The secret of getting ahead, is getting started.
- Mark Twain
Huckleberry Finn Chapters 1-5;
Timeline
Chapter 1 Huckleberry talks to Miss Watson about Heaven and Hell and says he wants to go to hell with Tom Sawyer, that night he hears a cat's meow coming from outside and sneaks out to hang out with his friend.
Chapter 2 Huck and Tom pranked Jim, Miss Watson's slave, to think that he traveled around the world with witches and was given a nickle by the devil. They start a gang with some of the Local boys and they consider themselves Highwaymen, and they say that if any of the boys tells anyone about the gang the gang must kill them and their families.
Chapter 3 Huck receives a lecture from Miss Watson, and she tells him to pray to get what he wants. A drowned man is found in the river and the town thinks it is his dad but Huck is skeptical. The gang disbands after getting bored from not robbing.
Chapter 4 Huck spends 3 months living with the Widow and attends school, he starts to like the new ways. He spills salt and isn't able to throw salt over his left shoulder and knows that something bad will probably happen. He finds boot prints with a cross in them and knows that his Dad is back. He gives all his money to Judge Thatcher and then he goes to Miss Watson's slave and asks him to do a reading from the magical hairball.
Chapter 5 Huck arrives in his room and his Dad is in his room, and his dad is described as a dirty old man. His dad harasses him for wearing good clothes and going to school, and he doesn't want Huck to be smarter than him. Huck's dad goes to Judge Thatcher to try and get Huck's money but fails, and the Widow tries to gain custody of Huck, but is rejected. Huck's Dad goes to jail and the judge tries to reform him, he sneaks out after he promised to change and gets drunk and passes out on the porch and the judge feels betrayed.
Time Period; I believe this in 1835 because it is still acceptable to have slaves and the way it was written and how they speak you can tell that it was a while ago and to me it makes sense that it would be about that time period.
Perspective; The fact that we have a 12 year old narrator makes it a little more whimsical, because you have his imagination play and leak into the story and it gives it that youthful sense. He tells almost everything that happens and you can tell in the way that Huck talks you get this sense of fun.
Timeline
Chapter 1 Huckleberry talks to Miss Watson about Heaven and Hell and says he wants to go to hell with Tom Sawyer, that night he hears a cat's meow coming from outside and sneaks out to hang out with his friend.
Chapter 2 Huck and Tom pranked Jim, Miss Watson's slave, to think that he traveled around the world with witches and was given a nickle by the devil. They start a gang with some of the Local boys and they consider themselves Highwaymen, and they say that if any of the boys tells anyone about the gang the gang must kill them and their families.
Chapter 3 Huck receives a lecture from Miss Watson, and she tells him to pray to get what he wants. A drowned man is found in the river and the town thinks it is his dad but Huck is skeptical. The gang disbands after getting bored from not robbing.
Chapter 4 Huck spends 3 months living with the Widow and attends school, he starts to like the new ways. He spills salt and isn't able to throw salt over his left shoulder and knows that something bad will probably happen. He finds boot prints with a cross in them and knows that his Dad is back. He gives all his money to Judge Thatcher and then he goes to Miss Watson's slave and asks him to do a reading from the magical hairball.
Chapter 5 Huck arrives in his room and his Dad is in his room, and his dad is described as a dirty old man. His dad harasses him for wearing good clothes and going to school, and he doesn't want Huck to be smarter than him. Huck's dad goes to Judge Thatcher to try and get Huck's money but fails, and the Widow tries to gain custody of Huck, but is rejected. Huck's Dad goes to jail and the judge tries to reform him, he sneaks out after he promised to change and gets drunk and passes out on the porch and the judge feels betrayed.
Time Period; I believe this in 1835 because it is still acceptable to have slaves and the way it was written and how they speak you can tell that it was a while ago and to me it makes sense that it would be about that time period.
Perspective; The fact that we have a 12 year old narrator makes it a little more whimsical, because you have his imagination play and leak into the story and it gives it that youthful sense. He tells almost everything that happens and you can tell in the way that Huck talks you get this sense of fun.
Huckleberry Finn Chapters 5-11:
1. Pap has taken Huckleberry hostage, so that he will have a better chance to take Huck's money. But in the trial he feels he will loose custody of Huck, which he doesn't seem to sad about.
2. Huck didn't want to be known as an Abolitionist because the Abolitionist's were people who didn't support slavery. And since he lived in Ohio right before the Civil War he didn't want people to think that he supported the North's cause.
3. While Huck was in costume he was given away by the fact that he
- Couldn't thread a needle
-When he threw a lump of lead, he almost hit it, Girls have to miss by 6 or 7 feet.
