Helpful Hints for the Huck Finn Essay Take careful notes. This information is vital to your performance on this essay.

Constructing Your Argument Consider the Toulmin Model… What warrant must my audience have to believe to think that the book should be taught? What warrant must my audience have to believe to think that it should not be taught? Your thesis is mostly provided; add an overarching, encompassing reason for your perspective. Divide your “proof” into 3-4 sections – the concession should be first, then provide your other focus points. Don’t forget about students in your method.

Constructing Your Argument Throughout, your focus is on students. While you can talk about what Twain is doing (for example, using satire), you need to explain (eventually) how that impacts students/how they respond to it. Think about what evidence is most relevant to Issaquah High School in structuring your response.

Selecting Evidence Use PRIMARY instead of SECONDARY sources. (Don’t use Henry quoting Wallace. Use the Wallace article instead.) Don’t use critics quoting Huck Finn – find quotes from the novel. And, use different quotes from Huck than critics used – it is easier to present your interpretation. Concession needs strong quotes from the other side – DO NOT include quotes from Huck Finn in this paragraph.

In-Text Citations Include page numbers with print sources only, none with internet-based sources If the name of author is provided in the lead-in, omit it from the citation Indirect Source Citations Citations tell who wrote/made the statement. If the writer is using another’s opinion, statement, etc., you MUST use the indirect source format for the in-text citation.

Formatting Citations for Indirect Sources Use TRIPLE QUOTATION MARKS – the text is ALWAYS quoted with indirect sources Use this format with Cooley and “Enough!” If you include the person’s full name who made the statement in the lead-in, use (qtd. in Henry 364) If you don’t include the original speaker’s name in the sentence, put the full name in the citation: (Allan B. Ballard qtd. in Henry 364) Mark Twain once defined a classic as “‘a book which people praise and don’t read,’” unfortunately for Twain, that has not been the case with Huck Finn (qtd. in Kaplan). Silas Marner, Billy Budd, The Confidence Man: all classics, all books “’which people praise and don’t read’” (Mark Twain qtd. in Kaplan).

Formatting the Shaping Outline & Concession

Shaping Outline Must include Concession & Works Cited (including entry for your copy of Huck Finn) Must be in correct MLA format to be graded – in-text citations, heading, spacing, etc. Absolutely no late outlines will be accepted for ANY REASON – including absences, email problems, etc.

Shaping Outline Begin with thesis and method, clearly identifying the shaped paragraph Use complete sentences for body thesis & commentary sentences You do not need to provide lead-ins for the quotes. Label each part: Thesis, Method, BT, Q, CM, CS Include 3 quotations and the accompanying analysis

Concession Select the strongest quotes for the other side; quotes from HF do NOT belong here Commentaries: first (weakly) explain and extend the other side’s perspective (acknowledge it), then explain why it is inaccurate/biased/over the top Well-crafted concessions: Smiley (first 1½ pages), Henry (characterizations of Jim ) and Kaplan Work for MILD REFUTATION; best will introduce points to be addressed later

Example – TOO STRONG Body Thesis: Much of the novel is criticized for being racist and offensive to African Americans, which leads some to believe it should not be used in schools. Q: “‘Classic or not, it should not be allowed to continue to cause our [black] children embarrassment about their heritage’” (John Wallace qtd. in Cooley 310). CM: Public schooling should cover materials that educate students without posing a threat to them. CM: Every individual should remain proud of who he is when confronted with the materials presented in school, but Huck Finn does not allow that.

Example – Good Refutation Q: According to the critics of Huck Finn, “the book is full of negative stereotypes of black people and… its use of the word ‘nigger’ nearly 215 times - including in the very first line - can have negative effects on black children” (Strauss). CM: The claim is that the novel does more damage to the students’ moral condition than it benefits their education. CM: Depending on how this classic is taught, misguided racist interpretations can be corrected, leaving nothing but positive effects for students of all backgrounds.

Example – Good Refutation Q: “No matter how often the critics ‘place in context’ Huck’s use of the word ‘nigger,’ they can never excuse or fully hide the deeper racism of the novel…” (Smiley 64). CM: The repeated epithet is said to unquestioningly prove the classic’s racist concepts, although quite often the same epithet is used without offensive connotation. CM: Offended readers are quick to assume the epithet is used with traditionally insulting intentions and refuse to see its use is to make current users aware of its odious meaning.

Refutation Words Concede It seems likely Probably But in reality Some assert Understandable Seems Although

Conventions Italicize the novel’s title, including Huck Finn Use Huck Finn for the title after using Adv. of Huckleberry Finn once (in the thesis) Capitalize South (a region); no caps when used as an adjective (southern) Place commas inside quotation marks First & last name the first time a person is mentioned, just the last name EVERY TIME after (even with Twain) Huck faces battles with his conscience, not his conscious