Simon and Pap and Huck and Tom: Alabama Influences on the Fiction of Mark Twain

Presented by Richard Anderson, Ph.D., professor emeritus of English, Huntingdon College

Many Alabamians may not know that Johnson Jones Hooper, an early Alabama writer, was an important influence on the humor and fiction of Mark Twain, who particularly enjoyed the sketches and tales in Hooper's 1845 collection, Some Adventures of Simon Suggs, Late of the Tallapoosa Volunteers. Hooper's influence is strong upon Twain's two best-known novels: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Participants in the Alabama Big Read of Tom Sawyer may be particularly delighted and amused by Simon Suggs as inspiration and model for Pap Finn, his son Huckleberry, and other elements of that novel. The presentation will give about half an hour of background on Southwestern Humor and J.J. Hooper, then demonstrate connections among Simon Suggs, Pap Finn and the frontier con man of Huckleberry Finn , the Duke. Anderson will read similar passages from Simon Suggs, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn , and show how both Tom and Huck embody and reflect elements of the spirit of frontier humor, leaving ample time for questions and discussion.

If facilities allow, the presentation will be accompanied by a computer-fed digital slide show of illustrations. If appropriate to the audience and venue, the scholard may ask for a large-screen digital television receiver, or a projection screen for digital slide.

Contact Richard Anderson to book this presentation
ra@huntingdon.edu
(334) 269-1660