- When girls try to catch something in their lap, they throw their knees apart, not clap them together.
Three things that would give the genders away
Girls- Voice Pitch, Gait, and Cleanliness.
Boys- Face Structure, Height, and Hair.
1. Pap has taken Huckleberry hostage, so that he will have a better chance to take Huck's money. But in the trial he feels he will loose custody of Huck, which he doesn't seem to sad about.
2. Huck didn't want to be known as an Abolitionist because the Abolitionist's were people who didn't support slavery. And since he lived in Ohio right before the Civil War he didn't want people to think that he supported the North's cause.
3. While Huck was in costume he was given away by the fact that he
- Couldn't thread a needle
-When he threw a lump of lead, he almost hit it, Girls have to miss by 6 or 7 feet.
- When girls try to catch something in their lap, they throw their knees apart, not clap them together.
Three things that would give the genders away
Girls- Voice Pitch, Gait, and Cleanliness.
Boys- Face Structure, Height, and Hair.
Huckleberry Finn Chapters 12-16
1. King Solomon was posed with a difficult choice, he had two women claiming a baby boy as there own, but he needed to figure out which one was the true mother. So he sent for a sword and said that the baby would be cut in two. One mother did not protest saying that if he couldn't have him no one could. The other begged Solomon to spare the child's life and just give it to the other woman. King Solomon declared the second woman the mother, because a mother would do anything to save her child including giving it away. Jim interpreted the story thinking that the King would actually cut the child in half and make it useless to both women. Jim thinks that it is useless to make the child worthless because the King " has a million" children.
2. When they got separated from each other and Huck made it feel like a dream his reaction shows us that he actually cares about the boy and didn't like being made to think that it was all a dream because he was so worried about Huck.
3. Jim is very superstitious because as a slave is uneducated and his superstitions are ways for him to explain how things happened.
4. At first Huck was afraid to talk to to Jim but now that he has, he doesn't regret it. Where he comes from, he's afraid to be seen as an abolitionist.
5. Huck has a lot of character conflict because he wants to help Jim escape but he doesn't want to be the reason for setting a slave free, because were he was raised it makes sense that he has a fear of being seen as an abolitionist. But Huck really likes Jim's company and he doesn't want to lose his friend because if Jim is free then they will go separate ways. When the men came up the river looking for the 5 escaped slaves and they asked Huck if that was his raft, he replied with yes. And told them that his family was sick and he needed help docking the raft so he could get them help. When the men asked him what his father had, he replied with a nonchalant answer of nothing just a fever. They immediately assumed that it was smallpox and that Huck just needed the help so they left him with money and told him to go dock and to not let any slaves pass. Huck saved Jim. While Huck wants Jim to not leave he also doesn't want him to be forced back into slavery.
1. King Solomon was posed with a difficult choice, he had two women claiming a baby boy as there own, but he needed to figure out which one was the true mother. So he sent for a sword and said that the baby would be cut in two. One mother did not protest saying that if he couldn't have him no one could. The other begged Solomon to spare the child's life and just give it to the other woman. King Solomon declared the second woman the mother, because a mother would do anything to save her child including giving it away. Jim interpreted the story thinking that the King would actually cut the child in half and make it useless to both women. Jim thinks that it is useless to make the child worthless because the King " has a million" children.
2. When they got separated from each other and Huck made it feel like a dream his reaction shows us that he actually cares about the boy and didn't like being made to think that it was all a dream because he was so worried about Huck.
3. Jim is very superstitious because as a slave is uneducated and his superstitions are ways for him to explain how things happened.
4. At first Huck was afraid to talk to to Jim but now that he has, he doesn't regret it. Where he comes from, he's afraid to be seen as an abolitionist.
5. Huck has a lot of character conflict because he wants to help Jim escape but he doesn't want to be the reason for setting a slave free, because were he was raised it makes sense that he has a fear of being seen as an abolitionist. But Huck really likes Jim's company and he doesn't want to lose his friend because if Jim is free then they will go separate ways. When the men came up the river looking for the 5 escaped slaves and they asked Huck if that was his raft, he replied with yes. And told them that his family was sick and he needed help docking the raft so he could get them help. When the men asked him what his father had, he replied with a nonchalant answer of nothing just a fever. They immediately assumed that it was smallpox and that Huck just needed the help so they left him with money and told him to go dock and to not let any slaves pass. Huck saved Jim. While Huck wants Jim to not leave he also doesn't want him to be forced back into slavery.
