Huck Finn Blog Post 2

Huck Finn and Jim act as a family for one another. Huck, growing up without a very supportive family, never spent quality time with his father and barely knew his mother. Jim is a runaway slave who is separated from his family most of the time. When Jim and Huck find each other on the island together, there is no one else there to live with. They connect and soon find that they have a family-like relationship. Jim acts as a fatherly figure for Huck. “Hello, what’s up? Don’t cry, bub. What’s the trouble” (Twain, 77)? It is important for Huck to have someone like Jim who will comfort him in his sorrow and accompany him in his loneliness. Although Huck has a father, he is an irresponsible alcoholic and pays little attention to Huck’s happiness. A parent like Jim is just what Huck needs while living in the woods all alone. The two look after one another and Jim is very much like a parent for Huck. He always wants to shelter him in every way.  “’It’s a dead man. Yes, indeedy; naked, too. He’s been shot in de back. I reck’n he’s ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan’ look at his face-it’s too gashly” (Twain, 57). This incidence is significant because Jim knows that if Huck were to look at the face of the dead man, he would not enjoy what he saw. Therefore, Jim does not allow Huck to look at the face; he is protecting him.

Protecting each other is not the only reason why Huck and Jim resemble a family. They also act as a family because they entertain each other and enjoy each other’s company, the same way a family would. The woods do not provide very much entertainment for the two, so therefore they rely on each other for their distraction from the undesirable state they are in. “I read considerable to Jim about kings and dukes and earls and such, and how gaudy they dressed, and how much style they put on, and called each other your majesty, and your grace, and your lordship, and so on, ‘stead of mister; and Jim’s eyes bugged out, and he was interested” (Twain, 81). Sharing stories and spending time together is a common occurrence for Jim and Huck. The two of them have a very special relationship; such a strong bondage between a young white boy and a grown slave is extremely uncommon.  They live in a home together in the woods where they do family-like things such as eating dinner together. “’Jim, this is nice,’ I says. “I wouldn’t want to be nowhere else but here. Pass me along another hunk of fish and some hot cornbread’” (Twain, 55). This quote shows that not only do Jim and Huck practically have to put up with one another, but they enjoy each other’s presence.  This is an important quality for a family to have, and it is definitely a quality that the two possess.

Huck Finn Blog Post 1

Throughout the first ten chapters of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain proves that Huck Finn is an independent character. Huck proves his independence by constantly taking care of himself. When Huck’s troublesome father takes Huck into the woods so they can live together, the idea of independence is presented. Huck’s father is a terrible alcoholic and leaves Huck locked in the house alone some nights. He locks Huck in the tiny cabin and goes to town and gets drunk, sometimes not returning for several days. It is during the times when Huck is alone that he must be self-sufficient. “He got to going away so much, too, and locking me in. Once he locked me in and was gone three days. It was dreadful lonesome” (Twain, 32). Living this way for several months caused a loneliness to develop in Huck’s life. He was often forced to be independent and abandoned.

Huck Finn shows by his actions that he is carefree. Huck is not living an orderly life by any means. He was taken in by a widow but did not enjoy his life there. The reason he felt this way was because of the organization. Huck does not want to live his life in an orderly way. He pays little attention to the big picture, but yet focuses on the moment he is in. The only thing Huck truly cares about is his troublesome friend, Tom Sawyer. When the housekeeper, Mrs. Watson, tells Huck that she does not think he will go to heaven, Huck barely cares. “I asked her if she reckoned Tom Sawyer would go there, and she said not by a considerable sight. I was glad about that, because I wanted him and me to be together” (Twain, 13). This is a perfect example to represent how nothing truly matters in Huck’s eyes, just as long as he is with Tom Sawyer. 

Con/Pro Essay: Is A Transcendentalist Society Attainable?

          Forever Land consists of people that practice their own beliefs and take part in what they please. A transcendentalist society like Forever Land is very hard to find in the modern world. Citizens that abide in transcendentalist societies would never be able to act the same, judge one another, or exclude someone. The imaginary society, Forever Land, preaches laws such as no judging, excluding others, stealing ideas, abusing animals, and pressuring into a belief. It is very rare to find a modern-day society that believes in all of the above. While some people may believe that a transcendentalist society would be possible in modern day society, the fact that there could be no strict laws, no severe punishments, and equality issues make it impossible for a transcendentalist society to exist today.

          Forever Land is located on an isolated island. This location could make it possible to achieve the goals of a transcendentalist society. With isolation comes independence and self-determination. Transcendentalists cannot be mixed in with the rest of the world or their beliefs would be judged and they would feel excluded. The setting of Forever Land provides a space where transcendentalists can live together and relate to one another’s individualism. In this modern day, politics would get in the way of this ideal detachment from the world. Separation cannot dispose of the fact that laws are necessary in any society. Not just rules such as pressuring, copying, or excluding, but real distinct laws that govern any society.

