On the Friday of this past week, I declared my Spanish and English double major at Hillsdale College. Hillsdale's English department is known to have some of the hardest professors. Yet, like the motto which Hillsdale's students proudly affirm during tough times in the school year, "Strength Rejoices in the Challenge," I am ready for this test, and most certainly ready to accept the positive changes which will result from my instruction from these famous professors.
The following essay is a Short Analysis essay of an excerpt from Huckleberry Finn from my past semester's English 300 level course, American Literature 1820-1890: Huckleberry Finn Excerpt “My plan is this,” I says. “We can easy find out if it’s Jim in there. Then get up my canoe tomorrow night, and fetch my raft over from the island. Then the first dark night that comes, steal the key out of the old man’s britches, after he goes to bed, and shove off down the river on the raft, with Jim, hiding daytimes and running nights, the way me and Jim used to do before.[1] Wouldn’t that plan work?” “Work? Why cert’nly, it would work, like rats a fighting. But it’s too blame’ simple[2]; there ain’t nothing to it. What’s the good of a plan that ain’t no more trouble than that?[3] It’s as mild as goose-milk. Why, Huck, it wouldn’t make no more talk than breaking into a soap factory.” I never said nothing, because I warn’t expecting nothing different; but I knowed mighty well that whenever he got his plan ready it wouldn’t have none of them objections to it.[4] And it didn’t. He told me what it was, and I see in a minute it was worth fifteen of mine, for style, and would make Jim just as free a man as mine would, and maybe get us all killed besides.[5] So I was satisfied, and said we would waltz in on it.[6] I needn’t tell what it was, here, because I knowed it wouldn’t stay the way it was. I knowed he would be changing it around, every which way, as we went along, and heaving in new bullinesses whenever he got a chance. And that is what he done.” Essay In this selection from Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses the interaction between Huck and Tom to illustrate a common hardship in youth. Leading up to this point in the novel, Huck had established a system of moral standards. Huck had decided he would rather “Go to Hell” than live according to society’s standards with the treatment of black people (Twain, 341). However, through the boys’ discussion, Huck shows that he fails to live up to this ideal. Through Twain’s use of Tom as a symbol of society, Huck’s quick submission to Tom demonstrates both Huck’s denial of his ideals and his regression in character. Twain uses Tom as a symbol of society through Tom’s exemplification of the common boy and the common attitude towards black people in order to juxtapose Huck’s newly established morals with the morals of society. Although Tom is a rather rambunctious boy, people in society view him as one who is civilized. Tom attends church, goes to school, and is a leader among the children in town. Most central to this passage, however, is the reflection of society through Tom in his perspective of Jim. Even though Tom knows that Jim is legally free, he still tries to rescue Jim with Huck so as to get a rush from the adventure and fame. Tom is in favor of a plan with “style” because, although it might “get them all killed,” rescuing Jim in an extravagant way would benefit him. Therefore, much like the way society values black people solely for their utility, Tom values Jim only insofar as he can aid Tom. In contrast, Twain juxtaposes Huck’s rescue plan with Tom’s to show that Huck initially had a different attitude towards Jim than society. After Huck tells Tom of his rescue plan, Tom says, “Work? Why cert’nly, it would work” (359). Here, Twain uses a question to illustrate Tom’s bewilderment with Huck’s purpose in his plan to show how radically different both purposes are. While Huck is initially concerned with rescuing Jim in the most humane way, Tom shows that merely rescuing Jim’s life for Jim’s own sake is pointless. Through initially juxtaposing both purposes for Jim’s rescue, Twain prepares his platform for illustrating Huck’s transition of his moral ideals. Twain juxtaposes Huck’s quick consent to Tom in this excerpt with Huck’s earlier thoughtful and long processes of logic to demonstrate Huck’s failure to live up to his newly formed ideals. In chapter three, Huck doubts both the usefulness of prayer and Tom’s assertion that a Sunday school picnic is, in fact, a group of Arabians and Spaniards. When Miss Watson explains prayer to Huck, instead of just believing Miss Watson right away, Huck wanders off into the woods and thinks about the benefit of prayer. Similarly, instead of going along with Tom’s claim about the Arabians and Spaniards, Huck thinks about the logicality of tom’s story and concludes that it is a lie after the length of a couple of days. In both cases, Huck spends time in thought about these issues. In contrast, in this passage, Huck quickly gives his consent to Tom’s plan, saying, “I seen in a minute it was worth fifteen of mine.” Twain clearly