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The Resource Huck Finn's America : Mark Twain and the era that shaped his masterpiece, Andrew Levy

Huck Finn's America : Mark Twain and the era that shaped his masterpiece, Andrew Levy

Creator
Author
Summary
  • A provocative, exuberant, and deeply researched investigation into Mark Twain’s writing of Huckleberry Finn, which turns on its head everything we thought we knew about America’s favorite icon of childhood. This book shows how modern readers have been misunderstanding Huckleberry Finn for decades. Twain’s masterpiece, which still sells tens of thousands of copies each year and is taught more than any other American classic, is often discussed either as a carefree adventure story for children or a serious novel about race relations, yet Levy argues convincingly it is neither. Instead, Huck Finn was written at a time when Americans were nervous about youth violence and “uncivilized” bad boys, and a debate was raging about education, popular culture, and responsible parenting — casting Huck’s now-celebrated “freedom” in a very different and very modern light. On issues of race, on the other hand, Twain’s lifelong fascination with minstrel shows and black culture inspired him to write a book not about civil rights, but about race’s role in entertainment and commerce, the same features upon which much of our own modern consumer culture is also grounded. In Levy’s vision, Huck Finn has more to say about contemporary children and race that we have ever imagined—if we are willing to hear it. An eye-opening, groundbreaking exploration of the character and psyche of Mark Twain as he was writing his most famous novel, Huck Finn’s America brings the past to vivid, surprising life, and offers a persuasive—and controversial—argument for why this American classic deserves to be understood anew. -- Publisher description
  • "A groundbreaking and controversial re-examination of our most beloved classic, Huckleberry Finn, proving that for more than 100 years we have misunderstood Twain's message on race and childhood--and the uncomfortable truths it still holds for modern America"--Provided by publisher
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Edition
First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.
Extent
xxiv, 342 pages
Contents
  • A new kind of entertainment
  • Shiftless, lazy, and dadblasted tired
  • Strange animals, to change their clothes so often
  • An appeal in behalf of extending the suffrage to boys
  • Boy No. 2
  • The trouble begins
  • Twins
  • The freedman's case
  • Huckleberry Capone
Isbn
9781439186978
Instance
Label
Huck Finn's America : Mark Twain and the era that shaped his masterpiece
Title
Huck Finn's America
Title remainder
Mark Twain and the era that shaped his masterpiece
Statement of responsibility
Andrew Levy
Creator
Author
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
  • A provocative, exuberant, and deeply researched investigation into Mark Twain’s writing of Huckleberry Finn, which turns on its head everything we thought we knew about America’s favorite icon of childhood. This book shows how modern readers have been misunderstanding Huckleberry Finn for decades. Twain’s masterpiece, which still sells tens of thousands of copies each year and is taught more than any other American classic, is often discussed either as a carefree adventure story for children or a serious novel about race relations, yet Levy argues convincingly it is neither. Instead, Huck Finn was written at a time when Americans were nervous about youth violence and “uncivilized” bad boys, and a debate was raging about education, popular culture, and responsible parenting — casting Huck’s now-celebrated “freedom” in a very different and very modern light. On issues of race, on the other hand, Twain’s lifelong fascination with minstrel shows and black culture inspired him to write a book not about civil rights, but about race’s role in entertainment and commerce, the same features upon which much of our own modern consumer culture is also grounded. In Levy’s vision, Huck Finn has more to say about contemporary children and race that we have ever imagined—if we are willing to hear it. An eye-opening, groundbreaking exploration of the character and psyche of Mark Twain as he was writing his most famous novel, Huck Finn’s America brings the past to vivid, surprising life, and offers a persuasive—and controversial—argument for why this American classic deserves to be understood anew. -- Publisher description
  • "A groundbreaking and controversial re-examination of our most beloved classic, Huckleberry Finn, proving that for more than 100 years we have misunderstood Twain's message on race and childhood--and the uncomfortable truths it still holds for modern America"--Provided by publisher
Biography type
contains biographical information
Cataloging source
DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorDate
1962-
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Levy, Andrew
Dewey number
813/.4
Index
index present
LC call number
PS1305
LC item number
.L48 2015
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Twain, Mark
  • Twain, Mark
  • Twain, Mark
  • Twain, Mark
  • Twain, Mark
  • Fugitive slaves in literature
  • Boys in literature
  • Whites in literature
  • Race relations in literature
  • Literature and society
  • United States
  • LITERARY CRITICISM
  • Amerikabild
  • Zeithintergrund
  • Boys in literature
  • Fugitive slaves in literature
  • Literature and society
  • Political and social views
  • Race relations
  • Race relations in literature
  • Whites in literature
  • United States
  • United States
  • United States
Label
Huck Finn's America : Mark Twain and the era that shaped his masterpiece, Andrew Levy
Instantiates
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
A new kind of entertainment -- Shiftless, lazy, and dadblasted tired -- Strange animals, to change their clothes so often -- An appeal in behalf of extending the suffrage to boys -- Boy No. 2 -- The trouble begins -- Twins -- The freedman's case -- Huckleberry Capone
Control code
ocn900332596
Dimensions
24 cm
Edition
First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.
Extent
xxiv, 342 pages
Isbn
9781439186978
Lccn
2014040482
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
System control number
  • (Sirsi) i9781439186961
  • (OCoLC)900332596
Label
Huck Finn's America : Mark Twain and the era that shaped his masterpiece, Andrew Levy
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
A new kind of entertainment -- Shiftless, lazy, and dadblasted tired -- Strange animals, to change their clothes so often -- An appeal in behalf of extending the suffrage to boys -- Boy No. 2 -- The trouble begins -- Twins -- The freedman's case -- Huckleberry Capone
Control code
ocn900332596
Dimensions
24 cm
Edition
First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.
Extent
xxiv, 342 pages
Isbn
9781439186978
Lccn
2014040482
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
System control number
  • (Sirsi) i9781439186961
  • (OCoLC)900332596

Subject

Genre

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