Huck struggles to be taught knowledge, religion and etiquette by miss Watson and the widow.
Chapter 2
While Huck attempts to be civilized, he gets into some fun trying to prank Jim, Miss Watson's slave.
Huck then meets with Tom and some other boys, they claim themselves to be a "gang" and take a boat to a cave.
The boys all take an oath to never speak of the boys "gang" to anyone, for if one fails to do so, their family shall be killed but and women would be held hostage at the hideout.
Huck talks about his drunk Pap, Hack does not know where his Pap is.
Chapter 3
A rumor is started that Huck's Pap, who hasn't been seen for a year is dead. With his body found in a river.
They later find out that the body was not Hucks's father but rather a women dressed in men clothes, Huck worries his father will reappear into his life soon.
The boys resign from the gang because all they did was pretend.
Tom Sawyer talked about Spaniards and Arabs and pretended with his imagination.
Chapter 4
Huck begins to adjust his new life and gets started with progress in school.
Huck notices Large footprints in the snow, instantly reconizes the prints and runs to Judge Thatcher and sells his fortune to him.
Huck comes to find the the footprints have got to be his farther's, that night he find his father waiting in his room.
Chapter 5
Pap frightens Huck and asks if he thinks of himself better than his father, then promises Huck to take him "down a peg".
His father asks if he has money, and accuses Huck for lieing when he says he has none.
Pap takes the dollar Huck got from the Judge then leaves to go buy whiskey.
Time Period of Story:
1830's to 1840's, a time when slavery is legal, many people drunk, and money is tight.
How does the perspective/point of view of the narrator influence the story?
The perspective of this story is Huckleberry Finn, a boy with a drunk pap and raised by a widow. His perspective gives the point of view as young boy in the 1830's to 1840's. A boy with slightly rough way of living but young mind. His perspective in the story influences the way the story is seen in our eyes, in the eyes of Huckleberry Finn.
Chapter 5-11
Why Pap has Huck Locked Up:
Pap had Huck locked up because Pap didn't agree with Huck's lifestyle and wanted Huck all to himself so that he could take all the control over Huck and his way of living. He didn't like that Huck enjoyed going to school and that Huck was setting a better role than Pap did. With Pap being so upset about Huck's way of living he took matters into his own hands and kidnapped Huck by locking him in a cabin deep in the woods.
Visual on how Huck escaped the Shanty:
What it means to be an Abolitionist and why is it Huck is concerned about being called one:
In this time period and roles played in the story, an abolitionist can be referred to as a person who favors the abolition of slavery. Also known as they favor the idea of getting rid of slavery all together. That kind of thinking at this time period was not common especially in the mind of the people who held power to get rid of slavery. Huck and Jim are concerned about being called an abolitionist because being an abolitionist someone who is holding an uncommon idea and with it beinga s uncommon as it is, its almost a shame to ever be called an abolitionist especially in the 1800's before true equality came to be.
What gave Huck away when pretending to be a girl:
Didn't walk like a girl according to Jim, and considering Huck had to walk into the women's house his walk must've created suspicion in the women eyes.
Huck told a women a different name when he was asked the second time for a name which made it really look like Huck was hiding something and not telling the truth, the women must've realized something wasn't being told true she probably just didn't know what exactly yet.
The women was constantly looking deep into the eyes of Huck giving questionable looks towards him, she probably started to notice certain actions of his that made her question if he was a boy, she knew he was hiding something so looking at his face closely probably made her see his was really a boy not a girl.
Huck threw the iron bar as a boy would, if a girl were to the throw the iron she wouldn't be as aggressive.
Huck couldn't thread a needle which was a big give away for the women, especially at this time period.
Things that would give away a boy pretending to be a girl in Modern time:
Boys tend to have a slightly deeper voice than girls.
Boys like action, they like to move around a lot while girls are usually more calm.
Boys have a different body language than girls, boys tend to take comments and stuff more aggressive than a young girl ever would.
Things that would give away a girl pretending to be a boy in modern time:
Girls tend to have a higher pitched voice than boys.
Girls have a calmer personality although girls notice the little things way more often than boys.
girls have a different body language than boys,simple things like girls sit up straight and cross their legs both of which is uncommon for boys
Chapter 12-16
What is the story of King Solomon and his child? How does Jim interpret that story?
