The Critic’s Opinion

The narrative Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain is about a boy named Huck and his many encounters on the Mississippi River. During the course of the book Huck is forced to take on an adult role, while inside he is still the little boy who just wants to play make-believe with his friends. The book was completed in 1884, at a time of befuddled literature in America. Any distinguished novel is bound to receive a great deal of criticism, both negative and positive. One critic named Thomas Sterns Eliot wrote an essay in 1950 entitled Introduction to Huckleberry Finn. In an excerpt from T.S. Eliot’s essay, he states his views on the story of Huck’s voyages and his thoughts on how the story influenced many other imminent novels that look at similar themes as in Mark Twain’s writings. Another critic named Jane Smiley wrote an essay entitled Say It Ain’t So, Huck in 1995. While Eliot’s essay would be considered the “positive” criticism, Smiley’s essay ...