Huck Discussion Questions: XII - XIV

1. Huck learned from his dad that its not stealing as long as you intend to pay it back at some point in time, but the widow taught him that it is stealing, so Huck finds a happy medium. Huck and Jim decide that they'll only borrow certain things, which turn out to be items they don't want anyway.

2. Huck likes and wishes for a good adventure, while at the same time he is realistic because he figures they could borrow some things from the boat.

3. Walter Scott was the author of "Braveheart", and was hated by Twain for his romanticism. Huck wants an adventure, but it turns out to be not so fun in real life, and certainly not romantic.

4. Huck tries to save the murderers because he figures that if he were a murderer, he wouldn't want to be left on the sinking boat to die. This shows Huck's compassion for others and sense of humanity, but also his naivety.

5. The scene with the boatman is satirical towards humans and our society because the only way Huck convinces the boatman to help who he thinks to be innocent, dying people stranded on a sinking ship, is by playing on the boatman's greediness and guaranteeing him money.

6. Jim figured that if he didn't get saved from the sinking ship, he would drown, but if he did get saved, then the person who saved him would just give him back to Miss Watson for the reward, and that she would sell him to the South.

7. Huck's information about kings and dukes is partially accurate, because they are rich, and some don't do much, and some dress gaudy, but every king or duke has other duties that he muct perform other than just whacking people's heads off and going to war sometimes. They also don't get as much money as they want, and don't normally have harems, especially harems with a million wives.

8. Jim doesn't like Solomon because everyone says he's wise, but Jim doesn't believe it. He thinks Solomon was stupid for having that many wives and children because he would never get any peace, and that chopping the child in half was a dumb idea. The scene is an argument between Huck and Jim, ultimately resulting in Jim's victory, unbeknownst to Huck. It is written entirely in the matter that such a person like Jim or Huck would speak, taking advantage of the many dialects found in the area. 

This was really late, Fielding... Sorry. I did all but question 8 before the DDF trip, but I just forgot to post it.