Chapters 1-5
Timeline of events-
-Introduction of Huck and introduction of Mrs. Watson
- Huck Finn snuck out to see Tom Sawyer
-Tom and Huck played a game on the slave named Jim
- Decided to create a gang of robbers
- Gang agreed to meet up again but not on Sunday.
- Mrs. Watson tried to explain why she mad him pray
- Body found in river supposedly being hucks father
-After about a month the boys quit the gang
-Huck finally starting to adjust to his new life in things like school
-Huck recognizes a boot print in the snow and warns the judge
-Huck finds his dad waiting in his bedroom for him
- Huck's father takes money from Huck for whiskey
-Huck's dad gets super drunk and lands himself in jail
Time period of the book
The time period of Huck Finn is the 1830's. You can tell this because of the fact of the slaves. Slaves give away that the book takes place way in the past. The language in Huck Finn also gives away the time period. Huck speaks a lot different then present day people would. The dialogue he speaks is very hard to understand and has heavy southern influence.
Narrator point of view influences the story
The point of view from the narrator heavily affects the story because of the fact that Huck is only about 12 years old. Huck is a little kid so his story's could be altered from the age.
Chapters 5-11
1.Explain why pap has huck locked up.
Pap has huck locked up because he is holding him for ransom to gain money.
2. Visual of how huck escaped.
3. In chapter 8 Huck and Jim run into each other. Huck says that people will call him a “low down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum” in reference to Jim running away. Explain what it means to be an Abolitionist. Why is it Huck is concerned about being called one? You’ll have to consider both the time period and the setting of the novel to answer the question.
Being a abolitionist basically means that you want to get rid of or remove something.
This would concern Huck because being a abolitionist was frowned upon during that time. It wasn’t a good thing back then.
4. There are several things that give Huck away when he pretends to be a girl. List them. Then, come up with 3 things that would give a boy away and 3 things that would give a girl away (if the roles were reversed) in our modern times.
Huck gives himself away by acting like a boy. He is bad at threading a needle, He throws stuff at a rat, and finally he gets very nervous and fidgety. A girl would give herself away doing things like being nervous, fidgety, and their voice
Timeline of events-
-Introduction of Huck and introduction of Mrs. Watson
- Huck Finn snuck out to see Tom Sawyer
-Tom and Huck played a game on the slave named Jim
- Decided to create a gang of robbers
- Gang agreed to meet up again but not on Sunday.
- Mrs. Watson tried to explain why she mad him pray
- Body found in river supposedly being hucks father
-After about a month the boys quit the gang
-Huck finally starting to adjust to his new life in things like school
-Huck recognizes a boot print in the snow and warns the judge
-Huck finds his dad waiting in his bedroom for him
- Huck's father takes money from Huck for whiskey
-Huck's dad gets super drunk and lands himself in jail
Time period of the book
The time period of Huck Finn is the 1830's. You can tell this because of the fact of the slaves. Slaves give away that the book takes place way in the past. The language in Huck Finn also gives away the time period. Huck speaks a lot different then present day people would. The dialogue he speaks is very hard to understand and has heavy southern influence.
Narrator point of view influences the story
The point of view from the narrator heavily affects the story because of the fact that Huck is only about 12 years old. Huck is a little kid so his story's could be altered from the age.
Chapters 5-11
1.Explain why pap has huck locked up.
Pap has huck locked up because he is holding him for ransom to gain money.
2. Visual of how huck escaped.
3. In chapter 8 Huck and Jim run into each other. Huck says that people will call him a “low down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum” in reference to Jim running away. Explain what it means to be an Abolitionist. Why is it Huck is concerned about being called one? You’ll have to consider both the time period and the setting of the novel to answer the question.
Being a abolitionist basically means that you want to get rid of or remove something.
This would concern Huck because being a abolitionist was frowned upon during that time. It wasn’t a good thing back then.
4. There are several things that give Huck away when he pretends to be a girl. List them. Then, come up with 3 things that would give a boy away and 3 things that would give a girl away (if the roles were reversed) in our modern times.
