Huckleberry Finn Symbolism Essay

I'm having trouble starting this essay because i seem to be stuck on the inverse triangle method and begin every essay with a similar statement. Please help, I need some new more creative way to start this essay.

Could you first tell us what the inverse triangle method is? I'm curious now :]

I think the best way to go about this task is to determine your main idea. Usually, it would be a theme of the book. For Huck Finn, one theme can be "society and its standards constrains one's freedom." Then you would search for symbols; you would use the interpretations of the symbols to support your thesis. For example, you could say that the Mississippi River represents freedom for both Huck and Jim; Huck can live his life freely with nature and Jim can escape the treacheries of slavery. For me, this is the sure way to go :]

Good luck!

The inverse triangle method is just starting with a general statement and making each sentence more specific for example:
(this is how i was first planning to begin my essay)

Without symbolism a novel can never be considered a masterpiece. Mark Twain is known as a renowned artist within his medium, American literature, through the use of symbolism rooted deeply in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. When opened the novel is overflowing with Twain's symbols and it is difficult for any reader to finish the book without finding a greater more personal meaning than just a boy helping a runaway slave find freedom. Twain paints a picture with his words in his novel applying a greater meaning to every detail with each stroke of his pen. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is rich with symbols deeply imbedded in its setting and characters.

Thank u for your help but my biggest problem with this essay is that because i have to turn in an essay on theme for this book too my introduction sounds too similar to my theme essay's :/

One problem I see here is that you are pretty much saying the same thing throughout the paragraph.
For me, I would make the "general statement" the theme of the essay. What is the main idea of your essay? Surely, it is not just "Huck Finn has many symbols." Try to find a thesis that will utilize these symbols to substantiate itself. Surely, there is more than one theme in Huck Finn besides the one I mentioned above. If you are really stuck, take a look at Sparknotes. (Don't be afraid to use it. Even though many teachers disapprove of the website, I think it is extremely useful, although by no means comprehensive.)

Thank you so much for your suggestions :)
But im not sure if this essay is supposed to have a theme in it...
The prompt is:
Discuss the major symbols in the novel (the raft, the river, etc.) citing textual evidence. Discuss any setting symbolism

so is discussing a theme in the essay still necessary?

Having a theme is not only crucial, but will also make the essay much easier to read and write. A thesis of "Huck Finn has many symbols," to be frank, is not very interesting. Instead, you can incorporate these symbols with an overall, more specific message. You are still discussing the symbols and their representations; you are just going further by using them to support your thesis. Do you get what I'm saying?

I would rename the method "The Increasing Specificity Method"


All essays need a theme. The essay is something you are supposed to have written because of sheer inspiration -- even though you are actually writing it because of an assignment. Write it as though you have one big idea about the symbols.

Frezard is right, this is SO helpful: sparknotes.com/lit/huckfinn/themes.html
And as for your paragraph writing method, it sounds like you have become too mechanical in your writing due to the way you were taught composition. Free your mind. You are allowed to make your own original observation about the symbolism. You can even look at the symbols from a unique perspective; for example, look at the symbols by considering their implications for a 21st century adolescent.

I was learning about several methods of paragraph development recently. Contrast, Example, Cause-Effect, Definition.
Google around about "paragraph development"