King Solomon had many wives and 2 were claiming that they were the mother to one of his children, King Solomon revealed their true feelings and relationship to the child by suggesting to cut the baby in two, with each woman to receive half. With this strategy he was able to figure out which one was the true mother because one begged not to cut the baby in half and the other approved instantly.
Jim interprets the story by focusing more about the full child than a half because King Solomon would have respected the child by much more if he hadn't had so many.
When he wakes up after their separation in the fog, what does Jim’s reaction to Huck tell us about him? How do you feel about him at this point?
When he wakes up after the separation in the fog Jim is shocked to see Huck. Jim is very happy to know Huck is alright for he thought they had drifted so far apart that he had lost Huck forever. Huck plays a joke in Jim making him think that everything that happened that night before the drifted apart was all just a dream. With Jim being so happy and grateful to see Huck tells us that Jim cares a lot for Huck and treats him almost as family.
At this point I feel Jim is a good man with a good heart who happens to be a slave because at this time period freedom had not been achieved yet. Jim cares a lot for Huck and especially with the time they have been together, they have grown close friends.
Jim is very superstitious. From a historical standpoint, why do you think this is?
Jim is very superstitious because at this time period, equality hadn't hit its peak. Black people were still treated rather bad, they weren't provided an education or choice of occupation. Almost all were slaves and no other choice but to believe whatever they were told. Jim is black, so he was never treated equal, never got an education and as a whole had no other choice but to believe that whatever he was told was true.
“It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger – but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterwards, neither.” What does this line tell us about Huck?
In this line Huck is coming forward to apologize for playing such a joke upon him. Yes it took him 15 minutes to do so, but Huck did the right thing by apologizing. When he states "but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterwards, neither.” it shows that he wasn't sorry for putting himself lower than a black man, and that deep down Huck is a good man.
At the end of chapter 16 Huck is struggling with giving Jim up. Outline the battle that he has with himself, and explain his actions when the men come up looking for the 5 escaped slaves.
Huck throughout the course of the book has grown closer to Jim. Instead of Jim being viewed as a slave, Jim in Huck's eyes is now a friend. A friend he has grown closer and closer to. With that, when he was in the situation of almost having to give up Jim as an escaped slave, he couldn't do it because he has grown so close to Jim. Although, with lying about having an escaped slave is breaking the laws and could cause major conflict and get Huck in a lot of trouble.
Chapters 17-21
Describe the Grangerford family (Chapter 17 &18).
They are currently in a feud with the Sheherdsons. With a deceased daughter name Emmeline. Colonel Grangerford, basically the most powerful on of the family, is a good man who has a large estate. The children's names are Bob, Tom, Charlotte, Sophia, and Buck. No one can remember why there is a feud between the two families or how it started. Sophia is in love with Harney, one of the Shepardson boys. Buck and a 19 year old Grangerford end up in a gun fight with the Shepherdsons and they both end up dying. Which scares Huck away.
Mark Twain alludes that the feud between the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons is about traditional feuds between farmer (“granger”) and rancher (“shepherd”). Why would he write this into the novel? What does it say about these two occupations at this time (Chapter 18)?
Out first glimpse on the Grangerfords family feud is introduced by the narrator (Huck) and his experience through its first glimpse. One day, Buck one of the Grangerford children tries to shoot a young man named Harney Shepherdson but misses. Huck, being quiet confused asks why Buck tried to shoot him and he came to explain they are in a big of a family feud an have been for quiet some time but because the feud has gone on for so long, nobody really knows why they are fighting.
The Author refers to the family feud conflict between farmer (“granger”) and rancher (“shepherd”). This is because in the late 1800's farmers and ranchers ran into many conflicts on deciding which title went with which job. Once land ownership became a thing, the question was who is responsible for fences. In areas where ranching was dominant, it was the farmer who was responsible for the fences. While in California, where wheat farming was important, it was the rancher who was responsible for keeping livestock out of crops. Since this was a common conflict in the 1800's it is very well compared to the family feud, although this family takes it a little far, so far into this point by the end of the chapter, 2 Grangerfords are killed in a gunfight between the Shephardsons. That scares Huck off as he flees onto the raft with Jim to get as far from the insane family and its conflict as possible.
