Comprehension & Discussion Questions
for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain
for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain
- Why did Twain include the "Notice" on the opening page?
- Can the book's 43 chapters be grouped according to distinct action sequences? Are there correspondences among chapters or groups of chapters?
- Each stage of Huck's moral growth culminates in a crisis of conscience and a decision to assist Jim (as when Huck tells the two slave hunters that there is "only one" man on the raft and that "He's white"); and each decision is more consequential than the previous. What are these stages and decisions; when do they occur; and what are their consequences?
- What are the consequences of Huck's and Jim's going past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog? (Chapter XV)
- Among the novel's great ironies is that Huck's and Jim's quest for freedom takes them farther and farther into the deep South, the heart of slavery. How and why does this happen? What are the implications?
- The primary movement of Huck's and Jim's journey and of the novel is linear, from north to south. A back-and-forth pattern of movement between river and shore also occurs. How is this pattern important in terms of plot? How is it related to the north-to-south movement? Does it reflect any other kind of movement experienced by Huck or Jim?
- How do the king and the duke impact Huck's and Jim's life on the raft, their quest for freedom, and the novel's movement?
- What are the parallels between the king's and duke's treatment of Jim in Chapter XXIV and Tom Sawyer's treatment of him in the final chapters?
- The cemetery passage in Chapter XXIX is one of the few times when Huck is in immediate danger of actual harm or death. What are some similar incidents? What threatens his safety and well-being in each instance--other people or forces of nature? How does he escape in each instance?
- Do the final chapters, beginning with Huck's arrival at the Phelps farm, rely too much on coincidence?
- Do Tom Sawyer's elaborate escape stratagems indicate that Jim's and Huck's goals are unobtainable?
- Is there any justice in the fact that only Tom is wounded in the final chase through the swamp?
- The story is told by a fourteen-year-old Huck, who admits to elaborate lies and fabrications. Can we trust him? Can we accept his version of things, or must we read between his lines?
posted by dconlay @ 9:57 AM
33 comments
33 Comments:
A. Koff
Mr. Conlay i might need to edit these because i am not sure that this is what you want.
1.Why did Twain include the "Notice" on the opening page?
He places this notice there to make it clear that he wrote this first and foremost to entertain. Though many people find alternative motifs and so called hidden symbols, that is not always the intent of the author.
2.Can the book's 43 chapters be grouped according to distinct action sequences? Are there correspondences among chapters or groups of chapters?
I don’t think that the chapters can be grouped into specific action sequences, because more often than not the action spills into another chapter. In fact many of the actions in the beginning chapters are referred to in the ending chapters. Yes there are correspondences between chapters. Many of the later chapters refer to characters in the beginning chapters. The events in the end of the novel count on an understanding of the chapters in the beginning.
3.Each stage of Huck's moral growth culminates in a crisis of conscience and a decision to assist Jim (as when Huck tells the two slave hunters that there is "only one" man on the raft and that "He's white"); and each decision is more consequential than the previous. What are these stages and decisions; when do they occur; and what are their consequences?
The first stage is when Huck returns to the island to warn Jim that people are making their way to the island to capture him. Even though Huck thinks that it is wrong to help a slave, he still somewhat overcomes his prejudice and helps Jim. Another stage is when the sailors want to check Huck’s boat for escaped slave, and he covers for Jim. This illustrates how Huck has become friends with Jim, despite his race. Probably the most important stage is when Huck and Tom free Jim from Tom’s Aunt and Uncle. In this part, Huck shows true loyalty and friendship to Jim, who before they set of down the river, was just another slave.
4.What are the consequences of Huck's and Jim's going past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog? (Chapter XV)
This is the first time we see Huck truly bond with Jim. After tricking Jim about him dreaming up the whole instance in the fog, Jim becomes angry with Huck. Huck states that, “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger” Eventually Huck apologizes to Jim and feels much better afterwards. Without this instance, Huck may have never completely realized that Jim is a man just like himself.
5.Among the novel's great ironies is that Huck's and Jim's quest for freedom takes them farther and farther into the deep South, the heart of slavery. How and why does this happen? What are the implications?
This is Twains satirical view of western expansion. Though this is a general and broad way to look at this, there are many unmistakable parallels. Huck and Jim encounter more and more civilization in their attempt to escape from it, just as the pioneers had no success trying to settle the western lands. The implications of this is that Huck actually learns that people are just people no matter where you go or what color you are. Without them encountering civilization, Huck would have never been put in the positions that he was put it, and consequently not learn the lessons that he did.
6.The primary movement of Huck's and Jim's journey and of the novel is linear, from north to south. A back-and-forth pattern of movement between river and shore also occurs. How is this pattern important in terms of plot? How is it related to the north-to-south movement? Does it reflect any other kind of movement experienced by Huck or Jim?
This pattern is important because it parallels the personal journey felt by Huck. The back and forth, kind of confused journey is one similar to Hucks idea of Jim and slavery. He constantly goes back on his ideas and attempts to rethink what is right and wrong in terms of what to do with Jim. It is related to the North and South movement, because that too was a movement concerning slavery and whether it was right or wrong. If these patterns were not evident in the book, than Huckleberry Finn would just be another adventure story of a boy going down a river.
7.How do the king and the duke impact Huck's and Jim's life on the raft, their quest for freedom, and the novel's movement?
The entrance of the King and the Duke to the raft represents a large turning point in the novel. The two men each represent how powerless Huck and Jim are in this world. Though the river is supposed to be a calm and easy life, these two white men, picked up off the side of the river, hold complete power over both Huck and Jim. They have the power to turn the boy and the runaway in whenever they like, so Huck and Jim are forced to do whatever they ask. It is only now, in the presence of these two men, that Huck and Jim truly commit crimes. The King and the Duke are necesarry to the plots movement because they allow us to follow Huck and Jim into a new mode of thinking. Now their objective is not only to be free from society, but also from these two conmen.
8.What are the parallels between the king's and duke's treatment of Jim in Chapter XXIV and Tom Sawyer's treatment of him in the final chapters?
In both cases, Jim is treated as if he is less than human. The king and the duke often take advantage of Jim’s supidity and constantly toy with the fact that Jim is a runaway. Tom, though not trying to be condescending, only wishes to free Jim because it would be an adventure. If he frees Jim he would be seen as an adventurer. He does not see Jim as a human being, only as an object on his quest for recognition.
9.The cemetery passage in Chapter XXIX is one of the few times when Huck is in immediate danger of actual harm or death. What are some similar incidents? What threatens his safety and well-being in each instance--other people or forces of nature? How does he escape in each instance?
A similar instance is when the sailors ask to check his boat for runaways. If Huck had been caught assisting a runaway slave he would have been charged and probably taken to court. There is also an incident in which the Grangerford’s have a shoot out with the Shepherdson’s. At any time in this fight, Huck could have been seriously injured. In both instances Huck survives by retreating to the raft and sailing down the river some more.
10.Do the final chapters, beginning with Huck's arrival at the Phelps farm, rely too much on coincidence?
Yes. If the Phelps had not been related to Tom Sawyer, than the last couple of chapters would not make sense. There is also the coincidence of Tom being the only one shot when the men are shooting at the boys and the slave. If it would have been anyone else, than the Phelps would not have been as thankful to Jim and probably would not have let him go. The coincidence that drives the events over the edge is that Jim’s old master is dead, and the only reason people are after him is because of the fake pamphlets printed by the duke and the king to ensure that he would remain unquestioned.
11.Do Tom Sawyer's elaborate escape stratagems indicate that Jim's and Huck's goals are unobtainable?
No, it just indicates that Tom is only offering to help Jim because it would increase his reputation as, well, Tom Sawyer. He makes up elaborate escape plans to make it more of an adventure, not more of a success.
12.Is there any justice in the fact that only Tom is wounded in the final chase through the swamp?
Perhaps, because it was only Tom who wanted to make the escape plans all complicated. We could also look at the fact that it was Tom’s fault that Huck got the money in the first place, so it is his fault that Huck’s father took him, so it is his fault that Huck took off down the river, and so on and so forth. If we look at it in this way than it is obvious that Tom is the one who deserves to be shot.
13.The story is told by a fourteen-year-old Huck, who admits to elaborate lies and fabrications. Can we trust him? Can we accept his version of things, or must we read between his lines?
I think in this case we can trust what Huck says. It does not appear that he is attempting to make himself look good in anyway, so in light of that we can assume that he is telling the truth. In fact, many times in the novel Huck admitts his own faults, alluding to the fact that what he is saying is actually true.
M. Kunert
Period 5
Comprehension & Discussion Questions
for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain
1. Why did Twain include the "Notice" on the opening page?
Mark Twain most liking included the “Notice” in the opening page to make a direct reference to one of his other novels, and to make it clear that these characters as the same as in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. This also makes the distinction that, acting as a sequel, this novel is about Huck Finn.
2. Can the book's 43 chapters be grouped according to distinct action sequences? Are there correspondences among chapters or groups of chapters?
Most of the chapters are divided with specific events or parts of Huck’s story. This makes it easier for the reader to follow and understand the novel. However, Huck does make references to previous chapters. The chapters are broken up in that one chapter sets the premise, background, and setting for the action in the next chapter. This efficiently makes the scenes easier to comprehend.
3. Each stage of Huck's moral growth culminates in a crisis of conscience and a decision to assist Jim (as when Huck tells the two slave hunters that there is "only one" man on the raft and that "He's white"); and each decision is more consequential than the previous. What are these stages and decisions; when do they occur; and what are their consequences?
The first decision Huck makes is to travel with Jim and untimately protect him, a runaway slave. Huck has been given several opportunities to abandon him, but feels morally tied to him with the more humanly traits he sees. When Huck goes to the G- family, he might have left Jim there, but continues to travel with him. He also tells the duke and the dauphin that Jim is a runaway, and they consequently print a "reward" ad for his finding.
4. What are the consequences of Huck's and Jim's going past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog? (Chapter XV)
When Huck and Jim go past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog, they ruin their plan of selling things and getting on a steamboat. This is ultimately a trick by Huck on Jim to make him believe that Huck had not left the canoe. They end up heading to the South, the core of the institution of slavery. The city they missed was Cairo.
5. Among the novel's great ironies is that Huck's and Jim's quest for freedom takes them farther and farther into the deep South, the heart of slavery. How and why does this happen? What are the implications?
It is ironical that they travel further to the south, as Jim is trying to escape slavery. The two didn't quite appear to know where they were heading, or what they were heading to, other than heading to the North for freedom. The implications of this are that both are not the brightest of individuals, but they also must face the heads of the institution (the slave-master) somewhere along their travels.
6. The primary movement of Huck's and Jim's journey and of the novel is linear, from north to south. A back-and-forth pattern of movement between river and shore also occurs. How is this pattern important in terms of plot? How is it related to the north-to-south movement? Does it reflect any other kind of movement experienced by Huck or Jim?
The paralleling movement of North to South and shore to water is reflective of the contrasting ways and customs of the North and South. The reader sees entirely contrasted methods of survival on the water and on the shore. The water, is indicative of the South, the atmosphere Huck and Jim are far more acquainted with and accustomed to. The events and happenings on land make a representation of the North; unpredictable.
7. How do the king and the duke impact Huck's and Jim's life on the raft, their quest for freedom, and the novel's movement?
The king and the duke are con artists who make life and the adventures of Jim and Huck far more interesting. They are a constant threat in exposing that the two are runaways, and force the two to partake in their devious actions. They con a religious group, an audience, and the family of one who just died.
8. What are the parallels between the king's and duke's treatment of Jim in Chapter XXIV and Tom Sawyer's treatment of him in the final chapters?
The king and the duke, like Tom, merely use Jim for their own personal gain. For the criminal duo, it was for economic gain with the posters, while Tom Sawyer used Jim in creating a novel to bring him glory. He used him and Huck in his seemingly unneccessary directions for making Jim (but mostly himself) a glorified hero.
9. The cemetery passage in Chapter XXIX is one of the few times when Huck is in immediate danger of actual harm or death. What are some similar incidents? What threatens his safety and well-being in each instance--other people or forces of nature? How does he escape in each instance?
In the novel, other people primarily jeopardize the well-being of Huck. For the most part, Jim is a constant threat as he is helping a runaway. The king and the duke are the msot frightening, as they almost hold Huck and Jim captive in working for them. The other predominant threatening figure in the novel is Pap. He physically abused Huck and stole from him. All of these situations, excepting Jim, Huck escaped from by running away. he does not give up on Jim as he sees that Jim is a good person, a "white man" at heart. He decides to "go to hell" and free his friend.
10. Do the final chapters, beginning with Huck's arrival at the Phelps farm, rely too much on coincidence?
The entire premise of the ending does rely too much on coincidence. The farm turning out to be his best friends' uncle and aunt, and they are coincidentally expecting him at the time, makes the ending a little far-fetched, but reinforces that its a small world.
11. Do Tom Sawyer's elaborate escape stratagems indicate that Jim's and Huck's goals are unobtainable?
Sawyer's escape strategems emphasize the fact that he is a romantic and very passionate about how things are to be done. It makes the story much mroe poetic, but does nothing to actually assist in the goal of freeing Jim. The goal was not unobtainable, but seemed to be more complicated with the new stratagems.
12. Is there any justice in the fact that only Tom is wounded in the final chase through the swamp?
Tom has been depicted as a "devil child" throughout the novel and that he is a source of evil among the boys. It may serve justice as he was only using Jim for a good story and he wanted recognition for it (showed by him wearing the bullet from his wound later on). This may be the reason that Twain had only him get caught by the mobs' rifles.
13. The story is told by a fourteen-year-old Huck, who admits to elaborate lies and fabrications. Can we trust him? Can we accept his version of things, or must we read between his lines?
Huck does admit that he elaborates lies and fabrications, but the reader must believe and trust his accounts as he is the only person relating the story. He is speaking to an audience in confidence through this novel, and thereby should give an accurate account of all the events in the novel.
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MMorley, p5
1. Mark Twain includes the “Notice” on the opening page to advise readers to not look at the book as a motive or containing a moral but something much deeper in thought and imagination.
2. Yes, the books 43 chapters can be grouped according to Huck Finn’s monumental actions or according to the setting of the chapter. The chapters could be grouped based on either time spent on the river, time spent hiding and time spent on the land.
3. The first decision was when Huck lies to the men on the passing raft, when they are looking for their slaves and run into Huck. He tells the men that there is nobody aboard his ship except a “white man” when really Jim is hanging out on the ship. This happens just after Huck and Jim begin their trip to Cairo in order to reach freedom up north. The consequence of this action is that Jim becomes attached to Huck beyond Huck’s comfort level for a slave. This almost pushes Huck to turn Jim out of fear of becoming an “abolitionist”. Another episode is when Huck lies to more people concerning the whereabouts of a runaway slave, Jim. The stakes are higher now because there is a chance the men could capture him and try him for committing a crime by aiding a runaway slave.
4. The consequences of the Jim and Huck traveling past the mouth of the Ohio River were that they were lost and could not find the bank again. Since they had no compass and had no sense of which river was which they became lost. They also lost their canoe and drifted past their designated location.
