Monday, March 30, 2020

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn Essays (622 words) -

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Comparison and Contrast Essay To turn Jim in, or not to turn Jim in, that is the question that Huck is faced with in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Whether it is nobler to protect a friend or to give in to the demands of society by ending a friendship. This novel portrays a period in American history where most Southern whites considered blacks as a piece of property. Huck, a white Southern boy, and Jim, a run-away slave, had a friendship that was inappropriate in society. During their adventurous journey, Huck would have to confront the consequences of protecting a run-away slave, if he decided to give Jim protection. Throughout this novel the relationship between Huck and Jim differs in and out of society because of Huck's feelings towards Jim. These two adventurers had planned to leave the Mississippi and go North, but missed their chance. The river took them farther and farther South. If Jim was caught, he would be in big trouble. If Huck didn't turn Jim in, he would also be in big trouble. Huck found himself battling with his conscience, when he realized how close Jim was to his freedom, "...I begun to get it through my head that he was most free?and who was to blame for it? Why, me. I couldn't get that out of my conscience, no how nor no way." (pg.85) Turning Jim in would be difficult, since he was a benevolent and amiable man. It was not righteous that he should be hurt, but if Huck helped Jim run away, he would have to turn his back on his own people. He would be saying slavery, and everyone who believed in it, was wrong. Huck came to the decision to tell someone about Jim that will force him back into slavery. Soon enough they encountered two white men on a skiff. During this incident Huck perceived that his feelings to protect Jim were stronger than his feelings to turn him in. He lied when the men asked if Jim was white or black. Each time they encountered other people who might turn Jim in, Huck was prepared to reveal another untrue story. Huck knew that Jim counted on him to protect him and not betray him, since they had a special friendship that most whites and blacks would never have, "...you's de bes' fren' Jim's ever had; en you's de only fren' ole Jim's got now." (pg. 87) When Huck and Jim are alone, Jim can't help talking about what he is going to do once he becomes free and Huck couldn't quite bare that kind of talk. "It most froze me to hear such talk. He wouldn't ever dared to talk such talk in his life before." (pg.86) But Huck continued to protect Jim in society, he was able to fool anyone in order to make sure Jim was safe. Outside of society Huck didn't have to pretend anything. In society he had to fight back his guiltiness and hide Jim. The special friendship that Huck and Jim had together contrasted greatly from the conservative relationships between whites and blacks in the South. Whites felt that slaves had no feelings whatsoever, but Huck knew that Jim had feelings just like everyone else. They gave concern for one another and in some ways Jim was like a father figure to Huck. As they spent more time with each other, their friendship grew stronger and stronger until Huck could sacrifice things for Jim. Mark Twain presented the terrible existence of slavery and gives the reader a big adventure in how a white can sacrifice so much for a slave to reach freedom.

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Rules for Writing Place Names with “The”

Rules for Writing Place Names with â€Å"The† Rules for Writing Place Names with â€Å"The† We live in the United States of America. Other countries go without a â€Å"the† – otherwise known as the definite article – before their names. Why is this? And what is it that makes America so much better than every other country? Even our dogs are patriotic. [Photo: Randy Robertson/wikimedia]Well, we’re proofreaders, meaning we’re not qualified to comment on the global status of particular countries. But we know plenty about language, so we can answer that first question. In fact, we’ll dedicate this entire blog post to explaining when (and when not) to add â€Å"the† before a place name. Read on to find out more! Countries and Continents The United States of America is not the only place that uses â€Å"the† in its name. There’s also â€Å"the United Kingdom,† â€Å"the Seychelles† and many others. Essentially, we use â€Å"the† for countries that encompass a group of places. So â€Å"the United States of America† is a group of states and â€Å"the Seychelles† is a group of islands. Most countries don’t require this article, since they’re considered a single place. The other situation when â€Å"the† is required is when a country’s name includes the word â€Å"republic,† like â€Å"the People’s Republic of China.† Other examples include: Definite Article No Article Required The United Kingdom England The Democratic Republic of Congo Senegal The Netherlands Belgium The Czech Republic Estonia It’s worth noting that some regions used to be described with â€Å"the† (e.g., â€Å"the Ukraine† or â€Å"the Argentine†), but that it’s incorrect to add â€Å"the† when describing the modern countries associated with these areas (e.g., Ukraine and Argentina). Since all continents, like â€Å"Europe† or â€Å"North America,† are singular, none require the definite article. We do, however, sometimes use â€Å"the† for the regions to which continents belong, so we might refer â€Å"the Antarctic† when discussing Antarctica. Also known as that place with the penguins. States, Cities and Regions States (e.g., Utah, Tennessee, Alabama) and cities (e.g., Michigan, Paris, Beijing) are almost always treated as single places. As such, they do not usually require the definite article. When discussing specific regions, on the other hand, it’s fairly common to add â€Å"the† before the place name. For instance, we might say â€Å"the Midwest of America† or â€Å"the South of France.† Lakes and Mountains Single lakes and mountains do not generally require the definite article (e.g., Lake Erie, Mount Hayes). It’s important to check, however, since there are exceptions, such as â€Å"the Matterhorn.† Furthermore, we do use â€Å"the† when describing a group of lakes (â€Å"the Great Lakes†) or a mountain range (â€Å"the Rockies†). It’s also conventional to use â€Å"the† when naming oceans (â€Å"the Atlantic†) and rivers (â€Å"the Mississippi†). Buildings, Streets and Monuments There are no special rules for whether buildings and place names require the definite article, so the best thing to do if you’re unsure is check. Examples include: Type of Place Definite Article No Article Required Building The Empire State Building Buckingham Palace Street The Mall, London Broadway, New York Monument The Statue of Liberty Christ the Redeemer THE Empire State Building.