Huck Finn Post 2

The relationship between Jim and Huck throughout the novel is that of a father and son. They depend on one another to make their way north and it is evident that they also care about each other’s safety. “Come in, Huck, but doan’ look at his face- it’s too gashly.” (Twain 57). When Huck and Jim stumble across a dead body Jim looks out for Huck’s wellbeing as a father would. Jim cares about Huck’s wellbeing and does not want to see him get hurt. Jim teaches Huck many different superstitions, some of which are true. Jim told Huck that it was going to rain based off of what he saw the birds doing. Soon after, Huck said, “Pretty soon it darken up, and begun to thunder and lighten; so the birds was right about it,” (55). Jim’s knowledge of the wilderness earns him Huck’s respect and loyalty.

When Huck and Jim are discussing the story of King Solomon Huck says, “‘But I tell you you don’t get the point.’” Then Jim replies, “‘Blame de point! I reck’n I knows what I knows,’” (82). Although Jim is reluctant to change his mind Huck is still able to teach him things. Huck and Jim depend on each other in order to survive. Jim needs Huck to stay loyal to him and not turn him in to the authorities before he can reach his freedom. Huck needs Jim because Jim knows more about survival in the wilderness that Huck does. Though they are codependent Jim still acts as a father figure for Huck because Huck has never had a male role model that he could trust. Jim does need Huck in order to make his way to freedom, however it is also clear that he does not just care about Huck for purely selfish reasons. Huck and Jim have a paternalistic relationship in which the mutually support each other in order to make it through their journey to freedom.

Huck Finn Post 1

It is clear in the first few chapters of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain that Huck tries to come across as a rebel who does not take orders from anyone. However, after a while it is easy to see that Huck is all talk. I believe that Huck is independent, very superstitious, and although he is rough around the edges he actually has good intentions. While it might seem that Huck has no regards for the Widow Douglas and her attempts to straighten him out, it is apparent that Huck does not want to disappoint the widow. “… but the widow she didn’t scold, but only cleaned off the grease and clay, and looked so sorry that I thought I would behave a while if I could.”(Twain 8). This scene shows that Huck does have a guilty conscience and does not like to upset the widow by disobeying her. As I mentioned Huck is also very superstitious. When he knocks over a salt shaker and the widow will not let him toss some over his shoulder he spends the whole day worrying about it. He also worries about the return of his father.

Upon meeting Huck’s father I realized that Huck was not given any sort of chance at a normal life. Growing up, he did not have a mother and was forced to put up with constant abuse from is drunken father. “‘I’ll lay for you, my smarty; and if I catch you about that school I’ll tan you good’” (14). His father does not believe in any sort of education and ridicules Huck for having received one (however slight it may be). It is no surprise that Huck does not enjoy dressing nicely and acting civilized when his father beats him for it when he finds out. Huck’s lack of guidance forced him to be very independent and to have to be able to fend for himself at a very young age. Huck may seem impolite to most, but he was dealt a bad hand. Overall, despite being raised by an unreliable drunk Huck did turn out to be a decent person.        

Transcendentalist Society Con/Pro Essay

The Burself Islands are an appealing place to live for numerous reasons. The climate and atmosphere are both peaceful and inviting. Burself is an accepting place to live, however it could not be considered a fully transcendentalist society. Although some may believe that transcendentalist societies are possible to sustain because they require a system of government, laws, and an educational system they would not be possible in today’s world.  

It could be argued that Burself could be a fully functioning transcendentalist society because everyone has the freedom to come and go as they please. No one is trapped and forced to live in Burself. Even people who are not Burselfians can come and go. Everyone is welcome, but there is no pressure to stay. Like any other society there is no limit to what you can become, however in Burself opportunities are even vaster because it is a self sustaining society that requires everyone to explore themselves and obtain specialized careers. Burself is very accepting of people’s differences and encourages people to embrace their differences. Though all of this is true Burself, or any other society, could never actually be fully transcendentalist.        

In order to maintain some order on the islands there are chiefs in charge of each island. This means that some Burselfians have power over others. Putting some people above others places less value on the individual and starts to create a hierarchy. Also, Burself has a public education system. This makes it impossible for children to truly be themselves. Schools are necessary for a society to function properly, however, they are places of conformity and are not home to true transcendentalists. The influences of others can never be fully blocked out. This is especially true for children. No child can be a transcendentalist in a society such as this because their ideas and opinions are constantly being manipulated by their parents, teachers, and everyone else in their community.

A society as a whole cannot be transcendentalist. Transcendentalists stand out in a crowd and that is how they are identified. In any society conformity will begin to occur because it is human nature to want to fit in. Some societies are more accepting than others, but all societies must have rules and guidelines to operate properly. This is problematic because laws negate the transcendentalist aspects of Burself. On Burself there are five main actions that are prohibited, this in its self means that the society could not truly be a transcendentalist society. Transcendentalists are people who are completely true to themselves whatever that may mean and it is impossible to be yourself under a set of guidelines. Transcendentalist societies have been attempted in the past, but none have succeeded. Burself would fail as well because it would face the same problems as past societies. People cannot be forced into being themselves because that defeats the fundamental goal of transcendentalism.      