5. The traveling of Jim and Huck further into the south, slave territory, was due to their quest for freedom and in order to be free they had to travel south. The implications are that eventually they will reach their desired town and be able to take a steamboat up the Ohio River into the north and into freedom.
6. The north and south traveling patterns of Huck and Jim are important in terms of plot because it symbolizes the movement towards and away from freedom with slight snatches along the way, the side to side movement. It also symbolizes the movement directly away from an old lifestyle and movement into a new lifestyle.
7. The duke and the king impact the life on the raft for Huck and Jim in the sense they gave Huck and Jim motivation to escape the restraints of slavery and control and seek a life of freedom. The novel motive of Huck and Jim changes through the introduction of the king and the duke.
8. The parallels are that people are finally treating Jim with some respect as a free black man rather than a slave.
9. Another instance that puts Huck into danger is when he boards the wreck where he encounters pirates shortly after running off. He is threatened because the robbers have guns and are threatening to kill an innocent man. He escapes when the robbers are not paying attention and sneaks away in his raft with Jim.
10. Yes, I believe the final chapters following Huck’s arrival at the Phelps farm rely too much on coincidence. There is not a chance all those events could happen for a reason so it is purely coincidental that all those events unfolded as they did.
11. No, Tom’s wild escape strategies are not stating that Huck and Jim’s goals are unobtainable, it is actually giving them hope stating that there is a small chance that the goals could actually be obtained.
Ramin Tasbihchi
Period 5
1. Mark Twain includes a notice in the beginning of the book as a comedy. The things he claims will not be in the book are the things that are worth while looking for.
2. The chapters cannot be grouped according to distinct action. The chapters are in perfect sequential order, with one leading directly to the next.
3. One incident is when Huck Finn is trying to get Jim over the border. He prints out a counterfeit ad for a bounty, claiming he is a bounty hunter, enable to bring Jim with him. From this, and other occurrences, Huck believes he’s going to hell, even though he does completely understand the concept of it.
4. The fog creates a separation between Huck and Jim. Yet the worst is where Huck tries to trick Jim into thinking that nothing ever happened. Hence when Jim figures out the joke, he becomes extremely upset and angered with Huck for making him so worried.
5. They both thinks they are traveling North, however in the end it turns out they are traveling South after all.
6. The North to South pattern reflects how everything goes spiraling down for them. The back-and-forth pattern symbolizes how something good might happen, yet Huck will always pull some sort of prank and turn everything bad again.
7. The king and the duke make disguises for Jim to allow them to travel through towns. Also, they created the fake ad to allow them to cross the border.
8. The king and the duke wanted to help Jim out of goodness. Tom Sawyer wanted to out of helping Huck and for the adventure. However, both treated Jim nicely and wanted his freedom.
9. Huckleberry is constantly at risk by helping a slave. Also, Tom always wants to do stylish adventures and rescues. This puts more risk then needed too many events that occur, mainly saving Jim.
10. It all seems too based on how it’s a small world out there. The fact that it turns out to be Tom’s uncle and aunt that Jim is held up at is way too far-fetched.
11. Not at all, rather the total opposite. The goals are too easy; thereof Tom creates elaborate schemes to make it more fun and flashy.
12. Since Tom holds back from telling Jim that he is already free, just to have more fun escape adventures, it is justice. The poetic justice being that Tom then gets lost and injured. Another turn of events that involves karma is how Huck vows never to emotionally hurt Tom’s aunt again, even though he has been over and over again.
13. I believe he is still a reliable source to every event. Even the most unjust, a liar, or an evil man can be a dependable source of information. It is easy to interpret when or when not Huck is doing something wrong. Hence, he does a good job of telling the story through not only his point of view, but through almost an outside view as well.
SUlrich
Period 5
12/19/06
1. Why did Twain include the "Notice" on the opening page?
Mark Twain included the “Notice” on the opening page to make sure that the reader undrstands the fact that this book has no deeper meaning than what is written on the pages. He is not incorporating into the story any particular moral or any deeper meaning. The story is just a story, an event in history, made up or true, it is just a story for people to read and enjoy.
2. Can the book's 43 chapters be grouped according to distinct action sequences? Are there correspondences among chapters or groups of chapters?
Yes, most of the chapters flow thoroughly, but then there is some seperation of the chapters into different types of scenes. For example, you could have the chapters that involved the farm, the island, and when Jim was floating on the river.
3. Each stage of Huck's moral growth culminates in a crisis of conscience and a decision to assist Jim (as when Huck tells the two slave hunters that there is "only one" man on the raft and that "He's white"); and each decision is more consequential than the previous. What are these stages and decisions; when do they occur; and what are their consequences?
Well, despite the fact that Huck chooses to continue to lie and help Jim in his escape, he bipasses his moral judgement and does what he feels is needed. He also continues to help Jim despite the fact that he feels that he is going to go to hell. He does not completely understand hell at this point in his life. An event that occurs is when Huck has a fake bounty placed on Jim’s head so that he could take Jim through the slave states without being questioned or hassled about being a slave or not.
4. What are the consequences of Huck's and Jim's going past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog? (Chapter XV)
A conseuence of going past the mouth of the river in the fog is that Jim and Huck get seperated from each other. After a while of being seperated though, Huck reunites with a sleeping Jim, and then Huck tries to make Jim think that he was sleeping and dreaming up the whole experience the whole time.
5. Among the novel's great ironies is that Huck's and Jim's quest for freedom takes them farther and farther into the deep South, the heart of slavery. How and why does this happen? What are the implications?
This happens, because Jim and Huck are not the smartest of people, and they think that they are traveling North, away from slavery. This may have happended, because the author is trying to make a final battle or meeting with slavery as a person. The implications of this, is what Mark Twain would see as the final clash over the right of slavery in the United States.
6. The primary movement of Huck's and Jim's journey and of the novel is linear, from north to south. A back-and-forth pattern of movement between river and shore also occurs. How is this pattern important in terms of plot? How is it related to the north-to-south movement? Does it reflect any other kind of movement experienced by Huck or Jim?
This pattern shows how Jim and Huck are constantly on the move in order to avaid being caught by others looking for Jim, to recapture and send him back into slavery. It shows how their escape attempt intensifies as they pass from the north into the south. This movement type represents the clash over slavery, where people are moving back and forth from shore, not really making any progress, but continually trying in secret. Which happens to be the same as in the time period of the United States with slavery at the time.
7. How do the king and the duke impact Huck's and Jim's life on the raft, their quest for freedom, and the novel's movement?
They impacted their lives completely, by creating a fake bounty for Jim’s head, it allowed for Huck and Jim to pass through any and all of the slave states in order to not be stopped. So Huck could act as the one who had caught Jim and could pretend to be taking him back to his owner. This causes their lives on the raft to be that much easier, their quest for freedom to be less stressful, and the novel’s progression to be less dramatic, due to the decreased danger.
8. What are the parallels between the king's and duke's treatment of Jim in Chapter XXIV and Tom Sawyer's treatment of him in the final chapters?
The king and the duke treat Jim and Huck with the utmost respect and try to help them as much as they possible can. They end up making their trip less stressful and a lot easier. Then at the end of the book it is found that Tom Sawyer has been playing Jim and Huck for a long time. He knew that Jim had been freed with the death of his previous owner, but he did not tell Jim or Huck. In this manner, he has Jim and Huck continuing to look for Jim’s freedom, even though he already has it. Tom treats Jim with about a little more respect than a slave.
9. The cemetery passage in Chapter XXIX is one of the few times when Huck is in immediate danger of actual harm or death. What are some similar incidents? What threatens his safety and well-being in each instance--other people or forces of nature? How does he escape in each instance?
Another incident where Huck is in danger of being hurt, is when he is around his dad, Pap, who happens to be drunk all of the time and beats him constantly. He also steels from him all of the time. In this instance he escapes with his life by running away from his dad. Then finnaly he does not have to run from his dad anymore, because he turns up dead. He usually didn’t have to run away from his father, because he was usually never around.
10. Do the final chapters, beginning with Huck's arrival at the Phelps farm, rely too much on coincidence?
Yes, it does rely too much on coincidence. The Phelps just happen to be Tom’s relatives, and they just happen to think that Huck is Tom. They also happened to be expecting Tom at the time. This is just too many coincidences to happen at the same time. Twain must be trying to emphasize the point that it is a small world.
11. Do Tom Sawyer's elaborate escape stratagems indicate that Jim's and Huck's goals are unobtainable?
No, it just shows how Tom is a radical thinker, and immature at that. He does not care for the outcome of Jim’s life, which is shown in the final chapters of the book. He is only looking for an adventure, a good time. Jim’s life is not of any value to him.
12. Is there any justice in the fact that only Tom is wounded in the final chase through the swamp?
Yes, there is justice, because Tom is the one who has been leading Jim and Huck on this long trip in order to free Jim. Despite the fact that Tom knows that Jim has been already freed when his master died. In a way, it could be seen that this incident is Karma. Tom leads Jim and Huck on a wild goose chase, and in return he gets injured while running through a swap.
13. The story is told by a fourteen-year-old Huck, who admits to elaborate lies and fabrications. Can we trust him? Can we accept his version of things, or must we read between his lines?
Huck lies a lot through out the book, and it can be seen that he is a rather good one at that. So, we can not trust him, we must read between the lines. We must go and find outside information on the subject on which he is talking about in order to determine if he is telling the truth or not.
AVarma Period 5
1. The “Notice” in the beginning of the novel a short piece that introduces the novel and the satirist tone in which the novel will have, comedic yet serious. It’s a short, three sentence paragraph that is telling, or warning, readers about what is to come when reading the novel.
2. The chapters are split into an order which separates events in the life of Huck. They are written also in a manner in which one chapter leads into another by setting up what will happen in the following chapter. In addition to this, there are also references made to past chapters throughout the entirety of the novel.
3. Huck’s decision to travel with a runaway slave is the start of all the troubles in which he runs into throughout the novel. This decision of his leads him to many more troubles; he is given many chances in which he could leave Jim behind, yet he does not take them, and instead gets himself in worse situations. These situations can be seen when Huck and Jim run into the slave hunters, the con artists (the duke and the dauphin), the Grangerfords, and etc.
4. Huck and Jim are first separated, which leads to Huck trying to fool Jim into believing that Huck was never away from him. This leads them to missing their destination, and heading farther south, the place they are trying to escape. They also lose out on their plan to sell items and getting onto a steamship.
5. This great irony occurs through the fact that Huck and Jim aren’t the brightest individuals. They seem to be heading in a direction they are unsure about, and to a place they are unsure about, all that they do know is they want to head to the North to escape slavery, even though are doing the opposite.
6. The relationship between the linear movement from north to south and the back-and-forth pattern of movement between river and shore can be seen as a contrast of the north and the south. The river is a representation of the south, a place Huck and Jim know, in contrast to the shore, the representation of the north, and a place that Huck and Jim experience unexpected events.
7. The king and duke impact Huck and Jim’s lives by making it far more complicated. They bring to them a constant threat, for both are con artists, and both also can tell anyone at anytime that Huck and Jim are runaways. They force Huck and Jim to partake in many actions that slow their quest for freedom, and put them in danger of being caught. When the con artists try to con a family, Huck becomes fond of the girls in the family, and this changes Huck, and makes him act in a more courageous manner to stop the con artists’ plan.
8. The parallel is quite simple; they were using the man for personal gain. The king and duke used Jim to get material wealth, while Tom used Jim to gain a novel to bring fame to himself.
9. Throughout the novel, Huck is placed into situations in which his well being is in danger. The first of these is simply him joining up with Jim. Jim, being a runaway slave, is a constant threat for Huck. The king and duke are also a threat that Huck faces because when taking part in the actions that the criminals for him into, he is constantly in danger. He is in a way being held captive by the two. Nature plays a part in this danger as well, an example being the fog that separates Huck and Jim when approaching the mouth of the Ohio. Society itself is also one of the greatest things putting Huck into danger, simply due to the fact that they were against blacks, and were all looking out for runaways.
10. They do rely too much on coincidence in that fact that it seemed that everything was made to fit in a perfect world. Even though everything in life can be seen as a serious of unexpected coincidences, this outcome seems a bit too coincidental.
11. It does not make their goal seem unobtainable, but it proves to show that for some things in life, one must push harder to gain it. Obstacles will always be in the way and one must overcome these to get to their goal. If one is able to push on and get past the threats and obstacles, one will inevitably reach their goal.
12. In some way there is justice relying on the fact that Tom used Jim for his own personal gain. He put Jim through so much hardship, so karma took its place in things, and Tom was punished for his actions.
13. We can trust him to tell what happened, but we must also read between the lines and infer or think about the most logical happenings due to the fact it is a fourteen year old boy, who admittedly fabricates. The fact he is so young gives us the most reason to think about the things more clearly.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Reading Questions
1. Mark Twain includes the “Notice” on the opening page because it informs the reader that the author may use satire throughout the novel to achieve his purpose.
2. Yes, I believe all 43 chapters of the book can be grouped together according to distinct action sequences because he is telling a story which flows and the information from the previous chapter is needed to fully understand the next.
3. Each stage of Huck’s growth culminates in a crisis of conscience the first being when he decides to help Jim and the two of them go live on Jackson Island because the two need to be very careful not to get caught. The second is when Huck goes to the shore to see what has happened to the town since he has left but his disguise failed and soon finds out that two men are after Jim and they hurry down the river away from trouble. Another is when Huck encounters two men looking for runaway slaves and he informs that he is the only man and he is white. These consequences add up and Huck and Jim end up floating down the river getting closer and closer to the slavery of the south.
4. The consequence of Huck and Jim passing the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog is that they missed their way to freedom and now are on a dangerous path to the south, which is the heart of slavery.
5. Huck and Jim both in search of freedom end up missing the mouth of the Ohio River due to the fog and end up going deeper into the south, which is the heart of slavery. Instead of looking for the turn they are looking for each other because the fog is so thick. They then finding themselves in the wrong town and bigger trouble.
6. The pattern Jim and Huck follow is very important to the plot. As they go back and forth from river to town the story unravels. The south is the heart of slavery while the north is freedom. In the book the river represents freedom because they are together searching for the next place they want to stop and not worrying what awaits them on shore. However the land represents the south a very dangerous place and if the make the wrong move they could end up back where they started.
7. The king and duke impact Huck’s and Jim’s life on the raft, their quest for freedom and the novel’s movement tremendously because they spend to much time worrying about them and not enough time worrying about obtaining their goal of reaching the north. It slows down the process.
8. The parallels between king and duke’s treatment to Jim and Tom Sawyer’s treatment to him are that they treat him the same way. They both like to make fun and tease him.
9. Some other instances which are similar to the cemetery passage where Huck is in immediate danger, harm or death are when the steamboat crushes his canoe because he has to jump out and separate himself from Jim, another is after Huck swims to shore and his surrounded by dogs whose owner orders them to stop, and a final time is if he were to be caught with Jim, who is a runaway slave, because that is illegal.
10. Yes, in the final chapter, beginning with Huck’s arrival to the Phelps farm rely to much on coincidence because if you were to read it before the rest of the book it would not make sense without the rest of the book.