Huckleberry Finn Chapters 17-21
1. The Grangerford family is a farming family, with a deceased daughter named Emmeline. They are currently in a feud with the Shepherdsons. Colonel Grangerford is a kind man who owns a large estate and he is the head of the family. The children are Bob, Tom, Charlotte, Sophia, and Buck. Each child has their own slaves to wait on them. No one can remember why or how the feud started. Sophia is in love with a Shepherdson boy, named Harney. Buck and 19 year old Grangerford are in a gun fight with the Shepherdsons and they end up dying.
2. The Grangerford's and the Shepherdson's are rival Pre Civil-War aristocratic families, who both want to be the top family in the county. The steamboat landing and the Church are the only two things that they truly share and the Church is the only place where they can co-exist albeit a little roughly. Just like in Romeo and Juliet, Sophia and Harvey are in love and with their rival families it is practically forbidden. So when she runs away with Harvey they have to protect her "honor", and make sure that she went willingly. Twain wrote this into the novel to show that before the Civil War southern families that were at the top of society clashed to be the best. They are both plantation owners, who strive to be the best.
3. Huck actually cared about the family that took him in and he didn't want to go to that place where he found them again he didn't want to face that grief this early. His friend died in front of him in the battle, and it really affected him. Huck admired the Grangerford's whether it was the kind gentle father or the fact that they are a genuine family and to see the feud take more lives, that he personally knew, was just anther reminder to him that the world is harsh. To see his friend shot and killed right in front of him, of course he wouldn't want to talk about it.
4. The King and Duke are two con men that Huck came upon on one of his solo expeditions. Their clothes were battered and they were begging to be let onto the raft in order to get away from trouble. One man (the Duke) is 70 and bald while the other (the King) is 30. The " King" sold paste that took tartar from teeth but it also took the enamel away as well. The "Duke" used to run temperance revival meeting but others found out that he drank. They both sought help from Huck Finn to get them out of a sticky situation.
5. They will have to make it look like they have actually captured Jim and that means a way to "hold" him. This could make for some troubles as they might have to prove that they don't care for Jim if any other ship comes upon them. We anticipate that others would try to capture Jim for the reward and that it might present possible dangers for the crew. It will most likely effect Huck's conscience because he doesn't want Jim to leave him but he does want Jim to be free.
1. The Grangerford family is a farming family, with a deceased daughter named Emmeline. They are currently in a feud with the Shepherdsons. Colonel Grangerford is a kind man who owns a large estate and he is the head of the family. The children are Bob, Tom, Charlotte, Sophia, and Buck. Each child has their own slaves to wait on them. No one can remember why or how the feud started. Sophia is in love with a Shepherdson boy, named Harney. Buck and 19 year old Grangerford are in a gun fight with the Shepherdsons and they end up dying.
2. The Grangerford's and the Shepherdson's are rival Pre Civil-War aristocratic families, who both want to be the top family in the county. The steamboat landing and the Church are the only two things that they truly share and the Church is the only place where they can co-exist albeit a little roughly. Just like in Romeo and Juliet, Sophia and Harvey are in love and with their rival families it is practically forbidden. So when she runs away with Harvey they have to protect her "honor", and make sure that she went willingly. Twain wrote this into the novel to show that before the Civil War southern families that were at the top of society clashed to be the best. They are both plantation owners, who strive to be the best.
3. Huck actually cared about the family that took him in and he didn't want to go to that place where he found them again he didn't want to face that grief this early. His friend died in front of him in the battle, and it really affected him. Huck admired the Grangerford's whether it was the kind gentle father or the fact that they are a genuine family and to see the feud take more lives, that he personally knew, was just anther reminder to him that the world is harsh. To see his friend shot and killed right in front of him, of course he wouldn't want to talk about it.
4. The King and Duke are two con men that Huck came upon on one of his solo expeditions. Their clothes were battered and they were begging to be let onto the raft in order to get away from trouble. One man (the Duke) is 70 and bald while the other (the King) is 30. The " King" sold paste that took tartar from teeth but it also took the enamel away as well. The "Duke" used to run temperance revival meeting but others found out that he drank. They both sought help from Huck Finn to get them out of a sticky situation.
5. They will have to make it look like they have actually captured Jim and that means a way to "hold" him. This could make for some troubles as they might have to prove that they don't care for Jim if any other ship comes upon them. We anticipate that others would try to capture Jim for the reward and that it might present possible dangers for the crew. It will most likely effect Huck's conscience because he doesn't want Jim to leave him but he does want Jim to be free.
Huckleberry Finn Chapters 22-26
1. The line at the end of the Handbill says " Ladies and children not admitted" this line would "get them" because many men will do stuff if their wives can't come, it allows for them to have a little more freedom then they would have if their wives came. Also they don't have to bring their children if they have children because they aren't admitted. Like a night off.
