Masquerading as a Liberal Arts Student

Masquerading as a Liberal Arts Student Every time I check my email (incredibly, only once every few days) I am reminded that I am not at MIT. I am away from the buzz that defines the campus surrounding 77 Mass Ave, but instead immersed in the organized chaos that is Hanoi, Vietnam, the last stop on my semester long comparative urban studies study abroad program. When the semester began, I came to the realization that I had undertaken more than just an international study abroad program, but that I also dove head first into a liberal arts ‘immersion’ program. As someone used to equations, numbers and problem sets, a semester spent reflecting about how an experience made you feel, and debriefing and debating academic concepts is quite a change. My semester abroad has been more than an international experience but has also given me a glimpse into the life of a liberal arts student, a life very different from those we live at MIT. Without the constant stream of problem sets and equations, I sometimes forget that I am actually on an academic program. While I have been throwing numbers into my classes when I can (I counted traffic today!), for the most part our studies are focused on three main areas and the concepts that surround them: urban planning, political science and anthropology. I have learned new ways to look at the world and observe my surroundings, not just from the new cultures we have visited, but also from my fellow classmates, liberal arts students from around the country. Although I have taken and enjoyed many humanities classes at MIT, this semester has given me a much greater appreciation for what it means to study the humanities. I have often heard from classmates at MIT that they wish the HASS requirements would just disappear, but the lesson I have learned this semester is that they are vital to understanding how the world works. Nothing can be done without consideration for politics, for society, for the environment. Behind every robot is an underlying purpose and need. While the liberal arts environment on IHP involves some kitch, lots of skits and picture drawing for my taste, I have learned an incredible amount that never would have been possible in a traditional academic environment and it has been immensely beneficial for me to understand the ‘other side’ of academia. I am assured that not all Liberal Arts Colleges use quite the same number of skits, they do encompass many of the same concepts. I think we all know someone at an LAC and I am sure that at one point, you realized that your college experience is very different from theirs. This post has been several months in the making, as I navigate limited internet, lots of exploring and lots of host family interaction. My experience abroad has been incredible so far, not just because of the experiences I have had in Brazil, South Africa and now Vietnam, but also because I have encountered a type of person and a way of learning different than I have encountered at MIT. Basically what I want to say is that every MIT student should study abroad because it is an enriching experience and exposes you to a wide range of types of people and cultures (and not just ones from other countries; brochure answer, I know). Lots of people at MIT say they don’t want to study abroad because they only have four years at MIT, but the experiences you can have abroad are also once-in-a-lifetime experiences. It will help put your five-year plan (which I am sure lots of you have) into perspective and help you define what you want to do in an ever increasing global context. The program I am currently abroad with is called International Honors Program: Cities in the 21st Century. It is a comparative urban studies program focused on experiential learning. It is by no means a traditional study abroad program, but the constant travel has helped fulfill my wanderlust. While it is great to do MISTI for a summer (they just added Chile!), but study abroad is its own unique experience. So go talk to the GECD. To try and entice you a different way, I will leave you with some pictures as a last thought… One of the few calm places in Hanoi The view from our classroom window in Hanoi Table Mountain juxtaposed with a street art project in Woodstock, Cape Town, South Africa Sao Paulo, Brazil The Heidelburg Project, Detroit