Towards the end of chapter 18 Huck says “I don’t want to talk much about the next day. I reckon I’ll cut it pretty short.” Huck says this prior to telling us about the big battle. How does our narrator’s perspective play a role in what we think and feel this section (Chapter 18)?
When Huck does state the line “I don’t want to talk much about the next day. I reckon I’ll cut it pretty short.” this immediately gives us, the readers the idea that Huck is upset/not happy about what happened that next day so we come to assume something bad happened. And when something bad happens most people don't like to talk about it right away. We already hared about the family feud and Huck witnessing Buck trying to kill a Shepardson, these clues give the chapter a feud battle theme and I personally came to believe something bad happened between the feud, perhaps someone was killed or at least an idea along those lines. As the chapter is finished the mood the line gave before the battle was explained comes to be true, Huck is scared away after the battle as hum and Jim instantly get on the raft and float down the river as far and as soon as possible.
Explain who the King and the Duke are. Why does Huck go along with their story (Chapter 19)?
The king and duke are river con men who end up taking control of Huck and Jim's raft. The king claims to be the disappeared heir to the French throne and the duke claims to be the Duke of Bridge water. The king pretends to be British preacher Harvey Wilks to take money from dead Peter Wilks’s family, the duke plays along as the deaf brother, William. Huck goes along with their story because he knows the king and duke are frauds running away, he doesn't wanna start trouble therefore he goes along with the story.
What problems do you anticipate with the Duke’s solution to how they can all run the raft during the day (Chapter 20)?
Huck and the rest of the people on the raft have only been traveling at night to avoid Jim possibly being caught as a runaway slave. Although once the king and duke take over the raft the duke comes down to a solution. The solution is that while traveling during the day with Jim on the raft, they pretend as if they had captured Jim as the missing runaway slave and are taking him back to his owner. The duke comes to believe that this is a great solution because Jim doesn't have to hide during the day an they can travel down the river with more time to spare. Although from my point of view this solution is risky,, if they were to be questioned an told someone the runaway slave was found, word would travel fast and the owners would expect to have their slave back. Once someone comes to realize the slave is not being returned, trouble starts. They are then breaking the law and getting themselves into potential big trouble.
Illustrate the town that the play will be held in (Chapter 21).
Chapters 22-26
At the very end of chapter 22 we see the handbill that the king and the duke will pass out. The duke says “if that line don’t fetch them, I don’t know Arkansaw!” Why would the line at the bottom of the handbill work to get people into the play?
The line at the end of the handbill states "Ladies and children are not admitted". The handbill would get people into the play because more men would be open to doing things of their choice if their wives didn't have a say in their decision. That then gives the husbands and fathers a "night off" to have more freedom because their wives and kids can't come, which provides the husbands and fathers a good old night for the boys.
Towards the end of chapter 23 we see this line: “What was the use to tell Jim these warn’t real kings and dukes? It wouldn’t a done no good; and besides, it was just as I said; you couldn’t tell them from the real kind.” Why doesn't Huck see the use in telling Jim? What does Huck mean by "you couldn't tell them from the real kind?
Huck doesn't see the use in telling Jim about the fact that the King and Duke aren't telling the truth because Jim doesn't know a lot about Kings and Dukes in the first place, with that he would not understand if he did tell him the truth. Also he doesn't see the use in telling Jim because he doesn't know that the reason he is playing along with the King and Dukes story is to protect Jim from being caught and himself from getting more in trouble. Altogether, Huck avoids telling Jim the truth to keep them both protected.
When Huck mentions the phrase " “you couldn’t tell them from the real kind.” he is comparing the King and Duke to real royalty and the way they act compared to those positions. Throughout the story, Huck explains multiple examples of historical royalty and how they have tricked people throughout their "royal positioning". He then compares that to the play the King and the Duke create and how they cheated the people through false advertisement by only putting on a couple minute show for a full show price. Therefore if Huck did tell Jim the truth, he wouldn't know how to tell the difference from the real Kings and Dukes so he sees it was best to keep it all to himself.
The final line in chapter 24 reads: “It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race.” What is Huck talking about? What does it tell us (the reader) about Huck that he feels this way?
