About the Book
-Written by Mark Twain was published in US in 1885 (Written pre-civil war)
-Considered one of greatest stories but also most criticized
- He finds racist sentiment is ingrained in all areas of his life
- The story provides the reader with an uncensored view from a 13-year-old boy's perspective on pre-war society
Archetype
a typical character,a ction or situation that seems to represent such universal pattern of human nature
- speaks to the basic human experience and can be found in all forms of literature
-Archetypes in Huckleberry Finn: Friendship, acceptance, hope, independence
Why Realism
-Romantic made up stories could not be found in real life so they made realism
-Reflection of real world settings, realistic character that could be compared to everyday, societal issues of the time were also present
Realism in Huckleberry Finn
-Realistic Setting: St. Petersburg Missouri (fictional) is based on Twain's home town, Hannibal Missouri -Port town in Misouri
Realism in Characters
-Young teenage boy-son of a drunk
-Faces real teenage issues- peer pressure, finding moral compass, encountering tendency to rebel
Realism in Jim
Jim is Ms. Watson's slave
Superstitious and at times Ignorant
Realism in Widow Douglas and Miss Watson
Typical christian manner (piety)
Realism in Societal Issues
-Huck develops relationship w/ Jim and realizes slavery is wrong
-Widow Douglas and Miss Watson claim to be good christian but do not practice what they preach ex.- slavery
Twain tries to point it out
How much do Huck and Tom find?
$12,000
Who does Huck live w/ and Why?
Widow Douglas and Miss Watson, they are sisters. He lives with them because his mom is dead and his dad is a town drunk who is evil, abusive, and greedy.
What does Huck think of them?
thinks the sisters are overprotective and annoying because they are trying to "sivilize" him. They try to "sivilize" him by giving him new clothes, school, manners, and prayer.
What happens to Huck that shows his superstition, and how does this bring him and Jim together?
A spider crawls on him when he goes to bed and he is superstitious because he believes that when he flicked the spider in the candle he has bad luck. What he does to reverse it is spin around three times. The superstition from Jim and Huck bring them together.
Who is Jim?
Miss Watson's slave
Why do the boys go to the cave and what do they call this group?
The boys meet to the cave at night to have a meeting on forming a gang. They call is Tom Sawyer's Gang of Robbers and murderers.
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Where do they get the idea? And how do they join the gang?
gets the idea from a pirate book. They sign a book with their blood and they have to stay loyal and keep secrets.
What happens if they break the oath? And what is wrong w/ Huck?
-If they break the oath, someone in their family dies. This shows the innocence of the boys.
-There is a problem with Huck because he has no family. They find a solution by saying he would give up Miss Watson.
What is Pap written to describe
to describe the whiteness of society in America, in the civil war era. He is ignorant, elliterate, racist, and dominant because he doesn't want anyone to be above him.
How does Huck know his dad's in town? And who does Huck go to?
-his dad's in town because he sees his dad foot and boot prints.
-He goes to Jim to see the fortune telling hairball. He gives a moral life lesson.
What is a reoccurring thing in the novel?
Superstition
Where does Huck find his dad? and what happens to Pap?
-Pap sneaks into the house
-The new judge in town tries to reform Pap
What does the judge represent?
that society is always trying to reform
Why is Pap upset w/ Huck?
Huck is educated, well-mannered, wearing nice clothes, and practices religion
Why does Pap kidnap and bring Huck to a Cabin?
-because he has money
-bring him to his old ways and a reason to control Huck
What is Huck forced to do by his father, how does this make him feel?
-Pap has a hallucination and almost kills Huck because he thinks he is the angel of death
-this scared Huck
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What does this result in?
-this results in Huck faking his own death and finding a canoe, then running away from the injustice of society
-puts pig blood everywhere
Who is Huck frustrated w/?
-with Widow Douglas and Miss Watson
-government doesn't do anything to protect Huck from his father either
Explanation:
