As we read the novel, prepare to respond to the BLOGS with specific quotes/evidence from the text. Make sure your quotes include page numbers from the novel and connect to the themes of American realism: freedom, the American dream, racism, regionalism, survival, "individual vs. society," and "civilized society vs. the wilderness.
Huck Finn Chapter Blog
You have been assigned a chapter from Part I of the novel. Discuss the impact of Twain's choice regarding how to develop and relate elements of Huckleberry Finn. How are characters introduced and developed in the chapter? (300 words) Respond to one classmates blog (50 to 100 words)
Please use 3 SAT vocabulary words in your post.
In Chapter 14, the reader notices the differences between Huck Finn and Jim. Although they are inherently different because of their races and ages, because Jim is an African American man and Huck is a young white boy, they had not discussed any personal beliefs between the two of them until this point. The two companions were content with their loot that they had taken from the shipwreck, so they were just sitting around and relaxing while discussing their new wealth and plans. Huck happened to mention that they were not as rich as a king, which made Huck think of king Solomon and his many wives. Jim began to argue with Huck about whether or not king Solomon was wise because he wanted to chop a baby in half. By their argument, it is obvious to the reader that Huck has more common sense, and Jim does not think about things on a deeper level. Huck tries to explain the purpose of the story to Jim, but Twain makes it clear that Jim is stubborn when he sets his mind to something. Although Huck gets frustrated with Jim since he does not understand the story, he begins to see Jim as a person rather than as Miss Watson’s former slave. Huck remarked that he was unusually smart for someone of his race, Twain could be suggesting that Huck is seeing past his race for once. Huck is developing into a more caring person because he begins to use his morals to guide him. Jim is showing his paternal instincts when he is with Huck and while talking about the child in the story about king Solomon. Twain uses this chapter to display regionalism, mostly because of Jim’s dialect. The situation with Jim thinking about the bombastic French language showed that Jim was not taught about other cultures. Huck has read about different places, ergo this comparison between the two shows the difference between what a young white boy would know versus an African American man.
ReplyDeleteYour analysis of Chapter 14 was well written and explained the growth of Huck and Jim. I like how he talked about how Huck was forgetting about race and caring for Jim as his own person not just a slave. I also liked how you said that regionalism was shown in this chapter and how they were talking about languages.
DeleteIn Chapter 10, the effects of a snake’s touch and bite was evident for Jim and Huck. The snake bit Jim and it was after Huck told him about the bad luck that snake’s bring. Twain uses this incident to show that the relationship between the two has turned into Jim becoming a father figure for Huck through their journey. The development of these two characters is that they came up with the idea of with the plan of having Huck dress up like a girl to gain information. When they come up with their plan at the end of this chapter it is only the start of all of their skins that they create that involves them to have to come to an assent about their journey. This chapter connects to the theme of survival because Huck and Jim had to come up with ways to survive and their freedom was based on how well they were able to make it through their adventures down the river. Huck tells Jim that the dead man and the snakeskin is bad luck. He is making fun of the idea that the bad luck is a superstition of Jim. This chapter is showing how the relationship between Huck and Jim and how their companionship is growing into a family care. It is also proving that because of Jim’s age compared to Huck, he is willing to take counsel from Jim because he feels that he is sagacious. Huck knew that Jim was a slave but he realizes that his knowledge and character is much more than that. Huck describes his view on superstition by saying “Well, I was going to feel that way myself, though I've always reckoned that looking at the new moon over your left shoulder is one of the carelessest and foolishest things a body can do”(52). Huck describes that superstition is a dogma that he thinks makes him seem foolish. He learns from tricking Jim, that the bad luck was true and he gave more respect to Jim. His character learned a lesson and was able to come up with a plan to disguise his identity to gain information from a women on the shore.
ReplyDeleteYou had a really good analysis of chapter 10 and you touched on something that is important throughout the story and that is the snakeskin. I think you did a really nice job of describing how Huck and Jim are changing in this chapter. You had a great explanation of the chapter and the quote helped prove that. Nice job.
