Open Prompt #1

Prompt:1991. Many plays and novels use contrasting places (for example, two countries, two cities or towns, two houses, or the land and the sea) to represent opposed forces or ideas that are central to the meaning of the work. Choose a novel or play that contrasts two such places. Write an essay explaining how the places differ, what each place represents, and how their contrast contributes to the meaning of the work.

Our location can influence our actions, emotions, and thoughts; you wouldn’t act like you do in your house like you would at school, would you? In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck is influenced by the actions of others on land, but is able to think on his own on the raft in the river. In this novel, the contrast of the Mississippi River and the land surrounding it represent the difference between innocence and corrupt values.

On the river, Huck is alone on a raft with Jim, a runaway slave, which would be considered absurd to anyone who saw the two of them. If anyone were to know the truth of their relationship, the two would be judged severely and punished. However, none of this matters to Huck because on the river, he is his own person. Huck has no one to tell him how to act or how to think. Twain writes these river scenes to allow Huck to interpret Jim’s words and treat him as an equal.

However, when Jim and Huck stop on land, Huck is suddenly influenced by everything and everyone around him. Not only does he treat Jim differently, but he lies, cheats, and ventures around as if he were a parrot repeating someone else’s words. Huck’s actions are directly related to his location. Each time Huck steps his foot on land, he is back to thinking like a typical southerner of the time period would.

Twains juxtaposition of the land and the river contrast the ideas found in each location. On the Mississippi River, Huck and Jim are out of sight from everyone else leaving there minds free and untainted. But on land, these two deal with blending into the expectations of society. Twain uses this method of comparing the two places to put emphasis on Huck’s actions when he is being watched, and when he is not.