The Appeal of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

            A good novel allows a reader to live and experience it while supplying a well written story. The ability to create images and stimulate emotions are skills of a good author. F Scott Fitzgerald believed that extraordinary writer can appeal to different readers across a span of many different generations, while leaving a lasting impression. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Hercules are two novels that live up to Fitzgerald’s definition of a great classic. Of the two classics, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn does a more formidable job than Hercules, as Fitzgerald noted, “… appealing to the youth of the present generation, the critics of the next and the school masters of ever after…,” and in so doing, become an art.

The youth of this generation would enjoy the adventure, friendship, and fame depicted in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. What youth would not want excitement in their lives? In The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, the youth can better relate to the adventure. “Whenever I got uncommon tired I played hookey, and the hiding I got next day done me good and cheered me up.” (Twain 21) Huck runs away and seeks adventure rather than being bound to it as Hercules from the book Hercules was. Huck did this to escape boredom and from following the rules set upon him by Widow Douglas. Huck and Jim experience a newly created friendship throughout the whole novel. “Dah you goes, de ole true Huck; de on’y white genlmen”(Twain 120) Huck and Jim’s friend ship grow as they spent more time traveling on the Mississippi River. Hercules, on the other hand, has friends he uses to help him only succeed in tasks. “It’s been good to see you again after all this time.”(McCaughrean). The youth’s enthusiasm for friendship is attended more in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

In the South one man all by himself, has stopped a stage full of men in the daytime, and robbed the lot. Your newspapers call you a brave people so much that you think you are braver than any other people — whereas you’re just as brave, and no braver. (Twain 195)

The man robs the wagon and receives his name in the newspaper for being brave. The youth constantly seek attention, and sometimes they must go to the extremes to get it. The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn clearly appeals more to the youth than Hercules.

The critics of the next generation would be captivated with the matter of the Post-Civil War, slavery, and racism that are portrayed in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The novel created controversies as to whether the book is racist or not.  

  Another reason that is given to say this novel is racist is the use of the word “nigger." This is not a good reason because this is how blacks were referred to then. To have used the word Negro or African-American would have taken away from the story's impact and make it sound stupid. If Twain wanted to write an historically accurate book, as he did, then the inclusion of this word is totally necessary. (cyberessay.com) 

Slavery written in the novel was mainly about Jim, a runaway slave. “The question boils down to the depiction of Jim, the black slave, and to the way he is treated by Huck and other characters.” (cyberessay.com) Mark Twain never depicts Jim as a drunkard, as a mean person or a cheat. And finally, the time period in which the story took place which was the civil war era.  But much of the novel speaks to Twain’s contemporary audience, who lived during Reconstruction, a time when the South especially was trying to deal with the effects of the Civil War.(answers.com). The appeal to critics is clearly more distinct in The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn than in Hercules.

The teachers of the future would desire to teach their students about making right decisions, having good morals, and helping others. Educators would find teaching their students to make right decisions a valuable lesson that will affect the future. “Pretty soon I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldn’t. She said it was a mean practice and wasn’t clean, and I must try not to do it.” (Twain 2). In contrast, Hercules wants to keep his promise not to drink a strong beverage but is pressured into it by his family and parents. “Just a little wine,” whispered his mother to Hercules, “For the sake of good manners” “Manners before principals?” Hercules whispered back (McCaughrean 22). Hercules, drunken with anger, ends up killing his family. The result of his actions caused him to suffer a great deal. Teachers would discover that teaching students to have good morals a very priceless lesson.  “After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses…”(Twain 2) Every mentor would want their student to have a good morality, and in Huckleberry’s case, where he learns about Moses and the Ten Commandments an important set of foundations. Teachers of the future should stress the importance of helping others. “A man came up and offered me ten cents to help him pull a skiff over the river and back to fetch a sheep” (Twain 287). Huck helps the man even though he is better off doing other things. While in Hercules, all tasks are done for the need of the selfish King Eurystheus. Overall, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn appeals better to school masters than Hercules.

The youth would both unite together with critics and teachers in saying The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is more fascinating than Hercules.  The adventure, friendship, and fame in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn would surely appeal to the youth more than the short lived friendships and forced adventure portrayed in Hercules. There is more controversial subjects to be discussed in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for critics than in Hercules concerning the setting and the way the book is written. School masters are delighted to educate students about the strong lesson gained from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn without a doubt lets a reader live and experience the story while stimulating emotions and creating images leaving lasting impressions making it a true work of art.