Huck Finn Argument Essay
Weeds and Roses
Weed #1—Comma, comma,
comma chameleon
• Folks—REALLY? TD and AS are going to maim
you! How could you possibly not know your
comma rules by now??
This man taught you at least five comma
rules.
I have his word.
Which is stronger than titanium.
Weed #1: Commas
• Here’s the only one I think you might need
some more instruction on:
– Use a comma to separate an introductory
(dependent) clause
• When I go to the store, I buy shaving cream. Notice that the
words in RED, if
• If I don’t, I have to shave my female moustache
dry.
they begin a
sentence,
• By the end of the shave, my upper lip is bloody
andwill
usually indicate
blotchy.
a dependent
clause
• From then on, I have scabs on my upper lip.
• In the future, I will make sure I have shaving cream on
hand.
Weed #1: Commas
• So you, my little comma queens and kings, get
to sort out the rest of the commas on your
own.
– Comma powerpoint (The Five Comma Rules) is posted
online
– Mr. Dorman and Ms. Schumacher have been instructed
NOT to re-teach you—you need to be responsible for this!
– You will be quizzed on these rules
– If you have questions about them, email me, and we’ll
discuss when we come back from break
Weed #2—Beef Up Commentary
Weed #2—Enough metaphorical shenanigans,
Ms. K. Really, What is Commentary?
• Commentary is the same as analysis
• It explains to your reader why your CD is
important
• It explains how your CD proves your thesis
• Can you prove your thesis without
CM/analysis?
Layers of Commentary
Society at large
Novel as a whole
Specific CD
“Initially, Huck had written the letter to Miss
Watson to inform her of the location of
her runaway slave, Jim. However, after
further consideration, Huck finally decides
that he cannot exonerate himself by
unjustly condemning an innocent victim of
society. By resolving this issue as well as
similar conflicts, Huck has firmly
configured his moral compass and
demonstrated the importance of following
what is ethically right, regardless of
whether society endorses it or not. In
essence, Huck has also shown that it is
wiser to preserve one’s personal beliefs
than to follow in society’s footsteps.
Without the ability of morals and ethics to
establish a personal sense of justice,
people would become mindless drones of
society instead of sentient beings.”
How do you write this?
1. Explain how CD proves
thesis
“Initially, Huck had written
the letter to Miss Watson to
inform her of the location of
her runaway slave, Jim.
However, after further
consideration, Huck finally
decides that he cannot
exonerate himself by unjustly
condemning an innocent
victim of society. “
Go back to your thesis.
What are you trying to
prove? Explain how the CD
illustrates your thesis. Don’t
just say, “This shows…”
NO—YOU show. Pick your
brain instead of your nose.
Why did you choose that
quote, example, etc. What
about it demonstrates your
claim? THINK!!
2. What does this CD illustrate about the character/town as a
whole?
By resolving this issue as well
as similar conflicts, Huck has
firmly configured his moral
compass and demonstrated
the importance of following
what is ethically right,
regardless of whether
society endorses it or not.
Go back to your thesis. What is
Twain trying to say? Is this
like something else you’ve
read as well? Does this CD
corroborate with other
evidence? What does the
evidence collectively
suggest?
Dig deep. Be Oprah. Say
something meaningful.
3. Relate this to society at large. Remember, this
novel is a comment on society as a whole
In essence, Huck has also
shown that it is wiser to
preserve one’s personal
beliefs than to follow in
society’s footsteps. Without
the ability of morals and
ethics to establish a
personal sense of justice,
people would become
mindless drones of society
instead of sentient beings.”
What can we all take away
from this?
What lessons can be learned?
What is the consequence if we
don’t?
What is the impact of the
statement?
What is the significance for all
of us?
Dig. Dig. Dig. Oprah deep.
Weed #3—Take a risk with your thesis
Rank these theses in order from weakest to strongest:
A. Romanistic ideas are far from beneficial, and in fact, harm
the society as a whole.
B. Society should not control our friendships with others.
C. Insecurity brings about racism and greed.
D. The quest for freedom comes after a solid set of morals
and basic understanding of right and wrong.
E. A moral person in a corrupt society will often be frowned
upon for their actions.
F. Humans often live their lives in a two-faced manner.
Weed #3—Take a risk with your thesis
• What would make a thesis more risky?
Bolder? How could we say something more
dramatic? Something different that what
everyone else is already saying?
Ways to Up the Ante:
1. Add causality: If A, then B
–
–
–
If humans cannot see past parochial paradigms, they are bound to
end up with a castrated mind.
Because man is inherently benevolent, he will always act in an
altruistic manner.
Man is inherently evil; therefore, if given the chance, he will always
pilfer from others for his own gain
2. Add qualifying or evaluative words/phrases:
–
–
–
–
Never, always, without a doubt, rarely...
Plant vs. Weed
Animal vs. Beast
Expensive vs. Over-priced
Weed #4—Introduce your quote
It’s important for your
reader to have a
frame of reference
when reading a
quote
– Setting
– Speaker
– Context
• Antecedent/referent
clarification
Weed #4—Introduce Your Quotes
Which one is well introduced? Which one leaves the reader
wondering? What questions might the reader wonder?
“These two families have been
fighting non-stop. They are
both, however, of Christian
faith and both are unaware
of the ancient reason for
their constant feuding.
Arriving to church—each
cradling their own gun—the
rivals listen to the same
sermon and agree on the
beauty of it. “It was a pretty
ornery preaching…”
“The arrogance of Aunt Sally is
imperative to the
progression of this
argument. She represents,
as a whole, the antagonism
of the novel. “…and he’s in
that cabin again, on bread
and water, and loaded
down with chains till he’s
claimed or sold!” (289).
Not quite a weed, but rather something to
which to pay attention:
• What is the present progressive tense of a
verb?
RER (Reflection, Editing & Revision)
1. Highlight CD in one color, CM in another. What is
your ratio of CD:CM?
2. Add three more sentences of commentary/analysis
to each body paragraph. Ideally the CM will relate
to the same CD. The idea is to keep digging, keep
digging. Go somewhere with the CM; say
something.
3. Rewrite your conclusion. Wow me! Make me weep
with joy at your insight.
4. Find two other issues with your paper (awkward
sentence construction, weak thesis, etc.) and revise.
Weed #1—Use of titles
• When using a title/name for the
first time, use the entire name:
– The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
– Mark Twain
• Italicize, don’t underline, titles of
books (new MLA 2009).
– Obviously when writing by hand,
you’ll need to underline
Ideas for a conclusion:
• Get philosophical—talk about serious issues as they
relate to the topic
• Ask (and maybe even answer) a rhetorical question
• Begin a new line of reasoning or introduce a new but
related idea
• Use an anecdote from the real world that illustrates
just the point Twain attempted to prove