DeleteI liked how you said that their freedom was based on if they were able to make is down the river because I had not thought of their adventures in that way. I agreed with the way that you said that Jim was becoming fatherly toward Huck because I also mentioned that in my response. I thought that you captured the purpose of Chapter 10 well.
DeleteIn chapter 7, Huck is at Pap's cabin and he is really wanting to go home. Huck is scared of his father and in this chapter it is shown when he is holding the gun to protect himself. His father see's this but is too drunk to remember the next day and life goes on in the cabin. Later in chapter 7, Huck fakes his own death. He spreads pigs blood all over the cabin to make it look like a robbery and murder had occurred. After Huck fakes his death he escapes in a canoe that he had found earlier in the chapter. His father comes after him and to avoid the hostility of his father he has to lay down in his canoe to make it look like it was just an abandoned canoe. This shows that Huck is sagacious even for a young boy, this chapter shows that even though he is not an adult he would rather try life on his own than live with his alcoholic father. This tells the reader something about Huck that will be important later in the chapter and even later in the story, he is lacking a father figure and it may change how he looks at things or even who he looks up to at times. Towards the end of the chapter, Huck finds an island in the middle of the river where he will escape his father. This section of the book also shows the malice Huck has toward his father and that he does not like Pap at all, he would rather live on his own. After he escapes from Pap he realizes that his father does not do him any good and that he will be much better on his own. This changes how Huck will act for the rest of the book and shows the readers that even though he is young he can manage.
ReplyDeleteYour analysis of this chapter was very well thought out. You included many details that some readers may have not caught the first time reading through. I liked how you said that Huck was sagacious even though he was young. Also, I liked how you mentioned how Huck does not have much of a father figure at all. I agree, it may affect his actions in the future.
DeleteYour analysis of this chapter was very well thought out. You included many details that some readers may have not caught the first time reading through. I liked how you said that Huck was sagacious even though he was young. Also, I liked how you mentioned how Huck does not have much of a father figure at all. I agree, it may affect his actions in the future.
DeleteThis is a great analysis on chapter 7. You really brought out what happened in the chapter and made it make more sense to me and probably some others that read your analysis. Great job on including the SAT vocab words in perfect places to use them.
DeleteIn chapter 16, it is mainly talking about how Huck faces a large moral dilemma. Up until now, Huck was steadfast with his decision to help Jim escape. In this chapter Huck is bothered by his conscience on whether or not he should actually have taken Jim away from Miss Watson. First, he knew that it was wrong to take away a slave because that is what he was taught. But second, is because Miss Watson and the widow had done nothing to make Huck take Jim away from them. The reason that sticks out to readers, in my opinion, is the fact that he took Jim away when Miss Watson had given him no reason to. Miss Watson had taught him how to read, about religion, and what is was like to be proper, and he repaid her by stealing her property. Huck was somewhat baneful in this way, because he had taken Jim away when the moral thing to do would have been to take him back. As Huck is compromised by his conscience, he comes across two slave hunters who are intrigued by what he left behind on the raft. Huck, who loves to lie in this book, decided to tell them that it was his father who was sick with small pox. Right away the slave hunters decided that they did not want to help Huck anymore. The slave hunters were devious in this way because they made Huck think that they wanted to help him, but when they found out his pap had small pox, they changed their minds. Another thing mentioned in this chapter was how in order for Jim to have his family, he had to buy them back. Overall, Huck learns how to deal with his two-sided conscience and what is was like to decide what is morally right and wrong.
ReplyDeleteThe analysis of this chapter definitely addresses a major character development with Huck Finn’s moral dilemma to follow what his society believes is good and what he believes in his heart. You did a good job of describing the many facets of Huck’s decision and how he finally comes to a resolution with a clever deception of the slave hunters.