Masquerading as a Liberal Arts Student

Masquerading as a Liberal Arts Student Every time I check my email (incredibly, only once every few days) I am reminded that I am not at MIT. I am away from the buzz that defines the campus surrounding 77 Mass Ave, but instead immersed in the organized chaos that is Hanoi, Vietnam, the last stop on my semester long comparative urban studies study abroad program. When the semester began, I came to the realization that I had undertaken more than just an international study abroad program, but that I also dove head first into a liberal arts ‘immersion’ program. As someone used to equations, numbers and problem sets, a semester spent reflecting about how an experience made you feel, and debriefing and debating academic concepts is quite a change. My semester abroad has been more than an international experience but has also given me a glimpse into the life of a liberal arts student, a life very different from those we live at MIT. Without the constant stream of problem sets and equations, I sometimes forget that I am actually on an academic program. While I have been throwing numbers into my classes when I can (I counted traffic today!), for the most part our studies are focused on three main areas and the concepts that surround them: urban planning, political science and anthropology. I have learned new ways to look at the world and observe my surroundings, not just from the new cultures we have visited, but also from my fellow classmates, liberal arts students from around the country. Although I have taken and enjoyed many humanities classes at MIT, this semester has given me a much greater appreciation for what it means to study the humanities. I have often heard from classmates at MIT that they wish the HASS requirements would just disappear, but the lesson I have learned this semester is that they are vital to understanding how the world works. Nothing can be done without consideration for politics, for society, for the environment. Behind every robot is an underlying purpose and need. While the liberal arts environment on IHP involves some kitch, lots of skits and picture drawing for my taste, I have learned an incredible amount that never would have been possible in a traditional academic environment and it has been immensely beneficial for me to understand the ‘other side’ of academia. I am assured that not all Liberal Arts Colleges use quite the same number of skits, they do encompass many of the same concepts. I think we all know someone at an LAC and I am sure that at one point, you realized that your college experience is very different from theirs. This post has been several months in the making, as I navigate limited internet, lots of exploring and lots of host family interaction. My experience abroad has been incredible so far, not just because of the experiences I have had in Brazil, South Africa and now Vietnam, but also because I have encountered a type of person and a way of learning different than I have encountered at MIT. Basically what I want to say is that every MIT student should study abroad because it is an enriching experience and exposes you to a wide range of types of people and cultures (and not just ones from other countries; brochure answer, I know). Lots of people at MIT say they don’t want to study abroad because they only have four years at MIT, but the experiences you can have abroad are also once-in-a-lifetime experiences. It will help put your five-year plan (which I am sure lots of you have) into perspective and help you define what you want to do in an ever increasing global context. The program I am currently abroad with is called International Honors Program: Cities in the 21st Century. It is a comparative urban studies program focused on experiential learning. It is by no means a traditional study abroad program, but the constant travel has helped fulfill my wanderlust. While it is great to do MISTI for a summer (they just added Chile!), but study abroad is its own unique experience. So go talk to the GECD. To try and entice you a different way, I will leave you with some pictures as a last thought… One of the few calm places in Hanoi The view from our classroom window in Hanoi Table Mountain juxtaposed with a street art project in Woodstock, Cape Town, South Africa Sao Paulo, Brazil The Heidelburg Project, Detroit