          Laws make a town organized and successful. Without them, terrible things are destined to occur. If a society was created that did not enforce rules including no stealing, murdering, corruption, etc, there quite possibly could be numerous disturbances. The living conditions of Forever Land may work out for a while, but the citizens would not be able to continue normal life without basic principles. Forever Land does not believe in larger figures, such as presidents or dictators. Any society lacking a leadership position will fail. The enforcement of laws is almost as important as the laws themselves.

          When a rule is broken in Forever Land, the consequences are not extreme. At the first offense, the wrongdoer would be let off with a warning. At the second offense, the offender would be required to take part in a certain amount of community service. The next offense is where the lawbreaker would be executed from the island. If Forever Land were a real society, punishments would have to be much more intense. Community service may not teach a lesson to many people. A proper punishment for committing a crime in the real world is going to jail. Jail is responsible for causing one pain for what they have done. It is penalties like prison that truly teach people a lesson and cause them to improve their actions in the future.

          In any society, one will find inequalities. It is nearly impossible to thrive in a civilization where there is no judgment or hatred between human beings. Forever Land ideally does not consist of any unfairness or inequality whatsoever. This may include gender, age, race, or position. But in a real thriving society, there must be some form of inequality. To claim a society to be without any form of discrimination is an impossible statement and cannot be achieved. Everyone is different and all people are guilty of having judged someone. A civilization lacking any injustice at all is not possible.

          Transcendentalist societies would certainly be ideal for today’s world. However, the modern population could not possibly thrive in a society like this. Factors such as a strong government are necessary in any successful living environment. It is unattainable for a civilization to not have a strong form of government, harsh consequences for wrongdoings, and inequalities of some form.

The Dead Poets Society

                “The Dead Poets Society” is a story that takes place in an all-boys boarding school called Welton Academy. Welton Academy represents pure conformity because everything is always the same. The teachers look alike, the classes are similar, and the traditions are always kept. But this all changes when a new teacher, Mr. Keating, begins to work at the school. Mr. Keating brings nonconformist ways to his classroom by teaching the boys unique ways of learning. He inspires his students to be who they want to be. Although all of the students love Mr. Keating’s class, the staff at the school does not. They strictly believe that keeping tradition is vital at Welton, and since Mr. Keating is not doing this, they eventually fire him. It was dangerous for Mr. Keating to express nonconformity at this school because he knew there would be severe consequences, but yet he still practiced nonconformity because he truly believes in it.

                A group of students at the school decides to form a Dead Poets Society, something that Mr. Keating had once taken part in when he was a student. Forming something like the Dead Poets Society is completely against the rules, but the students are willing to break the rules to be unlike all other students. They act as nonconformists by taking part in the Dead Poets Society, even though it is against the rules. At the end of the movie, one member commits suicide because his father was too demanding. It opens the eyes of the teachers at Welton and they question all of his friends. They reveal that they are in the Dead Poets Society and are punished for their actions. The boys were only in trouble because of their nonconformist ways. Showing nonconformity was very dangerous, but they realized how important it is to not always be like everyone else, but to be oneself.  

Transcendentalism Shirt

This past weekend, I created a t-shirt that revealed many things about my personality. I included weird facts about myself that I rarely tell people. It definitely took courage to walk around school with so many embarrassing facts written across my shirt.

I expected to receive funny looks and maybe some confused comments. To my surprise, people liked my shirt! The neon yellow attracted many viewers. I received compliments and most people asked if they could read it. I do admit that some things were hard to share. Some of the things I wrote on my shirt were a little bit silly. People laughed at quotes such as, "I am an awkward dancer" and "I have a blanket named nosey," and some were surprised when they read things like, "I am at church five days a week" and "I skipped first grade." The shirt exposed many secrets about myself.

Being a transcendentalist for a day was more fun than i expected. I enjoyed being able to reveal my true self through my clothing. Expressing who you truly are is very daring. To have that kind of courage for one day was bearable, but I do not know if I would be brave enough to do something like that every day. I respect transcendentalists and I now realize how hard it must be for them to truly express themselves daily.

Modern Transcendentalist

A transcendentalist must be completely comfortable with who they truly are. They are not afraid to show the world their individuality, and they embrace it. A perfect example of a modern day transcendentalist is Ellen Degeneres. Ellen is a young woman with a well-known reputation. Everyone knows Ellen as a lesbian; and depending on someone's view, her ways may be considered gross or intolerable. There truly are people in this world who do not agree with Ellen's life choice and they believe that Ellen’s decision to be a lesbian is unacceptable.