2. a. Huck doesn't see the use in telling Jim about the King and Duke not being real King's and Duke's because they had been discussing it and Huck couldn't get Jim to see that they weren't real without outright telling him. Huck probably also wanted to avoid an argument with Jim and it was less suspicious to travel in a group.
b. They had never met a King or a Duke so they didn't know the difference and they must have been pretty good actors to pull off and confuse Jim as well as they possibly did.
3. The Duke and the King made up this elaborate plan when they heard that a man named Peter Wilks had died and left a fortune to his brothers that no one had ever met and had yet to arrive. One was about 30-35 and the other was Deaf and Dumb, so they decided that they would pretend to be the brothers and have Huck and Jim as their servants and sell the land and gain all this money from this poor dead man and his brothers. Huck probably feels ashamed because he going to be lying to a grieving family and taking their money and land away from them. And according to the shame that he feels it is probably from consorting with these two thieves.
4. The Doctor knows that the King is a fraud because of his accent. He says that it is the worse accent he has ever heard and that, " a time's coming when you're going to feel sick whenever you think of this day". He knew right off the bat that the King and the Duke were most certainly not related to Peter and that they came with empty facts that proved nothing and that they didn't really know Peter.
5. a. They consider leaving with the 6,000 in gold that was found in the cellar, but the King thinks it would be a good idea to stay until the land and slaves are sold that way they can gain more money from the deal then what they already had.
1. The line at the end of the Handbill says " Ladies and children not admitted" this line would "get them" because many men will do stuff if their wives can't come, it allows for them to have a little more freedom then they would have if their wives came. Also they don't have to bring their children if they have children because they aren't admitted. Like a night off.
2. a. Huck doesn't see the use in telling Jim about the King and Duke not being real King's and Duke's because they had been discussing it and Huck couldn't get Jim to see that they weren't real without outright telling him. Huck probably also wanted to avoid an argument with Jim and it was less suspicious to travel in a group.
b. They had never met a King or a Duke so they didn't know the difference and they must have been pretty good actors to pull off and confuse Jim as well as they possibly did.
3. The Duke and the King made up this elaborate plan when they heard that a man named Peter Wilks had died and left a fortune to his brothers that no one had ever met and had yet to arrive. One was about 30-35 and the other was Deaf and Dumb, so they decided that they would pretend to be the brothers and have Huck and Jim as their servants and sell the land and gain all this money from this poor dead man and his brothers. Huck probably feels ashamed because he going to be lying to a grieving family and taking their money and land away from them. And according to the shame that he feels it is probably from consorting with these two thieves.
4. The Doctor knows that the King is a fraud because of his accent. He says that it is the worse accent he has ever heard and that, " a time's coming when you're going to feel sick whenever you think of this day". He knew right off the bat that the King and the Duke were most certainly not related to Peter and that they came with empty facts that proved nothing and that they didn't really know Peter.
5. a. They consider leaving with the 6,000 in gold that was found in the cellar, but the King thinks it would be a good idea to stay until the land and slaves are sold that way they can gain more money from the deal then what they already had.
Huckleberry Finn Chapters 27-30
1. Why did people stay up with the dead during this time period?
- One of the reasons is that they were protecting the body from Insects and rodents throughout the night. To make sure that the body was kept safe. After a person died in this time, they had to be buried the next day because there was apparently no way to preserve the body so they would watch over the body. And according to Scottish traditions they would make sure that the corpse didn't wake back up. Also they would perform blessings on the spirit of the dead to make their journey easier.
2. What do we learn (or reaffirm) about Huck when he tells Miss Mary Jane the slaves will see their Family again and in inside of two weeks?
- He is a truly empathetic person. Even though he plays off that he is this brave and uncaring person he cares about people and wants to make sure that they feel like they have someone to talk too. When he tells Mary Jane that the family will be together again, he told her because she was truly distraught over the family being separated. He wanted to comfort her and he did the only thing he could think of and that was to tell her the truth.
3. What were the two methods the townspeople used to try to identify who the brothers were and who the frauds were?
- A lawyer has all four men meet at the Tavern so they can discern who they truly are, and to do that he has two things done. First he has all four men sign a paper and compares the signatures to ones he received in letters, and it showed that the Duke and the King were fakes and the King gets out of it by saying that the real William serves as a scribe to Harvey and that since William has a broken arm they can't prove who is who. Secondly, the real Harvey recalls that their brother had a tattoo on his chest and then the King says that he did see a tattoo. Then the lawyer asks them what the tattoo was and has the undertaker who dressed the body tell them which one is right, he says that he didn't see a tattoo. They go and dig up the body and find the bag of money inside the coffin with the Late Mr.Wilks.
