Month: May 2017

           The Things They Carried is a must read for its historical, psychological, and creative relevance. It provides a large series of realistic stories about the many battles and scenarios based off of the Vietnam War. It portrays fear, shame, and terror, providing a realistic experience to readers. It is psychologically based because it explains that the soldiers carried more than just food, weapons, and equipment. However, some people may argue that it is not old enough to be considered a classic due to the appearance that anyone could write this book. It is actually the unique writing style that makes this an important contribution to the writing world. The collection of short stories written are still relevant to today’s society because it still preserves the ability to inspire students to write in their own creative style. Because of this contribution, it would be a shame if this book was not defined as a “classic.”

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn… Classic or not?  

Yes!  It is a classic!

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn isa classic and a must read because of its longevity and its widely acknowledged “greatness”. Huck Finn was originally published in 1884 and has been in the spotlight as both “trash” and a “must read” ever since. Huck Finn is considered “great” because it embodies what life was like in the antebellum South while still having messages relevant to people today. Twain’s social commentary on topics such as education, religion, and morality are especially pertinent to high school students, who are learning and forming their views on these topics.

Huck Finn embodies what life was like in the antebellum south with its diction of various dialects (and curse words) and plot of Jim trying to escape slavery. Figurative language and themes such as the use of the Mississippi River as a motif further adds to the novel’s depth and greatness. While Huck Finn takes place in the antebellum South, the book itself was published after the war, right around when Jim Crow laws were coming into effect. The symbolism of Jim and Huck traveling further into slavery when they think they are going towards the North/freedom displays Twain’s social commentary that while America thought it was going farther away from slavery/inequality for African Americans, the South was actually becoming more unequal because of Jim Crow laws, “separate but equal”, etc.

It could be argued that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not a classic/must read because it is not interesting and is vulgar. However the ample use of vulgar and racist terms (like the N word) is actually part of Twain’s use of diction to form his social commentary against the racism and injustice done to African Americans. The hard to understand and seemingly “uneducated” diction shows how small minded and stupid whites are being and how they need to open their minds and see that African Americans are people just like them. Huck’s realization that Jim is a human with a family and not just a black man further illustrates Twain’s message that even the youngest, most uneducated of whites can come to realize this.

No- Huck Finn is not a classic

Throughout one’s life it’s hard to go far without hearing of Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn. These books have made an impact on American Literature since they were first written. However, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn isn’t a classic or “must read’ for high schoolers due to lacking longevity, not resonating with modern day society, and encouraging trouble.

This book lacks longevity in the sense that the topics it covers, slavery and child abuse, aren’t problems we face today that are legal. Both slavery and child abuse are illegal and punishable with prison. These two problems are archaic in the United States because the general public already views them as immoral. Therefore, while The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn might have had significance in relation to these topics when it was written, it’s now outdated or negative sentiment towards slavery and child abuse takes away from its relevance.

The current generation faces every day problems with racism. Some might say that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a must read due to how it touches upon this topic. However, they are incorrect because in today’s society there are so many examples of racism and how to confront it. Adding Huck Finn to this would only make the “anti-racism” media seem over saturated, especially with newer entertainment that resonates with today’s society already addressing the evil of racism.

Lastly, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is about a teenage boy who at times likes to cause trouble. For example, he went and decided to place a dead snake near Jim, trying to scare him. It turned out that the mate was nearby and went and bit Jim, causing more trouble than Huck intended. Having this book in high schools is like inviting an accident to happen, with someone playing a joke on others that ends up having deadly effects. This takes away from the idea that Huck Finn is a “must read” for high school students.

While The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn might have made an impact on America during the 1800s, it’s not as significant now. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn isn’t a classic and shouldn’t be a must read due to it lacking longevity, not resonating with today’s society, and encouraging mischief.

In an overwhelming conglomeration of genius thought, our creative staff members have come to the conclusion that high school students should not have to read Huckleberry Finn.  Rather, in the more modern society we live in, The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien is a book that is more appropriate for high school students.  The novel, with its amalgamation of pre-war, war, and post-war episodes, can deliver a message to high school students, all the while keeping them interested with a style of writing that isn’t to difficult to comprehend.

Along with the above statement, each of our staff members have a little extra input on the topic. . .

Justin Markov: The entity of Huckleberry Finn  can be easily condensed into an hour and a half motion picture, all while keeping the main essences of the novel. Meanwhile, The Things They Carried transfers important messages that are more applicable to our epoch, and each specific character is far too complex to analyze entirely in a short film. Keep on Reading, children of America, but don’t waste your time on stupid prolonged literature.

