Huckleberry Finn as a Response to Uncle Tom's Cabin Uncle Tom. While supporting many of Stowe's claims and motivations, Twain also found fault with several aspects of his writing. For example, Twain undoubtedly agreed with Stowe's anti-slavery stance, as well as his depiction of a moral and kind black man who triumphs over the evils of society. However, judging from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it appears that Twain disagreed with Stowe's use of the cult of domesticity, religion, language modification, and his final hopes for blacks after he was granted them freedom. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The similarities and differences between Stowe and Twain appear in their respective characterizations of Tom and Jim. In chapter 26 of Uncle Tom's Cabin, when little Eva is on her deathbed, Stowe writes the following portrait of Tom, who is at her side: "Tom had his master's hands in his; and with the tears that dark lines running down his cheeks, he looked for help where he had always been accustomed to look. 'Pray this may be shortened!' said Saint Clare, "this makes me heartbroken." It's over, - it's over, dear Master!" said Tom; 'look at it'" (321). In chapter 15 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain writes the following passage, in which Jim speaks to Huck: When I was weary with work, and called thee, I went to sleep, my heart was more weary. 'it broke because you wuz los', and I no longer knew what became er me en de raf'. And when I wake up and I'm well again, all safe and sound, I get tears and I could get down on my knees and kiss your foot, I'm so grateful. And all you were thinking about how you could fool old Jim with a lie (95). In the previous passage, Tom is portrayed as a kind, feminine, religious and well-spoken person. Jim is also described in this last quote as a gentle and feminine being, but there is no mention of religion, and he speaks in "Missouri negro dialect", as Twain calls it in the explanatory note that precedes the novel. Uncle Tom and Jim are clearly men of feelings. In both passages, in fact, the two men openly show emotion, one of the numerous characteristics of women in terms of the cult of domesticity. However, Stowe's use of the cult of domesticity was to appeal to female readers as "moral sex". In her concluding remarks, Stowe seeks to solicit women's action by appealing to all the qualities present in the feminine realm of the cult of domesticity (i.e. morality, child-rearing, education, and religion): And you, mothers of America, - you, who have learned, from the cradles of your children, to love and feel for all humanity, - for the sacred love you bring to your child; by your joy in her beautiful and immaculate childhood; by the pity and maternal tenderness with which you guide his growth; from the anxieties of his education; by the prayers you exhale for the eternal good of his soul; - Pity the mother, who has all your affection and no legal right to protect, guide, or educate the child of her womb!" (479) Twain, on the other hand, while acknowledging Stowe's use of term cult of domesticity, uses it for a different purpose to subvert notions of gender roles. In essence, he uses the cult of domesticity to undermine it is best exemplified, perhaps, by the contrast between Jim and Huck's gentle qualitiesthe artificiality and male violence that characterize the chapters involving the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons. Twain also finds fault with Stowe's extensive use of religion in Uncle Tom's Cabin. Obvious elements of religion in his novel include the typology of the American continent and the use of the Mississippi River, the sermon-like quality of the book (especially the final chapter), and, above all, the portrayal of Tom himself as a Christ figure. An example of this is in chapter 41, when Tom comes close to dying at the hands of Simon Legree, his satanic master. Even after all the harm he has suffered from Legree, Tom still prays for his safety. He says, "Oh, if [Legree] could only repent, the Lord would forgive him now; but I fear he never will!" (452) Twain pokes fun at religion early in his novel, with the Widow Douglas teaching Huck Bible stories. Huck tells the reader, "...I was sweating to find out all about [Moses]; but by and by she brought out that Moses had been dead a long time, so I didn't care about him any more; 'cause I don't care about the dead » (14-15) It is clear that while Stowe centers his novel on Christian morality and the Bible, Twain thinks that Christianity is submissive and feminine language As seen from the above deathbed passage, Tom speaks with remarkable eloquence for a black slave. This is partly because Tom's character will appeal to readers audience represents what Stowe herself did on a larger scale when writing her novel In addition to trying to be an influential author, she also tried to write a novel that would appeal to both Northerners and Southerners and Emily Shelby as "good" Southern plantation owners is an example of his attempt to appeal to Southern readers. Although Twain follows Stowe's illustration of capitalism corrupting slavery (e.g. Miss Watson plans to sell Jim, just as Arthur Shelby is forced to sell Tom), he does not engage, like Stowe, in the manipulation of language to appeal to an audience broader. In fact, Jim's "Missouri Negro dialect" is similar to the way Twain wrote his entire novel. Twain's narrator is Huck, who is in every sense of the word a realist. Huck is a very literal character who, above all, tells it like it is. Twain uses local dialects to react to the "hypercivilized" language of contemporary New England writers. This is represented in the book by Huck's refusal to be "devilized." In fact, the last lines of the novel are: "But I think I must leave for the Territory before the rest, for Aunt Sally will adopt me and make me civilized and I can't stand it. I've been there before" (296). Twain therefore also reacts against Stowe, who allowed herself to be bound by language. As Thomas Cooley notes in the preface, Huck's narrative, like Twain's, is. . .the language of speech, and it is very different from the language in which most American literature was written before 1885. The language of Irving, Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, and even Melville was a formal, "literary" language; at worst, it was sometimes inflated into what Mark Twain called "the flashiest kind of book talk" (viii). This idea of the corruption of language is closely linked to the ultimate goal or driving force behind both authors. Stowe, writing before the legal end of slavery, suggested that, after being freed, blacks should be educated and Christianized in the North, and then emigrate to Africa. In his closing words, Stowe writes: "Let the Church: 1999