Thomas Jefferson And Abraham Lincoln - 1323 Words

Self-respect is a difficult topic to define. It is often addressed and illustrated throughout fiction and history, yet the majority of people find it difficult to define in a way that isn’t shallow. Some might argue that self-respect is irrelevant and should not play a hand in the choices a person makes. Despite what others may say, it is an undeniable fact that individuals should always work to protect their personal pride. A person should always make decisions in an effort to maintain self-respect because it helps him to make good decisions in the future, preserve his own personal identity, and earn respect from those around him. History is flooded with important leaders and figures. Some of the best leader’s America has ever seen are Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. Jefferson played an incredibly important role in the foundation of America. In his two terms he managed to cut the national debt and military in half, and expand the country itself by more than half with the Louisiana purchase. Jefferson was able to do these things because he had such a strong head on his shoulders - he had firm beliefs and refused to back down from them. While it may be argued that Jefferson did go against his word most of the time, his pride allowed him to act against what he preached because he knew his actions would be successful. President Lincoln is best known for the addition of the 13th amendment to the constitution and the emancipation proclamation, ending all slavery inShow MoreRelatedComparison Of Thomas Jefferson And Abraham Lincoln759 Words   |  4 Pagesabout some of our forefathers. Included in those powerful people, are Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. Jefferson did his part and then some for creating a nation on the path to greatness. Obviously, one of the big ideas that he had, was the Bill of Rights. Jefferson made sure that the citizens of this soon to be wonderful nation would have the freedoms and abilities to express their ideas and identities. Not only did Jefferson create 10 rights that he would ensure that Americans would have, heRead MoreAnalysis Of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, And Mother952 Words   |  4 Pagesdinner with any person, living or dead, who would it be and why?† This question is most commonly asked at an event filled with a large group of strangers, as an icebreaker. Many would typically answer, George Washington, Ben Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and maybe if someone wants variety they could say someone like Marie Curie. All of these answers are superficial and simply the first historical person that someone could think of. In fact, I know I would have answered with George WashingtonRead MoreVisionary Leader And Ethical Leader1559 Words   |  7 Pagescreated equal† (Lincoln 1863). Most Americans recognize the Gettysburg address and our minds recall Abraham Lincoln, a master of diction and a stellar leader. Who could have been such a visionary leader to inspire Lincoln to say those words? Why did Lincoln have to say those words while standing at a Pennsylvania battlefield cemetery during one of our nation’s bloodiest wars? In this paper I will answer both of those questions because I won’t be talking about Abraham Lincoln, I will be discussingRead MoreGettysburg Address Versus Declaration of Independence Essay1472 Words   |  6 PagesDeclaration of Independence, the document of secession written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, called for the complete independence of the states from the British Empire. The Gettysburg Address was a document on the theory of union that stressed the need for one united country and expressed the importance of doing whatever necessary to complete the task of keeping the states united as one. It was written and delivered by Abraham Lincoln in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania at a cemetery dedication for soldiersRead MoreThe War Between The North And The South993 Words   |  4 PagesAmerica or the (Rebels), led by President Jefferson Davis. The North was still referred to as the United States of America or the (Union), led by President Abraham Lincoln. Jefferson Davis was hero in the Mexican War, senator in Mississippi, President of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Jefferson Davis did not want the secession, when Mississippi separated Jefferson Davis resigned from the United States Senate. Then Jefferson Davis became the President in FebruaryRead MoreDeclaration Of Independence And The Gettysburg Address1089 Words   |  5 Pagesaffiliated with congress, congress is our national legislative body of our country which proves major credibility. For instance, the Declaration of independence was written by five individuals who was very important and knowledgeable. These names were Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman. In the Declaration of independence it demonstrates fairness on many occasions. In the passage it states that â€Å"all men are created equal † (Capital BAC 186) which means thatRead MorePresident Lincoln As A Visionary Leader1197 Wo rds   |  5 PagesAbraham Lincoln Imagine how the state of the world will be today without the leadership of the United States of America to police the world. Think about Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s regime, Libya during Arafat’s regime and the behaviors like Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Had it not been the vision of Abraham Lincoln to preserve the Union, there would not have been a strong unified United States today. President Abraham Lincoln was a visionary leader and an ethical leader when leadingRead MoreAbrahan Lincoln and the American Civil War782 Words   |  3 PagesPresident Abraham Lincoln was known for leading the bloodiest conflict in United States history during the Civil War. Lincoln successfully protected the slaves and the South from seceding. Lincoln’s career included the following influential positions: lawyer, senator, and eventually the President of the United States of America. The experiences of his personal life, career as a political man, and his ultimate co ntributions to America make him an important man in American history. On February 12Read MoreBlack Men And The Civil War927 Words   |  4 Pagestime women were one of the most important roles in the white house. Abraham freed slaves also makes no sense during the civil war period he said that slaves under his control were freed but the north didn’t support slaves and the south didn’t see Abraham as a president so he freed no one. Jefferson did many things that make no sense but one of them was when he purchased Louisiana from France he bought it with no permission and Jefferson was the one who was all against breaking the rules. One of theRead MoreSeeking a Just Judiciary839 Words   |  4 Pagesin 1820, Thomas Jefferson became one of the first persons to mention the danger posed by judicial overreach. In a letter to William Jarvis, he said that â€Å"You seem†¦to consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions; a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy. Our judges are as honest as other men, and not more so† (Jefferson). His sentiments were later echoed by another famous president, Abraham Lincoln. Under the

