Huck Discussion Questions XL - Chapter the Last

1. These chapters show just how good of a person and friend Jim is. He risks his own safety and freedom to help Tom, who only ever did him wrong. After he learns that he was free to begin with, he can't be anything but happy, and isn't even mad at Tom. He is shown here to be more a person than the majority of the people in this book, which goes along with the theme of dehumanization. Jim is faithful, trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kindhearted, and unselfish.

2. Because of the Doctor's speech about how helpful and trustworthy Jim was, the people decide not to hang Jim and be a little nicer to him. This was very nice of the Doctor, and shows that not all members of society think in the same way. He showed the people that Jim had proven himself to be more than just a slave, and that they should treat him better.

3. The bullet signifies the consequences of romanticism, and its "death" essentially in the novel. It is a trophy of Twain and his realism against the world and its romanticism. That Tom kept it shows how some people never learn and still keep their old ways.

4. Huck is going to the territories, west of the Mississippi, because he doesn't want to be sivilized again. Huck has learned the evils of society and has decided to, in a sense, leave the world behind in search of his own world, away from society.

5. Huck Finn adheres to the realistic tradition of writing throughout almost the entire book. Even when it is highly unlikely that Huck finds himself at Aunt Sally's house and that Tom is there too, Twain uses this to strengthen the idea of realism even more and point out the flaws of romanticism. Huck is a good narrator because he is not too biased and is learning at the same time as the audience. His internal struggle with his deformed conscious gives the book a good conflict. He is also humorous and makes the story entertaining. Huck is truthful, and doesn't romaticize or over-exaggerate things. Sometimes Huck doesn't necessarily understand what is going on during some scenes because he is so naive, but it is still shown what happened and is perhaps represented through a different viewpoint, like when Huck saw the circus show. Having another character narrate the story would completely change the entire point of the novel, as no one else has a mind like Huck's and thinks like he does. The story wouldn't have as powerful an argument against society. An omniscient narrator would ruin the point as well, as everyone's (even society's) points would be presented, and it would make the story less personal.

Huck Discussion XXXVI - XXXIX - Written Assignment

Tom Sawyer, in every way, symbolizes romaticism, and Twain's hate of it. Tom embraces a romantic viewpoint rather than a realistic one in all situations. He prefers to play make-believe, than actually do something constructive and meaningful, and turns everything into an adventure or joke. In his mind, everything must be by the book, the books being of course classic romantic tales like "Arabian Nights" and "Don Quixote". Having to adhere to these examples usually makes Tom's games and plans over-the-top and overly complicated and dramatized.

Twain's use of Tom Sawyer to make fun of romanticism is blatanly evident in chapters 36 through 39. Tom and Huck are trying to free Jim, which would be an easy enough task, were it not for Tom. Tom insists that everything must be just like it is portrayed in storybooks like "The Count of Monte Cristo". He even goes as far as to make a ladder made out of sheets and a rope baked into a pie to sneak in to Jim, who is located on the first floor. Instead of just walking out the front door with Jim, an easily accomplished task, Tom has them try to dig under the cabin with case-knives. Even after the hole is dug, and Jim is able to get out, Tom has them perform other "vital" tasks. Jim is made to scratch messages asking for help to "the outside world" on tin plates and keep a diary in blood on a shirt, even though he can't write. The boys also wrangle up some snakes, spiders, and rats for him to tame in his long stay in captivity. In order to give Jim some hope, he is told to tend to a flower, but only water it using his tears, as this is how the real prisoners do it, according to Tom. 

All these "necessary" accessories are entirely unpractical. Jim was stuck in the cabin for much, much longer than he should have been because of Tom's setbacks. Even when preparations are complete for Jim to escape, Tom makes that even more romanticized. He writes anonymous letters telling the family about an oncoming Indian plan to steal their runaway slave, making their escape more difficult. In the process of actually freeing Jim, Tom gets shot in the leg, a scene I'm sure Mr. Twain enjoyed writing. This point shows the ultimate downfall of romanticism and how it never actually works out in the real world. Later, it is revelaed that Jim was free anyway due to Miss Watson's death, and that Tom was aware of that fact the whole time. Twain uses this to make romanticism into even more of a villain. To Tom, all of this was a game; he was just using Huck and Jim, who just wanted Jim's freedom. Jim's life and freedom are endangered by Tom's actions, and Tom doesn't care.

If Tom's schemes are so ridiculous, why do Huck and Jim go along with them? To Jim and Huck, Tom is an educated, respected, member of society, who knows better than they do. They don't want to break any regulations on prisoners and escaping from prison that are described in the books. Tom also has a gang of boys that considers him their leader. Tom is so popular because his games are fun and entertaining, though useless. His fantastical adventures are more appealing than the real world. Twain is making a point about how people get so caught up in the dramatic, unrealistic, idealized, and romantic, that they forget about the real world, and can't differentiate between a fake adventure and a real, dangerous scenario (as seen in the scene on the Walter Scott), a cardinal sin in Twain's mind.

Huck Discussion Questions XXXI - XXXV

2. Huck saying that he'll go to hell is ironic because he wanted to go to hell anyway. Earlier in the book he said that hell would be more fun than heaven anyway.

3. The description of the country as being lonesome is symbolic of Huck's loneliness without Jim. The setting also symbolizes society, as it is the conventional description of a small Southern plantation, and Huck's return to it.