DeleteIn chapter two, Mark Twain quite quickly how different Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn are. Tom is described as the more risk-taking and outgoing person. Tom has grown up with better surroundings than Huck. His thoughts and ideas come from the adults Tom has been around and the books he has read. Huck is more laid back and likes to stay on the safer side of things. He has also grown up with a very rough and poor life. It is believed that his father, who is an alcoholic, died in the river. Huck is the opposite of Tom in the sense that Huck forms his own ideas on different things. He believes what he thinks and doesn’t just acquiesce to other people's ideas. Tom and Huck sneak out at night and go to a cave to meet a few other boys. At this meeting Tom can be seen as the leader of the group. All of the other boys listen to him. Huck listens but doesn’t abase Tom’s ideas. He is not quite know if Tom really knows what he is talking about. In this chapter Jim, Miss Watson’s slave, is first introduced. Being a slave Jim is not all that educated or book smart, but as the story goes on he is found to have a good knowledge on natural things going on. It is also seems that Jim is not as smart as he really is because of his superstitions. After he wakes up under the tree with his hat on the branch, Jim believes that witches picked him up and flew him around. Slaves come from all over to hear his story. He also believes that the devil left a coin for him, when really Tom left the coin to pay for the candles he took. Education does not appear to be that important for any of the characters in the book. They may not be book smart, but they are all sagacious and have a good understanding of the world around them.
ReplyDeleteYour analysis was well thought out. I liked that you compared and contrasted Huck, Tom, and Jim, as they are all different, but similar in some ways. The way you described how the characters were not very book smart, but had common sense in their lives was a nice touch.
DeleteChapter 15 is where Twain includes many different effects of slavery on both Huck and Jim. In this chapter, Huck is separated from Jim one night while he is in the canoe and Jim is on the raft. The night is very foggy and Huck loses all sense of direction, but he finally returns to Jim. This addresses the issues of slavery and racism which were huge problems during the time when Twain wrote the story. By fooling Jim this way, he is patronizing him. Jim realizes that he is not being treated kindly by Huck. Jim finally feels like he can call himself Huck’s friend, but he is ambivalent about it because he knows that he is a slave and Huck is a regular young boy. Although Jim is not sure how he should feel, he knows and recognizes that he is human and should treat himself as if he were a human being. Huck then recognizes that Jim is a human being, not just a slave. He realizes that he must treat Jim like he would treat any white man, because Jim has the right to be treated just like Huck, Tom, or any other white man would. Huck also recognizes that he can not abase Jim any more. Huck is finally breaking with the way that he was brought up, to think that Jim, and other African Americans, are slaves and should be treated accordingly. He is one of the first few to recognize the humanity of all people. Huck begins to realize that slavery is degrading to the dignity of the human who is enslaved. Huck breaks away with that by apologizing to Jim and treating him the way a friend would. Although he begins to respect Jim, he has a moral dilemma which he needs to address within himself.
ReplyDeleteI found your resonance to be quite interesting. I enjoyed the way that you went on about the fog that Jim and Huck go through. This is interesting because you pointed out a border statement about slavery in a event that tends to be overlooked. Overall, your response was extremely interesting as well as deep.
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ReplyDeleteI like that you went in depth on the character of Pap. His development was very important in this chapter and you addressed it very well. The vocab words you chose flowed very well with the rest of your analysis, and created a very good response. You have an overall good response.
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ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 13 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck and Jim succeeded in escaping the wreck of the Walter Scott steamboat by stealing the murderers’ boat while they retrieve the money their intended victim had on them. Huck Finn admits that he would not want to be in the same position as the murderers, being stranded on a wreck that will break up in the churning, stormy river. However, Huck and Jim would have been stranded on the boat if it were not for the greed of the murderers to go back for the money. Mark Twain makes a minor point against the dangers of greed and the destruction it can bring through the murderers. After their escape from the doomed Walter Scott, Huck feels bad for the fate of the murderers to die on the boat, so he resolves to take the canoe to go find help, so that they may be brought to justice. Huck’s inner good heart or perhaps his teaching from the Widow and Miss. Watson influence his response to try to help the men. He uses his resourcefulness and dazzling skill of lying to beseech the steamboat watchman to go save the men on the ship. He fabricates a story about his family being accidentally trapped aboard the ship in the storm and that he was the only one who could swim to get help. His survival instincts supply him with the idea to say that the niece of a very rich steamboat captain is onboard when the question of payment arises. Huck’s morals are set in survival over what is good, giving him the skills to try to save the men. When Huck Finn sails out onto the river again, he witnesses the sinking ship floating by, having an epiphany about the harsh reality of death. He also hopes that his efforts would please the Widow because he said “I judged she would be proud of me for helping these rapscallions, because rapscallions and dead beats is the kind the widow and good people takes the most interest in” (73), much like when she tried to civilize Huck.
