Nick Hernandez
Professor Warner
English 112B
5 May 2005
Adventure in the English Classroom
"A taste for adventure is as old as the human race itself, a function of an evolutionary development that rewards risk takers over the timid and the meek." (Brandt's American Heritage)
To some degree, everybody loves a good adventure story. Perhaps the great allure of the adventure novel comes from our ability to experience great feats of human endurance and ingenuity from the safety of our homes: We can go white water rafting without getting wet; we can climb a mountain without straining a muscle, and we can outsmart an evil villain without the cost of life and limb. One of the more compelling aspects of the adventure novel comes from the imminent threat of danger and violence. In Literature for Today's Young Adults, Donelson and Nilsen explain how the adventure novel captivates a young audience: "While young people seldom have what it takes to embark on such purposeful adventures, they can nevertheless read about them" (178).
Through literature, young adults need to experience adult-like dangers from the safety of their homes; adventure novels provide young adults with a way in which they can observe others battle against the elements and their own fears. Donelson and Nilsen expatiate on the central conflicts of the adventure novel: The conflict of the adventure novel can be "person versus person, person verses nature, and person versus self" (178). The protagonists of adventure novels learn about themselves through their adventures.
One of the greatest adventure novels from the literary cannon is Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Huck Finn is not just a novel about a boy traveling down the Mississippi river with a runaway slave; it is a novel that reveals the flaws of the Southern mentality through the conscience of a mischievous boy with a fairly narrow swath of experience. Like many other pieces of literature with a young protagonist, Huck is endowed with tangible adult-like power. Clemens allows Huck to experience his adventures at a safe distance through the use of disguises and invisibility. In the world of Huckleberry Finn, invisibility gives the young protagonist a certain degree of security, and from this safety, Huck derives a certain amount of power. Like the young adult readers of the classroom, Huck is able to watch dangerous situations from a distance.
At the beginning of the novel, Huck is court ordered to leave the house of the boring Widow Douglas and the stern Mrs. Watson to go live with his father. After living with his abusive and alcoholic father for a short time, Huck realizes that he must escape from this predicament. Out on an island, Huck runs into the Widow Douglas' slave, Jim, who is afraid of being sold to the notorious plantations of Louisiana. The two protagonists embark on their journey North in order to reach the sanctuary of the "free states". On their makeshift raft, they soon pass their destination of Cairo, and instead of going North, they keep on going deeper and deeper into the South. Throughout the novel, Huck struggles whether or not he should do the "right" and "moral" thing and send Jim back into slavery.
One of Huck's greatest enemies is his own conscience. On his way to the Phelps' farm, he must decide between the Southern conscience or his own conscience: "I was trying to make my mouth say I would do the right thing and the clean thing, and go and write to that niggers owner and tell where he was; but deep down in me I knowed it was a lie-and He knowed it. You can't pray a lie-I found that out" (Twain 227). In this instance, Huck, who has been going through a moral struggle throughout the novel, finally decides to do what he believes is right
deep down inside of himself.
Like many great adventure novels, Huck Finn appears to be about an intrepid journey: He travels down the Mississippi river on a raft, encounters dangerous situations, makes narrow escapes, and outwits dangerous conmen twice his age. But underneath the shroud of adventure, Twain makes a forceful moral statement: The institution of slavery is wrong, and there comes a time when we must take a moral stand on our own. Huck is willing to go to Hell for doing what he believes is right. Perhaps part of Twain's wish in writing Huckleberry Finn is to show readers that sometimes, despite the values of society, we must decide what is moral for ourselves. The critic Shelley Fisher Fishkin captures the essence of Huckleberry Finn:
They [history books] don't make you understand that it was not the villains who made the system [of slavery] work, but the ordinary folks, the folks, who did nothing more than to fail to question the set of circumstances to surround them, who failed to judge that evil as evil and who deluded themselves into thinking they were doing good, earning safe passage for themselves into heaven. ("Teaching Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn" 4)
Launching the Unit
A good way to launch the unit on adventure novels would be to define the genre. William Harmon and Hugh Holman, in their Handbook to Literature, define the adventure story "in which action-often exterior, usually physical," and sometimes "[. . .] violent-is the predominant material, stressed above characterization, motivation, or theme. Suspense is engendered by the idea of 'what will happen next?' rather than 'Why?' or 'To whom?'" (6). If a teacher does not like this definition, he or she can come up with one from another source; that being said, the important thing is to define the genre before assigning them the following homework . About a week before a teacher launches the unit on the adventure novel, assign students the following homework assignment: Tell them to bring in an adventure story that has particularly affected or changed them in a significant way. The adventure story can be a magazine article, a short story, or even an adventure novel that taught them something important about themselves.