4. According to Huck, Providence always puts the right words in his mouth, so he never plans out what he's going to tell people. Miss Watson wouldn't agree with Huck. She would say that God would never help Huck lie, or deceive people, especially not in order to free a runaway slave.

5. Huck says that nobody got hurt, it just killed a nigger, which is ironic because Huck is implying that black people aren't people, but he is using that story to help free Jim, a runaway slave. It is also ironic because Huck has made it so far, but as soon as he comes back into society, he has to pretend to have the same mindset as everyone else.

6. Realism vs. romanticism because Tom Sawyer is such a big proponent of romanticism. Also, Huck vs. society, as Tom symbolizes society as well.

7. Huck wants to save Jim because they're family and he doesn't want Jim to be put back into slavery. Huck actually cares about Jim, and feels it is his responsibility to help Jim to freedom. Tom wants to save Jim so that he can have his own little romantic adventure like he reads in his storybooks, not to actually help Jim. Jim's situation is merely a stage to Tom.

8. This shows that Huck is a kindhearted and compassionate person. He doesn't like to see people in bad situations, regardless of how rotten the people were. He is sensitive to others and puts himself in their shoes. It also shows his naivety that he didn't expect people of such cruelty in the first place.

9. Tom's stealing everything anyway! Although, it's not really stealing because they're all his aunts things anyway. Tom says that they can only steal things that a prisoner would need, like tin plates to write on, a shirt to keep a journal on, and sheets to make into a ladder, which is ironic in itself, because no prisoner needs those things, and it is unnecessary to steal them. At least Huck actually ate the watermelon because he was hungry.

10. Huck lets Tom take control because he thinks that Tom is smarter than he is. He knows that Tom has an education and that he doesn't, and believes that that therefore makes Tom superior in the ways of thinking. Huck also doesn't want to cause any trouble between the both of them.

Huck Finn Mini-Quiz Thingy

1. In chapter 26, Huck must decide whether or not to foil the king and duke's plan and take their money from them, risking his safety. In chapter 31, Huck has to make a decision on whether or not to let Jim be put back into slavery, and actually turn him in back to Miss Watson. Both decisions show Huck's maturing character, how he has grown since the beginning of the book, as both decisions deal with other people rather than himself. The decision about Jim also shows how Huck has grown away from the ways of society. In the end, Huck decides to take the money in order to help Mary Jane and the rest of her family, as well as show the truth to the townspeople, and to not send the letter to Miss Watson, and try to get Jim free again.

The opposing forces in each of Huck's decisions is Huck himself, because they are internal conflicts.

It is ironic that Huck is stealing for a good cause. What is ironic about Huck saying, "All right then, I'll go to hell," is that he didn't care about whether or not he went to hell to begin with. In the beginning of the book, he even said he'd rather go to hell, because it sounded more fun than heaven.

2. Writing the letter made Huck feel sinless because according to society and the principles he grew up with, he had done the right thing. Earlier, Huck said he couldn't pray a lie, meaning he couldn't pray before he wrote the letter because he would kneel and pray, but the words that would come out of his mouth would be lies, because deep down he knew really didn't want to/wouldn't do the things he would pray about. Huck wasn't able to pray that he wanted to be better, because in his mind he wasn't that bad, and really he didn't want to send Jim back into slavery. He felt better about the state of his soul after writing the letter because he had actually proven to himself that he could/would do it. He had the paper right in front of him and all he had to do was send it.

3. After writing the letter, Huck thought about all the times he had with Jim, and all the things Jim had done for him, how Jim had never done him ny wrong, and how he had a duty to Jim to only do right by him, as Jim had said Huck was his only and best friend. Huck tore up the paper because he realized that he and Jim were like family, and that he needed to be there for Jim as Jim was to him. Huck broke away from society in this final act of defiance in order to save someone he loved, and didn't care about the consequences.

Huck Questions XXVIII - XXX

1. It's not your average funeral scene. The undertaker goes down into the cellar to either shut-up a dog, or kill a rat in the middle of the service, and is revered as a great man for that little task. Twain doesn't give much mention on the dead man, or the sermon itself, and interrupts the whole scene with that, which may have seemed disrespectful to some people. The crticism is not justified, Twain is just making another point about society.

2. Huck is saying that this is one of the few times when it is better to be honest than lie. He is considering telling Mary Jane the truth, and thus taking any blame off himself, while making Mary Jane feel better.

3. Huck lies to help others, but still ensure his own well-being.

4. Jim isn't seen in these chapters as much because Twain is trying to show more of Huck's coming of age and his personal growth. He is also trying to make different points against society than simply arguing against slavery.

5.  It shows that Hines is greedy, easily distracted, and cares for money more than anything else. He is a symbol of society. 

6. Huck likes Mary Jane a lot, and doesn't want to see her get caught up in the whole mess. He is also afraid she would unknowingly give away his plan. Huck is showing more concern for Mary Jane than he is himself, as her being there would aid in keeping him safe from the townspeople, showing that Huck actually does have morals.

7. This backs up the themes of gullibility and appearance vs. reality. Huck is saying that anyone could clearly see which man was the liar, but the townspeople can't tell because they have already believed the king to be who he says he is and are convinced that they all must be right. They are already "prejudiced".

8. The truth. (Ha, that looks/sounds so dramatic.) As well as reasoning and good judgement.

9. The duke and king are still villains. Based not only on their various misdeeds of the past, but also the event that just happened in Chapter 30, when they threatened Huck, fought with each other, and then got all drunk. The two conmen are simlilar to Pap, and represent society, and therefore must be villains.