Topic > Huckleberry Finn as a Response to Uncle Tom's Cabin Uncle Tom. While supporting many of Stowe's claims and motivations, Twain also found fault with several aspects of his writing. For example, Twain undoubtedly agreed with Stowe's anti-slavery stance, as well as his depiction of a moral and kind black man who triumphs over the evils of society. However, judging from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it appears that Twain disagreed with Stowe's use of the cult of domesticity, religion, language modification, and his final hopes for blacks after he was granted them freedom. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The similarities and differences between Stowe and Twain appear in their respective characterizations of Tom and Jim. In chapter 26 of Uncle Tom's Cabin, when little Eva is on her deathbed, Stowe writes the following portrait of Tom, who is at her side: "Tom had his master's hands in his; and with the tears that dark lines running down his cheeks, he looked for help where he had always been accustomed to look. 'Pray this may be shortened!' said Saint Clare, "this makes me heartbroken." It's over, - it's over, dear Master!" said Tom; 'look at it'" (321). In chapter 15 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain writes the following passage, in which Jim speaks to Huck: When I was weary with work, and called thee, I went to sleep, my heart was more weary. 'it broke because you wuz los', and I no longer knew what became er me en de raf'. And when I wake up and I'm well again, all safe and sound, I get tears and I could get down on my knees and kiss your foot, I'm so grateful. And all you were thinking about how you could fool old Jim with a lie (95). In the previous passage, Tom is portrayed as a kind, feminine, religious and well-spoken person. Jim is also described in this last quote as a gentle and feminine being, but there is no mention of religion, and he speaks in "Missouri negro dialect", as Twain calls it in the explanatory note that precedes the novel. Uncle Tom and Jim are clearly men of feelings. In both passages, in fact, the two men openly show emotion, one of the numerous characteristics of women in terms of the cult of domesticity. However, Stowe's use of the cult of domesticity was to appeal to female readers as "moral sex". In her concluding remarks, Stowe seeks to solicit women's action by appealing to all the qualities present in the feminine realm of the cult of domesticity (i.e. morality, child-rearing, education, and religion): And you, mothers of America, - you, who have learned, from the cradles of your children, to love and feel for all humanity, - for the sacred love you bring to your child; by your joy in her beautiful and immaculate childhood; by the pity and maternal tenderness with which you guide his growth; from the anxieties of his education; by the prayers you exhale for the eternal good of his soul; - Pity the mother, who has all your affection and no legal right to protect, guide, or educate the child of her womb!" (479) Twain, on the other hand, while acknowledging Stowe's use of term cult of domesticity, uses it for a different purpose to subvert notions of gender roles. In essence, he uses the cult of domesticity to undermine it is best exemplified, perhaps, by the contrast between Jim and Huck's gentle qualitiesthe artificiality and male violence that characterize the chapters involving the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons. Twain also finds fault with Stowe's extensive use of religion in Uncle Tom's Cabin. Obvious elements of religion in his novel include the typology of the American continent and the use of the Mississippi River, the sermon-like quality of the book (especially the final chapter), and, above all, the portrayal of Tom himself as a Christ figure. An example of this is in chapter 41, when Tom comes close to dying at the hands of Simon Legree, his satanic master. Even after all the harm he has suffered from Legree, Tom still prays for his safety. He says, "Oh, if [Legree] could only repent, the Lord would forgive him now; but I fear he never will!" (452) Twain pokes fun at religion early in his novel, with the Widow Douglas teaching Huck Bible stories. Huck tells the reader, "...I was sweating to find out all about [Moses]; but by and by she brought out that Moses had been dead a long time, so I didn't care about him any more; 'cause I don't care about the dead » (14-15) It is clear that while Stowe centers his novel on Christian morality and the Bible, Twain thinks that Christianity is submissive and feminine language As seen from the above deathbed passage, Tom speaks with remarkable eloquence for a black slave. This is partly because Tom's character will appeal to readers audience represents what Stowe herself did on a larger scale when writing her novel In addition to trying to be an influential author, she also tried to write a novel that would appeal to both Northerners and Southerners and Emily Shelby as "good" Southern plantation owners is an example of his attempt to appeal to Southern readers. Although Twain follows Stowe's illustration of capitalism corrupting slavery (e.g. Miss Watson plans to sell Jim, just as Arthur Shelby is forced to sell Tom), he does not engage, like Stowe, in the manipulation of language to appeal to an audience broader. In fact, Jim's "Missouri Negro dialect" is similar to the way Twain wrote his entire novel. Twain's narrator is Huck, who is in every sense of the word a realist. Huck is a very literal character who, above all, tells it like it is. Twain uses local dialects to react to the "hypercivilized" language of contemporary New England writers. This is represented in the book by Huck's refusal to be "devilized." In fact, the last lines of the novel are: "But I think I must leave for the Territory before the rest, for Aunt Sally will adopt me and make me civilized and I can't stand it. I've been there before" (296). Twain therefore also reacts against Stowe, who allowed herself to be bound by language. As Thomas Cooley notes in the preface, Huck's narrative, like Twain's, is. . .the language of speech, and it is very different from the language in which most American literature was written before 1885. The language of Irving, Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, and even Melville was a formal, "literary" language; at worst, it was sometimes inflated into what Mark Twain called "the flashiest kind of book talk" (viii). This idea of the corruption of language is closely linked to the ultimate goal or driving force behind both authors. Stowe, writing before the legal end of slavery, suggested that, after being freed, blacks should be educated and Christianized in the North, and then emigrate to Africa. In his closing words, Stowe writes: "Let the Church: 1999