Have the students bring their story to class the following class meeting. In a handout that includes the definition of the genre, assign the following writing assignment: In no less than one but no more than two typed, double spaced pages, write about how your adventure story conforms to the genre, and talk about what kind of lessons you might be able to learn from the story. Does the author explicitly say what he or she learned, or does he or she leave it up to the reader to moralize on the story?
This exercise will get the students to start looking at what makes a book an adventure book, and it will show them how even though a story is based on action, there is often an important and underlying moral message behind the adventure and excitement. The people experiencing the adventure often learn things about themselves they never knew before, and the adventure changes their outlook on life or view of the human experience-the common things we all struggle with.
The Focus of the Unit
I would start the unit by doing some projects that would involve summarizing the text. I would have the students get into groups of four, assign each group a chapter, and have them make an illustration that represents a significant event in the chapter and write a brief summary of the salient elements. Teachers using this lesson would have to provide the students with construction paper, popsicle sticks, glue and glue sticks, markers, colored pencils, and poster
sized sheets of paper.
After the students start familiarizing themselves with the text, I would start talking to them about certain thematic elements like satire, irony, Huck's invisibility, symbolism, metaphor, imagery, and Huck's skewed sense of morality. I would provide the definitions of these literary terms and have them write these definitions in their Composition Books. I think Composition Books divided into sections like "Literary Terminology," "Active Reading Notes," "Grammar Definitions," and "Writing/Brainstorming Techniques" are a great way to get students to remember terminology. Having a Composition Book forces students to write all the terminology down, and it gives them a good reference to go back to. In order to get students involved in identifying thematic elements, I would put them in groups where they can define the term they are assigned, and find examples of that theme in the text itself. In this way, I don't have to put individual students on the spot; I can help them help each other in the learning process. (Ideas taken from the classroom of Mrs. Joan Martens and Nancy Donley's lesson plan on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn-Discovery).
Concluding Assignment for Huck Finn
In order to conclude the classroom discussion of Huck Finn, I would give students the following essay prompt taken from Shelley Fisher Fishkin:
History as it is taught in the history classroom is often denatured and dry. You
can keep your distance from it if you choose. Slaveholding was evil. Injustice was
the law of the land. History books teach that. But they don't require you to look at
the perpetrators of that evil in the eye and find yourself looking at a kind, gentle,
good-hearted Aunt Sally. They don't make you understand that it was not the
villains who made the system work, but the ordinary folks, the good folks, who
did nothing more than fail to question the set of circumstances that surrounded them, who failed to judge evil as evil and who deluded themselves into thinking
they were doing good, earning safe passage for themselves into heaven. (Fisher Fishkin)
In this passage, Fisher Fishkin seems to capture the essence of the entire novel. How does Twain send his audience the message that it is not the villains who perpetuate evil institutions, but it is you and I who fail to question the established norms of society? I would direct students that, in no less than two, typed, double spaced pages, they must respond to Fisher Fishkin's prompt. Also, I would encourage them to try to explain how Twain accomplishes the goal of sending his message. It would be a paper requirement for the students to use at least two literary terms in the analysis.
Extending the Unit
In order to enrich the classroom discussions and activities of Huck Finn, I would provide students with a list of young adult adventure novels. Each student would have to select a book from the list and write a short response in which he or she explains how the chosen novel fits the genre, and what he or she perceives to be the author's overarching message. Here is a list of potential adventure books that would highlight the genre. (All of the descriptions of the following books, with the exception of Touching Spirit Bear, are taken from Amazon.com).
"Told in the form of a recollection, these "confessions" cover 13-year-old Charlotte's eventful 1832 transatlantic crossing. She begins her trip a prim schoolgirl returning home to her American family from England. From the start, there is something wrong with the Seahawk: the families that were to serve as Charlotte's chaperones do not arrive, and the unsavory crew warns her not to make the trip. When the crew rebels, Charlotte first sides with the civilized Captain Jaggerty, but before long she realizes that he is a sadist and--the only female aboard--she joins the crew as a seaman. Charlotte is charged with murder and sentenced to be hanged before the trip is over, but ends up in command of the Seahawk by the time it reaches its destination. Charlotte's repressive Puritanical family refuses to believe her tale, and the girl returns to the sea. Charlotte's story is a gem of nautical adventure, and Avi's control of tone calls to mind William Golding's 1980s trilogy of historical novels of the sea. Never wavering from its 19th century setting, the novel offers suspense and entertainment modern-day readers will enjoy."