Ellen and Portia- People Magazine

Despite these heartbreaking opinions, Ellen embraces her unique quality. She opened up to millions of television viewers in a 1997 Oprah show. Some were shocked, and automatically stopped watching Ellen’s show. In an interview with Stone Phillips from MSNBC, Ellen shared her feelings when she came out:

DeGeneres: "When I made the decision to come out, everything was great. And I really naively thought nobody's going to care, you know. It's like, I'm going to just now say, by the way, I'm gay. I mean, all of my business people, all my people, were saying, don’t do it, you know."

Phillips: "Is that right?"

DeGeneres: "Oh, yeah."

Phillips: "They were telling you, bad move?"

DeGeneres: "Oh, yeah. Don't do it. Don't do it."

Phillips: "But you just weren't going to listen to them?"

DeGeneres: "I couldn't listen to them. I had to listen to me. You know? It's my life. It's my heart. It's my soul. It's my journey. And it's who I am."

The above statement is a definite act of transcendentalism. It takes so much courage to admit something so fragile about oneself, especially with the fear that some people might not accept what is revealed. Ellen took that risk because she realized that it is her life and she is going to live it the way she wants to. She took this leap with the fear that people may stop watching her show; and many people did just that. Ellen stayed true to herself, and to her wife, Portia De Rossi. Ellen has openly expressed her feelings towards Portia through photos, interviews, and television. It is actions like this that prove her to be a true transcendentalist. She is who she is and is not afraid of others judging her. 

Ellen Degeneres

Reference:

Phillips, Stone. "Catching up with Ellen DeGeneres - Dateline NBC - Newsmakers - Msnbc.com."          Msnbc.com - Breaking News, Science and Tech News, World News, US News, Local News- Msnbc.com. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6430100/ns/dateline_nbc-newsmakers/t/catching-ellen-degeneres/>.

Walden Essay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tSlIVWpqyc&feature=relmfu

In this century, it is difficult to maintain a simple lifestyle. There is so much to do and so many tasks to perform that it is easy to lose sight of the simple and wonderful things that life has to offer. People question if simplicity is even attainable anymore. The answer is yes; a simple way of living can be experienced if one sets their mind to it. Henry David Thoreau was a man who believed in this simplicity and strived to attain it in his life. He left his complicated life in the city and created a much less complicated life for himself. Although this modern age is complex, people can simplify their lives by becoming peaceful,not becoming too involved, and learning to enjoy what has been given to them.

One factor that can lead to a complex life is continuous arrogance. If one is constantly at war or expressing hatred towards others, a tranquil lifestyle cannot be achieved. People must strive towards expressing a peaceful attitude. It will keep them away from trouble and conflict. “Why should we knock under and go with the stream? Let us not be upset and overwhelmed in that terrible rapid and whirlpool called a dinner, situated in the meridian shadows” (Thoreau, 493). Here, Henry David Thoreau supports the theory that when life is acting as a whirlpool, humans must avoid becoming tense. Doing so will result in a flustered outlook on life. Thoreau's words preach that one cannot spend their life depressed or busy. It is not possible to become serene with such manners and feelings.

With so many activities and events going on daily, it is not difficult for one to become caught up in the activities they take part in. New ideas and pressures are constantly being introduced to our rapidly progressing Earth. All of this may become overwhelming and some people can find themselves lost in a sea of countless chores. By limiting strenuous tasks and decreasing undesirable stress, a person can live more of a laid back life. “I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on a thumbnail” (Thoreau, 491). By this,Thoreau is saying that people should decrease the number of tasks they need to perform. Doing this will result in a carefree and much simpler life because there is not as much pressure present in their life.

http://george.loper.org/interests/housing/thero/thoreau.html

Life has so many things to offer in the forms of everyday actions and objects. For example, nature itself is seldom recognized for it's beauty. If one took the time to realize what they have and learn to enjoy it, life would be much simpler. This would eliminate the constant striving for new things that will act as a provider of happiness. “Why should we live with such hurry and waste or life? We are determined to be starved before we are hungry” (Thoreau, 491). Thoreau proves here that humans constantly want more in life. They need to learn to be satisfied with their belongings in order to feel simple and complete. People must stop and take a look around them in order to realize that the world is beautiful. Thoreau came upon the realization that the Earth alone is beautiful and has not been recognized as such. It is this discovery that gave him a sense of simplicity when he visited Walden Pond.

http://amcboston.org/walks/areas2.html

By keeping a small list of things to do, enjoying what they have, and being peaceful, one can experience an uncomplicated lifestyle. These steps may not be easy, but the results are surely worth the effort. Surrounded by constant changes and new inventions, people living in the twenty-first century are not in the midst of a serene world at all. People still have the ability to simplify their lives, though. Life is too short to be wasted; humans need to learn to live by the guidelines of a simple lifestyle.