Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 2002. Vol. 8. Eger Journal of American Studies.(Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 28)

Studies - Gabriella Varró: The Adventures of the Minstrel Sign in Mark Twain 's Huckleberry Finn

Another favorite device of the minstrel overture besides the comic dialogues was the sentimental song cycle, which in the original minstrel shows served to introduce the stars of the company, who were later to return to the stage during the subsequent parts of the show. Although Berret cites the song of the Granger ford ladies, "The Last Link is Broken" to demonstrate the presence of sentimentalism in the novel, it can be added that the entire environment of the Grangerfords, the wall paintings, the poems of Emmeline, or the resigned reception of the unavoidability of the vendetta between the two families are also part of the same style. Moreover, the rhythmic separations and unions between Huck and Jim, probably capture the true emotional contents of sentimentalism more than any other element in the novel. A concrete example of the separation-union theme occurs when, in Chapter 15, Huck and Jim lose each other in the fog, and they shout to find one another through an entire day without any luck, only to be reunited finally and each overjoyed at the sight of the other. This section of the book is often cited, because it is in this scene that Huck suddenly becomes aware of Jim's deeply human emotions. When Huck attempts to fool Jim, stating that the latter only dreamt their separation, Jim is profoundly shattered, since Huck was the last person he thought would attempt to mock him so. Jim's humanity is probably at the highest peak at this point in the novel.

5 In the section of the novel that matches the minstrel olio, there are a number of burlesque skits, parodies, and sensational happenings. This part is dominated by the stunts, pranks and solo numbers of the duke and the king, like the anecdotes of their noble origins, the stump sermon about temperance, the perfectly twisted Shakespeare monologue, or the Royal Nonesuch performance. In this variety Cable took the part of Mr. Interlocutor. It can thus be indirectly assumed that Twain felt closer to the Darky role, the traditionally lower class part, than to the pompous style of Mr. Interlocutor, who was usually despised by the masses. (Lott 134). Some critics claim that even in Chapter 15—and generally in the sections which narrate the unifications between Huck and Jim

—Jim is unable to step out of the minstrel cliche. Woodward, for instance, argues that in these episodes Jim resembles a mammy stereotype, since his behavior is characterized by exaggerated feelings of caring and protectiveness (146). 271