Samuel OReilly Invented the Tattoo Machine

More and more people are getting tattoos today, and they do not carry the same social stigma that they used to. But we didnt always use the tattoo machines that you see in your standard parlor. History and Patenting The electric tattooing machine was officially patented on Dec. 8th, 1891 by  a New York tattoo artist named Samuel OReilly. But even O’Reilly would be the first to admit that his invention was really an adaptation of a machine invented by Thomas Edison—the Autographic Printing Pen. O’Reilly witnessed a demonstration of the electric pen, a sort of writing drill that Edison had built to allow documents to be etched into stencils and then copied. The electric pen was a failure. The tattooing machine was an unqualified, worldwide smash. How it Works O’Reilly’s tattoo machine worked by using a hollow needle filled with permanent ink. An electric motor powered the needle in and out of the skin at a rate of up to 50 punctures per second. The tattoo needle inserted a small drop of ink below the surface of the skin each time. The original machine patent allowed for different sized needles deliver varying amounts of ink, a very design-focused consideration. Before O’Reilly’s innovation, tattoos—the word comes from the Tahitian word â€Å"tatu† which means to mark something—were much harder to make. Tattoo artists worked by hand, perforating the skin perhaps three times a second as they installed their designs. O’Reilly’s machine with its 50 perforations per second was an enormous improvement in efficiency. Further enhancements and refinements to the tattoo machine have been made and the modern tattooing device is now capable of delivering 3,000 punctures per minute.

The Ardhakathanaka ( Half A Life ) - 992 Words

In the 17th century, Jainism was among the few religions that existed in India. One of the few principles that Jains followed strictly is to be a non-violent human. Thus, their jobs also reflected this principle. Men whose occupations is a merchant, he was obligated to travel to many cities to sell his goods to support himself and his family. Merchants were often away from their family and thus the friends and acquaintances that they meet during their travels became prominent encounters. Some aspects of friendships that are often encountered include, brotherhood, companionship and selflessness. These three elements were all greatly exemplified throughout the autobiography The Ardhakathanaka (Half a Life). In the autobiography, Half a life, friendship is depicted as a very special and timid relationship that people encounter on a daily basis. The different levels of human kinship become very obvious as the Jains encounter friends and acquaintances during their travels because every in teraction that the people had are depicted very organically. The autobiography begins the story with the narrator (known as Banarasidas) introducing his family members who are part of the merchant and goods industry. Banarasidas first encounters positive friendship at a very young age when his father, Kharagsen, and the family needed to flee to a nearby city. Kharagsen and his family had no shelter after arriving at a new city and he was filled with despair. A man, by the name of Karamchand

