There is no such a student who has never been assigned to write an essay on Huckleberry Finn. It is not surprising because this book of Mark Twain is rightly considered his masterpiece. The author is known to everybody thanks to his first book about Tom Sawyer but the second one devoted to Huckleberry Finn deserves special attention.
The process of crafting this kind of essay can be really enjoyable if you are aware of the essay structure requirement. In case your teacher asked to write the adventures of Huckleberry Finn essay, or you have chosen this literary work on your own, check the best writing prompts aimed at helping you to compose a really impressive paper.
Huckleberry Finn Essay Prompts: Great Topic Ideas
Often, teachers provide students with the freedom to select a topic for a paper. On the one hand, it is a great advantage as you have an opportunity to write about your favorite scene. On the other hand, for some students, the selection of a good topic becomes the first stumbling block. In this case, Huckleberry Finn essay prompts will be of great help. Do you lack the original ideas wondering what to write about in your Huckleberry Finn essay? You are welcome to have a look at the list of the best essay prompts and select the one you feel passionate about.
- The author makes an accent on the struggle of two major tendencies in the soul of the main character, which refers to the conciliatory attitude to the cruel attitude to people, slavery, violence on the one hand, and a strong wish to fight the American society on the other hand. These episodes are described with the satire emotions. Find other scenes of the satire in Huckleberry Finn.
- The author uses a lot of irony in the book. For example, this refers to the words of Huck who thought that black people were not so smart as white people until he met Jim who surprised him with his clear mind. Look for other examples of irony in Huckleberry Finn and explain how you differentiate between irony and satire. Why does the author use both irony and satire?
- Mark Twain particularly appreciates the humanity of Huck, his human attitude toward people. This humanity is manifested in Huck’s relation to the negro Jim. Can you find the evidence that the main character manifested humanity towards Jim?
- Once, Huckleberry Finn said that he'd better go to Hell (though he didn’t believe that such a place really existed) than he would betray his friend Jim. That is only one example of friendship in the book. Can you find more examples proving that Finn is a good friend? Do you agree that Huckleberry Finn friendship is one of the central ideas of the book? Would you like to have such a friend as Finn and why?
- Comment on the scene when Huck is in the hands of a drunkard father. Was his life in danger when his father was drunk? What did the author want to say depicting the image of Huck’s father?
- In comparison with "Tom Sawyer," the frames of narration are moved apart. In “Finn" there is no longer a small town but a significant part of America instead. Huck and Jim are sailing along the Mississippi, the United States' most lively waterway, past big cities and small towns, and here there is a wide picture of American life. Compare the 1st and the 2nd book in terms of the narration frames.
- At first glance, there is an idyllic estate of Grangerfords, an aristocratic family, all members of which are polite, well-bred, decent. But under the guise of this decency, the reader can find the wild tradition of tribal revenge, in the name of which the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons ruthlessly exterminate each other. Which feelings do you have towards this family? Did the author want to say that the first impression isn't always true?
- Describe a small town in the state of Arkansas, in which Huck is witnessing a number of events. Residents of the town are lazy, rude, and cruel. Their favorite occupation is torturing dogs and catching runaway negroes. Which emotions did the author want to cause in his readers depicting cruelty?
- Huck and Jim meet few honest, decent people. There are many bandits, murderers, robbers, just crooks on their way. Does the author want to focus on the fact that the society experiences degradation?
- The novel of Mark Twain is rightly regarded as one of the first works of critical realism in the United States of America. Do you agree with this? Provide evidence of your standpoint.
- Is the Huckleberry Finn book about adventures or is its main idea much deeper?
- Create a portrait of the main character analyzing his positive and negative traits, if there are any.
- What is the attitude of the author to the negro boy Jim?
- How was the book created? Is there any connection between the personal life of the author and the fate of the main character?
- Does Finn have a romantic nature of a dreamer or has he a practical mind setting goals and achieving them? Share your point of view supported by the scenes from the book
- What is the historical background of the creation of Huckleberry Finn story? What inspired the author to write the book exactly during that period of time?
- Is the story of Finn actual nowadays? How can modern teenagers benefit from reading the book?
- Is the main character a real fighter for equal rights?
- Was the creation of this story an attempt to draw the reader's attention to the problems existing in the society? If yes, then what are these issues?
- Did the author manage to catch your attention? Find the language means and special techniques used by the author that are aimed at hooking the reader.
Choosing any of the prompts mentioned above, you will be able to create a really worthy essay. Remember that you should write a well-structured paper containing arguments, regardless of the chosen topic. Give preference to the prompt, which touches upon the scene that has impressed you most. Keep in mind that it is possible to hook the reader only if the writer is engaged in what he is writing about.