The King and the Duke came up with this plan when they had found out that a man named Peter Wilks had died and left a fortune to his brothers that no one had ever met, known, or heard of. One apparently was around 30-35 while the other was deaf and supposedly dumb. The two con-men, being as greedy as they are, pretended to be the brothers and made Huck and Jim act as their servants. They wanted to sell the land and gain all of his money from the dead man and his brothers. Huck was ashamed about lying and stealing from the grieving family. The shame that he felt was probably from participating with the 2 men and their selfish plan.
In chapter 25 we meet the doctor. How does the doctor know that the king and the duke are a fraud?
Doctor Robinson knew that the King and Duke were both frauds because when the King gave his speech, his British accent was not good or believable. The Doctor said that it was the worst accent that he had ever hear. He knew that the King and Duke were con-men and were definitely not related to Peter Wilks, for they didn't know anything about Peter himself, who he was as a person or what they should know about the man especially since they were posing as Peter's brothers.
The king and the duke consider leaving in the middle of the night with the money (chapter 26). Why don’t they?
The King and the Duke consider leaving in the middle of the night with the $6,000 in gold, although they don't end up leaving in the middle of the night. Instead the King comes to think it would be a good idea to stay until the land as well as the slaves are sold, therefore they can get more money than they have got already.
Chapters 27-30
Why did people stay up with the dead during this time period? (Chapter 27)
At this time period, staying up with the dead was a form of tradition. The reason why they stayed up with the dead was to keep rodents away from the body as it decayed. Back then, there were not funeral homes to help preserve the body before it was burred. Therefore it was up to the people closest to the person that had passed away to deal with the body. They were ones who decided whether or not a funeral occurred, how everything was set up and what was given to who based on what the person who passed away wanted.
What do we learn (or reaffirm) about Huck when he tells Miss Mary Jane the slaves will see their family again in inside of two weeks? (Chapter 28)
When Huck unthinkingly tell miss Mary Jane as she is crying about the separated slave family that they will be reunited again within the next two weeks it gives us another view on Huck. Huck has gone through a lot, he was raised by an abusive alcoholic father, has run away from this widow who was very good to him and cared a lot for him, and has traveled through lots, all this way protecting a runaway slave. Jim, being Huck's best friend has changed Huck's point of view on slaves and despicably on black people as a whole. Huck only wants what is best for good people, no matter their color and he is one that cares a lot for good people. We see that especially when he tells Mary Jane the slave family will be reunited because even through black people in this time period were not treated equal, Huck tries to treat them just as equal. Cause he cares.
3.What were the two methods the townspeople used to try to identify who the brothers were and who the frauds were? (Chapter 29)
A lawyer goes and gets all four men meet at the Tavern therefore they can come to find out who they really are, not just who they say they are. To do that, two things happen, first, he has all four men sign a paper and then compares the signature to ones he had seen on the letters, which gave away that the King and the Duke were frauds and not who they say they were. The King got out of it by saying that the real William serves as a scribe to Harvey and that since William has a broken arm they can't prove who is who. The true Harvey recalls that their brother had a tattoo on his chest and then the King says that he did see a tattoo. Then the lawyer asks them what the tattoo was and has the one who dressed the body tell them which one is right, he says that he didn't see a tattoo. They then go and dig up the body and find the bag of money inside the coffin.
Chapters 30-35
Huck says “You can’t pray a lie.” What lie is he trying to pray about? What does he mean? (Chapter 31)
At this point in the book , Jim has been found, captured and turned in as a runaway slave. Huck in shock comes to be very upset and tries to think through what he can do to changed the situation. Although he is freaking out and then begins to cry, he thinks through if should write to Miss Watson about where Jim is and get him back to her or do possibly something else. Huck prays that Jim finds Miss Watson again but then snaps into reality and realizes he cant pray a lie, he was praying for what he didn't want. From the beginning the goal was to set Jim free, not set him back into slavery and that's exactly what the note and prayer was implying.