demonstrates Huck’s failure to uphold his ideals because Huck only thinks about Tom’s plan for a minute, then fully consents. Because Tom is a symbol of society, Huck’s quick consent to Tom’s plan shows Huck’s transition from believing in his ideals independent from society to consenting to societal morals. Furthermore, Twain shows Huck’s quick change in ideals through a short sentence. When Huck describes how readily he thinks he will accept Tom’s plan, he says, “And it did.” This short sentence illustrates the short amount of time Huck places in evaluating Tom’s plan. Additionally, Twain demonstrates Huck’s enthusiasm with Tom’s new plan through the use of casual diction. When Huck states his agreement with Tom, he says, “We would waltz in on it.” By saying “waltz,” Twain suggests that Huck does not regard rescuing Jim as something serious. This word makes the reader think that Huck will carry out Tom’s plans with more of a causal attitude than a solemn one. Twain demonstrates Huck’s regression in thought by Huck’s quick consent to Tom. In conclusion, Twain uses Tom as a symbol of society to show Huck’s failure in keeping his ideals against those of society. Through juxtaposing Huck’s newly formed ideals with Tom’s reflected morals of society, Twain initially establishes Huck’s ideals in contrast to the ideals of society. But, through depicting Huck’s quick consent to Tom in this passage, Twain shows Huck’s hardship in keeping with his new resolution. Works Cited: Twain, Mark, and Tom Quirk. The Portable Mark Twain. New York: Penguin, 2004. Print.
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Today, I watched as the new Hillsdale freshmen class said goodbye to their parents at convocation. After hearing my classmates and friends give their advice to an anxious group of new freshmen, I tried to imagine what had been going through my head as I had said goodbye to my mom just two years ago. I can see it now, just like it had been yesterday, clearly in my mind. My mom, who had decided to come with me all of the way from CA to settle me into college in MI, was in tears. As the embarrassed new freshman that I was, I realized that I was one of the only students who wasn’t crying. I was embarrassed because I was not in tears over leaving someone whom I was close with, because I hadn’t thought that I would miss my mom too much, and I was almost glad that I would have time away from my parents to be able to live on my own. Now, looking back onto that memory, I can tell that I have changed substantially. Change in the very best sense.
Over the course of my freshman year, my pride was challenged. I was no longer the super-star on the basketball team. No longer was I the talkative girl in AP Gov who had always seemed to know the answers. Nor was I still the girl with the biggest family. Coming to terms with this situation showed me that I had the opportunity to rebrand my name at this school. I started to understand that it didn’t matter where I came from, whether my family was large or small, whether I came from a close family, or a broken one, whether I was popular or socially inept in high school. What did matter was my willingness to learn, and how I treated the people with whom I came into contact. I realized that this small change in scenery–I still was in the United States of America, everybody spoke English, and many people had similar Judeo-Christian beliefs–was large enough to erase the connotation of my name. Through this experience, I was able to start empathizing with other people who had had to leave their homes and create a new one. During my sophomore year, I really started to miss my mom. I noticed that I really wanted to be like her in many was. Throughout my childhood, I took the sacrifices and the Love from my mom for granted. I expected her to drive me places, to cook me incredible meals, to buy me clothes and shoes, and to be there for me whenever I messed up. But, because she had never said “no,” and chosen herself above me, I never expected anything different. I was not the only one who was blessed enough to receive her attention and care. Seven other people in my family received the same amount of sacrifice and Love–my six other siblings and my dad. Outside of the family, with the remaining time or energy, she always had tried to act justly, and show Jesus’ Love to others. These qualities, because of their physical absence from my life at college, vividly stood out to me in my memories. It was not until after I came back from my months in Spain that I realized how difficult it must have been for my mom to acclimate herself to another country, with a different language and overall way of life. At least I had moved within the US when I went to college. But my mother had to adjust her lifestyle in a completely different way. She valued the things which really mattered–the way she valued her faith and her treatment of others–and let everything else fall into place. She created a home with her husband, in which she has served tirelessly and endlessly, always making sure her loved ones have everything they need, and even much more. She realized that cultural