1. Why did people stay up with the dead during this time period?
- One of the reasons is that they were protecting the body from Insects and rodents throughout the night. To make sure that the body was kept safe. After a person died in this time, they had to be buried the next day because there was apparently no way to preserve the body so they would watch over the body. And according to Scottish traditions they would make sure that the corpse didn't wake back up. Also they would perform blessings on the spirit of the dead to make their journey easier.
2. What do we learn (or reaffirm) about Huck when he tells Miss Mary Jane the slaves will see their Family again and in inside of two weeks?
- He is a truly empathetic person. Even though he plays off that he is this brave and uncaring person he cares about people and wants to make sure that they feel like they have someone to talk too. When he tells Mary Jane that the family will be together again, he told her because she was truly distraught over the family being separated. He wanted to comfort her and he did the only thing he could think of and that was to tell her the truth.
3. What were the two methods the townspeople used to try to identify who the brothers were and who the frauds were?
- A lawyer has all four men meet at the Tavern so they can discern who they truly are, and to do that he has two things done. First he has all four men sign a paper and compares the signatures to ones he received in letters, and it showed that the Duke and the King were fakes and the King gets out of it by saying that the real William serves as a scribe to Harvey and that since William has a broken arm they can't prove who is who. Secondly, the real Harvey recalls that their brother had a tattoo on his chest and then the King says that he did see a tattoo. Then the lawyer asks them what the tattoo was and has the undertaker who dressed the body tell them which one is right, he says that he didn't see a tattoo. They go and dig up the body and find the bag of money inside the coffin with the Late Mr.Wilks.
Huckleberry Finn Chapters 31-35
1. Huck says “You can’t pray a lie.” What lie is he trying to pray about? What does he mean? (Chapter 31)
- Huck is praying about the lie he was telling to himself to make him feel better about stealing away Jim from Mrs.Watson. He was in distress because Jim had been found while the Reward flyer was still out and captured. The man who found him took 40 dollars instead of the 200 promised and then went up the river. He was thinking about what to do to get Jim out of slavery and he was going to write to Mrs.Watson to tell her where Jim was, but then he decided not to because it would tell the people that Huck had been helping a slave escape. He was also praying to tell Him that he wasn't gonna do anymore bad things but he knew that was a lie so he couldn't pray about it.
2. Why does Huck tear up the letter he writes? (Chapter 31)
- He was going to write to Tom Sawyer to tell Miss Watson where Jim was and his predicament, and then remembered Jim's kind heart and all that they had been through together and decided he would just steal Jim away from slavery rather than have Miss Watson get a hold of him and just sell him. So he tears the letter up and decides to do it himself.
3. Huck is disappointed that Tom would help him steal Jim. He says “Tom Sawyer fell, considerable, in my estimation. Only I couldn’t believe it. Tom Sawyer a nigger stealer!” What do you think of this? (Chapter 33)
- I think Huck was hoping that Tom would say he wouldn't help so that Huck could finally make up his mind. I think when Tom said that he would help, Huck was hoping he would say no that way he would have an excuse to not help. He was so distraught at the moment on whether or not he should help Jim that he was hoping for an outside opinion that would make him see reason. I think it also played into the fact that Tom always tries to fit into society, with the trying to have a gang because he read it in a book, that he would drop to immediately help him.
4. Huck says two things at the end of chapter 33:
a.“Human beings can be awful cruel to one another.”
- That we treat each other horribly because of things we do to try and earn money, but then when we do it, we get mad when they treat us the same way. ( What goes around comes around.)
b.“But that’s always the way: it don’t make no difference whether you do right or wrong, a person’s conscience ain’t got no sense, and just goes for him anyway.”
- I think this means that no matter what you do a conscience will make you feel bad. When he saw the Duke and the Dauphin being tarred and feathered, his Ill feelings towards them started to fade away. They were just trying to make a living and they had decided to do it through conning people, but when you see that happening to someone, I think no matter what that person has done you would feel guilty for not helping them.
5. Why are Tom and Huck looking for a more difficult way to break Jim free? (Chapter 34)
- When Huck came up with a simple plan to get Jim out of the shed that he was being held in Tom said that it wasn't stylish enough and came up with an elaborate plan to get Jim out. "Tom told me what his plan was, and I see in a minute it was worth fifteen of mine for style, and would make Jim just as free a man as mine would, and maybe get us all killed besides."