Huck gives himself away by acting like a boy. He is bad at threading a needle, He throws stuff at a rat, and finally he gets very nervous and fidgety. A girl would give herself away doing things like being nervous, fidgety, and their voice
Lit circle 11-16
1. What is the story of King Solomon and his child? How does Jim interpret that story?
The story of king Solomon and the child was a story when two ladies claiming to be the mother of a baby came to him to decide who the mother was. He the proposed to chop the baby in half and each of the woman get half. Jim interprets this as that the king doesn’t value the lives of the people around him or any of his kids.
2. When Jim wakes up after their separation in the fog, what does Jim’s reaction to Huck tell us about him? How do you feel about Jim at this point?
This tells us a lot about Jim like he doesn’t like being treated like a fool. He doesn’t consider himself as a fool at all. He doesn’t like the stereotypes given at the time. I feel that Jim is a really interesting character and will continue to do so in the book.
3. Jim is very superstitious. From a historical standpoint, why do you think this is?
He could be very superstitious because of the fact that he doesn’t get to learn the same the rest of the people do because he is a slave. Being a slave would cause him to not be as educated as everyone else in the book.
4. “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a n***** – but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterwards, neither.” What does this line tell us about Huck?
Fro, that line only it tells us a very negative side of Huck. This tells us that Huck might not respect any slaves or anyone of color. He doesn’t respect Jim at all because he isn’t sorry a all and he doesn’t care at all about what he did.
5. At the end of chapter 16 Huck is struggling with giving Jim up. Outline the battle that he has with himself, and explain his actions when the men come up looking for the 5 escaped slaves.
Huck was very conflicted in helping Jim originally he said in the book that he was gonna give Jim up. Huck through talking with Jim and hearing Jim say that Huck was his only friend really changed Huck as a person. When the people come looking for escaping slaves he claims that he has a family member with smallpox aboard his boat. He did this due to what Jim had said
1. What is the story of King Solomon and his child? How does Jim interpret that story?
The story of king Solomon and the child was a story when two ladies claiming to be the mother of a baby came to him to decide who the mother was. He the proposed to chop the baby in half and each of the woman get half. Jim interprets this as that the king doesn’t value the lives of the people around him or any of his kids.
2. When Jim wakes up after their separation in the fog, what does Jim’s reaction to Huck tell us about him? How do you feel about Jim at this point?
This tells us a lot about Jim like he doesn’t like being treated like a fool. He doesn’t consider himself as a fool at all. He doesn’t like the stereotypes given at the time. I feel that Jim is a really interesting character and will continue to do so in the book.
3. Jim is very superstitious. From a historical standpoint, why do you think this is?
He could be very superstitious because of the fact that he doesn’t get to learn the same the rest of the people do because he is a slave. Being a slave would cause him to not be as educated as everyone else in the book.
4. “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a n***** – but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterwards, neither.” What does this line tell us about Huck?
Fro, that line only it tells us a very negative side of Huck. This tells us that Huck might not respect any slaves or anyone of color. He doesn’t respect Jim at all because he isn’t sorry a all and he doesn’t care at all about what he did.
5. At the end of chapter 16 Huck is struggling with giving Jim up. Outline the battle that he has with himself, and explain his actions when the men come up looking for the 5 escaped slaves.
Huck was very conflicted in helping Jim originally he said in the book that he was gonna give Jim up. Huck through talking with Jim and hearing Jim say that Huck was his only friend really changed Huck as a person. When the people come looking for escaping slaves he claims that he has a family member with smallpox aboard his boat. He did this due to what Jim had said
Lit Circle 17-21
1.Describe the Grangerford family (Chapter 17 & 18)
The Grangerford family seem very polite as they let Huck stay with them. At first they seem like a normal family with 5 children who each own 1 slave. But they have a burning feud with another family, the Shepherdsons no one knows why.
2.Mark Twain alludes that the feud between the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons is about traditional feuds between farmer (“granger”) and rancher (“shepherd”). Why would he write this into the novel? What does it say about these two occupations at this time (Chapter 18)?
I believe Mark Twain included the feud between the two families to show a represent a little history about the two occupations. There were such things as “ranch wars” where multiple occupations on the ranch would bicker over how much cattle the other farmer, rancher, etc had. I believe that this gives a pretty good explanation of why putting the two occupations into this novel was a good idea.
3.Toward the end of chapter 18 Huck says “I don’t want to talk much about the next day. I reckon I’ll cut it pretty short.” Huck says this prior to telling us about the big battle. How does our narrator’s perspective play a role in what we think and feel reading this section (Chapter 18)?
This plays an important role because Huck went through a lot, covering up Buck’s face after all he’s done for him. It makes the reader wonder why the feud is really happening, and why these people have to get killed? Huck doesn’t want to discuss what happened because it was hard for him. I think Huck thinks that this somewhat might be his fault cause he delivered the note to Miss Sophie.
4.Explain who the King and the Duke are. Why does Huck go along with their story (Chapter 19)?
Duke and King are ratty poor looking con men who were running away from some people when Huck decides to help them. Duke and King have to tell stories on why they are running one says that he created toothpaste that actually took off your tooth enamel. The other explained that he created an alcoholic recovery group but word got out that he was an alcoholic. Huck later discovers that one is named “Duke of Bridgewater” and the other is “King of France” Huck doesn't believe this story or anything they have told but goes along with it in order to not cause a fight.
5.What problems do you anticipate with the Duke’s solution to how they can all run the raft during the day (Chapter 20)?
Dukes plan to tie Jim up and say that they have caught a runaway slave is a horrible idea. Duke explains that he will get a reward for Jim’s capture. I think that people will want the reward for themselves, cause a fight and steal Jim. Not only will the people who are against slaves want to take Jim in but the people who are trying to free slaves might steal Jim to let him be free.
6.Illustrate the town that the play will be held in (Chapter 21).
1.Describe the Grangerford family (Chapter 17 & 18)
The Grangerford family seem very polite as they let Huck stay with them. At first they seem like a normal family with 5 children who each own 1 slave. But they have a burning feud with another family, the Shepherdsons no one knows why.
2.Mark Twain alludes that the feud between the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons is about traditional feuds between farmer (“granger”) and rancher (“shepherd”). Why would he write this into the novel? What does it say about these two occupations at this time (Chapter 18)?
I believe Mark Twain included the feud between the two families to show a represent a little history about the two occupations. There were such things as “ranch wars” where multiple occupations on the ranch would bicker over how much cattle the other farmer, rancher, etc had. I believe that this gives a pretty good explanation of why putting the two occupations into this novel was a good idea.
3.Toward the end of chapter 18 Huck says “I don’t want to talk much about the next day. I reckon I’ll cut it pretty short.” Huck says this prior to telling us about the big battle. How does our narrator’s perspective play a role in what we think and feel reading this section (Chapter 18)?
This plays an important role because Huck went through a lot, covering up Buck’s face after all he’s done for him. It makes the reader wonder why the feud is really happening, and why these people have to get killed? Huck doesn’t want to discuss what happened because it was hard for him. I think Huck thinks that this somewhat might be his fault cause he delivered the note to Miss Sophie.
4.Explain who the King and the Duke are. Why does Huck go along with their story (Chapter 19)?
Duke and King are ratty poor looking con men who were running away from some people when Huck decides to help them. Duke and King have to tell stories on why they are running one says that he created toothpaste that actually took off your tooth enamel. The other explained that he created an alcoholic recovery group but word got out that he was an alcoholic. Huck later discovers that one is named “Duke of Bridgewater” and the other is “King of France” Huck doesn't believe this story or anything they have told but goes along with it in order to not cause a fight.
5.What problems do you anticipate with the Duke’s solution to how they can all run the raft during the day (Chapter 20)?
Dukes plan to tie Jim up and say that they have caught a runaway slave is a horrible idea. Duke explains that he will get a reward for Jim’s capture. I think that people will want the reward for themselves, cause a fight and steal Jim. Not only will the people who are against slaves want to take Jim in but the people who are trying to free slaves might steal Jim to let him be free.
6.Illustrate the town that the play will be held in (Chapter 21).
