Huck and James
This is the first of a series of Zoom classes I’ll be offering from time to time on a variety of topics. All will follow the format outlined below. If enough people are interested, I will schedule the class about a month from now to give you time to read the two books, which are both wonderful reads. I will also reach out to try to accommodate everyone’s schedule, if that is even possible these days.
Please let me know if you are interested by replying to www.jamesgblaine2.com
I’m excited for the discussion and others to follow.
Best,
Jamie
Huck and James
A discussion of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and James by Percival Everett.
The course will explore the two novels in four sessions.
Each session will meet once a week and last 45 minutes.
Class size: minimum of 8, maximum of 12.
Format: discussion group.
Cost: $75 ($18.75 per session)
Readings: the two books
Prerequisites: none
Class 1: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
What did you think of the book? What did you like/not like about it? The novel was published in 1885 about events taking place 20 years earlier. How does it stand up 140 years later? Think yourself back in time and compare what your reactions would have been then and now. Why do you think this has been the most banned book in America from its publication to the present?
Class 2: James
What did you think of the book? What did you like/not like about it? What’s the significance of the title? In what ways does Everett’s story follow and/or diverge from Twain’s story? In what ways did this book really stretch your mind?
Class 3: Jim and James, Huck and Tom
What role does each of these characters play in the books? Are James and Jim the same person? What unites them? What differentiates them? How does Jim’s role evolve? Is Huck the same person in both books? How does his role evolve from Twain’s book to Everett’s
Class 4: From the Mississippi to America
How do these two novels, taken together, affect your thinking about America, past and present?