11. No, Tom Sawyer’s elaborate escape stratagems indicate that Jim’s and Huck’s goal are unobtainable because anything should be possible and Tom is known for his elaborate plan so Huck does not think anything of it,
12. Yes, there is justice in the fact that only Tom is wounded in the final chase through the swamp because he was the one that came up with the plan so it was his own fault for getting hurt and can not blame it on anyone. He did not have to include himself in Jim’s and Huck’s problems.
13. Yes, I think we can trust Huck because he only elaborates to make the story more interesting and we can not blame him for that but for the most part the story is true and he just makes it more interesting.
AVarma Period 5
1. The “Notice” in the beginning of the novel a short piece that introduces the novel and the satirist tone in which the novel will have, comedic yet serious. It’s a short, three sentence paragraph that is telling, or warning, readers about what is to come when reading the novel.
2. The chapters are split into an order which separates events in the life of Huck. They are written also in a manner in which one chapter leads into another by setting up what will happen in the following chapter. In addition to this, there are also references made to past chapters throughout the entirety of the novel.
3. Huck’s decision to travel with a runaway slave is the start of all the troubles in which he runs into throughout the novel. This decision of his leads him to many more troubles; he is given many chances in which he could leave Jim behind, yet he does not take them, and instead gets himself in worse situations. These situations can be seen when Huck and Jim run into the slave hunters, the con artists (the duke and the dauphin), the Grangerfords, and etc.
4. Huck and Jim are first separated, which leads to Huck trying to fool Jim into believing that Huck was never away from him. This leads them to missing their destination, and heading farther south, the place they are trying to escape. They also lose out on their plan to sell items and getting onto a steamship.
5. This great irony occurs through the fact that Huck and Jim aren’t the brightest individuals. They seem to be heading in a direction they are unsure about, and to a place they are unsure about, all that they do know is they want to head to the North to escape slavery, even though are doing the opposite.
6. The relationship between the linear movement from north to south and the back-and-forth pattern of movement between river and shore can be seen as a contrast of the north and the south. The river is a representation of the south, a place Huck and Jim know, in contrast to the shore, the representation of the north, and a place that Huck and Jim experience unexpected events.
7. The king and duke impact Huck and Jim’s lives by making it far more complicated. They bring to them a constant threat, for both are con artists, and both also can tell anyone at anytime that Huck and Jim are runaways. They force Huck and Jim to partake in many actions that slow their quest for freedom, and put them in danger of being caught. When the con artists try to con a family, Huck becomes fond of the girls in the family, and this changes Huck, and makes him act in a more courageous manner to stop the con artists’ plan.
8. The parallel is quite simple; they were using the man for personal gain. The king and duke used Jim to get material wealth, while Tom used Jim to gain a novel to bring fame to himself.
9. Throughout the novel, Huck is placed into situations in which his well being is in danger. The first of these is simply him joining up with Jim. Jim, being a runaway slave, is a constant threat for Huck. The king and duke are also a threat that Huck faces because when taking part in the actions that the criminals for him into, he is constantly in danger. He is in a way being held captive by the two. Nature plays a part in this danger as well, an example being the fog that separates Huck and Jim when approaching the mouth of the Ohio. Society itself is also one of the greatest things putting Huck into danger, simply due to the fact that they were against blacks, and were all looking out for runaways.
10. They do rely too much on coincidence in that fact that it seemed that everything was made to fit in a perfect world. Even though everything in life can be seen as a serious of unexpected coincidences, this outcome seems a bit too coincidental.
11. It does not make their goal seem unobtainable, but it proves to show that for some things in life, one must push harder to gain it. Obstacles will always be in the way and one must overcome these to get to their goal. If one is able to push on and get past the threats and obstacles, one will inevitably reach their goal.
12. In some way there is justice relying on the fact that Tom used Jim for his own personal gain. He put Jim through so much hardship, so karma took its place in things, and Tom was punished for his actions.
13. We can trust him to tell what happened, but we must also read between the lines and infer or think about the most logical happenings due to the fact it is a fourteen year old boy, who admittedly fabricates. The fact he is so young gives us the most reason to think about the things more clearly.
1.Why did Twain include the "Notice" on the opening page?
He included it in the opening to provide a sort of comic relief or to give an insight to the author’s personality and style of writing the book. Because the book dealt with such controversial issues as slavery, the beginning was just a way of letting the reader know that the author was a joker and not all that the book says should be taken seriously.
2. Can the book's 43 chapters be grouped according to distinct action sequences? Are there correspondences among chapters or groups of chapters?
If there should be any grouping of the chapters, it might only be of the characters and their involvement in the chapter. For example, all the chapters concentrated on Jim can be grouped together as the other chapters can be grouped also according to the subject matter.
3. Each stage of Huck's moral growth culminates in a crisis of conscience and a decision to assist Jim (as when Huck tells the two slave hunters that there is "only one" man on the raft and that "He's white"); and each decision is more consequential than the previous. What are these stages and decisions; when do they occur; and what are their consequences?
These stages would probably consist of his ignorance to the idea of helping a black slave, his enlightenment in the notion that slaves are people as well, and the complete acceptance that there can be a relationship with a “nigger” even when they are not slaves or employees. These stages take time and experience with slaves and they can often lead to the realization that slaves are also humans and they too should receive equal care.
4. What are the consequences of Huck's and Jim's going past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog? (Chapter XV)
After encountering the fog, Huck and Jim become separated and the next morning after reuniting, Huck tells Jim that he was only dreaming and they had been together that night. Jim on the other hand is not at all pleased by the prank and becomes upset, afterwards, Huck feels so ashamed at his doings that he apologizes to Jim.
5. Among the novel's great ironies is that Huck's and Jim's quest for freedom takes them farther and farther into the deep South, the heart of slavery. How and why does this happen? What are the implications?
They encounter a lot of hardships along the way which ultimately lead them in that direction but I think it might have happened just to show the diversity in the relationship between Huck and Jim, a white boy and a black man. The fact that they keep moving into the hands of slavery, just shows that an idea was that both of them working together was not exactly successful or functioning in a positive manner.
6. The primary movement of Huck's and Jim's journey and of the novel is linear, from north to south. A back-and-forth pattern of movement between river and shore also occurs. How is this pattern important in terms of plot? How is it related to the north-to-south movement? Does it reflect any other kind of movement experienced by Huck or Jim?
It just shows how the plot is a great mixture of causes and effects. Nothing really goes according to plan or in an organized manner and that could just show the overall chaos in the book. It relates to the north and south because of their continuous quarrels and incessant need to be at odds. Huck and Jim at first realize the need they have to work together and work as one and that didn’t happen for a long time with the North and South.
7. How do the king and the duke impact Huck's and Jim's life on the raft, their quest for freedom, and the novel's movement?
If anything at all, they make life on the raft a little bit more interesting and it just causes more preoccupations for Huck and Jim who are enough trouble as is. By having them there, it just made it a little harder to work because the two new members just made for new worries and more of a chance of trouble.
8. What are the parallels between the king's and duke's treatment of Jim in Chapter XXIV and Tom Sawyer's treatment of him in the final chapters?
King and Duke treat Jim as a sort of tool for getting what they wanted. If anything was to be done, it was Jim who was put up to it, sometimes to humiliating circumstances. Tom on the other hand begins to treat Jim with a little more respect considering the cooperation he gave in their escape and likewise.
9. The cemetery passage in Chapter XXIX is one of the few times when Huck is in immediate danger of actual harm or death. What are some similar incidents? What threatens his safety and well-being in each instance--other people or forces of nature? How does he escape in each instance?
Well in most of the novel he is in danger, but in this particular instance is more dangerous due to the actual physical contact with other people and the risk he places himself in by actually doing a con in the presence of others. There is more of a risk with people than in other times. The other time when he is at this much risk, is when he is in contact with his father and endured all the physical abuse. Somehow he manages to escape, but only with the help of his fellow trouble-makers and by boat.
10. Do the final chapters, beginning with Huck's arrival at the Phelps farm, rely too much on coincidence?
I believe they do rely on coincidence a bit much but they carry the ending of the story well on their own. It does contain somewhat of an irony and recurrence, but overall not too many similarities appear to mess up the ending.
11. Do Tom Sawyer's elaborate escape stratagems indicate that Jim's and Huck's goals are unobtainable?
Not really, it’s just that Tom had more of a schemer’s mind and Jim and Huck didn’t go that far and take it to too much of an extreme. They had more to lose than Tom, who was just determined to fight the man and other forms of authority.
12. Is there any justice in the fact that only Tom is wounded in the final chase through the swamp?
I do believe that there is justice because although through the book the reader might gain some compassion towards him, he is in fact a criminal and has messed with a lot of things. It would be considered an injustice if only Jim was wounded, but I believe that it was justified because he did cause trouble.
13. The story is told by a fourteen-year-old Huck, who admits to elaborate lies and fabrications. Can we trust him? Can we accept his version of things, or must we read between his lines?
We can trust him, because someone who reveals himself, as he did, already will have no problem in admitting other things, he’s really got nothing to lose. Can we trust him? Yes. Is he hiding some things? Most likely, but that doesn’t mean we distrust. We have to think in his circumstances and through his experiences, because otherwise we can’t understand.
1.Why did Twain include the "Notice" on the opening page?
He included it in the opening to provide a sort of comic relief or to give an insight to the author’s personality and style of writing the book. Because the book dealt with such controversial issues as slavery, the beginning was just a way of letting the reader know that the author was a joker and not all that the book says should be taken seriously.
2. Can the book's 43 chapters be grouped according to distinct action sequences? Are there correspondences among chapters or groups of chapters?
If there should be any grouping of the chapters, it might only be of the characters and their involvement in the chapter. For example, all the chapters concentrated on Jim can be grouped together as the other chapters can be grouped also according to the subject matter.
3. Each stage of Huck's moral growth culminates in a crisis of conscience and a decision to assist Jim (as when Huck tells the two slave hunters that there is "only one" man on the raft and that "He's white"); and each decision is more consequential than the previous. What are these stages and decisions; when do they occur; and what are their consequences?
These stages would probably consist of his ignorance to the idea of helping a black slave, his enlightenment in the notion that slaves are people as well, and the complete acceptance that there can be a relationship with a “nigger” even when they are not slaves or employees. These stages take time and experience with slaves and they can often lead to the realization that slaves are also humans and they too should receive equal care.
4. What are the consequences of Huck's and Jim's going past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog? (Chapter XV)
After encountering the fog, Huck and Jim become separated and the next morning after reuniting, Huck tells Jim that he was only dreaming and they had been together that night. Jim on the other hand is not at all pleased by the prank and becomes upset, afterwards, Huck feels so ashamed at his doings that he apologizes to Jim.
5. Among the novel's great ironies is that Huck's and Jim's quest for freedom takes them farther and farther into the deep South, the heart of slavery. How and why does this happen? What are the implications?
They encounter a lot of hardships along the way which ultimately lead them in that direction but I think it might have happened just to show the diversity in the relationship between Huck and Jim, a white boy and a black man. The fact that they keep moving into the hands of slavery, just shows that an idea was that both of them working together was not exactly successful or functioning in a positive manner.
6. The primary movement of Huck's and Jim's journey and of the novel is linear, from north to south. A back-and-forth pattern of movement between river and shore also occurs. How is this pattern important in terms of plot? How is it related to the north-to-south movement? Does it reflect any other kind of movement experienced by Huck or Jim?
It just shows how the plot is a great mixture of causes and effects. Nothing really goes according to plan or in an organized manner and that could just show the overall chaos in the book. It relates to the north and south because of their continuous quarrels and incessant need to be at odds. Huck and Jim at first realize the need they have to work together and work as one and that didn’t happen for a long time with the North and South.
7. How do the king and the duke impact Huck's and Jim's life on the raft, their quest for freedom, and the novel's movement?
If anything at all, they make life on the raft a little bit more interesting and it just causes more preoccupations for Huck and Jim who are enough trouble as is. By having them there, it just made it a little harder to work because the two new members just made for new worries and more of a chance of trouble.
8. What are the parallels between the king's and duke's treatment of Jim in Chapter XXIV and Tom Sawyer's treatment of him in the final chapters?
King and Duke treat Jim as a sort of tool for getting what they wanted. If anything was to be done, it was Jim who was put up to it, sometimes to humiliating circumstances. Tom on the other hand begins to treat Jim with a little more respect considering the cooperation he gave in their escape and likewise.
9. The cemetery passage in Chapter XXIX is one of the few times when Huck is in immediate danger of actual harm or death. What are some similar incidents? What threatens his safety and well-being in each instance--other people or forces of nature? How does he escape in each instance?
Well in most of the novel he is in danger, but in this particular instance is more dangerous due to the actual physical contact with other people and the risk he places himself in by actually doing a con in the presence of others. There is more of a risk with people than in other times. The other time when he is at this much risk, is when he is in contact with his father and endured all the physical abuse. Somehow he manages to escape, but only with the help of his fellow trouble-makers and by boat.
10. Do the final chapters, beginning with Huck's arrival at the Phelps farm, rely too much on coincidence?
I believe they do rely on coincidence a bit much but they carry the ending of the story well on their own. It does contain somewhat of an irony and recurrence, but overall not too many similarities appear to mess up the ending.
11. Do Tom Sawyer's elaborate escape stratagems indicate that Jim's and Huck's goals are unobtainable?
Not really, it’s just that Tom had more of a schemer’s mind and Jim and Huck didn’t go that far and take it to too much of an extreme. They had more to lose than Tom, who was just determined to fight the man and other forms of authority.
12. Is there any justice in the fact that only Tom is wounded in the final chase through the swamp?
I do believe that there is justice because although through the book the reader might gain some compassion towards him, he is in fact a criminal and has messed with a lot of things. It would be considered an injustice if only Jim was wounded, but I believe that it was justified because he did cause trouble.
13. The story is told by a fourteen-year-old Huck, who admits to elaborate lies and fabrications. Can we trust him? Can we accept his version of things, or must we read between his lines?
We can trust him, because someone who reveals himself, as he did, already will have no problem in admitting other things, he’s really got nothing to lose. Can we trust him? Yes. Is he hiding some things? Most likely, but that doesn’t mean we distrust. We have to think in his circumstances and through his experiences, because otherwise we can’t understand.
Christian Torres Per. 4
1. Twain included the “notice” in order to set the tone for the novel of Huckleberry Finn. By making the notice funny, but yet making it sound serious at the same time, Twain tried to explain to the reader that this book would be a fun read but not to take it too leisurely because it also had its important messages and morals.
2. The 43 chapters of Huckleberry Finn could be grouped according to distinct action sequences. The correspondence for the chapters or group of chapters could be seen as the story develops. The actions done previously end up having a result in other chapters of the book.
3. The stages and decisions that Huck makes are evident of his maturity and show how he is growing up and becoming a man. These stages and decisions occur while Huck is on his ongoing adventure and search for freedom. The consequences for the decisions made by Huck are the realization that all people are equals and being of a different color skin is not a bad thing.
4. The consequences are that they get separated and are lost for a few hours. Jim thinks that Huck died and Huck thinks that Jim died. It devastated them because it was a long and hard journey to arrive at the Ohio River and lose it all just like that.