ReplyDeleteYour reaction to and analysis of the chapter is well thought out and you looked at every detail and every situation with every possibility. Your use of the vocal words flows into your response, they are are stuck in and chop up the sentences. Overall, your response is a great one. Good job.
DeleteIn chapter 4, Mark Twain introduces Huck’s father, Pap, which alters the course of the book. He also makes major developments escalate the story. He relates these developments to other situations in life. Twain goes out of his way to introduce Pap. He starts at the start of the chapter by indirectly introducing him by showing his boot tracks in the snow. This detail shows that Pap is superstitious. He has a cross on his boot to ward off the devil. He is not religious, just superstitious. Twain continues to introduce Pap throughout the chapter through Huck being paranoid. We learn that Pap would abuse Huck and that is why Huck is afraid of him returning. Twain’s introduction of Pap is a big part of this chapter. The major developments that are made in this chapter for the story overall include the introduction of Pap and the plethora of superstition keep on being prevalent. The introduction of Pap is huge in the story. Pap is the reason that Huck has to fake his death and run away from St. Petersburg. This is the basis for the story. Superstition continues to be a factor in this chapter especially when Huck consults with Jim and the hairball about his future. This shows that superstition doesn’t always pan out because right after Huck consults with the hairball, Pap shows up in Huck’s bedroom. These developments relate to situations in life because everyone in life encounters situations like these. It might not be exactly like the situation that Huck was in, but everyone has to deal with a person that wants to be in your life, but you don’t want them in yours. Huck deals with it by trying to ignore him. Huck also puts away the things that his dad could want, like his money. Other people might have dealt with it differently, but Huck dealt with it fine.
ReplyDeletePap is introduced and developed in chapter five by his encounter with Huck and his meeting with Judge Hatcher. When Pap goes to see Huck we learn that he is a very poor, hard man. He has an affinity, and spends all of his money on it. He thinks that it is bad that Huck is going to school and living with the widow. He says that a son should never be better than his father. All of this shows that Pap is quite vain. Along with Huck and Paps encounter, this chapter also includes the story of Paps night with the judge and his family in which they give him counsel on his life. This story greatly shows Paps character and reveals that he is good hearted and intends to do good, but his addiction to alcohol holds him down. during the story Pap admits that he has done many wrong things in his life and says that he intends to change. the next morning his is found outside, freezing and drunk. this shows that no matter how good hearted Pap intends to be his addiction will always get in the way. This is seen when Huck is living in the cabin with him. Pap spends all of the money that they get on alcohol rather than on something useful for the two of them. The reader learns throughout this chapter that Pap doesn’t really have a fatherly relationship with Huck. Because of this Huck has no real male role model in his life. Instead of being someone that Huck can look up to, Pap is baneful in Huck's life. He is a burden to Huck when he should be a help. This lack of a father figure in Huck's life has a big effect on him. An example of this is he has no one to tell him right from wrong, like that his constant lying is a bad thing.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 6, Twain further develops the characters of Pap Finn and Huck Finn. What occurs in this chapter is that the obtuse Pap Finn tries to take Huck’s money and he abuses him in a drunk rage. All of these events help to further develop the characters that are Huck Finn and Pap Finn. The first event that occurs in this chapter is Pap Finn attempts to sue for Huck’s small fortune. This event shows the greedy and selfish nature of Pap Finn, and at the same time shows the reader the way that Pap Finn will stop at nothing to fuel his baneful addiction. In fact his severe addiction is best summarized when Huck recalls what the judge said to him when Huck says, “He said he reckoned a body could reform the old man with a shotgun,“(23). This in turn shows the deep the nature of Pap’s addiction. These ideas can be seen in the way that Pap Finn tries to take money away from his own son; likewise, this shows the selfish and greedy nature that lies within Pap Finn. The idea also shows the way that Pap Finn will stop at nothing in order to fuel his addiction, and at the same time this idea shows the crippling nature of Pap’s alcoholism. This event also develops the character of Huck Finn; Ergo, his development can be seen in the way that he gave his money to the judge in the first place. This event shows both the anti-materialist nature of Huck, and it also shows his high moral standards. These ideas can be seen in the way that Huck gives his money away freely in order to keep it out of his fathers hand. This clearly shows the anti-materialistic nature of Huck Finn in the way he gives his money away, and his high moral standards can be seen in the way he tries to keep the his money out of his father’s hands. The last way that the characters are developed can be seen is when Pap abuses Huck. Pap’s development is seen in the way he abuses Huck. This shows the lack of morals the Pap Finn has, and at the same time shows the effects of his crippling addiction that has turned him into an abusive monster. Huck’s reaction to run and grab a gun shows that he is just a kid trying to make due. This is seen in the way that he is scared of his abusive father and holds a gun on him in order to prevent him from hurting him. Overall, this chapter shows the abusive addicted father that Pap Finn is, and it shows the moral survivalist the Huck is.
ReplyDeleteYour response flowed smoothly and overall you caught every aspect of chapter 6. I like the quote you added into your response because it captures the detail that came from this chapter. You did well in explaining the chaotic relationship between Pap and Huck, which was a huge concern in this chapter.
DeleteIn chapter 1, the reader meets Huck and his background story. Remember, Huck is only eight years old at the time he moves in with Widow Douglas and meets the characters such as, Miss Watson, Jim, and Tom Sawyer. Huck tells the reader that the Widow Douglas treats Huck as her own son and complains that she’s trying to civilize him. Huck and the Widow Douglas were off to a bad start when they had a conversation about heaven and hell and Huck said he’d go wherever Widow Douglas wouldn’t be. Huck mentions that he’d rather go straight to hell because that’s presumably where Tom Sawyer is destined to go and Huck would rather be with his friend than the Widow Douglas. With this being the very first chapter, there are already conspiracies of bad luck, for example, when a spider crawls up Huck’s shoulder and he flicks it off straight into the candle. Huck quickly performs various good luck ceremonies to counteract the bad luck that comes from killing a spider, which shows that he believes deeply in the idea of having luck. Tom Sawyer is introduced soon after this action takes place when Huck sneaks out his window right after Tom’s signal. This is what I mean when I say signal, “I set still and listened. Directly I could just barely hear a “me-yow! me-yow!” down there” (6). The signal, “me-yow” enthralled Huck and sent him in a scurry out the window. Right from the start, as a reader, Tom Sawyer is portrayed as a young boy with mischievous ways. Tom Sawyer has Huck sneaking around and climbing out of windows, which is a sign of young boys that are looking for trouble. Unfortunately, the chapter ends with the two boys sneaking out of the house together and it cuts off from all the excitement. Chapter 1 is diminutive, which doesn't give me a lot to talk about, but it’s the step into the steadfast introduction to “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”
ReplyDeleteYou did a really good job of not only introducing the characters, but also the novel in general. I also like how you focused on talking about Huck and Tom because those are truly who Twain focuses on in the first chapter. You avoided talking about Jim which is really important because although you know that he becomes such an important later on you did not talk about him that much because his importance is not expressed in the first chapter and that is all your analogy was supposed to be about.
DeleteIn Chapter 11, Huck discovers how people found his “dead body” and believe that either Jim or Pap are the killer. This is Huck’s only source of knowledge as to what is happening back home. During this chapter, he is still in his “woman” disguise and he enters the home of Mrs. Loftus who eventually figures out that he is not who he says he is, however, he manages to keep it hidden who he actually is. This chapter is important it shows the budding relationship between Huck and Mrs. Loftus. It also shows her as being one of the few generally kind and polite people on Huck’s journey. The development of the character of Mrs. Loftus is definitely the most important thing in this chapter. It shows how she is a smart, kind, sagacious, and motherly person towards Huck. She even says before Huck leaves, Now trot along to your uncle, Sarah Mary WIlliams George Elexander Peters, and if you get into trouble you send word to Mrs. Judith Loftus, which is me, and I’ll do what I can to get you out of it” (61). She proves to Huck that he can trust her and how his secret is safe with her, as well as the fact that he is always welcome back to her house. This is truly the first bit of kindness he experiences during his journey. This is also one of the first chapters that Huck and Jim are split up and it shows how Huck acts without Jim. One thing that is important in showing Mrs. Loftus’ character is how quick she is to catch onto the fact that Huck is not who he says he is. She patronizes him and has him catch a rat with lead which shows her that he is not truly a female. Twain also leads readers to believe at the end of the chapter, that Huck’s interactions with Mrs. Loftus are over, however, she shows up subsequently in the rest of the novel.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 3, Huck is living in The widow’s house and the widow’s sister is living with them and tries to teach Huck somethings and Huck has a rough time catching onto what she is trying to teach him. Mrs. Watson is trying to teach Huck about religion by praying with him in the closet and she tells Huck to pray as much as possible because if you pray for something you will receive it. So Huck prays for a fishing pole and he gets the line but not the hooks, so he keeps praying and praying until he finally does not know what to do to make it work and he goes to Mrs. Watson and asks why it is not working. Mrs. Watson calls him a fool because she says it only works for spiritual and mental effects or asking for help when you need it. Huck does not understand the point of praying if you get nothing from it so he gives up on praying and just back to his normal self. Twain develops Mrs. watson and Huckleberry in this part of the book. He makes it look as Mrs. Watson is this religious and sacred person and that Huck is just a kid with strong opinions about things. Subsequently in the story both of these characters alter to have different character or personality traits instead of Mrs. watson being all religious and this very kind person and Huck being just a kid going about his life to be totally different. Huck begins to change later in the chapter because he encounters Pap which is his dad and he becomes more grown up because he has to start to fend for himself and he starts to live on his own sort of. Huck becomes very sagacious in this process of changing his personality traits.
ReplyDeleteI thought that you did a really good job on this writing. I liked what you said about how Miss Watson was very religious and Huck is just a kid with strong morals. When you said that Huck had to become more grown up because of Pap, I completely agree. All in all, I really liked your response.
DeleteIn chapter 1, the whole backstory is revealed and it introduces some of the characters that the reader will find in the story, like Tom Sawyer, Widow Douglas, Miss Watson, and even Huck himself. The chapter is mainly just a description of what Huckleberry Finn’s life is like after he, along with Tom Sawyer, had discovered six thousand dollars for the each of them in a cave where robbers hid their money. After that, the basics of Huck’s life are pretty much explained but very briefly , such as what he does at Widow Douglas’s house and talking about the plethora of knowledge that Miss Watson tries to give him. At the very end of the chapter, Tom Sawyer went over to Huck’s window and made meowing sounds to get Huck to go outside with him. Huck does go outside and complies to follow him. After that, the chapter ends. During this chapter, it is mainly developing Huck. A quote where this is apparent is “Pretty soon a spider went crawling up my shoulder, and I flipped it off and it lit in the candle; and before I could budge it was all shriveled up. I didn't need anybody to tell me that that was an awful bad sign and would fetch me some bad luck…” (3) and in this it showed that Huck was very superstitious. This superstition is apparent all throughout the story and plays a major role in the book. Another part where something is shown early on and remains throughout the story is hypocrisy and that was shown when Huck was circumscribed from smoking, but Miss Watson could use snuff. All in all, this chapter was not all that action packed, but how could it when it is the first one? It sets up the story and the characters, and finishes out with a slight cliffhanger, but that doesn't mean the rest is as bland.
ReplyDeleteYour response is very well-written. I agree that Huck's life is introduced but only briefly. I also agree that this chapter wasn't very action packed but that it couldn't be because it is the first chapter. I liked the quote you used and I think it supports your statement that Huck is superstitious well as it shows his beliefs.