1. Huck says “You can’t pray a lie.” What lie is he trying to pray about? What does he mean? (Chapter 31)
- Huck is praying about the lie he was telling to himself to make him feel better about stealing away Jim from Mrs.Watson. He was in distress because Jim had been found while the Reward flyer was still out and captured. The man who found him took 40 dollars instead of the 200 promised and then went up the river. He was thinking about what to do to get Jim out of slavery and he was going to write to Mrs.Watson to tell her where Jim was, but then he decided not to because it would tell the people that Huck had been helping a slave escape. He was also praying to tell Him that he wasn't gonna do anymore bad things but he knew that was a lie so he couldn't pray about it.
2. Why does Huck tear up the letter he writes? (Chapter 31)
- He was going to write to Tom Sawyer to tell Miss Watson where Jim was and his predicament, and then remembered Jim's kind heart and all that they had been through together and decided he would just steal Jim away from slavery rather than have Miss Watson get a hold of him and just sell him. So he tears the letter up and decides to do it himself.
3. Huck is disappointed that Tom would help him steal Jim. He says “Tom Sawyer fell, considerable, in my estimation. Only I couldn’t believe it. Tom Sawyer a nigger stealer!” What do you think of this? (Chapter 33)
- I think Huck was hoping that Tom would say he wouldn't help so that Huck could finally make up his mind. I think when Tom said that he would help, Huck was hoping he would say no that way he would have an excuse to not help. He was so distraught at the moment on whether or not he should help Jim that he was hoping for an outside opinion that would make him see reason. I think it also played into the fact that Tom always tries to fit into society, with the trying to have a gang because he read it in a book, that he would drop to immediately help him.
4. Huck says two things at the end of chapter 33:
a.“Human beings can be awful cruel to one another.”
- That we treat each other horribly because of things we do to try and earn money, but then when we do it, we get mad when they treat us the same way. ( What goes around comes around.)
b.“But that’s always the way: it don’t make no difference whether you do right or wrong, a person’s conscience ain’t got no sense, and just goes for him anyway.”
- I think this means that no matter what you do a conscience will make you feel bad. When he saw the Duke and the Dauphin being tarred and feathered, his Ill feelings towards them started to fade away. They were just trying to make a living and they had decided to do it through conning people, but when you see that happening to someone, I think no matter what that person has done you would feel guilty for not helping them.
5. Why are Tom and Huck looking for a more difficult way to break Jim free? (Chapter 34)
- When Huck came up with a simple plan to get Jim out of the shed that he was being held in Tom said that it wasn't stylish enough and came up with an elaborate plan to get Jim out. "Tom told me what his plan was, and I see in a minute it was worth fifteen of mine for style, and would make Jim just as free a man as mine would, and maybe get us all killed besides."
Huckleberry Finn Chapters 36-40
1. In the process of breaking Jim free, what is Tom’s motivation? What is Huck’s motivation? (Why are they doing it?)
- Tom wants the escape to be as dramatic and a fantastical as physically possible. He wants to have an adventure like the people in books do.He's trying to make him a real prisoner and he's using impractical methods to get Jim out. Huck's motivation is that he cares about Jim and what happens to him. He doesn't want Jim to be a slave again. He wants Jim to have that freedom. Huck is willing to commit a "sinful" act for Jim because they have a true friendship.
2. What do Huck and Tom mean when they say they “let on” about something? Why do they do this? (Begins on chapter 37)
- When Huck and Tom say "let on", they're talking about telling everyone. They say this because Tom suggested they should dig the hole with picks, but tell everyone that they dug it with case knives instead. They were talking about how immoral this situation was, and the only way to get Jim out is dig him out with one thing, but make them think he used another.
3. Why is Tom writing the letters and posting warnings? Why did he give instructions to his aunt and uncle’s slave? What are his motivations for this? (Chapter 39)
- Tom is writing the letters so that people will know that something is up so that they can see his escape plan. Because, after all the hard work they've put into the plan Tom doesn't want it to go without a hitch. He wants something to go wrong so that people will see their amazing escape plan that they had for Jim. He gave the slaves instructions so that they would tell the family what was going on and that their plan would go perfectly. Tom's motivations are purely for the glory of the escape. He wants people to see his glorious plan and he wanted that extra sense of adventure. If he got people to come after them then he would have the story that he always wanted.
4. We’ve worked a great deal on this novel’s satirical elements. How is the planning and plotting of Jim’s escape by Tom and Huck satire?
- This is satire because it pokes fun at all the great escapes of the day. The failed escape of Louis XVI being one of the escapes they use for reference. Tom having read many of the stories about the planned escape of King Louis decided to use some of the elements that he read in the book. When they finish the getting Jim out of the cabin and they are on the raft, he says " Boys, we done it elegant!--- 'deed we did. I wish we'd 'a' had the handling of Louis XVI, there wouldn't 'a' been no ' Son of Saint Louis, ascend to heaven' wrote down in his biography" Tom was saying that they should have been in charge of getting the King out of the castle because then he wouldn't have died.
