Mark Twain is one of the most celebrated American writers and has written notable works such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Pascal about the Dr. Shelley Fisher-Fishkin visit to the juniors and seniors this September. I asked Mr. Pascal who Dr. Fishkin is and what Mark Twain scholars do. He explained that Dr. Fishkin is the world’s most prolific Mark Twain scholar and has dedicated her life to this renowned writer’s works, particularly Huckleberry Finn.

Mr. Pascal explained that Dr. Fishkin has written over fifty books relating to Mark Twain and American literature alongside co-authoring, editing, and writing numerous journals and essays. She has served as Director of the American Studies Program from 2003 to 2024 at Stanford University and gives many lectures around the world. Mark Twain scholars are college professors who have a passion for Mark Twain’s life, legacy, and works. Every year, books are published with new interpretations of Mark Twain’s works, showing how relevant he is to us.

Dr. Fishkin approached Mr. Pascal as she wanted to include his students’ responses, about the character Jim in Huckleberry Finn, in a chapter of a book she was writing. Thus, she wanted to come to Seton Hall Prep to thank Mr. Pascal for the work he has been doing in teaching Huckleberry Finn and to meet the students whom she called “the heroes of that chapter.” Also, she said how Mr. Pascal’s students’ responses were better than what critics have said about the book in the last 150 years! Mr. Pascal feels strongly that the visit was a once in a lifetime opportunity for the students and The Prep.

I asked Mr. Pascal what Dr. Fishkin talked about with the students and if what she said correlated to what they were learning in class. He described how he teaches his students about how Jim is not a stereotypical character in Huckleberry Finn but is a true hero in the novel. Jim is the only one who tells the truth and is the first Black father in a novel by a white male American author according to Dr. Fishkin. This was exactly what Dr. Fishkin had been discussing with the juniors and seniors.

Finally, I asked what the student’s reactions were, if they enjoyed the visit, and what were some of the key things they learned. According to Mr. Pascal, the students felt so privileged and amazed at her intelligence, and they were able to understand everything that she was explaining. Overall, Mr. Pascal felt that it was the highest academic achievement to have his teaching styles, passion for Mark Twain, and his own students’ responses be recognized in Dr. Fishkin’s book. Never in Mr. Pascal’s life would he have thought this would happen to him and is an experience that he will never forget.