Study Guide Huckleberry Finn Essay

Throughout the incident on pages 66-69 in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck fights with two distinct voices. One is siding with society, saying Huck should turn Jim in, and the other is seeing the wrong in turning his friend in, not viewing Jim as a slave. Twain wants the reader to see the moral dilemmas Huck is going through, and what slavery ideology can do to an innocent like Huck.

The book introduces Huck as the first person narrator which is important because it establishes clearly that this book is written from the point of view of a young, less than civilized character. His character emerges as a very literal and logical thinker who only believes what he can see with his own eyes. In this section Huck’s life with the Widow Douglas and her attempts to raise him as a civilized child sets up the main theme of this book which is the struggle or quest for freedom. Huck’s struggle for freedom from civilized society is paralleled by Jim’s struggle to escape from slavery. Irony as a key literary

Jim’s unselfish actions reveal his love for Huck, and through Twain’s use of imagery, the reader is able to better comprehend this love and understand why such a choice is one of great difficulty. Twain again uses another element of tone to reveal Huck’s assertive tone. In using syntax, Twain places emphasis on Huck’s continuous flow of uninterrupted thought. In the passage, he incorporates substantial amounts of semi-colons, dashes, and commas, to further represent Huck’s haphazard gush of thoughts. Twain writes, “. . . straight off, but laid the paper down and set there thinking – thinking how good it was all this happened so, and . . .” (Twain 161). The usage of dashes emphasizes a shift in thought, therefore allowing the reader to notice Huck’s ambivalence. He also does not fail to disclose that Jim heavily depends on Huck and would be practically unable to function without him, and resorts to using italics to do this. A reader can infer that Huck is in the process of deciding between conforming to society’s standards or forming his own. This idea is proven through yet, another example of syntax: “I could go on sleeping; and see him how glad he was; and such-like times; . . . and the only one he’s got now; and . . .” (Twain 161). The reflective tone in the passage can be characterized, finally, through the usage of details. By using the tone element of details,

13) Whereas most people would condemn the robbers, Huck expresses a sort of flexible empathy towards them. Huck does not always share the same views as society.

9. What does Huck’s father criticize about the government? What does Twain want the reader to feel about these issues?

At the start of the novel, Huck is forced to live under the care of Widow Douglas and Miss Watson. He frequently finds himself questioning and disapproving of the way in which they live. Their

I feel that there was much character development in these certain chapters. One of the most meaningful quotes in this section in the novel occurs at the end of chapter 23, when Huck and Jim have their conversation. Huck is clever enough to assume what Jim is upset about, displaying Huck’s ability to be in touch with emotions. The quote reads, “I knowed what it was about. He was thinking about his wife and his children, away up yonder, and he was low and homesick; because he hadn’t ever been away from home before in his life; and I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their’n” (Pg. 156).This quote also causes me to realize how much Huck truly develops as a character throughout the novel because I don't believe he would say something like this before. Although the small size of the quote, it carries much meaning, along with displaying Huck’s consideration for a friend like Jim. It also demonstrates Huck’s emotional side with is not shown very much in the novel. Huck knows more than what it seems like he would, and he does not fail to prove that. I think that a life of abuse and heartbreak caused for him to bottle up his feelings and keep them hidden, but like everyone else, he still has feelings. This quote also displays the certain connection that Jim and Huck have between each other, the reason being they had become so close. In my personal opinion, all I think he wants is someone to take care

How and why does Twain establish Huck’s voice as storyteller? What do we learn about Huck from what he reveals of other characters’ assessments of him?

Huck’s feelings about living with the Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson. Which of the ladies does he like more? Why? What does he feel about their attempts to “civilize” him?

Huck always disliked Miss Watson, but now that this society voice plays a part in Huck?s judgment his views are changed. This society views allows Huck to see Jim, a friend, only as a slave and Miss Watson, almost a foe in his young views, as a dear friend. Twain is showing the reader the gross injustices of slavery in this little incident, as well as his moral opposition to slavery. Twain wants the reader to see how slavery ideology changed people, even those who didn?t understand it fully. Twain wants the reader to see how unfair slavery was in how it could even change Huck?s thinking, whom the reader had never before seen voice ill conceptions about black people. When Huck?s mind can be so radically changed to such opposing ideas and morals, the reader sees these horrors plainly and knows Twain?s opposition to slavery is right.

- This shows how Huck has different personalities and how he cares about Jim. Huck also tries to be funny but he takes things a little far. He could ruin his relationship with Jim if he keeps playing jokes on Jim. Jim is not the person who finds things funny. slave hunters on the river (Chp 16) - Huck doesn't know if it is right to help Jim escape from his owner.

Widow Douglas is a who takes care of Huck, she is a nice woman who loves and treats him like her son. Huck’s response to the Moses story is changes because in the beginning he was very interested in it and he wanted to know more about Moses until Widow Douglas revealed that Moses had been dead the whole story. After that Huck stopped caring for Moses and his story. What this tells the reader about Huck is that he doesn’t like when things end in death.

1. What trick does Huck play on Jim? Huck tries to make jim believe that he lived what happened the day before in his dreams. 2. Why doesn't Huck turn in Jim?

Through this abusing, Huck develops a growing fear whenever his father's name is said. Since Huck is educated and his father is

The woman welcomed Huck and asked what he needed. Huck said he needed to visit his uncle in the north end of town, to get medicine for his sick mother. The woman said her husband would take him there soon. Huck talked with the woman about his own disappearance. She told him that at first people that Huck’s father killed him, but others though it was Jim because he escaped that same night. Huck gets uneasy when she says that both men have bounties on their heads, but he remains quiet. The woman suddenly tells him she knows he’s a boy and asks his name casually. Huck denies this but then tells her after she swears to secrecy. He said he lived on a farm where he was mistreated so he ran away to go live with his uncle. He also