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How Huck Finn Illustrates Realism

“All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. … All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since" (Hemingway 22). Hemingway recognizes the importance of Mark Twain’s contribution during his literary period. His realism sets a great example of what writing could and would become in the United States. In this essay it will be shown how Mark Twain uses realism during his literary period to successfully change writing in America.

Huck is a character that offers a good example of Twain’s realism. He was born to a poor family and was trying to rise above his circumstances and succeed in life. Tom Sawyer has it easier because he has a family who cares about him, but their friendship helps each one of them out. Mark Twain uses Huckleberry Finn to contrast realism and romanticism. He makes Huck street smart (realism), while Tom is book smart (romanticism). Tom is filled with fantasies and Huck just wants to survive. For example, Huck does not want to please adults while Tom does. Huck realizes that he can escape the cabin he is locked in and “can fix it now so nobody won't think of following [Huck]” (Twain 34). Huck is able to escape a cabin that his father locked him in, a fete that Tom could never accomplish.

Mark Twain is recognized as the greatest American author. His books are best sellers. He becomes a part of the culture of the American people. For example, most Americans know the story when Huck Finn goes on a raft trip down the Mississippi River or Tom Sawyer has his friends pay him to paint a fence. These are stories about the struggles of common people as “the Widow Douglas called [Huck] a poor lost lamb” (Twain 3). Themes of freedom and virtue is what really mattered. A boy’s character defined whether the reader rooted for him or rooted against him.

Everything about realism is good. Mark Twain does a good job describing realistic characters. He writes the adventures of growing up in America. Many people like realism because it is how Jesus sees people. They can relate to that because of their religious training. It shows the good and the bad of a person and how that person with all of their flaws can recognize those flaws and rise above those flaws with faith and hard work and good friendships.

Steven Crane is a contemporary of Mark Twain. He, like Twain, shows the real struggles that people had during that time period. He writes about hard choices that people have to make and what the consequences of those choices are. This is, no doubt, was influenced by what Mark Twain wrote.

As previously stated, Mark Twain extensively uses the idea of realism in his book Huckleberry Finn. His work creates the literary period and also defines it. American writing is forever changed because of Mark Twain.

Works Cited

Hemingway, Ernest. Green Hills of Africa. 1935. Rpt. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1996. Print
Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 1885. Rpt. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble, 2003. Print.

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