Hesse, Karen. Stowaway. New York: Aladdin, 2002.
"To 11-year-old Nicholas Young, the tall masts of the exploratory ship Endeavour look like an answer to his fervent prayers. On the run from his demanding father and the cruel butcher who employed him, Nick finds adventure beyond his wildest imaginings when he stows away on the ship of legendary Captain James Cook. Once he is discovered and put to work, Nick becomes party to some amazing sights. He meets indigenous natives of Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia, wonders at the sight of kangaroos, and shudders with horror when confronted with cannibalism. Nick survives a hurricane, a near shipwreck on the Great Barrier Reef, and a deadly bout with typhoid to become one of the few original crew members to successfully circumnavigate the globe with Cook and arrive safely back in England. He notes in his worn journal shortly before sighting his homeland's shore: 'We have truly led the way, charting the path for all who come after. I don't know I shall ever feel so again as I feel now. That any of us shall.' Newbery Medal-winning Karen Hesse's story is based on actual Endeavour stowaway Nicholas Young, about whom little is known. Using the real 1768 diaries of Captain Cook and shipboard naturalist Joseph Banks, Hesse has changed Young from a forgotten footnote into a living, breathing person with red hair and a penchant for pork chops. So authentic you can feel the sea spray, this fine fictionalized diary is a nautical treasure for landlubbers young and old."
Hobbs, Will. The Big Wander. New York: Harper Trophy, 1994.
"Clay Lancaster, 14, has dreamed of adventures on what he calls the Big Wander (his name for a journey without planned destinations), and finds them aplenty in this coming-of-age saga. He ends up on his own in the Southwest of 1962, without parent or older brother to rule him. Clay searches for his cowboy uncle (located in a Utah jail); befriends Navajos; and acquires a mustang, a dog, and a burro. Hobbs skillfully blends action scenes (flash flood, quicksand, and wild chases) with moments of humor and insight. Clay copes admirably with a series of incidents, although coincidence and friends' actions resolve some of his problems. He shows his stuff in tracking his way through the desert and rescuing a band of wild horses; while starry-eyed about the Wild West of John Wayne, he experiences real life pleasures and relationships, including an episode of unrequited love. Hobbs makes Clay a believable character, and creates a memorable supporting cast--even a villain with a heart of gold. Frequent references to classic Westerns, J. F. K., the Bomb, and Navajo traditions could lead readers to further investigations of these topics."
Holman, Felice. Slake's Limbo. New York: Aladdin, 1986.
"Most adventure and survival stories pit boy against the elements, or boy against evil; for Artemis Slake, it is boy against the cruelty of his peers, or even worse, the anonymity of disinterest. When he disappears into the subway tunnels of New York, no one misses him, no one cares. But 13-year-old Artemis manages to survive on his own--in fact, he flourishes, as he creates his own little world apart. And yet, it is the growing concern of total strangers that allows him to believe in himself, and humanity, in the end. New York Times Book Review says that the novel is '-utterly convincing in its detail and moving in its concern and admiration for the stubborn, human will to survive.'"
Lasky, Karen. The Bone Wars. New York: William Morrow & Co., 1988.
"This sweeping historical adventure deals with an action-packed period of American history: the late 1800s in the Badlands of Montana. It's a period which includes legendary historical figures, a period of Indian heroes, and a period of discoveries of gold and of scientific treasures. All three aspects of the age are woven together with the story of two lonely teenagers from totally different cultures and social backgrounds who are caught up in the turmoil of the times and whose ideas of fairness bring them together. The novel begins with the violent murder of Thad Longsworth's mother in the Hole in the Hat Saloon. When the cattle rancher who then raised him dies, Thad hires out as a scout for a scientific team from Harvard. Early individual chapters about Thad form a counterpoint with those about Julian DeMott, the son of an ambitious British paleontologist. After a series of adventures with white men and Indians, both Thad and Julian reject the selfishness and treachery that they see around them and conduct their own scientific dig so that the fossils that they uncover will be given to a museum for all to view. This lesson of community ownership is one consistent with the ideas of the Indians, who are victims of the greed of the government that wishes to buy their sacred lands. Lasky's characters are memorable, from the vacuous and ruthless Custer to the sad and bumbling Bill Cody. There are mysteries to solve, personal and moral problems to deal with, villains to outwit, and Indians to protect and to learn from. A rather too abrupt epilogue shows both Thad and Julian as old famous legends of science. This is poetically written historical fiction that will give young adult readers a real sense of a complex period of our history."
