The 10 Best Huck Finn Essay Topics For College Students
In the late 1800’s a Mississippi printer by the name of Samuel Clemens embarked on a change of career that would lead to the creation of several written works known for their humorous take on American life. Known by his famous nom de plume, Mark Twain penned the outrageously successful “The Adventures of T. Sawyer”. This was followed shortly after by the even more successful “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”. Here are a few of the life experiences that led to his creation of these books:
- He was raised in the Southern United States where racism lingered in the form of systematic oppression of African Americans long after the abolition of slavery
- He was well travelled and had seen both American coasts and the space in between over the course of his journeys
- His own childhood was spent in a town very similar to the one in which Tom and Huck both grew up and he shared many of the same experiences.
Here are some great ideas you can take from this book to use in essay creation:
- How does satire play a role in Mark Twain’s choice of themes throughout the story?
- Huckleberry Finn: A discourse on the evolving landscape of American Political Correctness
- Views on Boyhood: How the characters of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn are both similar and different at once
- Orphan-hood: On Mark Twain’s use of parental absence as convenient plot device
- In what scenes does Twain demonstrate his personal feelings about poverty and the poor?
- Huck vs Puck: A close look at the literary obsession with characters who bend or break the rules
- Redemption: Huckleberry’s evolution from spoiled child into fairly responsible young man
- Down the river: the journey as a symbol for life transition and spiritual awakening
- What Jungian archetypes can be found in Twain’s classic American Novel?
Few novels have captured the concept of coming of age as competently as this one. This leaves you almost an endless supply of potential topics that can result in engaging and insightful essays. The above ideas represent only a tiny fraction of these and though they’re quite good, try not to limit yourself to these alone. You can brainstorm topics in class with other students in your class or the rest of your college who are familiar with the book and feel comfortable discussing it.