Chapters 22-26
1.At the very end of chapter 22 we see the handbill that the king and the duke will pass out. The duke says “if that line don’t fetch them, I don’t know Arkansas!”
Why would the line at the bottom of the handbill work to get people into the play?
At this time Arkansas has been tarring and feathering women and children. This is because they do not have any respect for them. By not inviting them to the circus more men would come.
2.Towards the end of chapter 23 we see this line: “What was the use to tell Jim these warn’t real kings and dukes? It wouldn’t a done no good; and besides, it was just as I said; you couldn’t tell them from the real kind.”
a.Why doesn’t Huck see the use in telling Jim?
Huck doesn't see the point because it wouldn't make a difference and from what i gather Jim would not support or be apart of someone who lies so much.
b.What does Huck mean by “you couldn’t tell them from the real kind.”?
You couldn’t tell the difference between a real king and the one who is joining there adventure because most kings at the time were doing terrible things for example in the book it talks about Henry the 8th beheading every women he married.
3.The final line in chapter 24 reads: “It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race.” What is Huck talking about? What does it tell us (the reader) about Huck that he feels this way?
When Duke and King pretend to be the dead man’s brothers it makes Huck sick because, there taking advantage of someone and is stealing from a preach and a deaf person, it show’s humanity at its worst. This shows that Huck has grown up back in the beginning Huck would probably not care or even find it funny just like how he thought it was cool to join Tom Sawyer's gang.
4.In chapter 25 we meet the doctor. How does the doctor know that the king and the duke are a fraud?
The doctor knows that King and Duke are frauds because the King keeps calling obsequies, orgies. The king’s accent is also horrendous and obviously fake.
5.The king and the duke consider leaving in the middle of the night with the money (chapter 26). Why don’t they?
At first The king was worried about them being revealed to be frauds so they want to leave to insure that they will still have the money, but there is so much money in selling the property so they decided to just sell the property first.
1.At the very end of chapter 22 we see the handbill that the king and the duke will pass out. The duke says “if that line don’t fetch them, I don’t know Arkansas!”
Why would the line at the bottom of the handbill work to get people into the play?
At this time Arkansas has been tarring and feathering women and children. This is because they do not have any respect for them. By not inviting them to the circus more men would come.
2.Towards the end of chapter 23 we see this line: “What was the use to tell Jim these warn’t real kings and dukes? It wouldn’t a done no good; and besides, it was just as I said; you couldn’t tell them from the real kind.”
a.Why doesn’t Huck see the use in telling Jim?
Huck doesn't see the point because it wouldn't make a difference and from what i gather Jim would not support or be apart of someone who lies so much.
b.What does Huck mean by “you couldn’t tell them from the real kind.”?
You couldn’t tell the difference between a real king and the one who is joining there adventure because most kings at the time were doing terrible things for example in the book it talks about Henry the 8th beheading every women he married.
3.The final line in chapter 24 reads: “It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race.” What is Huck talking about? What does it tell us (the reader) about Huck that he feels this way?
When Duke and King pretend to be the dead man’s brothers it makes Huck sick because, there taking advantage of someone and is stealing from a preach and a deaf person, it show’s humanity at its worst. This shows that Huck has grown up back in the beginning Huck would probably not care or even find it funny just like how he thought it was cool to join Tom Sawyer's gang.
4.In chapter 25 we meet the doctor. How does the doctor know that the king and the duke are a fraud?
The doctor knows that King and Duke are frauds because the King keeps calling obsequies, orgies. The king’s accent is also horrendous and obviously fake.
5.The king and the duke consider leaving in the middle of the night with the money (chapter 26). Why don’t they?
At first The king was worried about them being revealed to be frauds so they want to leave to insure that they will still have the money, but there is so much money in selling the property so they decided to just sell the property first.
Chapters 27-30
1.Why did people stay up with the dead during this time period? (Chapter 27)
Huck finn takes place in the 1830s-1840s so everything was very different. So they stayed up with the dead so their loved one wouldn’t be alone.
2.What do we learn (or reaffirm) about Huck when he tells Miss Mary Jane the slaves will see their family again in inside of two weeks? (Chapter 28)
We learn that Huck cares for Mary Jane and feels bad for her, so he tries to comfort her and lies. Also we learn that he isn’t the best with not telling the truth when it come to someone he cares for.
3.What were the two methods the townspeople used to try to identify who the brothers were and who the frauds were? (Chapter 29)
The townspeople interrogate the brothers trying to figure out which one is not the real brother but they get nothing out of that. So they suggest the Duke and King hand over the money until things get resolved, but there is no money because Huck stole it. King and Duke have a good idea and take out one of the letters they stole from Peter, the townspeople decide to have a hand writing contest but none of them match the hand writing. Finally Harvey states that his brother has a tattoo on his chest, King says it’s a blue arrow, and Harvey says it was his initials.
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 was battling with himself if he should give Jim up. He believed that it was the right thing to do but at the end of this he ends up getting rid of the letter
2.Why does Huck tear up the letter he writes? (Chapter 31)
Huck tears up the letter he wrote because he was struggling with turning Jim in. He eventually decides to tear up his letter and go break Jim out of slavery again.
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)
This really confuses me with Huck. He is going back and forth between if freeing Jim is right and wrong. Huck was also a big part of freeing Jim but he doesn’t say that he is disappointed in himself.
4.Huck says two things at the end of chapter 33:
1.“Human beings can be awful cruel to one another.”
2.“But that’s always the way: it don’t make no difference whether you do right or wrong, a person’s conscience ain’t go no sense, and just goes for him anyway.”
What does Huck mean by these two statements?
I think Huck means that people can be cruel to each other without even realizing that they have done anything.
5.Why are Tom and Huck looking for a more difficult way to break Jim free? (Chapter 34)
This is because Tom wants to have a difficult and complex way to break him out that succeeds in the end so he can feel and seem cool. This is similar to today because lots of people do dumb stuff like trying to reenact movie scenes to look cool.
1.Why did people stay up with the dead during this time period? (Chapter 27)
Huck finn takes place in the 1830s-1840s so everything was very different. So they stayed up with the dead so their loved one wouldn’t be alone.
2.What do we learn (or reaffirm) about Huck when he tells Miss Mary Jane the slaves will see their family again in inside of two weeks? (Chapter 28)
We learn that Huck cares for Mary Jane and feels bad for her, so he tries to comfort her and lies. Also we learn that he isn’t the best with not telling the truth when it come to someone he cares for.
3.What were the two methods the townspeople used to try to identify who the brothers were and who the frauds were? (Chapter 29)
The townspeople interrogate the brothers trying to figure out which one is not the real brother but they get nothing out of that. So they suggest the Duke and King hand over the money until things get resolved, but there is no money because Huck stole it. King and Duke have a good idea and take out one of the letters they stole from Peter, the townspeople decide to have a hand writing contest but none of them match the hand writing. Finally Harvey states that his brother has a tattoo on his chest, King says it’s a blue arrow, and Harvey says it was his initials.
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 was battling with himself if he should give Jim up. He believed that it was the right thing to do but at the end of this he ends up getting rid of the letter
2.Why does Huck tear up the letter he writes? (Chapter 31)
Huck tears up the letter he wrote because he was struggling with turning Jim in. He eventually decides to tear up his letter and go break Jim out of slavery again.
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)
This really confuses me with Huck. He is going back and forth between if freeing Jim is right and wrong. Huck was also a big part of freeing Jim but he doesn’t say that he is disappointed in himself.
4.Huck says two things at the end of chapter 33:
1.“Human beings can be awful cruel to one another.”
2.“But that’s always the way: it don’t make no difference whether you do right or wrong, a person’s conscience ain’t go no sense, and just goes for him anyway.”
What does Huck mean by these two statements?
I think Huck means that people can be cruel to each other without even realizing that they have done anything.
5.Why are Tom and Huck looking for a more difficult way to break Jim free? (Chapter 34)
This is because Tom wants to have a difficult and complex way to break him out that succeeds in the end so he can feel and seem cool. This is similar to today because lots of people do dumb stuff like trying to reenact movie scenes to look cool.