Pacific Lumber Essay Example For Students

Pacific Lumber Essay Pacific Lumber started its long history as an environmentally respectful company, however it has not continued that into this decade. The millions of acres of Redwoods that once densely covered the western land have been taken away for financial reward. Before selling, the company way was sustainability, now it is profitability. Because of the efforts of essentially one man, the business has over-harvested the supposed protected Redwood. It is not a simple answer as to why this has happened, nor is any explanation of environmental destruction. What people want often overrides the needs of the land, creating our society of selfishness and greed. As Hardin points out in his article, people were not always so fast to put the needs of themselves in front of the land. Years ago, people depended on the land for survival, but in a more direct way then today. In The Tragedy of the Commons, it is explained that maximizing for the greatest good is what we are striving for. Maximize the population, maximize growth and maximize growth. Industrialization brought with it the belief that more is better, money is power, and status is how much you own. We do not live with the land and respect it as we should, we live off it, and it dies off us. To create the greatest wealth is what we are striving for as a whole, regardless of the impact to our land. To live with the land would mean less economic growth, less income, fewer cars, fewer mahogany desks and tables, basically, living with less. Pacific Lumber once practiced sustainability with the Redwoods. Before one man allowed greed to get in the way of morality and values. The company only harvested as fast as the trees could grow back. They were in harmony with nature. One tree goes to the mill, one grows so it can be used some time in the future. They did not, as a company, focus on continual growth, expansion or profit. The company focused on its employees and the health and condition of the forest. With the sale of the company, everything the company was respected for was lost. The new way of doing business meant cutting the trees faster and more efficiently to ensure the highest profit. Without regulation, Redwoods are still being cut that should have been protected many years ago. There have been attempts at regulation, but is that the way to stop environmental damage? Hardin points out: Prohibition is easy to legislate; (though not necessarily easy to enforce)? The same is true with the forests, how do we effectively enforce regulations? Politics play too big a role for most of us to know these answers. Lobbying in political venues by lumber and paper companies and financial tradeoffs create turmoil and corruption in trying to stop or even slow down the clearing of forests. A picture was taken of Bill Clinton and Hurwitz together in Houston, raising serious doubts about government and their role with businesss such as Pacific Lumber. Regulation must start with our greatest problem, the population explosion. Without some control over what is an exponentially increasing epidemic, how can we slow the demand for any product, including Redwoods? Taxing is another step, by using the money raised by taxes on Redwood products, the government could invest in saving the forests. Appealing to a manufacturer to make an alternative out of more renewable resources is an immediate short-term change that could save trees other then Redwoods. With government help, an existing or new manufacturer could develop a product close to the properties of Redwood and sell it at a cheaper price. .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a , .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a .postImageUrl , .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a , .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a:hover , .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a:visited , .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a:active { border:0!important; } .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a:active , .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4aba254d1244e7a85fd3e94d470c7e9a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Hamlet's Delay with Revenge EssayStopping the cutting of Redwoods will take more then simple regulation by government, a group that may or may not be ready to extend a hand to the environment. It will take extremists like the girl who is currently in the news because she is protesting by sit-in; sitting in a tree that is. On the NBC News, the young women said, in her own words, doing all she knows how to make a difference and save some of this beautiful forest. The loggers continue to cut all around her, putting her life in danger. The viscous cycle goes on, no matter that a fellow (apparently sane) human being is sitting in a tree in a desperate attempt to stop the cuttin g. The loggers must earn money, to make the company money, to make government money, and the cycle goes on. The Land Ethic, according to Aldo Leopold, includes in the community: soils, waters, land, plants and animals. Today, if a person on the street were asked to define community, he or she would most likely answer: a group of individuals or families residing in an area of a few blocks or miles. Nothing to be said about the land, animals, trees or water that is so obviously a part of a community. We are in the eyes of many, conqueror of the land, therefore we are allowed to treat it as we choose.Pacific Lumber in no way considers Redwoods to be part of their community. They can tell us, the outsiders, they only selectively cut around endangered animals and precious streams. If they really cared, they would not be cutting any of the last remaining natural wonders of our community. They seem to care about having a nice community for the employees to enjoy, but what about the animals and their community? We fail to consider living, breathing animals as part of our community. What if we chan ged the name of the Redwoods to Old Growth Humans? Surely, there would be some hesitation to cutting down 300 year-old humans! Why have humans placed themselves at such a high level that not even the very land we live on is important enough to us to love and respect it? We would rather see one human being prosper then an entire forest of great diversity survive. Humans would rather see other humans make a dollar then make an environmental difference. Political leaders would sooner spend billions on defense then millions on the environment. The question remains, why did we evolve into mass-consuming, money hungry, greedy idiots?The answer may be partially a result of our culture, childhood and education. Growing up I was taught by my elders, as I am sure many others were, that the most important thing is this world is to make money, no matter the expense to the environment. When I asked my father in younger years about the lake on the news or the business polluting a river in Maine, he would say: Oh one company or one person wont make a difference, its no big deal. That is precisely the ignorance that has brought this world to an all time high in environmental damage, including the cutting and clearing away of Redwoods. To illustrate the mindset of our community, consider the American Dream. We are taught indirectly that the dream is what we all should strive for in the U.S.- make as much money as possible, have 2 or 3 children and pollute and destroy the environment how you see fit. Watching the news a week ago I learned about the girl in the Redwoods, giving us hope that something will be done as a result of her extreme actions. That hope quickly vanished when Hurwitz was interviewed about the girl and the company in general. When asked about his position on the role of the company and the girl, he replied: We will be careful to appreciate the interests of the girl and others like her, but business must go on and we are doing very well, despite her actions?we will continue to grow and expand, you know, its kind of the American Dream. I could not believe my ears hearing this powerful man saying this childhood thought on national news. It is scary to think how many people believe strongly, in the same manner as the owner of Redwood destruction are us, in the American Dream. Economic growth is what we care most about, second is human well being, and last on the list is the environment. A community or commons is not considered by most to include humans and the land. Humans are controllers of the land, we can do to it whatever we desire, no matter the impact to life other then ours. The only way to change this attitude is to educate starting at a very young age. Along with the basics of math, science and english, environmental classes should be included. The children will go home and tell their parents what they learned about the environment in class, encouraging the adults to change their ways as well. This approach is one of the ways we ca n guard against the clearing of forests, polluting streams, endangering animals and other environmental impacts; and in the process, creating people like Hurwitz.

