The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ,

1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, By Mark Twain

2. Status Quo and Conformity: Civilizing HuckChapters 1-5

3. Chapter 1: Thematic Connection • Huck and religion • “…I don’t take no stock in dead people” • “…she was going to live as to go to the good place. Well, I couldn’t see no advantage in going where she was going, so I made my mind up that I wouldn’t try for it.” – does not understand heaven/hell • Spider and Huck’s superstitious mind – only behaves this way when it happens to him

4. Chapter 2: Thematic Connection • Jim defends Miss Watson’s home • Tom tricks Jim • Huck does not want to, not because it was mean, but because he would get caught (not mature) • Tom Sawyer Gang formed • Understate death and the value of human life • Hypocritical • “…all the boys said it would be wicked to do it on a Sunday…”

5. Chapter 3: Thematic Connection • Huck does not understand “spiritual gifts” (assumes physical gifts after praying to God) • Tom Sawyer “lies” about the A-rabs and gold and elephants (extravagance) • Is superstition a lie? Is it harmful? (see last 3 sentences of the chapter) • White lie? • Pretend?

6. Chapter 4: Thematic Connection • “I don’t take no stock in mathematics, anyway.”- doesn’t trust “status quo” • Superstitious: • Drops salt shaker • Identifies his father by cross in boot heel- he learns superstition from his father • Twain commentary on superstition vs religion • Sold all his property to judge Thatcher for $1 so he would not have to tell lies • What lies? • Jim’s fortune tells Huck a truth • Angel and devils exist and choices cause pleasure or pain: Jim cares for Huck- juxtaposed to Pap! Showing up

7. Chapter 5: Thematic Connection • Has not seen father in over a year: • “…you think that you are some sort of big-bug, don’t you?” • Pap States: • Drop school • Stop thinking that he is better than him • Stop reading • Pap took H.’s only dollar and then lied to judge and wife and was released from prison

8. Escape and The Wealth of Self: Chapters 6-11

9. Chapter 6: Thematic Connection • H goes to school to spite Pap (is this the correct reason?) • Pap beats H and he wants to run away • Pap rants about the gov’t and a black person’s right to vote (after drinking whiskey) • Gets to be so drunk that he hallucinates about snakes • H has to guard him

10. Chapter 7: Thematic Connection • Escapes his home in a canoe; cleans out the place • Floats down the river, hiding • Shoots a wild pig and then kills it; more humane • Decides to head to Jackson’s Island

11. Chapter 8: Thematic Connection • Verisimilitude of nature; camp, moon, animals, sounds • Folks think H is dead • H thinks prayer only works for the “right kind” • Finds Jim • J assumes H is a ghost • “Well…I, I…run off.” (finds out he was going to be sold to New Orleans) • H swears not to tell even though people will call him a “low down” abolitionist (anti-slavery) • J believes that he is rich because he owns himself and he is worth $800- his self-worth is tied to value as property

12. Chapter 9: Thematic Connection • Verisimilitude- natural setting • H and J help each other out, get along well • Find dead man and J does not have him look at his face • Take goods from the floating house • He hides Jim

13. Chapter 10: Thematic Connection • H tricks J with dead snake whose mate shows up and actually bites him • H feels foolish, but does not admit or apologize • J recovers and they decide to get supplies from town, H will dress in a disguise (a girl)

14. Chapter 11: Thematic Connection • H becomes Sarah Williams • Finds out town gossip that J killed H and that Pap lied to the judge and got $ to “look for H”, but drank it away • Judith Loftus functions to share that there is a reward for Jim • H lies to her once she finds out he is a boy on account of his mannerisms with needle and thread- white lie okay? • Setting: St. Petersburg

15. Bonding Over Inhumanity: Chapter 12-18

16. Chapter 12: Thematic Connection • H. tricks “the men” by building a fire- to help Jim • Description of the raft- imagery • St. Louis 7-8 hours drift; stormy weather- symbolic of negative situation • H. “borrows” chicken, watermelon, etc. – is this okay? • “gang of murderers”- juxtapose to “Tom Sawyer Gang” plan • Raft gone!

17. Chapter 13: Thematic Connection • Still raining, but harder- H. questions if he had become a murderer- does he learn? • H. lies about owning the boat • H. helps the “rapscallions” and notices that the widow would have been proud- does he mature? • Slept “like dead people”

18. Chapter 14: Thematic Connection • J. fears being caught, dying or being sold; H. says he has “an uncommonly level head for a nigger”- is that a compliment? (partner discuss) • J. discusses Solomon as poor king for dismissing the value of human life due to greed • H. notes: “I never see such a nigger.”- what does he mean? What is Twain’s voice revealing here? • H. says he would not allow any “nigger” to call him “Polly-voo-francy”- has he learned anything? • A man should talk like a man! – Twain’s voice: what truth is J. uttering?

19. Chapter 15: Thematic Connection • Fog rolls in- setting symbolic of tone and plot: “…nothing looks natural in a fog.”; feels like you laying “dead still” but you are moving downstream • Tricks Jim again: says it was all a dream • Jim finds out and feels bad: H. almost wanted to kiss his foot to get gim back; took a while to “humble himself to a nigger”, but he did it- has he learned?