Why does Huck tear up the letter he writes? (Chapter 31)
Huck's written letter lets Miss Watson (Jim's Owner) know where Jim is and how to get him back. From the beginning getting Jim back to Miss Watson was what was NOT wanted to happen, especially in Jim's eyes. Also the letter would've revealed how Huck has lied and what he has done as far as faking his death as well as running away and hiding a runaway slave. All the letter would do is bad and that was unwanted. Therefore Huck teared up the letter because it was what he realized he didn't want.
Huck is disappointed that Tom would help him steal Jim. He says “Tom Sawyer fell, considerable, in my estimation. Only I couldn’t believe it. Tom Sawyer a nigger stealer!” What do you think of this? (Chapter 33)
I think that Tom Sawyer means well, he is a good adventurous man who is just wanting to help out a close friend. He thrives for risk and is the one who will truly do anything. Although I do think Huck is overreacting when he states "Tom Sawyer fell, considerable, in my estimation. Only I couldn’t believe it. Tom Sawyer a nigger stealer!” For if we really think about it, Huck was the one that got Tom Sawyer to help him steal Jim back. So if he thinks what Tom Sawyer is doing is so bad, then why did Huck get him into it?
Huck says two things at the end of chapter 33: “Human beings can be awful cruel to one another.” and “But that’s always the way: it don’t make no difference whether you do right or wrong, a person’s conscience ain’t go no sense, and just goes for him anyway.” What does Huck mean by these two statements?
At the end of chapter 33, Huck and Tom sneak out of the house into town. As they are walking down the road, they see a mob of townspeople as well as duke and the dauphin who are are covered in tar and feathers. The townspeople run the duke out of town. Huck grows feels bad for the two, as his ill feelings toward them melt away. When Huck states, “Human beings can be awful cruel to one another.” and “But that’s always the way: it don’t make no difference whether you do right or wrong, a person’s conscience ain’t go no sense, and just goes for him anyway.” He says that because even though the Duke was a fraud an didn't deserve the best, the townspeople were cruel to them which doesn't make the townspeople any better, they are presenting cruel things, making them cruel as well, just like the duke and king.
Why are Tom and Huck looking for a more difficult way to break Jim free? (Chapter 34)
Tom is a very adventurous man, he thrives for adventure and is without a doubt a risk taker. Huck on the other hand is a bit different. Throughout this book its easy to notice Huck has been through quiet an adventure but unlike Tom, complicated isn't always the way to go in his eyes. Tom really in this situation is the one wanting a more complicated escape for Jim. For Tom likes the really mysterious and troublesome situations. Huck just agrees to do so because Tom being a good friend is helping Huck, and needs to the help to set Jim free.
Chapters 36-40
In the process of breaking Jim free, what is Tom’s motivation? What is Huck’s motivation? (Why are they doing it?)
In the process of setting Jim free Tom's motivation is very different than Huck's motivation. Huck has gone through this entire adventure with Jim by his side. Jim is not only the widows owner in his eyes anymore, Jim is a friend, the best friend Huck has ever had. So Huck's motivation to get Jim back is to get his best friend back and give him the best life he could possibly provide. Tom's motivation is very different, Tom thrives for adventure, he thrives for the adrenaline of trouble. Tom's motivation is to have a good time, he not as serious about this as Huck is, Tom just wants a good story.
What do Huck and Tom mean when they say they “let on” about something? Why do they do this? (Begins on chapter 37)
When Tom and Huck use the words "let on" when they say something, in their context "let on" means "pretend". During mid chapter 37, after they both tore up the sheets into strips and then twisted them all together, the book states "We let on it took nine months to make it." Which also means they pretend to take 9 months to make it. As a whole within this chapter when they state "let on" it means they pretend. They pretend because as noticed within these past chapters, Tom likes the adventure, the adrenaline of trouble and the story he wants to be able to tell.
Why is Tom writing the letters and posting warnings? Why did he give instructions to his aunt and uncle’s slave? What are his motivations for this? (Chapter 39)
Uncle Silas tells that Jim had run away, Aunt Sally is in panic because the house is out of control and everything is completely upside down. Uncle Silas plans advertise for Jim as a captured runaway slave. As the chapter goes on Tom decides to write letters to the family under the name of "an unknown friend", the letters scare the family as it warns them of trouble. Tom then pretends in a letter that Jim is going to be stolen and tells the family how he is planning on being stolen. The letters start being written when Huck and Tom believe the advertisement for Jim is going to be released soon so for that to be avoided as much as possible the letters are written as a hopeful distraction to the family.
