Huck & Jim In 1885
Study Group (2-3 session | Registration opens Tuesday, February 4, 2025 10:00 AM
This is a discussion course about Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Did you read it as a kid? Because of the frequent use of the n-word and because of its treatment of race in 19th-century America, this classic novel has been the subject of heated controversy in recent decades. Is it a children’s adventure book or is it a masterpiece of irony and satire too sophisticated for many college students, much less young children, to grasp?
The sequel to this course is Huck and Jim in 2024, offered two weeks after this one ends. Please sign up for both if your schedule permits. Dr. Linda Leavell, a retired professor of American literature, has taught Huckleberry Finn many times.
*Please bring with you to class a paper copy of Twain’s novel and read the first sixteen chapters before the first class meeting.
This class will meet in person at the OLLI offices, located at 481 S. Shiloh Drive, Fayetteville, AR 72704. Please read your class reminder email for the exact room location.
Class changes occasionally happen, please watch for (and read) announcements or emails from OLLI regarding your class.
Click on the link below for a Google map shot of our location:
OLLI HQ, 481 S. Shiloh Dr., Fay 72704
- Participants are to obtain their own copy of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain.
Linda Leavell
Dr. Linda Leavell (pronounced level) was a professor of American literature for 25 years before moving to Fayetteville,
where she writes, leads a poetry book club, and teaches OLLI courses. Her 2013 biography of the American poet Marianne Moore was widely reviewed and won several awards. She is currently writing a group biography of seven modern American painters and photographers.