MARK TWAIN IS SO MUCH MORE THAN HUCKLEBERRY FINN!
Oh, sorry. Did I all-caps yell that out loud?
Okay, I’m not sorry. I’m also not sorry when I write it that way on my white board in my classroom.
Let’s face it, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is problematic, to say the least. I’m one of the biggest Mark Twain fans around, and even I have a problem teaching it. I mean, seriously, is there anyone who wants to hand the n-word to students even once, let alone over two-hundred times in one book. Weighing the problematic nature of Huck Finn against the importance of the novel in creating a whole new movement in American literature is a debate for another day. Today’s topic is one that allows you to still introduce one of the biggest voices in American literature history in a legitimate way without having to tackle the n-word.
Disclaimer: Please understand that I am not advocating for ignoring the tough conversations.If you are an ELA teacher, and you are trying to avoid tough conversations, you might be teaching in the wrong subject area. I’ve been in the classroom for a while. I know there are all sorts of voices at work deciding what books we include in our curriculum. If you want to introduce Twain and Huck Finn isn’t available to you for any number of reasons, you still can. He wrote a ton of stuff. A ton!
This blog is the fist in a series that will introduce you to several Twain stories you aren’t teaching but should. They are fun, unique, and, above all, relevant.
“A Ghost Story”, Sketches New and Old, 1875
Lessons: Tone, Irony, Humor, Propaganda, Connection to PT Barnum, Fake News
Because this story starts out similar to a scary Poe-like tale and then suddenly switches to an irreverent story of mistaken identity, it’s a great one to study pacing, tone, humor, and irony. (In fact, I often pull out the beginning of “The Fall of the House of Usher” for a quick compare/contrast analysis task before we get to the tone switch in “A Ghost Story”.) However, the true joy in this piece is revealed once students understand the real life connection.
Here’s the story behind the story: In 1868, a skeptical atheist named George Hull spent $3,000 of his own money to carve a ten-foot-tall, 3,000 pound giant gypsum statue just to bury it in the ground. He wanted to prove a point to a preacher he thought believed in a too-literal version of the Bible, specifically, the mention of giants. Nearly a year later, some workman digging a well found the statue, and the world was duped into believing that the archaeological phenomenon of a petrified giant man had been discovered. They called it the Cardiff Giant. Scientists soon revealed the hoax; however, the popularity of the giant was already so great that people traveled from all over and paid money just to see it. The famous P.T. Barnum (who, thanks to The Greatest Showman, most students recognize) seized the lucrative opportunity and offered to pay Hull for the statue. Hull declined, so Barnum built his own. Barnum’s fake copy of a fake giant eventually became the more popular spectacle. The public, it seemed, was fooled once again into handing over their money just to catch a glimpse of the fake of a fake.
Of course, Mark Twain, who enjoyed the irony of humanity and the simplicity of a good practical joke, used this real life event as inspiration for a truly unique ghost story.
“A Ghost Story” tells the tale of a man who rented a room in a New York City hotel haunted by the ghost of the Cardiff Giant. It goes from eerie to comical when the ghost can’t find a comfortable place to sit without breaking all the furniture. The ghost moans that he simply wants someone to reunite him with his body which is stored in the museum across the street. Finally, the exhausted and exasperated guest explains, “Why you poor blundering old fossil, you have been haunting a plaster cast of yourself–the real Cardiff Giant is in Albany! Confound it, don’t you know your own remains?”
The absurdity of the situation is hilariously witty. I will warn you that students might not get it at first. Twain is an author who trusts his reader, sometimes a little too much. In other words, he presents the irony, but he doesn’t spell it out. Reading well is a skill. The more time and practice students have with older texts, the more they appreciate the subtleties of well-executed irony, pacing, double meanings, and all that. When students practice enough to get to the point where they laugh at pieces like “A Ghost Story” all on their own, you know they’ve become skilled readers. But, like I said, it takes practice, and it takes guidance.
Okay, so “A Ghost Story” provides irony and humor. What else? Well, not only does the writing of this piece allow for great study of effective uses of diction, syntax, pacing, plot, dialogue, and irony, but it also offers a great tie-in to real life. The related lessons you can include on propaganda, fake news, gullibility, entertainment history, archaeology, and even math are endless. If those topics aren’t relevant, I don’t know what would be.
This one also offers a fun writing prompt to inspire students to practice their own use of irony, plot twists, and trickery. I often let students vote on and offer prizes for the best ironic twist. What students will do for a candy bar!
Tip #1: I like to divide the class and have one group read and annotate the story before they research the background. The other group does the opposite. As always, I have them log their reader reactions. At some point, students share their notes, either in small group discussions, in an online forum, or a pseudo gallery walk. You’ll be surprised at the conversation about the necessity of context that organically circulates. It’s always a conversation I can build on with future texts. It creates curiosity and engagement. Students start asking upfront for context because they want to make sure they “get it” from here on out.
Tip #2:
Make sure to include research on or links to articles on the 1869 Cardiff giant hoax. I’ve given you an overview here, but the details of Hull’s audacity add to the unbelievability of it all. Seriously, it’s like Impractical Jokers on steroids.
My favorite is this one from the Hoax Museum Blog because of the comic book-esque illustrations paired with the non-fiction article, as well as the haiku challenge at the end. That’s always a fun bonus lesson or extra credit opportunity.
I also use this article from Smithsonian Magazine for the photos, the perspective, and because, you know, it’s the Smithsonian.
I hope you have a chance to add this Twain story to your curriculum. In the comments below, let me know how it goes. Also, I’d love to know what lesser-read stories you’ve found success with in your classroom.
Read well. Be well.
I am a university student with the ‘Ghost Story’ as my English story in the syllabus. And by far, from all the blogs and summaries that I have read from the net, yours is the best and beautifully elaborative. I had a thoroughly good time reading what you had to write for Mark Twain and the story.
Thank you so much! Please spread the word about Twain’s amazing story. Connect with me on Instagram. My next novel is a Twain rewrite. I can always use great beta readers! Best of luck with your studies.