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Features and Similarities of the Works of Classics
of English Literature Yan Martel and Mark Twain.
This paper
will be dedicated to common features of two classical works of English
literature. Both “Life if Pi” by Yan Martel and “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
by Mark Twain examine the topic of the making chose and freedom. Both study how life conditions influence on the
decisions of characters, whether they will save humanity or not. The authors
suggest the reader to look at their young heroes – in fact, children - and make
his own choice to judge what is right and what is not.
The main
character of Mark Twain is an example for both studying aspects. The mind of
Huckleberry is free from romantic clichés, and his character is formed by
reality. He has a solid faithful heart, which is ready to open to all
humiliated and rejecting the brazen force, whatever it is expressed. Huckleberry
has a feeling of inner independence, which is forcing him to flee from the pleasure
circumstances and comfort that is offered him from Douglas to a menacing world.
His love of freedom is a rejection of bigotry, prosperity of bourgeois layer of
the society and institutionalized lie. His choice is freedom and friendship.
Unlike the
novel by Mark Twain, events in his book by Yan Martel are developing gradually.
At first nothing remarkable is happening. Pi goes to school, learns to swim,
admiring the animals in the zoo of his father. After graduating from junior
school, he reads a lot of religious literature. He has a passion for three
religions. Parents do not like it, but Pi is not willing to give up some of the
religions. As in the Twain’s novel, one of the main themes in “Life if Pi” is
the idea of the choice. The first part contains a discussion about faith and
worldview would have been frankly boring without conflict of religions. The
hero feels pressure from all sides; this force is leading him to opt for one of
variants. It is the first time, when Pi is facing the problem of choice.
Later, in
the centre of the world's ocean, the boy nicknamed Pi would have a huge list in
his head of possible variant in connection with the situation. Due to the right
choice, represented here, the reader gets another wonderful character - Bengal
Tiger, without which it would not be possible to open and the character of Pi
fully. At the end of a magical story of salvation harsh naturalism invades, but
the author does not destroys the fairy tale, he only with leads the reader to
another choice.
Both works
are dedicated to studying social position of human and humanity. The novel about
adventures of Huckleberry Finn has all the properties of American literature of
the XX century, democracy and humanity, versatility, as well as the language is
simple and as close as possible to the spoken language. In the character of
Huck reader finds new large property, it is a civil courage. Twain makes Huck
an active participant of the social conflict from the first chapters. He
becomes protector of the slave, who had run away. The main character is faced
with a serious problem of choosing between right action from the civil point of
view and the fate of his friend, because the friend with the black skin in the
realities of the time is not that just a friend. Huck knows what price he will
pay for harbouring the black.
Through the
adventures of his hero Mark Twain presents a number of social problems, some of
which are relevant even nowadays. These are the problems of homeless children,
drunkenness, racial intolerance, slavery and fraud. The author's contemporaries
had criticized this novel very much, they found the writer’s position on the
issue of slavery and racism were unequivocal, since the second half of the
twentieth century, the author has been criticized for a lack of political
correctness and racist remarks, but the hallmark of a writer's work was the
ability to show life as it is, and Twain gives the reader a chance for a closer
look to see something we do not notice in our everyday life.
In the main
part of “Life of Pi” the revolution has started, and the family was forced to
flee. As a result of the shipwreck Pi finds himself in the boat with wild
animals. The type of relationship that is gradually developing between the
tiger and boy is possible neither to call friendship nor affection. It's kind
of strange cooperation at several levels - practical and unconscious,
instinctive and volitional. The author climes that one need at least to shake
its bars to break from the cells of consciousness and get out of the cage.
The novel
is full of harsh and even cruel physiological details. Some realities of the
novel are difficult to be acceptable. These associations make the main
character more than a realistic protagonist. It can be said he becomes an
allegorical figure. It may have a lot of interpretations.
Let me
notice again, both of our heroes are still children. Mark Twain in his works
prefers to show untroubled consciousness of children and ideology of “adult bourgeoisie”. In the “Adventures of
Huckleberry” the hero`s natural sharpness, observation and intelligence help
him get out of problems. Twain claims hero-boy who did not just seek wealth,
but is even stranger in any kind of selfish calculations.
Pi is the
boy too, and seeing the lack of understanding of adults, their lack of faith in
the wonderful story of his rescue, he comes up with a new one - a logical,
understandable to the public, who forget what friendship is, what faith is.
To sum up,
it can be argued that both novels are not deprived of similar ideas. However in
the novel about Huckleberry Finn, which raises the theme of freedom and
equality, everything is originally perceived differently from “Life of Pi”. The
human behaviour, as the reality shows, can be much savage than animal one,
especially near a heavy moral choice as Martel hints to us from his pages.
Результаты теста Стиль героини какого фильма тебе ближе всего?
Твой кинообраз - Элли Гамильтон из "Дневника памяти"