norms, or following the mob, really comes last in the priority list to making her family feel loved, and ensuring that they know that their Creator Loves them even more than she. Today, as I watched the new Hillsdale freshmen class said goodbye to their moms at convocation, I envisioned my first goodbye to my mom. At that point, I could never have foreseen the amount of knowledge I would have gained from two whole years at Hillsdale on my own, and even more invaluable lessons from my adventures in Spain. I look back to that moment and laugh at my ignorance and pride. But I also glance at my progression in my relationship with my mom throughout the years, and smile. Boy, I am so lucky to have a mom who has loved me and will continue to love me forever. Now I know that our reunion over Parent’s Weekend will be overflowing with emotion, and I can’t wait to embrace the blessings which will fall upon our relationship. The first time I tried to write about Spanish culture, I hadn’t really fully experienced Spain. I tried to give my followers what I thought they wanted. After two whole weeks in Spain, I thought that I could give an accurate description of the traditions and customs with which many, if not all, Spaniards identify. But, now that I had been in Spain for three months, I have realized that my report was made prematurely. I hadn’t stewed in the Spanish fragrance for long enough to soak in any understanding of their Mediterranean life. Now, after coming home to the US after being in Spain for three months, I recognize that I still probably am not qualified to evaluate their whole culture, and what defines these people. But, I hope that I can share some of the cultural norms and attitudes that these people have in common. The first thing that really stood out to me is that the Spanish people are really practical. When they work, they really work. And when they take time off of work, they don’t think or worry about work. Half-way through the summer, my leg had been bothering me. I thought that maybe I had torn something, and wanted to see a doctor just in case. After I called the office, asking for an appointment, I was scheduled in with a muscle specialist for just the next week. After my preliminary appointment, the doctor scheduled me to get an MRI the following week. Each visit was quick–at the preliminary appointment, the doctor asked me questions, checked my leg, and right away set-up my appointment, and at the MRI appointment, the doctor doing the procedure gave me an answer immediately after (nothing was seriously damaged). At both visits, the doctors were eager to help and there was hardly no wasted time. I have no doubt that these doctors also took time off from work. In Spain, there are countless little cafes in the towns. During the summer, tables are set up outside so that people can enjoy their drink and a little snack outside. After breakfast, and before lunch, these cafes are filled with customers. And at night after dinner again. Spanish value friendship in such a way that they will meet with different friends at these cafes many times a week, if not every day. Along with being practical, and setting aside time for friends during the day, the Spanish are overall outwardly friendly. When you walk into a small store or building, if you don’t say good morning or afternoon, people usually think you are not from the country. When I went to city councils with my host mom, whenever we would walk through the door she would say, “Buenas” (short for good day), and everybody, or almost everybody would respond. Not only is this a nice action, but it shows that you have entered, and it lets the people working now that you have arrived. In this way, it works as a conversation starter, a way to show everyone else you’re friendly, and a way to announce your presence and position in line. In Spain, and I think in the rest of Europe, gasoline is highly expensive. Many households just own one or two cars, and try not to drive if they can help it. At one point, the gas here cost twice as much as it did in California. Therefore, many people take the bus. It is quite simple to use the buses, and this form of public transportation is rather common. Because of the culture of openness, the buses are hardly ever quiet. When people walk in, they say hello. And if you live in a small town, many of the people on the buses will have the same schedule, so after a couple of trips, people will make friends and talk. I have really enjoyed my time in Spain. I have fallen in love with the culture and the people. I realized that most of the time when I thought somebody was giving me a dirty look, they had only been curious because I looked different. But after I said hello and talked to them, asking for directions or commenting on the day, they lit up with a smile and shared a story or two with me. If I asked for directions to something they didn’t know, they would shrug their shoulders and then tell me where else to go and wish me luck. I think that sometimes, the outsiders that people had come in contact with destroyed their image of the outsider in general. Sometimes American travelers aren’t the