Last Assignment
Again, great semester, folks. I am grateful to you.
OK, Pick one of the options below. JUST ONE.
And then follow the directions. Carefully.
Your goal is to work with Twainian themes as much as you can. None of my questions are about Twain's actual biography or personality or circumstances, etc. We're looking at his network of ideas, not his life. Also, no outside research on this. I want your views, drawn from our class and readings. And this is to be purely your own work.
Your response is due on 12/18, at noon, via EMAIL.
1) Read this unfinished sequel to Huck Finn. HERE.
Write a short (2-4 pages) response to this prompt: If we can say that Huck Finn does some serious reflection and growing up in the book named after him, this sequel seems to be Tom's chance to reflect and grow up. Huck's mature judgment, recall, is that "sivilization" is to be left behind. What may Twain be hinting about what Tom's mature judgment might be saying about civilized life? Since the book was not completed, you'll benefit by doing some pondering about what the complete story arc might have been, but there's enough written to take some good stabs at an answer.
2) Read this story about a "social reformer." HERE
Write a short (2-4 pages) response to this prompt: Many Twainian themes intersect in this story. Explain how some of them work here, on the way to answering these questions: Is Twain really recommending this approach to life, or is he mocking it, or what? What makes you think that? How does it fit with other things he says elsewhere about how we ought to live, what kind of beings we are, how we can be improved, etc.?
3) Read this scandalous fictional dialogue, which was first circulated without Twain's name attached. It is pretty obscene, and also, because he uses authentic period grammar and vocabulary, it is very difficult to read. "A righte straunge mixing truly of mighty blode with mean, ye more in especial since ye queenes grace was present..." That sort of thing. Twain insisted that even the content was completely authentic--people really did talk this way at such gatherings in the 1600s.
HERE
(Begin right where the link takes you: "First Printing..." and end at "Footnotes...")
Write a short (2-4 pages) response to this prompt: Many people have tried to explain why Twain would write something like this. Often they say that it came from a school-boy's sense of mischief, or that it gave him a chance to express the sort of jolly vulgarity that was part of his character, but rarely allowed into his writing, etc. Those are personality-based explanations. I think that our reading this semester has prepared us to come up with some ways in which this story, and the act of writing it, actually fits well, philosophically, with many of his ideas. Your job is to explain how. What Twainian points does it make or embody? Many of our readings can help you think about this. I'll just suggest: the "Letters from Earth" would be particularly worth reviewing.
OK, Pick one of the options below. JUST ONE.
And then follow the directions. Carefully.
Your goal is to work with Twainian themes as much as you can. None of my questions are about Twain's actual biography or personality or circumstances, etc. We're looking at his network of ideas, not his life. Also, no outside research on this. I want your views, drawn from our class and readings. And this is to be purely your own work.
Your response is due on 12/18, at noon, via EMAIL.
1) Read this unfinished sequel to Huck Finn. HERE.
Write a short (2-4 pages) response to this prompt: If we can say that Huck Finn does some serious reflection and growing up in the book named after him, this sequel seems to be Tom's chance to reflect and grow up. Huck's mature judgment, recall, is that "sivilization" is to be left behind. What may Twain be hinting about what Tom's mature judgment might be saying about civilized life? Since the book was not completed, you'll benefit by doing some pondering about what the complete story arc might have been, but there's enough written to take some good stabs at an answer.
2) Read this story about a "social reformer." HERE
Write a short (2-4 pages) response to this prompt: Many Twainian themes intersect in this story. Explain how some of them work here, on the way to answering these questions: Is Twain really recommending this approach to life, or is he mocking it, or what? What makes you think that? How does it fit with other things he says elsewhere about how we ought to live, what kind of beings we are, how we can be improved, etc.?
3) Read this scandalous fictional dialogue, which was first circulated without Twain's name attached. It is pretty obscene, and also, because he uses authentic period grammar and vocabulary, it is very difficult to read. "A righte straunge mixing truly of mighty blode with mean, ye more in especial since ye queenes grace was present..." That sort of thing. Twain insisted that even the content was completely authentic--people really did talk this way at such gatherings in the 1600s.
HERE
(Begin right where the link takes you: "First Printing..." and end at "Footnotes...")
Write a short (2-4 pages) response to this prompt: Many people have tried to explain why Twain would write something like this. Often they say that it came from a school-boy's sense of mischief, or that it gave him a chance to express the sort of jolly vulgarity that was part of his character, but rarely allowed into his writing, etc. Those are personality-based explanations. I think that our reading this semester has prepared us to come up with some ways in which this story, and the act of writing it, actually fits well, philosophically, with many of his ideas. Your job is to explain how. What Twainian points does it make or embody? Many of our readings can help you think about this. I'll just suggest: the "Letters from Earth" would be particularly worth reviewing.
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