Week #5

Before Mark Twain wrote the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn he received numerous requests from fans of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer to write a continuing story.  Mark Twain really had no true interest to continue to write about the much loved character Tom Sawyer; however, in order to satisfy his fans Twain wrote several short stories which were published in newspapers throughout the country.  Unfortunately, many of the stories did not survive until today.  Twain was done with the character of Tom, and despite all of the other things he had published since, his fans still wanted another novel.  So how did Twain finally please both himself and the public by writing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?  This is a lot more difficult than it seems on the surface.

Reminders

• Please only answer blogs from 2012...you will not receive credit for blogs answered from 2011 and older posts.
• If you believe one of your friends from the class has signed up for AP you may want to remind them to answer the blog...students enrolled in AP who do not complete the blogs on time will be removed from AP as the blog is part of the summer assignment.
• If you transfer from AP to Honors (or even American Literature) and completed the blogs, your work (points) will transfer with you (we'll figure this out if it happens).
• Please remember to cite your sources in blogs if it is not purely your thoughts...I am a stickler for plagiarism and will also drop you from AP if you plagiarize parts of your blog responses...I also will not write a letter of recommendation for you for college (something highly valued amongst my students) if you plagiarize. 

Scroll down for Week #4's Question

Week #4 Question

Most people focus on Huckleberry's moral dilemmas such as helping a "runaway slave", "stealing" versus "borrowing", making everyone believe he is "dead",  etc., but rarely do people discuss Jim's moral dilemmas.  Explain in an approximately 150 word (you may need more than 150 words) response the various moral dilemmas Jim encounters throughout the novel.  Identify what they are, why they are moral dilemmas, what Jim decides to do, and whether or not you believe he is "right".

Week #3 Question

Many people reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn miss Twain's point.  The journey taken by two people down a river, is rarely thought of as anything more than just an adventure. However, Mark Twain uses his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, to explore and poke fun of many problems facing American society. Huck, the main character, is considered an uneducated boy who is constantly under pressure to conform to the civilized aspects of society. Jim, who accompanies Huck, is a runaway slave seeking freedom from the world that has denied it to him for so long.  In an approximately 150 word response explain how Twain uses satire to demonstrate many of civilizations problems.  Don't worry we will be Twain for another two weeks.

Week #2 Question

One last question with regard to Black Elk Speaks...in an approximately 150 word response explain what the inherent problem with the book is.  Next week we are moving on to Huckleberry Finn.  Make sure you have read the first 23 chapters before responding to week #3's question.

Hello AP Students from the Class of 2014

WEEK #1 Response

Yes, I know I posted this a little late...I'm sorry.
I know that you began to read Black Elk Speaks with Mr. Mallen, therefore I believe that is the best place to start.  In an approximately 150 word response explain the significance of the text.