Ryan Bowman:  Huckleberry Finn’s themes and messages can be told in a short story and don’t need to be spread out throughout 40 chapters.  Each story is similar in the lessons that Huck learns and this gets to be repetitive.  The Things They Carried however conveys important messages and gives important first hand stories of war.  These first hand stories show the different effects of war, both physically and mentally.  Also, because The Things They Carried is more modern and is easier for high school students to understand and relate to the book.

Futhallah Hamed:

Sophia Chen: Although The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is considered a classic piece of American literature, the explicit content within the story portray a harsh reality that some students may not be able to cope with.  The Things They Carried is a significant wartime novel that gives students an idea of the physical and mental burdens that soldiers carried.  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is more focused on character experiences and interactions, whereas The Things They Carried allows the reader to analyze the density of each character’s emotional needs which enhances the value of this piece of literature.

Harrison Helmich:  Personally for me, my high school English career has been filled with Shakespeare and other novels that I spend more time trying to actually decipher the text than analyzing the story line.  With The Things They Carried, I found an immaculate break in this boring streak of books and finished the book in two weeks – the fastest I have ever read a book for class.  I believe this book can also provide a break for oppressed English students with the palpable text.  Author Tim O’Brien intersperses vulgar language within the story which can ease a student reader or give them something mild to relate to.  In contrast and conclusion, Huck Finn does not give this intriguing storyline to this modern audience of 21st century high schoolers.  TTTC  is an interesting war story that is replete with difficult metaphors and easy language.  With easy-to-read text, students have more time to interpret these heavy metaphors and understand O’Brien’s intended message, as well as the true value of a story centered around the Vietnam war.

Nicolette P: Nicolette is a theatre student, plays the violin, and is Italian. She has a twin sister who she considers her best friend. Her favorite food is pasta.

Tasneem I: Tasneem moved to America five years ago from the Middle-East. She enjoys traveling to places such as Bangladesh, India, and Dubai. She played guitar  for about three years in school. Her favorite color is blue.

Deer Park: Deer Park is always hydrated, he likes to play basketball, and he likes to take the extra long route home in order to smell and eat the flowers. Deer Park’s favorite food is dihydrogen monoxide (H2O).

Emma L:  Hoping to pursue a career in editing, Emma is excited for the opportunity to gain experience in the field. She enjoys reading, and her preferred genre of literature is realistic fiction.

Trevor K: Trevor enjoys football and sleeping. On the weekends he does both a lot, and does them well. Trevor does not see the point in unnecessary embellishments, so his posts are often concise and to the point.

Rena, an avid animal enthusiast and life long learner, enjoys reading mystery novels and drinking iced green tea lattes.  A lover of psychology and biology, she relishes reading articles on the aforementioned and thinking about them from a Jewish perspective.

Rauf K. enjoys participating in activities such as volunteering and clubs. As someone who wants to work in the medical field, he finds academics and extracurriculars important and is a fan of interactive activities. Most of all, Rauf enjoys traveling and experiencing the amazing things around the world, such as historical places and meeting new people.

Caroline, a lover of cats and Calculus, likes to sing in her band and drive her car.  Caroline enjoys writing songs and discussing environmental issues.

Justin Markov: Justin is an 11th grader at Dominion High School. As an enthusiastic extra individual, who enjoys participation in EXTRA activities, Markov strives to deliver entertaining and in depth blog posts to his readers. With quite the name in the social media world, he brings attitude and sass to the world of blog. Markov is a lead editor for the group.

Ryan Bowman: Just a guy being a dude, Bowman’s pragmatic mindset leads him to be a successful individual. He enjoys being nonchalant about his success, and playing with his soon-to-die house cat.

Sophia Chen: An eccentric, Sophia Chen has low-key opinions about just about every issue, but simply does not care enough to express them at a constant rate.  With a particular distaste for mathematics, Chen brings anger and frustration to the table. If an outlet for the readers passionate hatred for certain things is what your looking for, Chen is the perfect find.

Futhalla Hamed: Oh my. We know you stumbled once or twice reading that name. With strong, passionate opinions on foreign affairs and social injustice, Hamed brings highly questionable opinions to the table, in a sort of careless savage way. While not always making sense, Hamed will still passionately stand behind his senseless opinions and thoughts, making him a valuable member of our staff

Harrison Helmich: The mediator. Helmich tends to maintain the sanity of this group. With keen intelligence and a hard woking mindset, Helmich tries to deliver quality blog posts and opinions. Helmich is also a lead editor for this group.