« Huck Finn Ending | Main | John Henry »
November 8, 2005
Uncle remus Initiates the Little Boy
You really do need to read these stories aloud or they really wont make that much sense. I had some trouble reading Huck Finn, I was always hoping that Jim's part in the book were small so I didnt have to think about what he was acutally saying. I think this one was definitely a little harder to read than Huck Finn, although once you get past the words the story is quite simple.
I really dont know what I want to quote and talk about in this story because I dont really think that the story that is being told by Uncle Remus is actually the most important part. It is a cute little tale about how Brer Rabbit outsmarts Brer Fox in the end, though.
I did notice this though, when it says " she heard the sound of voices in the old man's cabin, and , looking through the window, saw the child sitting by Uncle Remus. His head rested against the old man's arm, and he was gazing with an expression of the most intense interest into the rough, weather-beaten face, that beamed so kindly upon him. "
I thought that this was interesting because the boy and Uncle Remus have a real bond. He puts his head on his arm and sits in his lap almost like it is a father son bond. Miss Sally almost knid of seems surprised because they way the nar. describes it it is like see is peering through the window supiciously. Either way, Uncle Remus tells a little tale that was probably told to him when he was child and so on, and now the tale will continue to flow through this boy and through this story.
Posted by MeredithBenson at November 8, 2005 2:27 PM
Comments
Meredith, your observation about the framing narrative is very insightful.
Why do you feel that Harris might have felt it necessary to put so many layers between the story and Harris's own audience?
Posted by: Dennis G. Jerz at November 9, 2005 4:52 PM
I think that it was necessary that he had some many layers in the story so that the story could really be preserved. What i mean by this is that he was a white man trying to write down the tales of a black man/slave and have them published. This way he could write them down without anyone suspecting what he was trying to do.
Posted by: Meredith Benson at November 10, 2005 7:07 PM
Good point Meredith and I also feel that his story about creation was actually very positive.
Posted by: Erin at November 10, 2005 10:11 PM