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Read two of Twain’s classics, The Prince and the Pauper and Huckleberry Finn, and unpack the humor and deeper literary riches of these two classic stories, as well as delving into Twain’s selected short stories and speeches of the time.
Total classes: 12
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th
Suggested credit: One full semester of Literature
Description
Mark Twain described a “classic” as “a book nobody reads, but everybody agrees is great.” In this course, we will be reading two of Twain’s Classics, The Prince and the Pauper and Huckleberry Finn.
This story is a profound condemnation of slavery and racism while being one of the funniest, most memorable and most adventurous novels ever written. The same can be said for The Prince and the Pauper. Mr. O’Brien (who grew up not too far from Mark Twain’s hometown of Hannibal, Missouri) will help unpack both the humor and the deeper literary riches of these two classic tales, along with selections from Life on the Mississippi.
PARENTS AND STUDENTS: NOTE THAT MARK TWAIN QUOTES CHARACTERS IN HUCKLEBERRY FINN WHO MAKE FREQUENT USE OF THE N-WORD. YOU MAY AVOID THIS BY READING FROM THE NEW SOUTH EDITION, WHICH SUBSTITUTES THE WORD “SLAVE”. OR YOU MAY READ THE ORIGINAL, OR LISTEN TO MY AUDIO RECORDING OF THE ORIGINAL (WHICH INCLUDES THE N-WORD). NOTE THAT WE WILL DISCUSS HOW MARK TWAIN IS SHOWING THE EVILS OF RACISM IN CONTEXT. THE UGLINESS OF THAT WORD IS MATCHED BY THE UGLINESS OF RACISM AND SLAVERY, AND THIS IS PART OF WHAT WE WILL BE DISCUSSING IN THIS COURSE.
Outline
Introduction – the Life and Times of Mark Twain
The Prince and the Pauper – Chapter 1 through 11
The Prince and the Pauper – Chapters 12 through 23
The Prince and the Pauper – Chapters 24 through Conclusion
Huckleberry Finn – Chapters 1-11
Huckleberry Finn – Chapters 12-22
Huckleberry Finn – Chapters 23-33
Huckleberry Finn – Chapters 34-44
Selections from Mark Twain’s speeches
Selections from Life on the Mississippi
Selections from Life on the Mississippi
Review
Materials and Homework
Course materials:
For The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, you can choose one of two versions:
The Ignatius Critical Edition, which includes excellent notes and essays written from a Catholic perspective, ISBN: 978-1586172961 (https://www.ignatius.com/Adventures-of-Huckleberry-Finn-P1157.aspx) OR
New South edition, ISBN: 978-1-58838-267-2 (https://amzn.to/3aTuHRQ) — This is a version of Huck Finn that replaces every use of the “N word” with the word “slave.” Thus, students can study a classic of American fiction without encountering offensive language.
For the other stories, any unabridged edition will do. Mr. O’Brien will also provide links to public domain versions.
Homework: Four chapters will be read per week and discussed in class the following week. There will be frequent quizzes (auto-graded for immediate feedback) to make sure students are keeping up with the reading, as well as a final essay. The reading should take no more than two hours per week.