5. This happens because the Mississippi River is a symbol of freedom to both Jim and Huck. The Mississippi leads them down south where the oppression of blacks is greater. This can also symbolize that the south could be grounds for a new beginning after blacks obtain freedom.
6. Moving in a linear direction can mean that there is only one way for Huck and Jim to obtain what they want. There is no easy or simple way to get what they want. They have to work hard in order to obtain that freedom they are looking for.
7. The King and Duke sort of put restrictions on Huck and Jim. What Huck and Jim want is freedom when in contrast, the King and Duke are monarchs .That is the complete opposite of freedom because they tell people what to do.
8. Tom treats Huck way more differently than the way the King and Duke treat Huck. King and Duke use Huck in order to get what they want and fulfill their greedy needs. Tom ends up treating Huck like an equal and like more of a friend instead of using him.
9. The final chapters do rely too much on coincidence because it almost seems impossible that all the incidents that happened, happened because they were supposed to. It was all just pure luck.
11. No, the escape stratagems that Tom comes up with are just a way for Huck to think of a better more fool-proof way to obtain his goals.
12. Tom was the leader and creator of the “gang” and he was the mastermind behind all the different schemes plotted. So him getting shot but not dying is a sign that he should stop the life he is living and start off fresh with a decent, gentleman life.
13. Since Huck is only 14 years old, he would probably tend to stretch his story a little as to make it more interesting. So reading between the lines would be very important in order to obtain the full message presented
1. The notice was included on the opening page to show that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a continuation of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It shows that not only the characters are the same but also the setting.
2. Twain made the novel so that the story is in a sequence of events, so the chapters progress without skipping from past to present to future. He does talk about the past but that is just to remind the reader of what happened to him.
3. Huck thought about giving up Jim but he feels that it is wrong to make him go back to Miss Watson. So every chance that is available to get Jim captured, Huck doesn’t. The consequence is that Jim is under a reward for his capture.
4. The consequence for Huck and Jim going past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog is that Jim and Huck get separated for fifteen minutes and Huck lies to Jim and hurts Jim’s feelings. Along with that Huck fears that they missed Cairo, the exit which leads to the free states, so Jim could work for money and buy his families freedom.
5. It is ironic that Huck and Jim are getting deeper and deeper into slavery country while Jim is trying to get out of it. This is happening because they are traveling the wrong way down the river.
6. Huck and Jim are constantly trying to go forward towards Jim’s freedom in a linear direction, but they face opposition and get help in a back and forth direction. As to the north and south movement Mark Twain brings the concerns of slavery, but he may not want to try to change the foundations of slavery. He sees things that need to be changed in slavery, but he’s not completely against slavery, which is why he may have made Huck and Jim’s direction go from North to South. It reflects the back and forth movement in that there transition to freedom was not a smooth path. The back and forth movement tells us that a lot of obstacles that need to be overcome before slavery will be changed; it is not an easy path.
7. The King and Duke are two men who con Huck and Jim into doing what they want or they will expose there secret. They hold Huck and Jim back from making the novel progress, they don’t move as fast as they could have down the river.
8. The King, Duke, and Sawyer use Jim for there own gain. King and Duke swindle Jim and Huck into doing what they want. Tom on the other hand uses Jim for pleasure. He knows that Jim is a free man and he chooses to torture him.
9. In the novel many of people are a threat to Huck’s safety. Pap is a major threat by him beating Huck and stealing from him. Jim is another threat but Huck doesn’t let Jim get in trouble due to the facts that he helped Huck run away and that he is a good person.
10. The ending was somewhat coincidental by the Phelp’s farm being Huck’s best friends Aunt and Uncle.
11. Sawyer did not help participate in Jim’s release. Jim and Huck’s stratagems are not unobtainable they just get more complex.
12. There is justice in the fact that Tom was the only one shot in the swamp chase. Twain could have put that in to make up for Tom’s behavior towards Jim (using him for stories).
13. We have to read between the lines, Even though Huck lies, in every lie there is a truth.
Chris Koreerat
Period 5
DAtwoodP6
1. Twain included the “Notice” on the opening page to show the reader to just read the book for what it is and not constantly try to distinguish a plot, moral, or motive behind it.
2. Yes, the book’s 43 chapters can be grouped together according to distinct action sequences. For example, in chapters 4 through 7 all deal with Huck and his Pap and these chapters can be grouped together. In chapter 11 Huck pretends to be a girl named Sarah Williams, and in chapter 16 Huck lies to a group of men looking for escaped slaves telling them that his family was on the raft were all very sick with smallpox. These two chapters are just two examples of how Huck is always lying his way out of certain situations.
3. Huck knew that when he encountered the men that were looking for escaped slaves to tell them that there was only a white man on board, and when that didn’t work he knew he had to make up a story that his family was on the raft with smallpox. This event occurred in the being of the journey on the raft and if the men found out about Jim, Jim would probably be killed. Another time is in chapter 28 when Huck tells Mary Jane about the two men who she thought to be her uncles, the king and the duke, that they really were frauds. He also told her to not turn them in because it may cost the life of Jim.
4. The consequences of Huck and Jim going past the Ohio River in the fog is that they had come across the group of men that were looking for escaped slaves. If Jim were to be caught he would most likely be killed.
5. Huck and Jim keep traveling farther and farther into the South happens because of bad luck such as fog, having to go along with the king and the duke, and other things along the way.
6. The movement in the book between the river and the shore is important in the plot because it adds more to the plot by going ashore. It helps break it up by not just having the book take place in one environment. It is related to the north-to-south movement by showing how slaves would go down the Mississippi River until they reached the mouth of the Ohio River and went up the Ohio River to the north.
7. The king and the duke impacted Huck’s and Jim’s life by forcing them to go along with them, otherwise Jim would be turned in as an escaped slave. These characters also in a way delay the quest for freedom by them pretending to be uncles of Mary Jane and the rest of the Wilks family.
8. In chapter XXIV, the king and the duke treat Jim with no respect making him pretend to be a sick Arab. In the end of the story Tom Sawyer wants to invent all these unnecessary obstacles to get Jim rescued instead of just rescuing him.
9. In chapter XXIX, Huck is in immediate danger because the king and the duke were being found out as frauds as well as the real uncles in the Wilks family. Huck got carried off with the four men while everyone went to dig up the coffin to prove who the real uncles were. The frauds would most likely be killed and that could also mean Huck. Huck is able to escape because the person watching him got distracted when the coffin was opened and he was able to get away unnoticed.
10. Yes, I feel that the final chapters do rely on too much coincidence because it is very unlikely that Huck would just end up on the Phelps farm.
11. No, Tom Sawyer’s elaborate escape does not indicate that Jim’s and Huck’s goals are unobtainable.
12. When only Tom was wounded in the final chase it gives justice to Jim for what Tom put him though when rescuing him.
13. Yes, this story is told by a fourteen-year-old boy named Huck who tells lies and stories, but he can still be trusted. Even though he tells stories and lies he still keeps his morals and does what he knows is right. I don’t think we can accept his complete version of things, but the main idea of it may be true.
DAtwoodP5
1. Twain included the “Notice” on the opening page to show the reader to just read the book for what it is and not constantly try to distinguish a plot, moral, or motive behind it.
2. Yes, the book’s 43 chapters can be grouped together according to distinct action sequences. For example, in chapters 4 through 7 all deal with Huck and his Pap and these chapters can be grouped together. In chapter 11 Huck pretends to be a girl named Sarah Williams, and in chapter 16 Huck lies to a group of men looking for escaped slaves telling them that his family was on the raft were all very sick with smallpox. These two chapters are just two examples of how Huck is always lying his way out of certain situations.
3. Huck knew that when he encountered the men that were looking for escaped slaves to tell them that there was only a white man on board, and when that didn’t work he knew he had to make up a story that his family was on the raft with smallpox. This event occurred in the being of the journey on the raft and if the men found out about Jim, Jim would probably be killed. Another time is in chapter 28 when Huck tells Mary Jane about the two men who she thought to be her uncles, the king and the duke, that they really were frauds. He also told her to not turn them in because it may cost the life of Jim.
4. The consequences of Huck and Jim going past the Ohio River in the fog is that they had come across the group of men that were looking for escaped slaves. If Jim were to be caught he would most likely be killed.
5. Huck and Jim keep traveling farther and farther into the South happens because of bad luck such as fog, having to go along with the king and the duke, and other things along the way.
6. The movement in the book between the river and the shore is important in the plot because it adds more to the plot by going ashore. It helps break it up by not just having the book take place in one environment. It is related to the north-to-south movement by showing how slaves would go down the Mississippi River until they reached the mouth of the Ohio River and went up the Ohio River to the north.
7. The king and the duke impacted Huck’s and Jim’s life by forcing them to go along with them, otherwise Jim would be turned in as an escaped slave. These characters also in a way delay the quest for freedom by them pretending to be uncles of Mary Jane and the rest of the Wilks family.
8. In chapter XXIV, the king and the duke treat Jim with no respect making him pretend to be a sick Arab. In the end of the story Tom Sawyer wants to invent all these unnecessary obstacles to get Jim rescued instead of just rescuing him.
9. In chapter XXIX, Huck is in immediate danger because the king and the duke were being found out as frauds as well as the real uncles in the Wilks family. Huck got carried off with the four men while everyone went to dig up the coffin to prove who the real uncles were. The frauds would most likely be killed and that could also mean Huck. Huck is able to escape because the person watching him got distracted when the coffin was opened and he was able to get away unnoticed.
10. Yes, I feel that the final chapters do rely on too much coincidence because it is very unlikely that Huck would just end up on the Phelps farm.
11. No, Tom Sawyer’s elaborate escape does not indicate that Jim’s and Huck’s goals are unobtainable.
12. When only Tom was wounded in the final chase it gives justice to Jim for what Tom put him though when rescuing him.
13. Yes, this story is told by a fourteen-year-old boy named Huck who tells lies and stories, but he can still be trusted. Even though he tells stories and lies he still keeps his morals and does what he knows is right. I don’t think we can accept his complete version of things, but the main idea of it may be true.
L.Navarro
P.5
1. Mark Twain included the "Notice" on the opening page bcause, he didnt want anyone to get offended for what he was saying.
2. Yes, i belive most of the 43 chapters are all grouped according to distinct action sequences. I think that mos t fo the chapters are related to one another in one way.
3. Well Huck is just trying to help out Jim by saying that the only person in the raft is white in other word saying there is no black person there so just to stop looking so he is helping Jim out, and i guess the consequences are good in my point of view because Huck is learning that Jim is just another human being and should be respected.
4. The concequences of Huck's and Jim's going through past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog, are that they cant really see anything beause the fog is very heavy and. Also that Huck and Jim get seperated and Huck is trying to get back to the raft but it is way to foggy so he doesnt even know what way he is going. After waiting a long
while he finnaly gets reunited with Jim but then Huck tries to fool Jim into thinking that all of what just happened was in a dream but shortly after Jim relazes Huck is liying to him.
5. I belive that the reason that Jim and Huck wind up farther south into slavery is because, maybe Jim was trying to teach Huck a lesson and the only way was to take him south so he could see how people were being misstreated. So in the end it workd because Huck learns to respect blacks.
6.The importance of Huck and Jim's movement to the north and then to south and from shore and river is important because it is giving us diffrent point of views.
7.
8.
9.Some other similar incidents are whin he was wiht his father at the beginning of the book. Also when he and Jim were lost in the fog on the raft.
10. I dont think that the arrivle of Huck in the farm is to much of a coincidence.
11. No I dont think that Tom's escape plans indicate that Jim's and Huck's plana are unobtainable. I htink he is just trying to have fun but not in such a very good way.
12. Yes i think there is justice that Tom is the only one shot in the swap because he knew all along that Jim was free but he didnt say anything just because he wanted to have his fun.
13.I belive that we can trust Huck because he grows up throught the story but then again we probably do need to read in between the lines because he is just only
M. Hernandez
Per. 5
1.Twain included the “Notice” on the opening page so as to set the tone for the novel. It seems he included it to show that his way of thinking and writing might be different than traditional ways, so he advises not to look for too much because you might get something different than what was intended.
2.The chapters are set to different events in Huck’s story. Being set in chapters makes it easier to follow the novel. But there are scenes where Huck refers back to what was done earlier in other chapters of the novel.
3.Huck makes many decisions to assist Jim and the first is to accompany him on the journey towards freedom. As their story develops you see Huck making the decision to stick with Jim even though he has had many opportunities to leave him. This has cost them though because in telling duke that Jim is a runaway, he puts out a reward advertisement for him.
4.When Huck and Jim went past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog, they got separated and could not find each other because of the fog. After awhile they reunite again and Huck tries to decipher it by making Jim think that he dreamt it all.
5.It is very ironical that Jim is trying to escape slavery but yet they are heading further south to where slavery is predominant. This shows how they don’t really have a sense of direction and are unprepared. The implications are that these two were not all that prepared and they didn’t really know where they wanted to go because if they did they would have had some sense of direction.
6.The pattern of moving in a linear form is important to the plot because it shows how different the north and the south are through the experiences Huck and Jim go through. But yet you find similarities between the north and south as the are moving.
7.The king and duke impact the journey for freedom of Jim and Huck very greatly. They threaten to expose them as runaways if they don’t cooperate with them and it greatly sets another level of movement and excitement in the novel.
8.King and duke’s treatment of Jim is that of wanting to gain money with that of setting out the “wanted” posters. While in the final chapters Tom uses Jim as well in writing the novel to promote their story and make him look as the savior of Jim.
9.Huck’s life is put to the test many a times throughout the novel. A serious threat is Pap, Huck’s father, who resorted to using violence to abuse Huck. And in this case he escapes it by leaving and going off with Jim.
10.The final chapters do seem to rely too much on coincidence because he just had to arrive at his friends’ family farm. It’s too much, maybe if he had happened to find it while they had already been installed in another place for a while, it would have been a bit more credible.
11.Tom’s elaborate escape stratagems make the story a bit more fun and interesting, but they don’t really help them. It does not show that their goals are unobtainable, but are more complicated and harder than should be because of all of the stratagems.
12.There is justice in that Tom is the only one who is wounded in the final chase through the swamp because Tom was always the one getting in and out of trouble and was one who never knew when to stop. Hopefully this taught him a lesson.
13.Huck owns up to having lied and fabricated items. But for having admitted that we should trust him in that he is giving us an accurate account of all that happened because he is the one who is telling and showing this novel to the readers.
Comprehension & Discussion Questions
for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain
1.Why did Twain include the "Notice" on the opening page?
He seems to mimic Swift in “A Modest Proposal.” He must be poking fun at something in the American government that seems absurd and here we see that he either exaggerates it or he mirrors it.
2.Can the book's 43 chapters be grouped according to distinct action sequences? Are there correspondences among chapters or groups of chapters?
No, the 43 chapters cannot come together in an according way, but each particular group of chapters may be taken and put together.
3.Each stage of Huck's moral growth culminates in a crisis of conscience and a decision to assist Jim (as when Huck tells the two slave hunters that there is "only one" man on the raft and that "He's white"); and each decision is more consequential than the previous. What are these stages and decisions; when do they occur; and what are their consequences?
