorite places to visit. I asked him if he had been to a rodeo yet and he told me that he went about a month ago, I then told him that I grew up on a ranch and ride horses and he told me that he also had horses back home and enjoyed riding. He explained to me that Arabian horses were the best horses, and that was not just because he was predisposed to them. I told him that we mainly had quarter horses and he wasn’t quite sure what I meant by that so we had a good discussion about different breeds of horses and their qualities. In the end he stood by his Arabians.

I really enjoyed being able to sit down with someone from a completely different background and learn about them and what their life was like. It’s not everyday that you get an opportunity like that.  Even now I can think of several questions that I would like to ask him about what his life is like back home. I am also interested to learn what he thinks of my life and of life in general in the United States. I feel that we now have some basic background that will facilitate more in depth questions. After all I didn’t want to interrogate him or anything the first time we met. I am looking forward to learning more about Nasser “Moses” Almousa.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn brought back memories from freshman year high school. However, I feel that now I can appreciate the work of Mark Twain rather than just trying to make my way through it. Honestly I'm not sure how much I ended up reading and how much was spark notes. This time I did read the full book and I'm glad I did. I was able to pick up on some of the more subtle jests that Mr. Twain mixed into the text.

Huck has some great adventures along the mighty Mississippi River. There are times when Huck plays the coming of age character very well, but then he seems to slip right back into his old self. One of my favorite aspects about the book is the way Mark Twain pokes fun at all the characters along the way. The reader runs across some pretty backwards people that makes you question how these people managed to get through a day in their lives without killing themselves or each other. It seems that everyone in the book is dumb enough to get fooled by the twelve-year-old Huck Finn. But after all, how entertaining would it be if Huck wasn’t able to fool all of them. One of my favorite parts in the book is the when they venture to the town of Bricksville and old Boggs is drunk again riding up and down town yelling for Colonel Sherburn to come out and get what’s coming to him. Then when Sherburn finally shoots Boggs and the mob comes for Sherburn he is able to scare them off by convincing them that they are nothing but cowards and they won’t do anything about the death of Boggs. And, once again the characters are so dumb that they just walk away and leave him alone.

One of the most frustrating parts of the novel for me is the very end. Tom Sawyer decides that they need to come up with an elaborate plan to break Jim out of captivity and to make him look like true prisoner. I can understand the comedic value Twain has taken in this approach, but I personally feel that he took it to far. Once you get past the fact that they’re going to dig him out everything else is pointless and Twain is just beating a dead horse, and then keeps on beating, then beats a little more just for good measure. Finally Tom decides to tell everyone exactly what he and Huck are planning to do and he ends up getting shot for it. Poetic justice at its finest. But that’s my only major criticism of an otherwise enjoyable classic American tale.

Huck is put into many situations that force him to act more like an adult than most twelve year old boys would, however at times they young vulnerable boy comes out and we see a more realistic side of Huckleberry Finn. Throughout most of the novel we can see, for the most part, that Huck is maturing in his worldviews, especially pertaining to Jim. However, as Huck is saying his farewells he explains to the reader that the and Tom must be off to the “Injun Territory” otherwise Aunt Sally was going to try and civilize him, and he can’t stand that. Which leaves the reader with the question, how much growing up did Huckleberry Finn actually do?

Byron Nelson

Byron Nelson with the 1937
Masters Trophy

I am an avid golfer and a huge fan of professional golf, so to be flipping through an issue of Time magazine from 1937 and find a piece about legendary Byron Nelson was a great excitement to me. This issue of time was published April 12, 1937 just weeks after the Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia. Even if you are not a golf fan you surely know the significance of this tournament, or at the very least have heard of it. The Masters is the first of four majors on the PGA tour, and winning any one of those tournaments was quite an accomplishment, but especially the Masters.

This particular year the young golfer from Texas, Byron Nelson came from behind to win the tournament by two stokes and seal his first major victory. During this tournament Nelson set the record for the lowest first-round score at 66, this record wouldn’t be broken until 1976. At the time Byron Nelson was known by some on the Professional tour, but he wasn’t a significant player in the field. But with this first major win Nelson put his name on the map. He went on to win four more major events, had two Ryder Cup appearances, and won 52 professional events in all. Anyone who is from the area also knows of a tournament that takes place right here in Fort Worth in early May, The Byron Nelson Championship. So for me to grab a completely random issue of time magazine and be flipping through the pages and find someone who is so relevant to my life and my interests was awesome.

Though this article may not be a stereotypical coming of age story I can definitely say that this was a coming of age experience of sorts for the young Byron Nelson. Winning the masters launched his career as a professional golfer to a whole new level and put his name on the map. I can only imagine what it must have been like to be in his position on that day. For me it would be an amazing experience to just set foot on the grounds of Augusta National, much less play in the tournament and then go on to win it. An event like that surely has to have some sort of significant impact on all aspects of your life, especially as an aspiring golfer. So in my opinion there is no question that this was a coming of age experience for young Byron Nelson.

What intrigued me most of all about the magazine as a whole was flipping though the pages and reading articles that I now know as history, using Byron Nelson as an example, I know that he went on to win four majors, and have a tournament named after him, but a the time none of the readers knew that. For all they new this was the first and only tournament he would ever win. I obviously understood this concept before I undertook this project, but actually looking over the materials as they were when published added a new dimension to this exercise. The publication as a whole was so very different that what I am used to seeing today. There are hand drawn ads depicting new products that everyone must have and pictures of people that only exist in history books today. All of these are so simple and plain compared to the vivid and sexy images in today’s publications. It is really like stepping back into a time machine and reliving history as it was actually happening.