5. Towards the end of the chapter Huck says “I knowed he was white inside” about Jim. Why does he say this and what does he mean?
- He wanted to save Tom from the bullet that had lodged in his leg, and he wouldn't let the raft drift until Tom had been seen by a doctor. I think Huck said this because they had just gotten Jim free and he was a runaway slave, and he wanted a doctor that would surely turn him in to save Tom. Although he was a slave, he acted like a white man would in that situation.
1. In the process of breaking Jim free, what is Tom’s motivation? What is Huck’s motivation? (Why are they doing it?)
- Tom wants the escape to be as dramatic and a fantastical as physically possible. He wants to have an adventure like the people in books do.He's trying to make him a real prisoner and he's using impractical methods to get Jim out. Huck's motivation is that he cares about Jim and what happens to him. He doesn't want Jim to be a slave again. He wants Jim to have that freedom. Huck is willing to commit a "sinful" act for Jim because they have a true friendship.
2. What do Huck and Tom mean when they say they “let on” about something? Why do they do this? (Begins on chapter 37)
- When Huck and Tom say "let on", they're talking about telling everyone. They say this because Tom suggested they should dig the hole with picks, but tell everyone that they dug it with case knives instead. They were talking about how immoral this situation was, and the only way to get Jim out is dig him out with one thing, but make them think he used another.
3. Why is Tom writing the letters and posting warnings? Why did he give instructions to his aunt and uncle’s slave? What are his motivations for this? (Chapter 39)
- Tom is writing the letters so that people will know that something is up so that they can see his escape plan. Because, after all the hard work they've put into the plan Tom doesn't want it to go without a hitch. He wants something to go wrong so that people will see their amazing escape plan that they had for Jim. He gave the slaves instructions so that they would tell the family what was going on and that their plan would go perfectly. Tom's motivations are purely for the glory of the escape. He wants people to see his glorious plan and he wanted that extra sense of adventure. If he got people to come after them then he would have the story that he always wanted.
4. We’ve worked a great deal on this novel’s satirical elements. How is the planning and plotting of Jim’s escape by Tom and Huck satire?
- This is satire because it pokes fun at all the great escapes of the day. The failed escape of Louis XVI being one of the escapes they use for reference. Tom having read many of the stories about the planned escape of King Louis decided to use some of the elements that he read in the book. When they finish the getting Jim out of the cabin and they are on the raft, he says " Boys, we done it elegant!--- 'deed we did. I wish we'd 'a' had the handling of Louis XVI, there wouldn't 'a' been no ' Son of Saint Louis, ascend to heaven' wrote down in his biography" Tom was saying that they should have been in charge of getting the King out of the castle because then he wouldn't have died.
5. Towards the end of the chapter Huck says “I knowed he was white inside” about Jim. Why does he say this and what does he mean?
- He wanted to save Tom from the bullet that had lodged in his leg, and he wouldn't let the raft drift until Tom had been seen by a doctor. I think Huck said this because they had just gotten Jim free and he was a runaway slave, and he wanted a doctor that would surely turn him in to save Tom. Although he was a slave, he acted like a white man would in that situation.
Huckleberry Finn Chapters 41- End
1. Towards the end of chapter 41: “And then when I went up to bed, she come up with me, and fetched her candle, and tucked me in, and mothered me so good I felt mean and like I couldn’t look her in the face”. Why does Huck feel this way?
- Huck feels guilty because she thinks she lost Sid (Tom), and he feels bad knowing that he is still alive and that he helped the slave get away. He doesn't want to look her in the face because I feel he's afraid that if he does that he will tell her everything they did and that she will be mad. Right after this Huck and Sally stayed up a little longer talking about "Sid" and if Huck thought he was lost or hurt. This shows that she truly has compassion for Huck and Tom and when Huck is lying to her, he feels horrible at lying to this Woman that has done so much to help him and keep him safe.
2. In chapter 42 we hear the doctor’s account of his experience treating Tom: “so I says, I got have help, somehow; and the minute I says it, out crawls this nigger from somewheres, and says he’ll help; and he done it too, and done it very well.” Can we come to an understanding about Jim from this? What do we learn about him?
- Jim was so worried and guilty that Tom had gotten shot while getting him free that he was willing to sacrifice his newly earned freedom to save Tom. Jim is a thoughtful and kind man. He would do anything to save his friends who got him out, and that included helping to save Tom and losing that freedom. The doctor found Tom too injured to be left alone while he gets help, so he says that he needs help, and out comes Jim. When Jim heard that, he was willing to lose everything to make sure that Tom would be alright. Jim is faithful and the doctor could tell he was exhausted from being worked too hard lately. Jim was a great 'nurse' to Tom, caring for him and sticking with him through thick and thin. Jim was a great gentleman, and he wasn't a bad slave.