nicest or most thoughtful. These especially obnoxious travelers may have made fun of the Spanish culture, or may have purchased things from the illegal clothing stands on the beach, supporting the Spanish gangs. So only being exposed to this version of a traveler has tarnished their view of other peoples and cultures. But once you break through that preconceived notion, Spanish are generally welcoming and accepting. Because of this, I have made many friends in Spain. From the gym, other Au Pairs, the Church, and friends of friends, these people have greatly shaped my experience in their country, and have helped brand Spain on part of my heart. This weekend, I hopped on the bus and visited Madrid. When I arrived, I was immediately stunned by the size of everything. All of the buildings were very grand, and the streets were wide and long as well. For the past two three months, I had been living in a small town with small streets and such, so this was quite a welcomed change. My plans for the trip were small–I wanted to see Toledo, watch a Flamenco dance, go to a Bullfight, and tour the King’s castle, but besides that I did not have any expectations from my trip. During my trip, I visited Toledo, which was the episcopal seat of Visigoth Spain. The town was about a half an hour from Madrid, and walking around the town did not take too long as well, making the visit really accessible. Built on a hill, the town realizes a close-to-Platonic vision of the medieval town, with the city protected by walls and an outside river. At the center of the city, a Cathedral strongly stands. Before the Muslim rule in Spain, a Catholic church lay at the same exact place as the Cathedral now. When Muslims took over Toledo, they tore the church down and replaced it with a mosque. In 1085, the city was reconquered by Alfonso VI, King of Leon and Castile. The mosque was converted into a Catholic Cathedral, which was then recognized by Pope Urban II as the primate cathedral over the rest of the kingdom in 1088. Then, in 1222, the Pope authorized the construction of a new Cathedral. This Cathedral is the one which people see today. Built in high gothic style, the Cathedral was grand and beautiful. On the outside, the Cathedral draws attention with its spires and dome, and on the inside, it inspires the sinner to pray with high ceilings and beautiful artwork. My favorite part of the Cathedral was a statue of Mary smiling down at baby Jesus. Her face was filled with Joy, and was depicted as much more emotional than many other statues of her and her child. After visiting the Cathedral, my friend and I had a traditional lunch, choosing our meal from a menu of daily specials, and starting and finishing with gazpacho and flan. At night, my friend and I saw a Flamenco dance. We went to a cafe which hosts the dances, and watched what could be shortly described as a lot of yelling, stomping, and arm flailing for an hour. In a longer description, the dancers all took their turns and improvised a routine. A classic guitarist laid down the music, while a caller sang for the dancers in almost a Turkish way. The dance itself was similar to tap dancing, but each dancer personalized their routines with their looks of determination and the style of their arm movements. Each dance was a mixture of speeds, moving from slow bodily movements and meditation, to rapid and crazy movements. On Saturday, I walked around the center of Madrid. I visited the Cathedral, the Palace, and numerous plazas. The Cathedral was beautiful. On the outside, it seemed a little plain, with stone statues, but on the inside it looked completely different. There were many chapels made especially for certain religious orders. The ceiling had really neat art and wood work. The Palace was unexpectedly gorgeous. I had to wait in a line for more than half an hour, but it was definitely worth it. I saw armour from numerous kings, and some really neat rooms, with golden and silver decorations. What really surprised about the palace was its size. Everything was so big. In one of the rooms, we saw a huge table for the special dinners, and it was neat to stand there and see everything how it was in the past. The Plazas were also neat and large. On Sunday, I saw a Bullfight. I was really excited because I had read and studied so much about Bullfighting in my Spanish classes, and I was finally going to be able to witness one in person. When we arrived to the arena, many stands were set out selling candy and seat cushions for the audience. Everybody seemed like they too were really excited to watch the fight. In the arena, people were preparing the circle for the fight, painting white lines which gave the bullfighters a way to see the distance to the gates for safety. The actual bullfight was really neat. But it was hard to watch for two main reasons. The bullfighter placed himself in many dangerous situations. These bulls, which were considered small, were huge! They looked so strong, with their huge muscles and bodies. They also seemed hard to read, acting in spontaneous ways. Every time the bull came close to the bullfighter, I got nervous. The second reason why