The American Renaissance and Mark Twain

Overview

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This course explores Mark Twain's literary rivalry with Harriet Beecher Stowe and discusses why Huckleberry Finn’s story is labeled as a "tall tale". The module also defines "realism" and "naturalism" in terms of Twain's works. Next, it examines how blackface minstrelsy display the ambivalence as the basis for interracial bonds in the United States and compares the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with Mark Twain's own autobiographical work, "Life on the Mississippi".

Syllabus

Mark Twain: An Introduction

This module explores Mark Twain's literary rivalry with Harriet Beecher Stowe and discusses why Huckleberry Finn’s story is labeled as a "tall tale." The module also defines "realism" and "naturalism" in terms of Twain's works.

The Black Mirror and Huck Finn's Autobiography

This module examines how blackface minstrelsy display the ambivalence as the basis for interracial bonds in the United States. It also compares the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with Mark Twain's own autobiographical work, Life on the Mississippi.