1975. Although literary critics have tended to praise the unique in literary characterizations, many authors have employed the stereotyped character successfully. Select one work of acknowledged literary merit and in a well-written essay, show how the conventional or stereotyped character or characters function to achieve the author's purpose.
Mark Twain uses a variety of 'out of the box' characters to express his opinions on the dysfunctional, hypocritical state of society. This is most apparent in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, when the reader sees the atypical Huck struggling out of the confines of being 'civilized.' Twain also uses stereotypical characters for Huck to react to, thereby furthering the contrast on societal values.
Miss Watson and the Widow Douglas are both the stereotypical well-to-do women of the Antebellum era; they have money, are at the top of the town's happenings, and manage slaves. Twain uses them at the beginning to show how Huck is separate from 'civilization'. He shows this by having Huck appreciate their efforts, but in the end join Tom Sawyer's crime gang.
The Grangerfords and the Sheperdsons begin as stereotypical religious families, but Twain quickly twists it to make them into opposing sides who would happily kill the other while immersed in 'God's will.' While this is used for satirical purposes, Twain also sets up a scenario for the young Huck to respond to. As he is ignorant and naiive about much of life, he doesn't critically analyze the situation for the reader as a more mature and societally 'programmed' person might. The reader, however, gets the benefit of seeing someone yet untainted by hypocrisy react to events. This carries on throughout the book with the Duke and Dauphin.
Twain uses innocence to illustrate the hypocrisy evident in typical society, often employing satirized stereotypes to further this end. By having Huck react to them in a yet- un-programmed way, he shows the reader how ridiculous typical societal values look from the standpoint of those who have not yet grown used to behaving inside of them.
Cool. Its interesting that you say that the effect of a stereotype is to contrast with an unconventional character.
ReplyDeleteIsn't "Tom Sawyer's crime gang" a stereotypical gang though? They attempt to be, at least. To me it seems as though the stereotypes are present everywhere, not just in civilization. Even on the raft, which is removed from society, Jim is a stereotype.
I think that your content and details are good but the intro, I think, sets up a different essay than the one you wrote and the one set up in the prompt. The intro, conclusion, and thesis statement focuses mostly on Huck and not the stereotypical characters. It undermines the argument you try to make and detracts from the focus of your essay.
ReplyDeleteI think your paragraphs could use more support. Your first paragraph only contains three sentences- barely enough to even qualify as a paragraph. Furthermore, I think you should expand more on the point you address in your first sentence of the last paragraph throughout the piece. If this is your interpretation of the meaning, you should weave how the thesis illuminates the meaning throughout your essay.
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