Huck debates with himself, deciding whether he should do what he thinks is right by turning Jim in or by keeping it quiet. White society teaches him that Jim is a slave and should be with his owner, yet morally, Huck feels bad because Jim has given him his trust.
4.What are the consequences of Huck's and Jim's going past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog? (Chapter XV)
After being separated and later uniting, Jim becomes mad at Huck for pretending that Jim was delusional.
5. Among the novel's great ironies is that Huck's and Jim's quest for freedom takes them farther and farther into the deep South, the heart of slavery. How and why does this happen? What are the implications?
Huck is an uneducated young boy and Jim is a African American slave. Being this way, they may not have known which exact way was freedom, however a specific place that they know does not restrict their freedom would be better than their previous situations. An example paralleled with this could be a youth running away from home. He or she has no particular place in mind to go to most of the time, however they feel that anywhere is better than their previous living.
6.The primary movement of Huck's and Jim's journey and of the novel is linear, from north to south. A back-and-forth pattern of movement between river and shore also occurs. How is this pattern important in terms of plot? How is it related to the north-to-south movement? Does it reflect any other kind of movement experienced by Huck or Jim?
Like the movement of Jim and Huck, the storyline has a beginning and an ending. We see that the there is a destination point in their voyage.
7.How do the king and the duke impact Huck's and Jim's life on the raft, their quest for freedom, and the novel's movement?
They provoke Huck to partake in their elaborate scheme, risking both his and Jims freedoms.
8.What are the parallels between the king's and duke's treatment of Jim in Chapter XXIV and Tom Sawyer's treatment of him in the final chapters?
Both Tom and the Kind and Duke seem to portray the same dishonest traits. The duke and king treats Jim not as a friend but as an undeserving being. Tom treats Huck the same way by not being friendly.
9.The cemetery passage in Chapter XXIX is one of the few times when Huck is in immediate danger of actual harm or death. What are some similar incidents? What threatens his safety and well-being in each instance--other people or forces of nature? How does he escape in each instance?
In the novel, we see that Huck comes into contact with a couple of white slave holders looking for runaways. Unluckily, Huck nearly gets himself into trouble and also Jim into trouble. He escabes by tellling a fib about who is really on the raft and he gets away with it. Also, in the beginning, Huck comes into many situations with his father that hurt him. He not only harms himself physically, but also morally when he begins to give up his school boy ways during his stay with Pap. He escapes his father’s clutches by a smart plan to runaway.
10.Do the final chapters, beginning with Huck's arrival at the Phelps farm, rely too much on coincidence?
They do seem coincidental because Huck ends his story by returning to an old friend he hasn’t seen since the beginning of the book. Also, his appearance there seemed planned.
11.Do Tom Sawyer's elaborate escape stratagems indicate that Jim's and Huck's goals are unobtainable?
As seen in the beginning of the book, Tom loves to do things the popular way. In the group of robbers he wants to establish based on stories, Tom knows what real robbers would do, but he does not know how to them. So, yes, Tom’s schemes seem to only lead to nowhere.
12.Is there any justice in the fact that only Tom is wounded in the final chase through the swamp?
Yes, there is because Tom represents the evil side of the boys in the book, provoking them to do wrong, and he is wounded justifiably.
13.The story is told by a fourteen-year-old Huck, who admits to elaborate lies and fabrications. Can we trust him? Can we accept his version of things, or must we read between his lines?
Yes and no. Yes, because we have nothing else to go off of and this is a story we have chosen to read. Also, no, because Huck is very much a con the way the duke was and the way Tom was.
JCrowley Per. 5
BRamirez Per.5
1. Twain include the “notice” because it gave a heads up to the readers that if they are going to look forward to read a plot story or a motive or a moral to the book, they will not find it.
2. The 43 chapters of the book can be grouped according to the distinct action sequence.
3. When they are traveling in the raft, the encounter a lot of people. Huck tries to hide Jim from the people. He invents stuff up so they won’t discover him. He thinks that it is bad but he will also feel bad if he gives up Jim. So he decides not to give up Jim because he is his friend.
4. It was too hard to see threw the fog. The Ohio River had a stiff current. It dragged the draft. Huck and Jim were separated from each other. He also made believe that Jim dreamed everything of being separated. Then Jim realizes it was not true, Huck feels bad because he hurt Jim’s feelings.
5. Huck and Jim travel south because they loose direction in which they had to travel. They didn’t notice that the river only goes down stream not up stream. They are afraid that they will discover Jim and take hi away because he is a slave.
6. The pattern of the river and shore portraits the north and the south freedoms. When they are in the river they feel free and when they are in the shore they don’t feel safe. This affect the plot as they travel south it is harder to them to go to shore. They are afraid of Jim getting caught and Huck discovered that he is not dead.
7. When Jim lived with the kings he was treated well even though they thought that he was supposedly Huck’s slave. When Jim was with the Dukes They knew that he was a runaway slave, they treated him as a normal person, and almost how he was white. Tom Sawyer helped Huck to liberate Jim, even though he was going against his moral. In overall he was treated well.
9. This resembles when Huck was kidnap by his father and he wanted to run away. His father was always drunk and beat him up. When he ran away from his father he was in a better place like he ran away from the cemetery.
10. Yes, it relies in too much coincident, that he arrives to his friend Tom Sawyer’s farm.
11. Yes
13. We cannot trust him on the full story. But if we read between the line we can discover the true story of what really happened.
LNguyen p5
1. Mark Twain included the "Notice" on the opening page most likely wanted to tell the reader that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is by fact a sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Twain wanted to make it clear that the characters in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer are same as the characters in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
2. The 43 chapters can be organized into categories based on the events in each chapter. Most of the chapters correspond among the other chapters because Huck does make some reference from other chapters before and those chapters bridge the next chapters that come along.
3. Huck's decision to travel with Jim, a runaway slave, was the start of all his troubles throughout the novel. He encounters one conflict into another conflict, in which, he had many opportunities to leave Jim, but takes the moral choice and protects Jim. They get into worse situations and encounter slave hunters, the duke and dauphin (con artists), the Grangerfords family, and etc.
4. The consequences of Huck's and Jim's passing the Ohio River in the fog is that there plan to take aboard a steamboat is abolished and now they end up into the heart of the slavery institution, the South.
5. Its ironic that Huck and Jim travel further south because Huck is trying to help Jim escape slavery. The two didn’t really have a sense of where they were going; they only had the thought of heading north to freedom. They travel further south and this creates further implications to free Jim.
6. The transferring from land to river is a common event throughout the novel. It shows the different techniques in survival when the time is needed.
7. The impact the king and duke had on Huck’s and Jim’s life on the raft, their quest for freedom, make the adventure of Huck and Jim more exciting. These two are con artists and threats in revealing that Huck and Jim are runaways.
8. The parallels between the king’s and duke’s treatment of Jim and Tom Sawyer’s treatment of him are noticeable that they were just using him for their own gain. The king and duke used him to gain material wealth and Tom used him to gain a novel to become famous.
9. Huck has been endangered many times through the novel. The first threat was stimulated by Pap, where Huck was physically abused. Also, accepting to help free Jim endangered Huck’s life, and encountering the king and duke made things more complicated. Huck escapes all the conflicts by running away in the goods to help Jim escape also.
10. The ending by far is counted for sheer coincidence. It’s odd that the farm ended up being his best friend’s aunt and uncle. Of all the places to end up they end up there, so it’s pretty much reliable on coincidence.
11. I believe that Tom Sawyer’s stratagem were quite interesting. He had great imaginations that produce great plans and schemes. Huck’s and Jim’s goal were quite attainable but of Tom Sawyer’s stratagem made things harder then it already was.
12. In a way there was justice because Tom was using Jim to make obtain a good story. He made Jim go through many hardships and to counteract the problem he was the only one to be shot in punishment of his wrong doing.
13. Huck does admit to elaborate lies and fabrications, but I believe we are to trust Huck because through his adventure of trying to free Jim is a good cause, automatically we can trust his account of the adventure and understand the true meaning of it all.
Ryan Esfahani
1. Twain included the Notice in the beginning of the novel to show several things. First, the statement about anyone trying to find any moral or theme in the novel will be shot is a pretext to the later humor of the novel. Also, Twain’s statement that the novel is not serious is really meant to tell the reader that the novel will be serious. So, the Notice sets the stage for the lighthearted comedy and deep seriousness that exist in the novel.
2. The books 43 chapters can be grouped into sequences of action. One of the groupings of chapters includes the 4 or so chapters concerning the con men’s attempt to play the brothers of the deceased man.
3. The first decision that Huck makes that changes him is his decision to tell the white men looking for runaway slaves is that there is only a “white man” on his raft. It happens after Huck and Jim are hit by the steamship. Huck learns that doing the “right” thing does not always feel good, and he decides that he should make decisions based on his conscience from now on. The second moral development is after the duke and the dauphin perform their Royal Nonesuch, when Jim relates to Huck how he cannot forgive himself for hitting his daughter one time. Huck is surprised that blacks can have as much familial love as whites. Huck further develops his view of Jim of not as a slave but as a fellow human being. Another great moral development happens in Huck when the conmen are scamming the Wilks sisters. Huck feels bad and steals $6,000 of the fortune and hides it in the coffin. This action shows that Huck is having an increasing sense of morality, and this step to thwarting the conmen show he is ready to take action. The next change in Huck happens while the conmen are still at the dead man’s town. Huck sees Mary Jane crying on her bed, and he tells her the schemes of the conmen and where the money is. This step marks an increased sense of morality in Huck and doing what is right. The most important moral development for Huck happens when he finds out that Huck is missing and he decides will “go to hell” if that is what it takes to rescue him. This monumental decision by Huck is his ultimate rejection of Southern society’s beliefs over his own conscience. Also, in risking his life to save Jim, Huck has unknowingly decided that the life of a black man is equal to his. The last moral change in Huck happens at the end of the novel. Huck decides that he doesn’t want to become “sivilized”, but would rather be free in the West. This is Huck’s complete break with the social institutions and beliefs of the South, and his establishment of his own rules.
4. The consequence of this is that Jim and Huck can no longer flow into the free states, but will have to float deeper into the lion’s den (the South), and try to find a new route.
5. Jim and Huck’s journey into the Deep South starts with their goal of traveling down it until they reach the Ohio River, where they can then travel to the free states. After the two miss the mouth of the Ohio River, they continue going down South, for unknown reasons. The implications for this is that as Huck travels deeper and deeper into the land of ignorance and cruelty, he grows morally into a better and more humane person.
6. The North to South movement is important to the plot because it is part of Jim and Huck’s journey down the Mississippi. The linear movement also distinguishes the change in the people of America down the North-South gradient. Also, the North to South travel parallels Huck’s development of his morality, from believing in the social doctrines of the South to outright rejecting them.
7. The introduction of the king and duke affect the balance of power of races on the boat. Where before there was a balance of power between the white and black races, now the white race was supreme, and Jim’s safety was always at the hands of the men. Also, the novel shifts away from the positive things found in people previously, to the despicable traits found in the conmen and other humans.
8. The duke and dauphin and Tom Sawyer both treat Jim as some type of tool or toy, something to be used that isn’t really human.
9. Other instances where Huck is in danger include when he gets caught in the gunfight between the feuding families, when one of the conmen almost strangles him, and when he, Tom Sawyer, and Jim are shot at while escaping Jim’s prison. Another is when he and Jim are almost killed by and approaching ferry. In each case, it is people that threaten his well-being, not nature. Huck escapes each peril by his own resourcefulness or luck.
10. In context, the final chapters do not have too much coincidence. Looking in retrospect though, they admittedly do. However, the many escape attempt ideas of Tom and Huck make them seem more plausible.
11. Tom’s elaborate strategies do not make Jim and Huck’s schemes seem unobtainable, only lacking style and greatness worthy of literature.
12. There is justice in the fact that only Tom is wounded in the chase through the swamp. This is due to Tom’s treatment of Jim as a tool and making his escape to freedom a game. Also, it is justified because of Tom’s cruel withdrawal of the knowledge of the Widow’s death and Tom’s freedom.
13. I believe the reader can trust Huck Finn, for all his fabrications. This is because although he lies often, he do so only when needed, and he is a moral person one can trust.
1. In the beginning of the novel, Mark Twain begins the novel with a “Notice”. This “Notice” could have been used to show the connection between his two novels. It also notifies the reader that Huck Finn would be considered a sequel of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
2. The way that Mark Twain splits the story up through the chapters allows the reader to follow the story much easier. With the sequence of the chapters, the reader can understand why Huck Finn does the things he does. Sequence is very important in this novel because without the sequence of events, Huck Finn would be talking gibberish.
3. In the beginning, Huck Finn decides that he will help and protect Jim. The consequences behinds just trying to help a runaway slave would include jail time and/or death. Even knowing this, Huck still continues to help Jim throughout the novel. Huck is given plenty of chances to leave Jim behind and continue his own life, but he decides to stay with Jim and help him to the end.
4. Huck and Jim intended on stopping in Cairo and selling some of their goods and buy a ticket on a steamboat. By passing through the mouth of the Ohio River, they passed by Cairo without realizing it.
5. The motive of both Huck and Jim were to reach the North and allow Jim to live a free life. The fact that truly Huck and Jim were going deeper South everyday displays the irony in the novel. Both also believe that they were heading North, but in the end they were heading South
6. The parallel between the North and the South and a back-and-forth pattern of movement between river and shore can display the way Huck and Jim viewed their journey. The shore can display their destination and where their goal, while the river is their obstacle. The South could also be seen as an obstacle since they were stuck in the South for a long time.
7. The king and the duke complicate the adventure of Huck and Jim. The king and the duke have the power to expose Huck and Jim of their true identities and their motives. This causes for a constant fear of being exposed to the general public.
8. The king and the duke and Tom Sawyer both used Jim for their own wants. The king and the duke used Jim for profit and Tom Sawyer used Jim and Huck to create a hero out of himself. With this Tom Sawyer was seen as a hero.
9. Jim, himself, is a huge threat to Huck’s life. Without Jim, Huck wouldn’t have to worry about much, since he is a free man. Huck instead decides help Jim escape from slavery and he is constantly risking his life for the life and freedom of Jim.
10. In the end, the fact that the farm was owned by friends was very coincidental. The luck that Huck and Jim had throughout the novel could be argued to be very lucky, since they did have many coincidents that saved their lives.
11. Their goals aren’t unobtainable, but their escape stratagems did seem to make it seem unobtainable. The way they had escaped can be described to that of a fairy tale. The fact that they had made it in the end promotes the idea that dumb stratagems can pull through in the end. This statement isn’t necessarily true, but it seems that Huck and Jim did pull through in end with lousy stratagems.
12. Tom Sawyer was the only one that got hit by the mob. Mark Twain may have added the aspect of justification through this action. Since Tom had attempted on using Jim and Huck to create of a hero of himself, the gunshot was an act of justification.
13. Huck did say that he was known for his lies and fabrications, but he is the only one that wrote about this adventure. If we didn’t trust his story, there would be no story to read about. Even if the story was completely fabricated, the story still has a good plot and theme.