McCaughrean, Geraldine. The Kite Rider. New York: Harper Trophy, 2003.
"With her exuberant, nonstop plotting and supremely colorful setting, McCaughrean hold of readers' imaginations and doesn't let go. In 13th-century China, a 12-year-old boy prepares to say goodbye to his father, who is about to put to sea as a crew member of the Chabi, and to watch the testing of the wind, which involves strapping a man to a huge kite and seeing if it flies straight up (a good omen for the Chabi's voyage) or at a certain angle (foretelling danger). But almost before Haoyou knows what is happening, the first mate makes his father the wind-tester, and Haoyou looks on in horror as his father becomes a speck in the distant sky, then returns, lifeless, to earth. All this McCaughrean accomplishes in less than 10 pages, establishing a breakneck pace, which she maintains with seeming ease. The story takes Haoyou from his determined efforts to prevent the evil first mate from marrying his beautiful mother to his joining a traveling circus as a kite rider, mastering his father's tragedy as he himself flies skyward into what the circus-goers take to be the spirit world. Eventually the circus reaches the court of the Kublai Khan, evoked here in splendor and awe. McCaughrean offers more than enough adventure, plot twists and exotic scenery to keep the audience fully engrossed."
Mikaelsen, Ben. Touching Spirit Bear. New York: Harper Trophy, 2001.
Cole Matthews is a "tough" 15-year-old who has trouble controlling his irrepressible anger. His father is an abusive alcoholic, and Cole himself has turned into a bully who lies, steals, cheats, and disrespects all authority figures. Cole's temper reaches its breaking point when he assaults another boy, Peter Driscal, and almost kills him. Peter suffers severe physical and mental injuries from Cole's brazen attack, and Cole faces jail time. However, he is offered an alternative to jail time: Native American Circle Justice. Cole must spend one year in Alaska with members of the Tlingit tribe; he believes that this experience will be "easy" punishment, and when it is over, he can return to his previous life. While in Alaska, Cole encounters a beautiful Spirit Bear (white bears who do actually exist in British Columbia); after seeing the Spirit Bear multiple times, Cole finally decides that he is going to attack the bear when he next sees it. He foolishly attempts this, and he is almost mauled to death by the animal; he spends days in the forest, and he must suffer through a terrible storm and extreme hunger as he lies in a secluded area unable to move. One of the tribesmen finally discovers Cole, and he is taken to the hospital. His encounter with the Spirit Bear teaches Cole invaluable life lessons, and he slowly becomes a kinder, gentler, humbler person who acutely realizes the mistakes he has made. Peter, who has serious brain damage, contemplates suicide, and due to his new outlook on life, Cole also helps Peter to recover.
O'Dell, Scott. Black Star, Bright Dawn. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1988.
"Most young girls' experiences never involve hunting bearded seals on the ice, even within the Alaskan Eskimo culture. In Scott O'Dell's gripping novel, Bright Dawn is an exception. In her father's eyes, she became his son's replacement ever since her brother drowned. When Bright Dawn is 18 years old, her father, recently injured, insists that she take his place in the Iditarod, the famous Alaskan dogsled race covering more than a thousand miles between Anchorage and Nome. Unflinching, yet trembling in her mukluks, she faces her challenge head-on. Bright Dawn proves herself to be a strong, courageous heroine--crossing rivers, mountain ranges, and vast stretches of frozen tundra--with her team of dogs, including the lead Black Star. While the rush of wind and relentless, blinding stretches of ice are exhilarating, the dangers involved make Bright Dawn realize that it's not only the race, but her life that she's entrusting to her team of dogs. O'Dell has created an intense, suspenseful, clearly written adventure story that's sure to capture the imagination of young readers and take them for a blustery ride."
Paulsen, Gary. Hatchet. New York: Simon Pulse, 1999.