We’ve worked a great deal on this novel’s satirical elements. How is the planning and plotting of Jim’s escape by Tom and Huck satire?
The plotting and planning of Jim's escape has been thought through multiple ways by both Huck and Tom. Huck wants to make the escape as easy and quick as possible to avoid flaws and getting into the least amount of trouble. Tom on the other hand isn't as serious about the situation, he wants to have a good story to tell therefore he wants to make the escape complicated, which could possibly lead them into a lot of trouble. The escape and its planning shows satire because it exaggerates the escape, it exaggerates how to escape a slave. In reality escaping a runaway slave would be a lot harder than it is seeming in the story, almost making the family look completely oblivious. Satire is making fun of reality, the reality of escaping a runaway slave is harder to achieve and get away with than the boys are making it seem.
Towards the end of the chapter Huck says “I knowed he was white inside” about Jim. Why does he say this and what does he mean?
Before this was stated, Tom and Huck successfully escape Jim. Although in the process of doing so the boys were being shot as as they ran and Tom was shot in the calf. Once they escaped onto the raft, Huck and Jim tell Tom he should go to a doctor for his foot but he claims he can fix it himself. Huck then states “I knowed he was white inside” after Jim talks about tom going to the docter. Huck refers to Jim as this because Jim decided that it was best to get a doctor rather than save Tom themselves and even though Jim is a black as well as a slave he has started to think as a white man would.
Chapters 41-End
Towards the end of chapter 41: “And then when I went up to bed, she come up with me, and fetched her candle, and tucked me in, and mothered me so good I felt mean and like I couldn’t look her in the face”. Why does Huck feel this way?
At this point of the chapter a sit starts to wrap up, Huck runs into Uncle Silas while town as he is finding the doctor for Tom after he was shot in the calf. Uncle Silas takes him back to the house and Huck makes up a story as to why Tom and Huck had been gone. When Huck told Aunt Sally he was going to bed she ends up following him and tucks him in as if she was his mother. Huck grows guilty and couldn't look her in her eyes because he knew that Tom was stuck in pain and in danger while he was sleeping in a bed. I also think comes to feel this way because he knows how much he lied about Jim and everything that had happened and could tell that at the end of the day he was causing more pain towards the family rather than good doings.
In chapter 42 we hear the doctor’s account of his experience treating Tom: “so I says, I got have help, somehow; and the minute I says it, out crawls this nigger from somewheres, and says he’ll help; and he done it too, and done it very well.” Can we come to an understanding about Jim from this? What do we learn about him?
Looking back and reflecting on Jim as the story has gone on, it easy to see Jim has grown close to not only Huck but Tom as well. After Tom was shot in the calf, Jim immediately suggested they'd find a doctor to help heal Tom. Later as the doctor asks for while healing Tom and instantly jumps in to help, if it wasn't for Jim, Tom's recovery could've ended badly. After seeing what Jim was willing to do for Huck throughout the story and Tom after he was shot, we find out Jim is a very kind and caring person. No matter someone race, there are good people out there and Jim is definitely one of them.
What do we learn about Tom from what he says when he wakes up after being treated for the gunshot wound (Chapter 42)?
Tom is an adventurous person, he loves the rush and thrives for a good story, that was always clear. When Tom wakes up we learn that he wants to be known. When he broke the news of Miss Watson's death and that she set Jim free in her will. They were freeing an already free slave, it now easy to see that Tom always wanted the thrill of adventure more than the reward. All along he knew that Jim was free but took advantage of it. Tom kept it all a secret, the death of Miss Watson and Jim being free, all just shows that Tom will do anything to have an adventure, he thrives for it. Even if its freeing someone who is already free.
You’ve finished the novel: Tell me, in three to four sentences, what you think of Huck.
Huck in my eyes is very independent, but will take in whoever wants in. At the beginning of the book, Huck knows he doesn't want to be with his father so he does what he has to do to escape. Then Jim comes around wanting in so he lets him in, that sort of story line ends up happening multiple times throughout the book. As a whole I think Huck is a good man, who does good, yes he makes mistakes but he makes up for them, always.