Ghosts and Eskimos

A Ghost Story and The Esquimau Maiden's Romance

I thought "A Ghost Story" was really entertaining. It was unlike any other story we have read thus far by Mark Twain. It was a creepy story, but it kept my attention until the very end and then I proceeded to laugh because the scary spirit is the ghost of a hoax.

The short story is just another example of how Mark Twain pokes fun at little aspects of society. This short story is making fun of the media frenzy that surrounded the Cardiff Giant and how people will believe anything they hear. It also provides a critique of society's desire for sensationalism and shows that people seek outrageous entertainment.

I enjoyed "The Esquimau Maiden's Romance" for two reasons. The first is that Mark Twain was the narrator and secondly because it is a romantic story that shows Twain's soft side. It obviously describes different cultural views of what wealth is, but I believe that no matter the type of wealth it can easily lead to greed and materialism.

These were my favorite short stories we have read so far because they both showed a different side of Twain and were fun to read.

Huck Finn

This is the second time I've read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and I enjoyed it the second time around; however, the story dragged in places causing me to loose interest. For example the last section of the book Tom and Huck are trying to help Jim escape. Tom keeps coming up with new things that Jim needs to do and tools he needs as a prisoner in order to do what the books say about prisoners is too long and drawn out.

I did enjoy Huck's development as a character and his internal struggles throughout the book. Huck grows up a lot during the story as he deals with a moral struggle of helping Jim escape to freedom. When Huck decided to go tell that he found Jim, but then lies when questioned about a runaway slave shows Huck knew the moral thing to do was help Jim even if the societal norm was to turn him in.

I found the ending ironic that Huck will be put back into "society" and he doesn't want to.

"Aunt Sally she's going to adopt me and sivilize me and I can't stand it. I been there before" (912).

Huck struggled with being a part of society and being free throughout the entire novel as well. When he was with Miss Watson he didn't enjoy it. When he was away with Pap he enjoyed himself more because he wasn't on a schedule and didn't have to go to school, but then is leaves Pap to be free. But the only time he is really free in the novel is when he is on the river with Jim. On land the two have to conform to what society wants, but on the river Jim and Huck only have to look out for themselves.

Now that I have had the chance to read both The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and discuss them both in class I have decided I was more interested and enjoyed Tom Sawyer more. Although neither story has a real plot and both are character driven Tom Sawyer is more entertaining to me.