3.What do we learn about Tom from what he says when he wakes up after being treated for the gunshot wound (Chapter 42)?
- Tom wants to live a life of adventure and he wants people to know that it was him. When he dropped the bomb shell of Miss Watson's passing and that she set Jim free in her will and they were freeing an already free slave, you could see that he wanted the thrill of the adventure more than the reward. He knew that Jim was free but saw it as a way to have a safe adventure. Tom has been keeping the secrets about the death of Miss Watson and the fact that Jim is free tells me that he will do anything to have an adventure. Including freeing someone who is already free.
4. You’ve finished the novel: Tell me, in three to four sentences, what you think of Huck.
- I think Huck is an interesting character with an interesting personality. He does all of this stuff to help Jim get to his family and says that he isn't an abolitionist, just helping a friend out and it made me think about what I say I'm not and then do. I'm not freeing a slave so it's not the same but it allowed me to relate to this book a little bit more. I think Huck is a little imaginative. When he joined Tom Sawyers gang at the very beginning of the book that was apparently going to take captives, kill, and steal, he was imagining all of these things because they never did that stuff. He had all of this money at the beginning of the book, and to get away from his Dad he gave it all up. Huck was a boy in a bad situation with his Father and the fact that he gave 6,000 dollars up to get his Dad away from him, says a lot about him. I think Huck was an amazingly well written character.
1. Towards the end of chapter 41: “And then when I went up to bed, she come up with me, and fetched her candle, and tucked me in, and mothered me so good I felt mean and like I couldn’t look her in the face”. Why does Huck feel this way?
- Huck feels guilty because she thinks she lost Sid (Tom), and he feels bad knowing that he is still alive and that he helped the slave get away. He doesn't want to look her in the face because I feel he's afraid that if he does that he will tell her everything they did and that she will be mad. Right after this Huck and Sally stayed up a little longer talking about "Sid" and if Huck thought he was lost or hurt. This shows that she truly has compassion for Huck and Tom and when Huck is lying to her, he feels horrible at lying to this Woman that has done so much to help him and keep him safe.
2. In chapter 42 we hear the doctor’s account of his experience treating Tom: “so I says, I got have help, somehow; and the minute I says it, out crawls this nigger from somewheres, and says he’ll help; and he done it too, and done it very well.” Can we come to an understanding about Jim from this? What do we learn about him?
- Jim was so worried and guilty that Tom had gotten shot while getting him free that he was willing to sacrifice his newly earned freedom to save Tom. Jim is a thoughtful and kind man. He would do anything to save his friends who got him out, and that included helping to save Tom and losing that freedom. The doctor found Tom too injured to be left alone while he gets help, so he says that he needs help, and out comes Jim. When Jim heard that, he was willing to lose everything to make sure that Tom would be alright. Jim is faithful and the doctor could tell he was exhausted from being worked too hard lately. Jim was a great 'nurse' to Tom, caring for him and sticking with him through thick and thin. Jim was a great gentleman, and he wasn't a bad slave.
3.What do we learn about Tom from what he says when he wakes up after being treated for the gunshot wound (Chapter 42)?
- Tom wants to live a life of adventure and he wants people to know that it was him. When he dropped the bomb shell of Miss Watson's passing and that she set Jim free in her will and they were freeing an already free slave, you could see that he wanted the thrill of the adventure more than the reward. He knew that Jim was free but saw it as a way to have a safe adventure. Tom has been keeping the secrets about the death of Miss Watson and the fact that Jim is free tells me that he will do anything to have an adventure. Including freeing someone who is already free.
4. You’ve finished the novel: Tell me, in three to four sentences, what you think of Huck.
- I think Huck is an interesting character with an interesting personality. He does all of this stuff to help Jim get to his family and says that he isn't an abolitionist, just helping a friend out and it made me think about what I say I'm not and then do. I'm not freeing a slave so it's not the same but it allowed me to relate to this book a little bit more. I think Huck is a little imaginative. When he joined Tom Sawyers gang at the very beginning of the book that was apparently going to take captives, kill, and steal, he was imagining all of these things because they never did that stuff. He had all of this money at the beginning of the book, and to get away from his Dad he gave it all up. Huck was a boy in a bad situation with his Father and the fact that he gave 6,000 dollars up to get his Dad away from him, says a lot about him. I think Huck was an amazingly well written character.