TBarter Period5
E. Jureack, Period 5
1. Twain wanted to express that the book was only a story, would always be a story, and would never be anything other than that. He was trying to evoke and establish a sense of wit or satire, without any deeper meaning than that of the surface.
2. The chapters, or rather the bulk of them, are seemingly separated into subcategories of the book, with respect to location. Respecting action sequences, there is a grouping of the island, a grouping with instances with Tom, grouping with the family, etc. Despite these groupings, however, the book flows fluidly and can be very easily read with a good knowledge of chronological order.
3. Throughout the novel, Huck is presented with many situations in which, morally, he must decide his fate, with each situation growing more and more difficult. At each of these stages, Huck is presented with an almost impossible situation, in which he sacrifices his freedom in order to help those in need, i.e. Jim. In this respect, Huck’s personality and moral values grow. In each instance, he decides, to lie and succumb to the oncoming heat of Hell, which he believes he’s going to anyway rather than tell the truth and follow the moral code of the Christian mindset, seeing as how that would make him “sivilized”(3).
4. Soon after Jim and Huck go past the mouth of the Ohio River, Huck ventures out in a canoe, and, upon returning, gets lost in the dense fog. However, after a while, Huck drifts to Jim and explains to him that everything that Jim had dreamed about the fog and loosing each other was a dream.
5. One could say that their journey into the Deep South can signify how as they go deeper and deeper into the south, Jim looses more and more of his freedom. They meet the duke and the king, and instantly he is threatened with being turned in. This and subsequent events shows how that as time goes on and the raft travels deep into the south, Jim, or more largely blacks, loose more “power” or more standing on what freedom is.
6. On the river, Jim and Huck are drifting and moving forward, just taking things as they come without considering them. However, when the boat does stop for something, morality comes into question or something bad or eventful happens. The shore represents a “stop” signal for the pathway to “freedom”. When they are stopped by the shore, this is a time where their morality is expected to change once they go back onto the river.
7. Meeting with the king and duke is bad for Huck and Tom; both of the men are white, adult males, both of which have the power to turn the boys in. Because of this, the boys feel an obligation to tag alongside the men, in order not to get caught. Huck finds out quickly that the men are cons; this, however, works to Huck’s advantage when he eventually gets the collected money. Both the duke and the king are the evil that Huck is approaching in the future, and is a grim reminder of the condition of Huck’s upbringing.
8. The duke and the king know they have tyrannical power over Huck and Jim and can threaten their lives at any given time, and uses this power to their advantage to get what they want. In retrospect, Tom delivers the utmost kindness towards Huck and Jim, helping Huck to save Jim from the horridness of slavery. Both the duke and the king are evil, whereas Huck is the angel of hope in the story.
9. Usually the only times in which Huck’s life is in danger is whenever money is involved in the conflict. When the duke and the king first meet up with Huck and Jim, they establish their power standing with their color and age, threatening to rat out Jim and Huck. Since they’re con artists, all they care about is money, and therefore, they endanger Jim and Huck’s lives. Whenever something deals with money, one would know that Huck would be in some sort of danger, whether threatening or real.
10. The idea of coincidence is utilized quite numerously in this section, for how could an aunt and uncle not know what their relatives look like? It just so happens that the Phelps are gullible enough to believe that Huck is Tom, and that Huck just so happened to arrive at a similar time to that of Tom. Coincidences are abundant in this section of chapters, perhaps to utilize a certain symbolism or motif.
11. Tom’s plans are just an example of making easy things ridiculously difficult. What would have been seemingly easy, however, Tom’s intervention made it seem that everything being attempted was nearly impossible. This indicates that deep thought can make anything unobtainable, because one would think forever and never get anything done.
12. In a satirical way, one could see the shooting of Tom as a “ha-ha” towards him for making an elaborate scheme out of a very generic, seemingly foolproof plan. The shot is Tom’s punishment for thinking too much.
13. In the attempt to make things sound much better than they actually are, Huck lies and fabricates the truth, however, the reader is able to see through the large details and discover the passion and heart for the events within. Huck has his heart set on telling the story, and even though he may have forgotten insignificant details, he replaces the void with elaborate details that enhance the level of imagination.
Ricardo Medina
P: 4
1. Why did Twain include the "Notice" on the opening page?
The “notice” at the commencement of the novel was to establish a tone and make the reader aware of the type of recurring features and incidents that occur throughout the course of the novel. They also help establish a sense of slight humor but yet also containing some seriousness throughout the novel. This opening informs the reader that despite the humor and irony within the text, Twain also includes crucial and in depth meanings and morals within the text and he utilizes comedy and satire to symbolize these deep moral ideas.
2. Can the book's 43 chapters be grouped according to distinct action sequences? Are there correspondences among chapters or groups of chapters?
Certain chapters can be grouped according to occurrence of events and their significance and contribution to the main plot. Certain chapters have their own theme and message towards the reader, therefore certain groups of chapters can simply stand alone.
3. Each stage of Huck's moral growth culminates in a crisis of conscience and a decision to assist Jim (as when Huck tells the two slave hunters that there is "only one" man on the raft and that "He's white"); and each decision is more consequential than the previous. What are these stages and decisions; when do they occur; and what are their consequences?
In numerous stages throughout the novel, Huck found himself split between two decisions caused by two sides of his life. Since the beginning when they meet once again, Huck’s view toward Jim was that of an inferior and unequal man. One side was society and its way of condemning and torturing blacks and the fact that it was considered wrong not to turn in a missing or escaped slave. The other side was his inner morality and compassion for other human beings. This question was very recurring to Huck all throughout the novel but as he got to know Jim more, he realized he was another human being just like him and he deserved equal treatment. The morality soon came out victorious constantly throughout the whole novel. His beliefs against slavery got so strong that near the end of the novel, he preferred going to hell than turning Jim in.
4. What are the consequences of Huck's and Jim's going past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog? (Chapter XV)
The consequences of missing the mouth of the Ohio River proved to be massive and they completely shifted the outcome of the story. First Huck and Jim encounter a group of men looking for escaped slaves and Huck must dig deep inside of him in order to make another crucial decision. His decision was hard but in the end he was able to make the right one and conceal Jim’s presence. This also leads to the temporary re-enslavement of Jim who is later freed, and Huck’s refusal of being adopted and decision to migrate west-ward.
5. Among the novel's great ironies is that Huck's and Jim's quest for freedom takes them farther and farther into the Deep South, the heart of slavery. How and why does this happen? What are the implications?
The reason Huck and Jim keep heading deeper into the south is because they missed the route of the mouth of the Ohio River detour therefore they are now forced to head deeper and deeper into the South. Twain implies a sense of hopelessness and trapped ness within Huck and Jim because as they sail further and further into the river, their chances of reaching freedom decrease dramatically until they are finally captured.
6. The primary movement of Huck's and Jim's journey and of the novel is linear, from north to south. A back-and-forth pattern of movement between river and shore also occurs. How is this pattern important in terms of plot? How is it related to the north-to-south movement? Does it reflect any other kind of movement experienced by Huck or Jim?
Huck and Jim’s journey from north to south symbolizes and alludes to the fact that as they head deeper into the south, they are also headed deeper into trouble and into the awful conclusion of their trip. These two ways of direction both in the plot and in their journey are directly related and proportional to each other. This constant pattern also helps establish a sense of awareness and prediction to the reader without giving too much information away.
7. How do the king and the duke impact Huck's and Jim's life on the raft, their quest for freedom, and the novel's movement?
The King and Duke’s arrival on the raft definitely delay the progression of both the novel and Huck and Jim’s journey toward freedom. Jim and Huck were forced to obey them because since they were white, they had the power of turning Jim in so they took advantage of the situation and manipulated Huck and Jim. Their malicious and tricky ways cause numerous issues for Huck and Jim and ultimately were the cause for the re-enslavement of Jim.
8. What are the parallels between the king's and duke's treatment of Jim in Chapter XXIV and Tom Sawyer's treatment of him in the final chapters?
Both the king and the duke are extremely mischievous much like Tom Sawyer. They both try to trick Huck and specially Jim into turning himself in. These characters are very similar in that they are very tricky and up to no good.
9. The cemetery passage in Chapter XXIX is one of the few times when Huck is in immediate danger of actual harm or death. What are some similar incidents? What threatens his safety and well-being in each instance--other people or forces of nature? How does he escape in each instance?
Similar incidents where Huck seems to be in trouble are when his drunken father abuses him and whips him, or when he attempts to save Tom from being shot. Huck was able to escape and runaway from his father whenever he had the opportunity, which was usually when he was sober and had a hang-over. His unscathed outcome in the shooting incident was only luck but it was a very just and fortunate situation where he didn’t get shot because Tom did not deserve to be saved.
10. Do the final chapters, beginning with Huck's arrival at the Phelps farm, rely too much on coincidence?
The arrival of Huck and Jim at the Phelp’s was a moderate surprise but the fact that they were related to Tom was a huge shock. This incident made it seem like it was perfectly set up by Tom in order to go along with and carry on with his scheme. These mere “coincidences” cause certain doubt in the readers mind concerning the reality of this journey.
11. Do Tom Sawyer's elaborate escape stratagems indicate that Jim's and Huck's goals are unobtainable?
Tom Sawyer’s tricks make it seem to Jim, Huck, and the reader like the escape is practically impossible. Tom’s thorough complications make it seem extremely difficult for Huck and specially Jim to be able to get out of this predicament. Twain adds yet another twist near the end of the story to trick the reader.
12. Is there any justice in the fact that only Tom is wounded in the final chase through the swamp?
It is very justified and fair that Tom was the only one shot because he had made up a crazy scheme to escape just for amusement and adventure. He knew all along that Jim was a free man yet he continued on with his plan on trying to fool Huck and Jim. Karma came back and struck Tom and he finally decided to tell the truth about Jim and his freedom.
13. The story is told by a fourteen-year-old Huck, who admits to elaborate lies and fabrications. Can we trust him? Can we accept his version of things, or must we read between his lines?
Huck can be trusted but only to a certain extent because he is only a kid. Most of his telling and elaboration can be trusted however some parts may need a little closer analysis in order to obtain the true meaning of certain incidents. We can affect his version however slight further examination and investigation should be done.
Andy Navarrete
Per. 4
1. Twain included the “Notice” in the opening page for many reasons that would elaborate about the book. He was introducing the novel and there tones that the novel would have such as comedic, stern, and a little bit of sorrow. So basically its an introduction that is informing you about the novel and what is yet to come from it throughout the novel.
2. Well the chapters in this novel are set to separate events. The way these chapters were written was corresponding one after another leading each after chapter in continuing the story without any change of setting. So basically these chapters were set to lead off one chapter to another with orientations.
3. The fact that Huck Fin decides to go traveling with a runaway slave created numerous of conflicts. Through out the novel he meaning Huck Fin was given the opportunities to stay out of trouble but he denied them. If he didn’t denied the opportunity of leaving Jim behind he would’ve not got in more consequence but because he was a true loyal friend he stayed with Jim. That also led to consequences such as Jim and Huck running into the slave hunters which were the con artist which obviously was bad news to Jim and Huck.
4. Well mainly in this chapter they are first separated. Huck had tried to fool Jim into believing that he was never away from him or separated from him. Also, they headed farther south trying to escape the main area of the south for that fact that slavery was way too out of control. One other important event in this chapter is that they miss there chance on getting on the steamship because they didn’t accomplish their selling items plan.
5. Well it appeared as if they were heading in a direction they were not confident about. All they wanted to do is escape to the North and become free from slavery. Although the fact that Jim and Huck aren’t very smart they were doing the opposite of there plans on there lives.
6. Linear movement from the south to the north can be seen as dissimilarity between them. Also the back and forth pattern of the movement between the shore and river can also been seen as a dissimilarity. So the water would be representing the South meaning that Jim and Huck are familiar with this place and the shore representing the North, a place that they both don’t know about.
7. The king and duke are basically like slave hunters as well because they make Jim’s and Huck’s life very appealing and complex. So Jim and Huck are always in continuous threats from the king and duke for the fact that they are both runaways and slaves.
8. The parallels were that they were using Jim for gain. So basically Tom uses him to gain a novel that would bring to him lots of reputation. The king and duke used Jim to get bits and pieces of prosperity.
9. Principally, Jim is always a threat every time he is helping a runaway. Also, Huck and Jim were almost held captive by the king and duke. Although, the biggest threat was when Huck was badly treated by a character named Pap. He also got stolen by Pop. The only way Huck escaped from this was by getting away or run away from these conflicts.
10. The final chapters do rely a lot on coincidence. The fact that everything was organized it also appeared that everything was created to fit where they were suppose to fit. It’s just very obvious that these events were a coincidence.
11. No, it does not construct their goal seem unobtainable. Although, the influences are that the only way to gain something is to earn it by trying your best in life. Basically if you try your hardest then you will certainly accomplish your goals that you set for your self.
12. Well in a way there is justice being relied on because in the chapters you acknowledge that Tom was using Jim for gain. The fact that he did this he was then punished later in life.
13. We can only trust him on his point of view of the story. Although, we need to also read this and take this to our point of view and analyze the logical happenings to ourselves.
Andy Navarrete
Per. 4
1. Twain included the “Notice” in the opening page for many reasons that would elaborate about the book. He was introducing the novel and there tones that the novel would have such as comedic, stern, and a little bit of sorrow. So basically its an introduction that is informing you about the novel and what is yet to come from it throughout the novel.
2. Well the chapters in this novel are set to separate events. The way these chapters were written was corresponding one after another leading each after chapter in continuing the story without any change of setting. So basically these chapters were set to lead off one chapter to another with orientations.
3. The fact that Huck Fin decides to go traveling with a runaway slave created numerous of conflicts. Through out the novel he meaning Huck Fin was given the opportunities to stay out of trouble but he denied them. If he didn’t denied the opportunity of leaving Jim behind he would’ve not got in more consequence but because he was a true loyal friend he stayed with Jim. That also led to consequences such as Jim and Huck running into the slave hunters which were the con artist which obviously was bad news to Jim and Huck.
4. Well mainly in this chapter they are first separated. Huck had tried to fool Jim into believing that he was never away from him or separated from him. Also, they headed farther south trying to escape the main area of the south for that fact that slavery was way too out of control. One other important event in this chapter is that they miss there chance on getting on the steamship because they didn’t accomplish their selling items plan.
5. Well it appeared as if they were heading in a direction they were not confident about. All they wanted to do is escape to the North and become free from slavery. Although the fact that Jim and Huck aren’t very smart they were doing the opposite of there plans on there lives.
6. Linear movement from the south to the north can be seen as dissimilarity between them. Also the back and forth pattern of the movement between the shore and river can also been seen as a dissimilarity. So the water would be representing the South meaning that Jim and Huck are familiar with this place and the shore representing the North, a place that they both don’t know about.
7. The king and duke are basically like slave hunters as well because they make Jim’s and Huck’s life very appealing and complex. So Jim and Huck are always in continuous threats from the king and duke for the fact that they are both runaways and slaves.
8. The parallels were that they were using Jim for gain. So basically Tom uses him to gain a novel that would bring to him lots of reputation. The king and duke used Jim to get bits and pieces of prosperity.
9. Principally, Jim is always a threat every time he is helping a runaway. Also, Huck and Jim were almost held captive by the king and duke. Although, the biggest threat was when Huck was badly treated by a character named Pap. He also got stolen by Pop. The only way Huck escaped from this was by getting away or run away from these conflicts.
10. The final chapters do rely a lot on coincidence. The fact that everything was organized it also appeared that everything was created to fit where they were suppose to fit. It’s just very obvious that these events were a coincidence.
11. No, it does not construct their goal seem unobtainable. Although, the influences are that the only way to gain something is to earn it by trying your best in life. Basically if you try your hardest then you will certainly accomplish your goals that you set for your self.
12. Well in a way there is justice being relied on because in the chapters you acknowledge that Tom was using Jim for gain. The fact that he did this he was then punished later in life.
13. We can only trust him on his point of view of the story. Although, we need to also read this and take this to our point of view and analyze the logical happenings to ourselves.
O Schow
1. Mark Twain included the “Notice” on the first page in order to point out to the reader that they shouldn’t take this book too seriously. Whether it is true or not, it is just a story for people to enjoy. There is no deeper meaning. And that this book is going to be different then Tom Sawyer in that sense that Huck doesn’t just follow Tom. He is his own character with a lot more depth.
2. Yes, even though the chapters all flow to make the book, they can be broken up into different parts: the island, the river, the farm, and the different cities.
3. During the novel Huck continually decides to help Jim even though he knows it is wrong. He already knows he is going to hell so he figures he might as well save his friend. Huck is learning his boundaries and how far he would go to save another person.
4. Some of the consequences of Huck and Jim going past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog are that the boys get separated from each other and the past free land and are floating more into the Deep South.
5. Huck’s and Jim’s quest for freedom takes them further into the Deep South because the author wanted the boys to have one last struggle. He wants them to prove how far Huck would go in order to save his friend. He wants to show the real fight for slavery in the United States.
6. This pattern represents Huck’s and Jim’s journey to escape slavery, in order to not get caught. It can also represent the indecisive nature of the people in that time over the issues of slavery.
7. The duke and the king had a great impact on the boys’ lives on the raft. They made it harder but easier all at the same time. Huck and Jim had to help them and stop in every city so that they could scan the citizens and get money. Their journey would have been much faster without the duke and the king, but they also helped Huck and Jim. They were allowed to pass through all of the states because the two men made a fake bounty for Jim, and pretended like they were taking him back to his owner. They made a great impact while they were on the raft.
8. There are many parallels of between the king’s and the duke’s treatment of Jim, and Tom Sawyer’s treatment of him in the last chapters. Even though the men were playing Huck and Jim from the start, they treated Jim as an actual human instead of as a slave. They were even trying to help him escape. In the last chapters Tom also tries to help Jim, and after Jim saves his life by getting him a doctor, he is considered as an equal, instead of a slave.
9. Another instance when Huck was in immediate danger was when hid dad, Pap, was back in town. He was able to escape by running away and making it look like he was murdered. Normally when he was in danger, he escaped by hiding or lying.
10. Yes, the last chapters rely too much on coincidence. It was too lucky that Jim was being held on the Phelps farm and when Huck showed up they thought he was Tom, who is Huck’s best friend. They just happen to be Tom’s relatives, and Tom is supposed to be there visiting.
11. No, Tom just likes to have fun and to do things the way he reads them in books. He wants adventure. In a way Tom makes the escape harder and more dangerous, but he just wants to have fun.
12. Yes, there is justice when Tom gets shot in the end, because he make the escape much more difficult then it would have been.
13. Even though Huck lies throughout the novel, we are still able to trust him because he seems like such an innocent fourteen year old. We may have to read between the lines but he is for the most part just telling the story.
1. Right off the bat, Twain shows his sense of humor and lets readers know that from line one and on, his book will employ satire. And I suppose if somebody were angry at certain things that he wrote, or the way he wrote them, he could just show them the “Notice” and say that he was being satirical.
2. Yes every few chapters is sort their own group with a rising action, climax, falling action, and then some sort of conclusion that isn't really fulfilled until the ending of the book, which in a sense wraps everything together.
3. There are quite a few events in the book where Huck is faced with some sort of decision to make, and he goes against what society might agree with and formulates his own opinion and then sticks to it. Of course he is only a boy, and so some of his decisions are actually bad ones. When he agrees to go with Tom's elaborate scheme to free Jim, he knowingly accepts his fate. As for the part where the slave hunters ask who is on the raft, Huck makes a good decision even though Jim is still considered property by law, albeit an unjust one.
4. Huck and Jim pass the mouth of the Ohio River, and consequently have to continue deeper into the South, which ironically is where slavery is more prominent. It seems like Huck and Jim have to go through many difficulties to actually reach freedom. Because they miss their exit, they end up at the Phelps' house where Tom eventually reveals that Jim is free.
5. Jim and Huck are taken further south because they miss the mouth of the Ohio River because it is far too foggy. They then run into the two slavehunters, and Huck is forced to lie about having Jim onboard. This then leads to a whole rash of other situations until Jim's eventual freedom.
6. I suppose one might say that the back-and-forth pattern of movement between river and shore could somehow represent Huck when he has to make some sort of decision, moral or otherwise. It might also represent Jim imparting some wisdom in Huck as well.
7. The King and the Duke subdue Huck and Jim with their very presence. Neither Huck nor Jim feel like they are free on the raft, which is ironic because they got on the raft in the first place to be(come) free. Together, the King and Duke lead Huck and Jim into all sorts of crazy predicaments which leads them into various scams and cons.
8. The King and the Duke come to a point where they feel they have complete dominion over the raft and therefore Jim, and just go ahead and take advantage of the fact that he's a slave and sell him. Tom sees Jim in the same way, and thinks that because Jim is a slave, then he would be fine with being treated so poorly if, in the end, he got money.
9. One of the main instances where Huck is in immediate danger of harm or death is at the beginning when his Pap is still around. Whenever Pap feels like it, he'll go ahead and start beating on his son because he's drunk and it seems like it would be a fun thing to do. Huck escapes the situation by getting the heck out of dodge.
10. I thought it was going a little bit overboard when Jim ended up at the Phelps farm and Huck happened upon the same exact place. Then Tom shows up and they can all have a lovely reunion. In the real world, if something like this happened, I would start praising all sorts of gods, including Egyptian, Roman, and Norse ones.
11. In my opinion, Tom Sawyer is just an idiot with way too much time on his hands. In reality, Jim's and Huck's are definitely attainable, but they are stupid in their own ways, just like Tom is stupid in his own ways. I suppose Tom's moronic plans could mirror the fact that Jim and Huck both have really lofty goals, but as I said, Tom is a nimrod.
12. Yes, I think that Tom finally gets what he deserves. He leads everyone into these crazy predicaments and then has nothing to do with the consequences. It's like he leads everyone into a war that can't be won because he stands by his beliefs so firmly, and won't take anybody else's opinion into account.
13. Yes I believe that we can trust Huck, but only to a certain degree. I embellish a lot, but I try my hardest not to, and I try my hardest to stay as honest as possible. It seems like Huck tries to stay honest throughout the story, so I suppose we could indeed trust him. On the other hand, some parts of the book seem like somebody went a little bit overboard and just kept going on and on with lie after lie and then the lies kept piling up. In my opinion, we don't really have to start reading between the lines until Huck arrives at the Phelps' place. After that, I can't help but think Huck is full of baloney.
1. He included the notice on the page, to tel people not to take this book 100 percent seriously. He wants the reader to enjoy this book and have fun while reading it.
2. I don’t think they can be grouped according to distinct action sequences, everything that takes place in the book, takes place at the time it does for a reason. Yes there are correspondences between the chapters however.
3. One of the stages and decisions is when Huck decides to give all his money to Judge Taylor. This is a big decision, he goes on a gut instinct he had, and it happened to be the right thing. He eventually see’s his father and his father immediately goes after the fortune Huck had inherited.
4. The main consequence is that they are separated, and have to go around looking for each other. Huck eventually finds Jim asleep against the oar of the raft, after the fog had lessened.
5 This happens because Huck and Jim are trying to get away from the dangers where they live. In other words they want to be free. The implications are, if they want to be free, then they have to go to a place where freedom isn’t guaranteed for everyone.
6. This pattern makes the plot better, because it makes their knowledge of both land and water grow, making them have an advantage in those regions. The only ways to get from North to South in that day was by rivers or walking. I don’t believe it really reflects any other kind of movement they experienced. But then again I don’t know much…
7. The king and the duke make Huck and Jim’s life way difficult. The Duke posts wanted posters with Jim’s name on it saying he is a run away slave. This makes Jims quest difficult, because everyone is going to be looking for him. So he needs to be sly and sneaky about his business.
8. The parallels between the Duke and Tom are that they both use Jim to better their lives. The Duke uses Jim to get money for his arrest, and Tom uses Jim to help promote his story.
9. One incident that threatens his safety is when his dad shows up for the first time in years, and threatens to beat him if he continues to go to school. His dad is the force. Another incident is where he is in the canoe in thick fog and cannot see anything. He should have hit a rock and sunk his canoe. Nature is the force in this case
10. I think they do, because in the beginning all his adventures are fairly difficult, but when it comes to getting to the Phelps Farm it seems to just appear out of no where.
11. In the beginning Jim and Huck’s goals seem obtainable, but as the plot thickens they seem to become almost impossible to achieve. I believe however that nothing is impossible if you have a strong motive to support your actions, therefore I believe that Tom’s elaborate escape plan doesn’t indicate that their goals are unobtainable, they just might be a little difficult.
12. I think there is justice, because Tom is somewhat of a pathological liar, and he took Huck and Jim on a pretty wild adventure for nothing, and I feel that him getting hurt brings justice to the case.
13. I think we can trust him to some extent and can accept his version of things. Sometime however when the reader feels things just don’t add up, the reader should read a little deeper and look at all the details and come up with what eh thinks actually might have happened.
A. Rivera
Period 4
1. Why did Twain include the "Notice" on the opening page?
-Twain included the Notice on the opening because he wanted to make a first impression on the readers to which he wanted it to seem kind of like a joke. It was an overview to how he wrote the book, which was lighthearted despite it concerning serious matters.
2. Can the book's 43 chapters be grouped according to distinct action sequences? Are there correspondences among chapters or groups of chapters?
-The book's 43 chapters can be grouped according to distinct action sequences because after one event occurs, the next chapter can follow through and explain it a bit. Although there are a few chapters that didn't quite do that. It would just talk about something and that specific topic would just end there.
3. Each stage of Huck's moral growth culminates in a crisis of conscience and a decision to assist Jim (as when Huck tells the two slave hunters that there is "only one" man on the raft and that "He's white"); and each decision is more consequential than the previous. What are these stages and decisions; when do they occur; and what are their consequences?
-As Huck begun to spend more time with Jim, the more he got to know him, he got a little more attached and considers him a close friend. These feelings of attachment occurs when Jim would save Huck's life or do things that are motherly towards him, because in a way Jim is the parent to Huck while they are on this adventure. The consequences would of course be Huck's internal battle to whether he should tell or not tell someone that he has the black slave that everyone is looking for.
4. What are the consequences of Huck's and Jim's going past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog? (Chapter XV)
-Huck and Jim gets separated and couldn't find their way back to each other because of the thick fog.
5. Among the novel's great ironies is that Huck's and Jim's quest for freedom takes them farther and farther into the deep South, the heart of slavery. How and why does this happen? What are the implications?
-This happens because Huck and Jim missed their exit, and this leads to the hardships that they would have to face in order to acquire the freedom that they want.
6. The primary movement of Huck's and Jim's journey and of the novel is linear, from north to south. A back-and-forth pattern of movement between river and shore also occurs. How is this pattern important in terms of plot? How is it related to the north-to-south movement? Does it reflect any other kind of movement experienced by Huck or Jim?
-The back-and-forth pattern movement occurs between the river and the story as well because the story would switch back and forth about various subjects.
7. How do the king and the duke impact Huck's and Jim's life on the raft, their quest for freedom, and the novel's movement?
-With the king and the duke on the raft with them, Huck and Jim are forced into joining their odd escapades which leads them to trouble.
8. What are the parallels between the king's and duke's treatment of Jim in Chapter XXIV and Tom Sawyer's treatment of him in the final chapters?
-The king and the duke treated Jim like a slave and seemed to have complete over the raft. Tom Sawyer's treatment towards Jim is the same, because Tom only saw Jim as a slave and nothing more.
9. The cemetery passage in Chapter X XIX is one of the few times when Huck is in immediate danger of actual harm or death. What are some similar incidents? What threatens his safety and well-being in each instance--other people or forces of nature? How does he escape in each instance?
-Huck's own father, Pap had put him in various degrees of danger, because Pap was always drunk; he took pleasure in beating his son. The only way that he could escape was by faking his own death.
10. Do the final chapters, beginning with Huck's arrival at the Phelps farm, rely too much on coincidence?
-Yes, it most definitely rely too much on coincidence, because out of all the families he could've ended up with, fate led him to Tom's aunt and uncle.
11. Do Tom Sawyer's elaborate escape stratagems indicate that Jim's and Huck's goals are unobtainable?
-Tom Sawyer's escape stratagems seems a little far fetched to me. Not very safe really, and it made it seem even more unattainable.
12. Is there any justice in the fact that only Tom is wounded in the final chase through the swamp?
-I felt that there were some justice in Tom being the only wounded one because I felt that it was cruel of him to string innocent people along for his own sick enjoyment.
13. The story is told by a fourteen-year-old Huck, who admits to elaborate lies and fabrications. Can we trust him? Can we accept his version of things, or must we read between his lines?
-I think that we could trust him, because there is something innocent about a child's tale. Even though there are times when a child would want to exaggerate because they want to make it a little but more exciting there is still some truth in the story to keep us compelled.
O. Lara p.4
1.Twain does this to warn the reader that this book will be completely different than Tom Sawyer’s adventures. It is a way to make Huck his own character apart from the other novel.
2.The book is a steady flow of the narrators experiences but these chapters can be divided into sections. Theres the chapters where he is at home, some when he is with his dad, and the rest are about his and Jim’s adventures on their raft.
3.Throughout most of the novel, Huck lies to prevent Jim’s return to the slavery world. He belives that he will go to hell but doesn’t really mind because he likes Jim’s company. Soon they become close friends and they look out for one another. Huck cares so much for Jim that he places a fake bounty on Jim that will prevent him from getting in trouble with any slave state authorties.
4.While trying t pass the river during such harsh weather, Jim and huck get seperated but later reunit. Nothing too extreme occurs to either of them and they are able to keep and save their raft.
5.They go towards the south because they missed their exit at the mouth of the Ohio river. This may have been twains way to show a final battel at the end of the novel. This way Huck and Jim would be traveling to the slave states completely blinded of wat lay ahead and they would have to fight it when they got there.
6.Jim and Huck are traveling around the nation during the time period in which the North and the South were disagreeing in regards to slavery. Their movement on water and on shore help the plot as it shows how hard it is on land rather than out on the water by themselves. They are in a constant battle to reach freedom not only from the slavery system but from the system that supresses Huck.