Uncle Dan Essay Example For Students

Uncle Dan Essay The odd superstitions touched upon were all prevalent among children and slavesin the West at the period of this story that is to say, thirty or fortyyears ago. Mark Twain Hartford, 1876 Dealing with the role of magic in HF,Daniel Hoffman claims a subtle emotional complex binds togethersuperstition: slaves: boyhood freedom in Mark Twains mind.1We know howTwain felt about boyhood freedom his nostalgia for it lead him to some of hisfinest writing, and it lends its charm to his most enduring works, TheAdventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. How Twain felttoward slaves is more ambiguous. In his autobiography Twain wrote of UncleDanl, the man on whom the character Jim was based, that hissympathies were wide and warm and that his heart was honestand simple and knew no guile (Autob., 2.) To the time spent on his unclesfarm in Florida, Missouri Twain credited his strong liking for his race andappreciation of certain of its fine qualities (Autob.,3.) To the late-tw entieth-century reader, of course, Twains treatment of blacksis extremely problematic. Jims character presents many difficulties are weto think of Jim as the man who longs for his family even as he valiantly runsaway from them or the fool who gains celebrity among the slaves for a story heinvents and believes? How could Twain allow Jim to assert his human dignity onthe raft, then subject him to a series of gross humiliations at the Phelps farm?Definitive answers to these questions are impossible. However they and the factthat they must remain unresolved affect all conclusions we draw about Twain andhis black characters. In considering superstition, the third part of thistriangular relationship, we are again left with questions about Twainsfeelings. In Form and Fable in American Fiction, Daniel Hoffman writes thatTwains usual assumption is that white persons of any status higher thantrash like Pap have little knowledge of, and no belief in, superstition 2Superstition is mainly for s laves and boys. It is important to note that withinthe framework of Huck Finn, dissociating a thing from white culture is by nomeans casting it in poor light. In fact when put under the scrutiny of Huckshonest narration, white culture suffers badly. Miss Watson, thoughgood, is harsh and unkind. The King and Duke think nothing oftricking the Wilks girls out of their inheritance; even the Grangerfords, whoare quality, partake in a vicious and deadly feud. The brutalitiesthat Huck witnesses Bucks killing, Boggs murder are committed by whites. We will write a custom essay on Uncle Dan specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Although Pap has superstitions, folk beliefs in the story belong to Huck andJim, the characters we most trust. While incidents like Jim begging mercy fromthe ghost Huck and Nat and the witch pie are clearly intended tomake the reader laugh at the ignorance of the believers, are we not somehow leftin the end with the idea that the zealous followers of superstition are somehowsafer than their Christian counterparts? In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer aboy of German parentage memorizes eight or ten thousand bible verses butgoes mad from the effort. In Huck Finn the Shepherdsons and Grangerfords go tochurch with their guns. On the other side, the slaves come from allaround to see the five cent piece which they and Jim believe was given tohim by the devil. We as readers know that the slaves have been duped by theirown superstition and by Toms mischief, but are we convinced that they are worseoff than the people at the camp meeting who donate a total of $87.75 to thatscoundrel, the King, for his mission in the Indian Ocean?Bibliography1. Daniel G. Hoffman, Jims Magic: Black or White?. AmericanLiterature XXXII March 1960, pp. 47-54. back to text 2. Daniel G. Hoffman, Formand Fable in American Fiction. Oxford University Press. New York, 1965.