it was hard to watch was for the bull. Sometimes the bull would really strong and live in pain for awhile instead of dying right away. It was the job of the bullfighter to kill it completely by stabbing a knife through the head after he already had been stabbed by a sword through the heart. But sometimes the bull would keep on fighting while it struggled through the pain, and it was impossible to get close enough to stab it in the head with the knife. It was difficult to watch it suffer in this way. I have heard both arguments about Bullfights. People advocate for keeping bullfights as it preserves parts of the history and tradition of Spain, but watching this event also gave reason for people advocating its termination, as it is painful for the bull. Overall, my experience of Madrid was a complete one. I ate Spanish food, saw major places in Madrid as well as Toledo, watched a Flamenco dance, saw a Bullfight, and hungout with some locals. I greatly enjoyed my visit, and this weekend will add to my difficulty in leaving Spain just next week. This week, my friend and I went to the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria in Poblet, Tarragona. This monastery, which was only about a half an hour drive from Tarragona, was spectacular. The whole drive to the monastery set up grand expectations for the monastery itself, and they were met and exceeded. From the outside, the monastery did not seem large at all, but after passing through the surrounding walls, we were surprised by the size of the monastery. Large walkways, tall ceilings, and tall and thick walls brings to attention the beautiful Romanesque architecture. But, instead of being decorated in a really ornate way, the builders of the monastery had focused on simplicity, so as to not create a distraction for the studious monks. It was in this simplicity, however, which demonstrated beauty. In 1150, the monastery was founded by monks of the Benedictine order. This monastery is one out the three Cistercian monasteries which belonged to the Crown of Aragon. While we took a tour in the monastery, we were surprised to see the tombs of many of the Kings and Queens of Aragon in the church. The remains of Edmundo de la Croix, Alfonso V of Aragon, Enrique de Trastamara, Martin I of Aragon, Francisco Roures (archbishop of Tarragona), Juana of Aragon, the children of Pedro IV, and other children can be found in tombs in two arches in the church, among others. On the outside of these tombs, sculptors designed full-life images of them, to remind the public of who had been buried there. During our tour, we noticed that some of the statues were damaged, while others looked like they were unblemished. The tour guide told us that in 1835, the Prime Minister during the rule of Isabella II, Mendizabal, ordered the closing of all of the monasteries in Spain, and opening the land up to the public. The added property was seen as a source of wealth to the country because the monasteries were not compensated for their loss, but this decision just ended up in vandalism to the monasteries with heartbreaking loss to paintings and other valuables. In 1935, the land was returned back to the church. And in 1940, Italian monks of the same order came and reoccupied it. Ever since the reopening of the monastery, the monks have been working to replace the stolen and broken pieces. Now, the monks work and study throughout the day. The monastery is the home to twenty-seven professed monks, one oblate, two novices, and one familiar. Throughout our visit, I was in awe of all of the rich history of the monastery. The silence and tranquility helped make the experience a peaceful and meditative one. I couldn’t help but envy the monks in their peaceful study environment, away from all of the noise of the world, but still in contact with other people and visitors. I’m sure I will take back some of the things I learned from this visit, and value moments of silence in the future. In the south of Catalonia, many people would recognize Salou right away. During spring break, many tourists from England come and party the entire week at the elite clubs in this city. They totally embrace the Spanish schedule of staying and waking up late. In addition, in the summer, the beaches are packed with sunburnt tourists, leaving behind trash and other unwanted pollutants in the water. Even though this city does have appeal (there are many nice cafes on the sand by the water, and there are many good restaurants), just one city down along the coast hosts a calmer, and I’d argue better, experience. Cambrils, a city with great camping spots near the sea, clean beaches with at least some waves, and a family friendly downtown area, among other things, is sure to paint a better picture of Spain. With more locals enjoying the many beaches, you will be sure to get a more accurate representation of Catalonia’s unique culture. Cambrils has a great appeal for active people. With many water sports available along the coast, you can enjoy the sea and workout at the same time. There are places to rent kayaks, wind surf, paddle board, and parasail. In addition, many of the large sidewalks