"Brian Robeson, 13, is the only passenger on a small plane flying him to visit his father in the Canadian wilderness when the pilot has a heart attack and dies. The plane drifts off course and finally crashes into a small lake. Miraculously Brian is able to swim free of the plane, arriving on a sandy tree-lined shore with only his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother had given him as a present. The novel chronicles in gritty detail Brian's mistakes, setbacks, and small triumphs as, with the help of the hatchet, he manages to survive the 54 days alone in the wilderness. Paulsen effectively shows readers how Brian learns patience to watch, listen, and think before he acts as he attempts to build a fire, to fish and hunt, and to make his home under a rock overhang safe and comfortable. An epilogue discussing the lasting effects of Brian's stay in the wilderness and his dim chance of survival had winter come upon him before rescue adds credibility to the story. Paulsen tells a fine adventure story, but the sub-plot concerning Brian's preoccupation with his parents' divorce seems a bit forced and detracts from the book. Paulsen emphasizes character growth through a careful balancing of specific details of survival with the protagonist's thoughts and emotions."
Sachar, Louis. Holes. New York: Yearling Newberry, 2000.
"'If you take a bad boy and make him dig a hole every day in the hot sun, it will turn him Into a good boy.' Such is the reigning philosophy at Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention facility where there is no lake, and there are no happy campers. In place of what used to be "the largest lake in Texas" is now a dry, flat, sunburned wasteland, pocked with countless identical holes dug by boys improving their character. Stanley Yelnats, of palindromic name and ill-fated pedigree, has landed at Camp Green Lake because it seemed a better option than jail. No matter that his conviction was all a case of mistaken identity, the Yelnats family has become accustomed to a long history of bad luck, thanks to their 'no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather!' Despite his innocence, Stanley is quickly enmeshed in the Camp Green Lake routine: rising before dawn to dig a hole five feet deep and five feet in diameter; learning how to get along with the Lord of the Flies styled pack of boys in Group D; and fearing the warden, who paints her fingernails with rattlesnake venom. But when Stanley realizes that the boys may not just be digging to build character--that in fact the warden is seeking something specific--the plot gets as thick as the irony. It's a strange story, but strangely compelling and lovely too. Sachar uses poker-faced understatement to create a bizarre but believable landscape. But while there is humor and absurdity here, there is also a deep understanding of friendship and a searing compassion for society's underdogs. As Stanley unknowingly begins to fulfill his destiny-the dual plots coming together to reveal that fate has big plans in store-we can't help but cheer for the good guys, and all the Yelnats everywhere."
Watkins, Yoko Kawashawa. So Far from the Bamboo Grove. New York: Harper Tempest, 1994.
"A true account that is filled with violence and death, yet one that is ultimately a story of family love and life. Eleven-year-old Yoko Kawashima had led a peaceful and secure life as the daughter of a Japanese government official stationed in North Korea near the end of World War II. Abruptly, all is changed as she, her older sister Ko, and their mother flee the vengeance-seeking North Korean Communists and eventually make their way to an unwelcoming and war-ravaged Japan. Yoko's story is spellbinding. She often escapes death by mere chance; her brother, Hideyo, separated from the family, has an equally harrowing escape. The longed-for arrival in Japan proves to be an almost greater trial, as their mother, defeated by the discovery that all their Japanese relatives are dead, dies. Together, Yoko and Ko create a home in which to await the return of Hideyo. Watkins writes clearly and movingly, with a straightforward style through which the story unfolds quickly. She skillfully alternates her account of the girls' journey with that of their brother, maintaining readers' interest in both. Watkins is able to describe scenes of death, rape, and other atrocities with a simple directness which has no trace of sensationalism yet in no way diminishes their horror. Readers will be riveted by the events of the escape and struggle for survival, and enriched and inspired by the personalities of the family."
Works Cited
Donelson, Kenneth and Pace-Nilsen, Alleen. Literature for Today's Young Adults. New York:
Pearson, 2005.
Donley, Nancy. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Lesson Plan." Discovery School. 2002.
Fishkin, Shelley Fisher. "Teaching Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." PBS. 2005.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/teachers/huck/essay.htm
Harmon, William and Holman, Hugh. A Handbook to Literature. Upper Saddle River: Prentice-
Hall, 2003.
Patten, Janice. "Young Adult Literature." The Literary Link. 2005.
http://theliterarylink.com/yalink.html
Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Penguin, 1985.
Vandergrift, Kay. Vandergrift's Young Adult Literature Page. 1 May 2005.
http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kvander/YoungAdult
"Young Adult Fiction." Web English Teacher. 21 January 2005.
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/ya.html
"Young Adult Literature." Wikipedia. 1 May 2005.