All societies require a certain amount of conformity to function. Everyone must abide by the same laws and get at least a high school education. Societies have requirements and because of that no one society can be home to only transcendentalists. Though it is a very accepting society, Burself would not stay afloat for long as a transcendentalist society because it requires a form of government, a system of laws, and some form of education. 

Dead Poets Society Post

In the movie, The Dead Poets Society, transcendentalism is encouraged. However, the drawbacks that come with standing up for what you believe in are also exemplified. In the film an English teacher named John Keating is portrayed as a fairly successful transcendentalist who desperately wants his students to also become individuals. Their school, Welton is not a place where individualism is encouraged. At one point Professor Keating is giving a lesson in the school courtyard in which he urges the boys to walk to the beat of their own drum. During this lesson another teacher looks out of his window down at the lesson with a look of disapproval. Keating, however did not stop the lesson he continued on even though his unconventional methods eventually loss him his job. Keating made a big sacrifice for transcendentalism; however an even bigger sacrifice is made by Neil Perry.

Neil also took huge risks in the film. His father wanted him to focus on his studies and would not allow him to spend his time with frivolous activities like the school newspaper. Neil decided to disregard what his father said and follow his dream of being an actor. Although Neil got to act in the play once his father found out he took Neil home and told him that he would not be going back to Welton. His father’s refusal to let him follow his heart led to Neil committing suicide. He did not even want to live his life if he couldn’t follow his own beliefs. Whit nonconformity comes consequences some more severe than others. Although it is noble to stand of for what you believe in it very well might come at a cost too great to risk.    

Transcendentalism Shirt

Wearing a shirt that expressed my oddities on Monday was a positive experience. I got some interesting looks in the hallways, but I didn’t receive any ridicule. Some people stopped me and asked to read it. Most people laughed at the fact that I had written “ginger” on my shirt. The only questions that people asked were about my having written “tumblr”. Some asked what it was and one person even asked who it was. I also had someone ask, “Shouldn’t there be an e?” that made me laugh.

The only real challenge that came with wearing my custom-made shirt was keeping the letters on. About every 10 minutes I would have to super glue a letter or two back on. All in all, my transcendentalist shirt was a success. I enjoyed making it and was not ashamed at all to wear it to school; however, just doing this did not turn me into a transcendentalist. These shirts were only a small step in the right direction towards transcendentalism.   

Modern Day Transcendentalists

Nowadays you can’t even go to school without seeing a scandalous amount of skin. This problem is even more extreme on Halloween. Teenage girls use the holiday as an excuse to dress even more risqué than usual. This Halloween, however, two girls stood out by choosing to ignore this trend. Nicole Bade and Tara McClanaghan decided upon more conservative costumes. They went to a Halloween party dressed as Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy from the children’s television show, SpongeBob SquarePants. Although this act might be seen by their peers as “childish” or “weird,” they made the decision to stand out and make a statement. 

When asked, Nicole Bade said, “Although Halloween is a holiday for kids, no matter how old you are you should still take advantage of the traditional opportunity to release your usually cooped-up inner child”. It’s a challenge to find true transcendentalists in this day and age, especially in high school. Standing out is not something that most people want to do in high school, but Nicole and Tara did not let the unpopularity of their choice stop them. When choosing how to dress, these girls did not take into consideration what others might think of them; they just went out and had a good time without any worries at all. The party consisted mostly of your typical run-of-the-mill Halloween costumes that are commonly seen at any given Halloween party. There were even doubles and triples of some costumes; but not of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. Their costumes were a success and they plan to create another pair of original costumes next year. Despite the pressures of modern day society to conform the girls did what they believed to be right without letting anyone else influence their decisions and that is the mark of true transcendentalists.

Walden Essay

Modern advances have taken over every aspect of life. Although some people manage to block out some elements of the modern world, for most people that is not an option. In this day and age, avoiding technology is essentially impossible. For the vast majority of people, simplifying life is unimaginable because technological advancements are relied upon for work, school, and personal lives.

Giving up electronics is not only inconvenient, but in some cases not possible. Most jobs require at least a certain amount of technology. It is difficult to live a simple life if you are required to. Even during Thoreau’s life simplicity was fleeting. “Let us spend one day as deliberately as Nature, and not be thrown off the track by every nut shell and mosquito’s wing that falls….” (Thoreau 493). Thoreau was right in saying that people need to take a step back from their lives and appreciate nature, however, giving up one’s life in the process is not a realistic option. In Thoreau’s time period being at one with nature was much more plausible, but nowadays it is a rare pleasure to be able to detach from the chaos of modern day life. Not only at work, but also at school simply unplugging and appreciating nature is not an option. For taking notes, doing research, or even online assignments modern advances are necessary.

Aside from requirements personal enjoyment is also a reason for a more chaotic life. Although some prefer simply detaching from modern society most do not consider that an option. Socially, modern advances have made communication much easier. Though Thoreau may have viewed social networks as unnecessary they have become helpful not just for meaningless transfers of information, but have allowed better communication worldwide. “Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity…” (489). For Thoreau simplicity was an option because he did not rely upon modern advances for anything. In today’s world however, technology is essential to every part of everyday life.

      Simplicity is not possible in this day and age due to chaotic work, school, and personal lives. Though everyone should take time for nature it is unfair to ask people to completely abandon their lives for more simple ones. Lives, uncomplicated by technology may have been within reach during Thoreau’s life time, but they are not today.