have bike lanes, and these are always used. In the mornings and afternoons, plenty of runners run alongside the paths. If you want a vacation filled with relaxation, the downtown area is perfect. You can go shopping in the many clothing, jewelry, and shoes stores. During the summer, these stores put out their summer clothes on sale so that many of the tourists buy many clothes. Also, like Salou, you can find plenty of good restaurants. In the downtown area, restaurants line the sidewalks. In the evenings, families and friends dine in the outdoor areas of these restaurants, with a view of the ships in the port. After dinner, you can have dessert at the many ice-cream places, gofre restaurants (a really good type of waffle), or creperias. Besides sports, the beach, and restaurants, Cambrils has some rich history as well. In the city, there are old Roman buildings. In addition, there is an old watch tower set up in the middle of the port, which was built in the 17th century to keep watch over pirates. The last pirate attack was in 1799, and the tower right now forms a part of the Cambrils History Museum. If you are looking for a tranquil, family-friendly place to relax, I highly recommend visiting Cambrils!
While in Europe, I decided to keep Snapchat to stay in contact with family and friends, deleting other social media outlets to concentrate my focus in the now. Snapchat is an app which allows users to send pictures to friends for a certain amount of time. It is used the most among the youth, giving them opportunities to send pictures to friends and share their experiences in life. I particularly like Snapchat because I get to send and receive pictures to my little siblings and close friends every day. However, Snapchat has evolved from an app used to only send personal messages, into an outlet for people to connect with other “snappers” around the world in the form of global stories. While this may seem really great – people get to see other people in other areas of the world – it may be dangerous if people only watch the stories, instead of reading educational articles, to get to know other cultures because they are only getting the viewpoint of the youth, which misrepresents the country or culture as a whole. Even potentially more dangerous, Snapchat has recently allowed companies to post daily stories on the Snapchat story feed, even if each user does not add the company and choose to follow it. With just a finger’s tap on the screen, users can easily access articles, blogs, and posts from these companies. So, what’s wrong with that? Well, by letting users, especially young people who probably do not yet have a holistic view of the world, read these articles, Snapchat and these companies unconsciously shape the minds of the youth. The quick and easy news is not always factual, or even evocative, making the user used to not having to think too much while reading it. In addition, many of the articles falsely advertise the contents, and many still are extremely poorly written. I have been shocked by so many of the articles, and yet, these articles are so easily accessible, it seems so harmless to just click them and scroll through. If these news substitutes were only about harmless, nonpolitical subjects, they would possibly just negatively affect the user by making them accustomed to using little thought. However, not all of these articles are of innocent content. Much of the content of these stories would be considered as immoral by principled people. Yet, perhaps because mainly only youth use Snapchat, parents do not realize and do not know what their children are reading. Snapchat evolved from an app used to communicate personally into a news source which targets the vulnerable youth. In a time of growing political division, or hardship, it is important that our youth equip themselves with the skills necessary for the future. Namely, reading, writing, and discussing using sound logic. But, if our youth becomes accustomed to being spoon-fed poorly written, illogical articles, it may be harder later in life to ask the tough questions and logically make good decisions. One way to combat the new Snapchat news source is to read and write good articles. Through making the real news appealing to the youth, and through encouraging the youth to broaden their news sources, they may be better prepared for the future. If not, if our youth become comfortable in accepting things, they may wake up in reality too late to realize their rights have slipped away to the sideline.
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Jessica De GreeJessica teaches 5th grade English and History as well as 11th grade Spanish III at a Great Hearts Academy in Glendale, AZ. In addition to teaching, she coaches JV girls basketball and is a writing tutor for The Classical Historian Online Academy. Jessica recently played basketball professionally in Tarragona, Spain, where she taught English ESL and tutored Classical Historian writing students. In 2018, she received her Bachelor's degree in English and Spanish from Hillsdale College, MI. Archives
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