7.The King and the Duke expose Huck and Jim to their dirty work and threaten to turn Jim in to the authorities for running away from his master. This only brings the two closer together and they look out for each other. Jim and Huck form a bond and these men only make them hate the slavery system even more. It is this kind of people that they are both running away from.
8.Duke uses Jim for economic gains since he is a runaway slave while Tom uses Jim to talk about his own life story. These two characters take advantage of Jim to better their life in some way or another.
9.Huck is in much danger when he starts to live with his father. A particular incident that occurred with his father is when he is very drunk and starts to go after Huck trying to stab him with a knife. Huck is about to get killed by his own dad only because he is under the influence. There are many incidents with his dad wanting to beat him and this is a not a good safe atmosphere for Huch.
10.The last few chapter may rely a bit on coninseidence because it was very random that the Phelps farm were the friends of his uncle and aunt.
11.Tom’s plans begin to become very possible and able but soom more and more obstacles seem to appear making it difficult to escape. Soon his plan is too complex and undoable that make any thoughts of freedom disappear into thin air.
12.Tom deserved what we got due to the fact that he lied to Jim multiple of times. He mad eit very difficult for Jim and it wa Tom’s turn to get something in return for his bad actions. He took Jim through many difficulties knowing it was just a round trip.
13. Like any fourteen-year-old, Huck may have exagerated a bit when telling his stories. I’m not stating that he told many lies to make his story more action packed but you can’t really trust him. He is very smart and knows how to manupliate people and therefor readers should read between the lines and find more out of the story than just what he tells us.
Huckleberry Finn Focus Questions
By Scott Essen
1. I believe Twain put this NOTICE in the book in order to make fun of those that find this book out of line or in appropriate for, in its time, Huck Finn was written in a very modern style an may not have been accepted by some.
2. The book's 43 chapters can absolutely be organized into categories based on the happenings within each chapter. Each has a distinct action filled event or none at all and the ones with one can most definitely be organized into groups.
3. Huck’s first decision is when he chooses to stick beside Jim and in a sense protect him. He becomes attached to Jim even though he is aware of the consequences of aiding a runaway.
4. When Huck and Jim go past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog, their plan to sell there goods and boarding the steamboat are spoiled. This was a trick induced by Huck to cover up his losing of the canoe. The entire trip is a bit ironic for they travel south into the heart of slavery.
5. Huck and Jim are sent further south as they pass the mouth of the Ohio River due to extreme “pea soup” fog. This continuation of southern travel is indicative of less than genius captains and creates further implications on their journey to free Jimbo.
6. The traversing from land to river is a common event through the story. It symbolizes different techniques of survival and each has traits in concealing the two when the time comes.
7. The King and the Duke are con artists and they find themselves riding the raft with Huck and Jim. These thieves use Huck and Jim to partake in their dishonest acts and all they can do is comply for fear of being exposed.
8. Tom, the King and the Duke all treat Jim as a slave. This is partly due to the fact that Jim is black and that he was once a slave, yet the King and the Duke mainly use Jim for economic benefits while Tom on the other hand used Jim as a mere minion in his plan to become a hero.
9. Huck is found in danger many a time and one of the first was a threat induced by Pap. Pap physically abuses poor Huck and this leads to the faking of his own death. In doing this Huck is freed from his drinking father. He uses this technique of “running away” numerous times throughout the adventure.
10. The ending is pushing the grasps of reality in that for the 3 to come upon the same place is quiet incredible. Then the farm turns out to be Huck’s best friends Uncle and Aunt which all seems a bit fishy and farfetched.
11. I find Tom Sawyer to be quiet an interesting character in that he has such a huge imagination. He may not be the sharpest crayon in the Crayola box yet his enthusiasm for great plans and schemes is interesting. I believe Jim and Huck had a very attainable goal yet Sawyer had to complicate everything with his absurd stratagems.
12. Tom was cruising for a broozing and for him to finally pay for his outrageous schemes is a relief. He seems to always lead everyone into events way over their head and then he is empty handed in the end when the consequences start emerging.
13. I say who cares if it’s a lie because its one of the greatest stories ever. I think that we must trust him to become enveloped into the story and discover its vast adventures and feel it’s true meanings however we perceive the book.
Comprehension & Discussion Questions
for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
By: Taylor Carpenter
1. Why did Twain include the "Notice" on the opening page?
Twain probably included the "Notice" on the opening page to show that this book follows a different style of writing. Twain most likely wanted to let readers know that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is a novel which stands on its own does not coincide with Twain’s other books.
2. Can the book's 43 chapters be grouped according to distinct action sequences? Are there correspondences among chapters or groups of chapters?
It seems that the chapters have certain blocked and specific events which are able to stand alone. Some chapters carry on a longer plot and coincide with the next few chapters or are referred to later on.
3. Each stage of Huck's moral growth culminates in a crisis of conscience and a decision to assist Jim (as when Huck tells the two slave hunters that there is "only one" man on the raft and that "He's white"); and each decision is more consequential than the previous. What are these stages and decisions; when do they occur; and what are their consequences?
Huck Finn takes Jim under his wings and watches over him. As the story continues there are many times when Huck is given opportunities to leave Jim, but Finn keeps moving on towards new challenges. Every challenge they make it through is one which their friendship grows even stronger and the color difference which was first seen seems to disappear as the plot thickens.
4. What are the consequences of Huck's and Jim's going past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog? (Chapter XV)
When Huck and Jim venture past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog they become separated from each other and end up losing their chance of selling anything. Instead they ventured into the heart of slavery, which was not the best idea because of Jim.
5. Among the novel's great ironies is that Huck's and Jim's quest for freedom takes them farther and farther into the deep South, the heart of slavery. How and why does this happen? What are the implications?
Jim is on this adventure to escape from slavery and they seem to be getting deeper and deeper into slave areas which seems strange and shows their true immaturity. They probably just kept getting lost because they were so naïve they most likely didn’t have a map with them or any sense of direction as to which was north and where south was.
6. The primary movement of Huck's and Jim's journey and of the novel is linear, from north to south. A back-and-forth pattern of movement between river and shore also occurs. How is this pattern important in terms of plot? How is it related to the north-to-south movement? Does it reflect any other kind of movement experienced by Huck or Jim?
Huck and Jim are constantly moving back and forth from North to South because since they are trying to help Jim escape from slavery it is difficult because of the ongoing struggles of the North and South which are going on the same time. This shows its readers the struggle for freedom that many were trying to achieve.
7. How do the king and the duke impact Huck's and Jim's life on the raft, their quest for freedom, and the novel's movement?
The king and the duke use Jim and Duke use Tom and Jim to get their dirty work done and use blackmail on the two boys. They threaten to expose Jim as a runaway slave.
8. What are the parallels between the king's and duke's treatment of Jim in Chapter XXIV and Tom Sawyer's treatment of him in the final chapters?
The Duke used Jim in order to get money because he posts wanted signs for Jim since he is a runaway slave. Tom speaks of Jim to help promote his own story. They were both using Jim in a way to better their own lives.
9. The cemetery passage in Chapter XXIX is one of the few times when Huck is in immediate danger of actual harm or death. What are some similar incidents? What threatens his safety and well-being in each instance--other people or forces of nature? How does he escape in each instance?\
Similar incidients like seeing his dad for first time and knowing he could be hit for being educated. The force is his dad, which he escapes by saying he won't go to school. Another similar incidient is when Huck is in the canoe and if it would have turned over, then no one would have seen him because of the intense fog and he would have died and no one would have noticed.
10. Do the final chapters, beginning with Huck's arrival at the Phelps farm, rely too much on coincidence?
The final chapters rely way too much on coincidence because how could it be that the Phelps farm were actually his best friend’s uncle and aunt.
11. Do Tom Sawyer's elaborate escape stratagems indicate that Jim's and Huck's goals are unobtainable?
At first the escape plot seems like an adventure and they could ultimately accomplish anything, as the plot thickens and new obstacles are presented to Tom and Jim their plans seem to fade into the wind.
12. Is there any justice in the fact that only Tom is wounded in the final chase through the swamp?
Yes, Tom has taken Jim on one wild ride knowing it was all a round about trip. His lying and running Jim into difficult challenges knowing they weren’t necessary, it seemed to look as if karma was finally catching up with Tom. He didn't have a very good reputation throughout the book.
13. The story is told by a fourteen-year-old Huck, who admits to elaborate lies and fabrications. Can we trust him? Can we accept his version of things, or must we read between his lines?
Huck seems to be a pathological liar and it shows his immaturity. He became very good at lying and therefore you can’t trust him throughout the book. The reader is always questioning his truths.
CO'Toole p5
1. Why did Twain include the "Notice" on the opening page?
Twain includes the “Notice” on the opening page because it sets the tone for Huckleberry Finn through Twain’s mixing of both humor and serious tones. It also sets the stage for the themes of the novel and notes a sense of irony and charm. It also links the novel to its deeper moral concerns using fun and light heartedness.
2. Can the book's 43 chapters be grouped according to distinct action sequences? Are there correspondences among chapters or groups of chapters?
The chapters can be linked to action sequences because in many of the chapters Huck sets up the reader for his next move. He describes his thoughts, his reasoning, and then infers about what he will do next.
3. Each stage of Huck's moral growth culminates in a crisis of conscience and a decision to assist Jim (as when Huck tells the two slave hunters that there is "only one" man on the raft and that "He's white"); and each decision is more consequential than the previous. What are these stages and decisions; when do they occur; and what are their consequences?
The first stage of Huck’s moral growth begins in Chapter VIII with his agreement to travel with Jim to freedom. Huck has chosen a very dangerous path, for traveling with a runaway can get one lynched. This decision comes tied to many consequences because it makes travel extremely difficult and dangerous. The second stage is in Chapter XVI when Huck ponders turning in Jim, but realizes that Jim is a real man, just like a “white man,” with feelings and a family. This produces a hard road ahead, full of lying, stealing, and close calls. Jim’s last and final stage is in Chapter XXXI, when the duke and the dauphin “capture” Jim and give him to the Phelpses. Huck’s decision to free Jim is him most difficult and consequential decision. To free a black man, is in other words ‘stealing’ and a dangerous action. Huck finally decides, “All right then, I’ll go to hell!” thus showing that he accepts the life of a black man as equal to his own.
4. What are the consequences of Huck's and Jim's going past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog? (Chapter XV)
The consequences of Huck and Jim going past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog is that they ultimately pass Cairo. Cairo was Jim’s destination because it was his key to the Free states. Huck was just tagging along for the ride. The consequences from this point on, amount to the rest of the novels tragedies, mishaps, difficult decisions, and morally challenging events as they travel deeper South into the heart of slavery.
5. Among the novel's great ironies is that Huck's and Jim's quest for freedom takes them farther and farther into the deep South, the heart of slavery. How and why does this happen? What are the implications?
Huck and Jim’s reasons for traveling further south are because the night that they should have reached their destination, the fog was so thick that neither could see. Twain wanted this to happen because this is what lead to climax and ultimate moral of his novel. This was the ultimate deciding factor of the novel. Twain would have had no novel if he chose the Free states, and he wanted to give the reader a story and express the morality of his novel as Huck and Jim came face to face with the evils of the human race.
6. The primary movement of Huck's and Jim's journey and of the novel is linear, from north to south. A back-and-forth pattern of movement between river and shore also occurs. How is this pattern important in terms of plot? How is it related to the north-to-south movement? Does it reflect any other kind of movement experienced by Huck or Jim?
Huck and Jim’s linear movement is important to the novel because it provides the reader with a direction to the novel. The movement from North to South as well as the movement between river and shore also symbolizes Huck and Jim’s journey to go from ignorant and enchained by societies customs and critiques to learned, wiser, and more fulfilled as human beings. Huck and Jim’s journey from North to South shows that running away from one’s problems will not solve them, and that meeting them face to face is the only way to conquer them and grow as a human beings.
7. How do the king and the duke impact Huck's and Jim's life on the raft, their quest for freedom, and the novel's movement?
The king and the duke impact Huck and Jim’s life on the raft because they are their ultimate threat to being revealed and returned back to their former life. Without their intervention, Huck would not learn the strong morality lessons and learn to make conscience decisions. Twain uses this duo to steer the novel and its characters into the directions of a more complex and ruthless adventure of wit and appreciation for others.
8. What are the parallels between the king's and duke's treatment of Jim in Chapter XXIV and Tom Sawyer's treatment of him in the final chapters?
The king and the duke use Jim as a toy or prop, something to do their bidding and use at their will. They use him to do wrong and only for their own gain. Tom is not any better as he also uses Jim as a mere prop in his “adventure” game just like in one of his novels. Tom knew Him had been left his freedom in Miss Watson’s will, but instead created a game, for his own amusement, that toyed with Jim’s very existence. It is in these final chapters that Tom expresses his cruelty and unappreciative for human life.
9. The cemetery passage in Chapter XXIX is one of the few times when Huck is in immediate danger of actual harm or death. What are some similar incidents? What threatens his safety and well-being in each instance--other people or forces of nature? How does he escape in each instance?
There are a variety of incidents in the novel in which Huck finds himself in danger. The first of which is Huck’s father, Pap, because Pap abuses him and recklessly attempts to lock him up only to abuse him some more. Huck narrowly escapes this fate by running away. Huck comes across another harmful situation when he befriends a couple of con men. These two men are the primary sources of Huck’s moral growth but only because of the trailing and disturbing events and actions that Huck witnesses take place. Huck avoids a fate by these two individuals by running away.
10. Do the final chapters, beginning with Huck's arrival at the Phelps farm, rely too much on coincidence?
The final chapters, beginning with Huck’s arrival at the Phelpses farm, do rely a bit much on coincidence. The coincidental occurrences are that the Phelpses are Tom’s aunt and uncle and that they were expecting Tom the day that Huck arrived. Another coincidence is that Tom’s brother, Sid, is just mentioned in this part of the novel and that Jim was already set free by Miss Watson. The coincidence of the end of the novel does tie back in to a strong lesson learned and a stronger ending to a brilliant novel.
11. Do Tom Sawyer's elaborate escape stratagems indicate that Jim's and Huck's goals are unobtainable?
Tom’s elaborate escape stratagems emphasize that he is a romantic and wants things “done by the book.” He is sturdy to his beliefs and even more loyal to his books. He is passionate about the way in which Jim will be freed, but not actually in his freedom. Never the less, his freedom is not unobtainable, just secured by Tom’s masterful plans.
12. Is there any justice in the fact that only Tom is wounded in the final chase through the swamp?
I believe that there is justice served in only Tom being wounded in the final chase, because it is because of his selfishness and lack of sympathy for Jim’s position that Jim must go through the ordeal in the first place. Tom was right to receive the bullet, even though he wore it as a trophy in the end.
13. The story is told by a fourteen-year-old Huck, who admits to elaborate lies and fabrications. Can we trust him? Can we accept his version of things, or must we read between his lines?
Huck is correct in admitting his faults in the beginning of the novel, thus the reader must learn to accept Huck as an accurate and accountable reader. He is confident in his tone, and relays both good and bad events; therefore his version of the story must be seen as authentic.
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