21. Chapter 16: Thematic Connection • H. regrets helping J.- “…wished [he] was dead”- what did Miss Watson do to him to make him treat her this way- Does H. value human life? (partner discuss)- Has he learned? • H. discussed feeling morally incorrect allowing J. to plot to buy his wife and 2 children from “…a man [Huck] didn’t even know.”- does he value human life? Has he learned? • Does not give up J: reason? Self-preservation; “it’s troublesome to do right and troublesome to do wrong”; if he needed to make a decision, he would do what was “handiest”- has he learned? (Twain’s voice) • Raft destroyed: symbol of old ways dying? Shift in text

23. Chapter 17: Thematic Connection • Meets the Grangerfords- Huck’s foil- “Buck”- dresses in his clothes (mirror) • Verisimilitude in the detailed descriptionof house, table, pictures, etc… • Emmeline G. “writes poetry for dead people”- died young –H. wants to write about her- does he learn/care for someone else? • H. loves all family, even the dead ones • H. notes: “The old lady took care of the room herself, though there were plenty niggers…”- does he care/learn?

25. Chapter 18: Thematic Connection • Col Grangerford was a Gentleman- what makes him one? • Whole family I beautiful, sweet, hndsome: tone? • Owned over 100 slaves • “clans of aristocracies”: also Shepherdsons • Buck is civilized Huck- BUT guns and feud? How civilized is that? • Went to church- all liked the sermon, but, about “brotherly love”- hypocritical (Twain’s voice) • Sees gun fight and Buck dies: made him sick to his stomach- life is valuable

27. Lessons in Assistance and Betrayal: Chapter 19-31

28. Chapter 19: Thematic Connection • They meet the king and duke • Exaggerated and uneducated • H. says he realized this but was okay with the lie • “The best way to get along with his kind of people is to let them have their own way.” • What kind of “people” is Pap? • What has Huck learned? Is this good?

30. Chapter 20: Thematic Connection • Duke, Dauphin H and Jim head into town- hea d to “camp-meeting” where tearful and emotional mourners crying and wailing but: “You couldn’t make out what the preacher said…” • King of France lies and gets money from the crowd • Created a fake poster to hide Jim

32. Chapter 21: Thematic Connection • Duke and King deceitful- taking money from poor town folks for a fake performance • Boggs drunk and belligerent and H. witnesses him shot by the Sheriff while begging for his life • Whole town was angry and started a mob to lynch Sherbern- do you agree?

34. Chapter 22: Thematic Connection • Sherburnstates: “The idea of you lynching anybody! The idea of you thinking you had pluck enough to lynch a man!”- what’s the diff. between “anybody” and a man? What is Twain’s commentary here? (partner share) • H. learns about the “mob” mentality • “bully circus” and commentary on tricked ring-master- BUT H. says that it could have all of his $ any time. Has he learned?

36. Chapter 23: Thematic Connection • King and Duke noted as “rapscallions” • “The Royal Nonesuch” was a lie to get $ • Duke and king deceitful again • Does not tell J.- “..you couldn’t tell them from the real kind.” (Twain’s commentary on royalty)

38. Chapter 24: Thematic Connection • Peter Wilks and the story of money and betrayal • Duke and King lie that he is their brother • “Well, if ever I struck anything like it, I’m a nigger. It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race.

40. Chapter 25: Thematic Connection • Duke and King “…bust out a crying so you could a heard them to Orleans, most…” • H. states: “I never see anything so disgusting.” – what does he learn? • Mary Jane produces a letter from her father (the will) • Doctor warns the daughters but they do not listen (Twain’s voice?)

42. Chapter 26: Thematic Connection • Discussion with “hare-lip”- why is she not referred to by name? What does H lie about and almost get caught 3 times? • H. states: “…this is a girl that I’m letting that old reptle rob her of her money!” • Resolves to steal the $ for the girls • Has he learned? • H. steals the $ from the straw bed and hides it

44. Chapter 27: Thematic Connection • Peter’s Funeral Mass and the girl’s betrayal • H. places $ in the coffin • Discuss what the King and Duke do after the funeral • H. heart ached seeing that the girls were getting tricked- did he do anything about it? • Chapter ends with H. blaming the slaves- why? How does he feel about it?

46. Chapter 28: Thematic Connection • H. discusses validity of telling the truth • Tells Mary Jane everything • Explains that he had not thought of Mary Jane since that time, but he thought he might pray for her • How does H fix the situation?

48. Chapter 29: Thematic Connection • Doctor sees King and dike in canoe in the morning • Doctor tells H. that he is not a good liar (reminiscent Judith Loftus) • Checking the body for tatoos to prove king and duke are not frauds • Verisimilitude of nature- storm as symbol; H. escapes when they find gold • H. likes Mary Jane: “She was the best girl [he] ever did see”. • King and duke escape, too

49. Chapter 30: Thematic Connection • H. watches as king and duke argue about who put the $ in the coffin • Of course, he told J. everything later- he feels compelled to tell him. Why? (partner discuss)

50. Chapter 31: Thematic Connection • “First they did a lecture on temperance, but they didn’t make enough to get drunk on.” (ironic; Twain’s voice) • K. and D. sell Jim for $40 to Silas Phelps; H. cries and cannot believe they tricked J. like that • CLIMAX: H. deliberates about J. and his value as a person, but that is juxtaposed to H.’s self-preservation • H. states: “all right, then, I’ll go to hell”- and tore [the letter] up. (self-preservation or matured into caring for J.?) • Left K and D to go and steal J. out of slavery