DeleteThe characters in chapter two of “the adventures huckleberry finn” were introduced by mark twain by having Huckleberry Finn, otherwise known as Huck, tell the reader a story. Huck introduces Jim, a slave, as Miss Watson’s nigger. The story that Huck tells to introduce Jim is about when he snuck out of the widow’s house to meet Tom Sawyer. The boys are creeping along a path when Jim hears them making noise. So the two boys hide in the bushes with Jim standing right between them. Jim is introduced as a tough but obtuse character when Huck quotes him saying, “Whar are you? Dog my cats ef I didn’ hear sumf’n...I’s gwyne to set down here and listen tell I hears it ag’in.” (pg.7) Jim sits down but he falls asleep against the tree. Tom sawyer wants to play a prank on Jim, this is where Tom begins to be introduced as a troublemaker. Tom puts Jim’s aht on the branch above Jim. At this point in the chapter Jim develops into a more superstitious character as he tells people the next morning that witches had put him into a trance and rode him all over the state. As more people want to hear his story the further he begins to exaggerate it by saying that they rode him all over the world. Jim then starts to develop into a well known character in the story as slaves wanted to come to him to ask about supernatural things. Huck goes back to the story about him and Tom and tells us why they were sneaking out. The boys wanted to sneak out so they could start a band of robbers. Tom is introduced as a trouble making character that is quite hostile or wild and risky. In this chapter he begins to develop into character that just has a vivid imagination that wants to act out things he reads in books. He also develops into a charismatic character as most of the boys in the chapter want to be in his band of robbers. The impact of Twain’s choice to introduce and develop the characters through Huck’s memories is significant. Introducing characters through flashbacks of the main character’s memories is a great way to help the readers understand the character a little better than just describing him. It is also a more interesting way to learn about characters rather than just reading a list of the character’s personality traits and characteristics.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a good idea to pick Jim to break down as your main point of the blog. It becomes obvious quickly that he will be an important part of the story throughout the whole novel. Your blog gave a vivid image of what Jim was like and that was one of the most important points that you could have focused on, well done.
DeleteIn chapter 8 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it opens with Huck hiding after he fakes his death. This chapter is really the ending point for many of Twain’s characters since they now all acquiescently believe that Huck has been killed. Which ends up giving Huck all the freedom that he could ever dream of, but at the same time opens up a new arc for the character of Jim to come in. The reader sees Jim’s superstitious thought process when he, with no sagacious qualities, believes that Huck is a ghost when he sees him on the island and beseeches him for mercy. This chapter really forced the growth of the character Jim and made it obvious that he would be in it for the long hall. Especially after Huck learns that their fates have become intertwined because Huck’s fake death was pinned on Jim. This was because Jim left Miss Watson to avoid being sold on the very night that Huck’s plan went into action. Yes, Huck can be selfish at times, but he knows in the bottom of his heart that he pulled Jim into this horrible situation and can't let society kill Jim for something that he had nothing to do with. This lets the reader know that Jim is gonna be in it for the long run and that they should start to get used to him. This chapter also develops Jim superstitions. Jim says that the snakeskin by his sleeping place is bad luck and he was right, when he laid down he was bitten by the snakes mate. Twain quickly develops Huck and Jim’s relationship and shows that the two of them are willing to scratch each others backs if it means that they both get what they want in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI like how you explained the growth of the characters and you gave a solid summary of chapter eight which really jogs my memory. You described Huck's conscience very well, I like how you included how he could be selfish at times but he is still aware of his conscience. Thourough work and good job
DeleteIn chapter 9 of, "Huckleberry Finn" the relationship between Huck and Jim really begins to develop, and Jim begins to take on a fatherly role in the life of Huck. This part of the story was bound to include a lot of bonding between the two fugitives, as they hid out amongst themselves on an island. In this chapter, Jim and Huck find their way to the middle of the island, and after hiding their canoe and their supplies they hide out in a cavern and eat dinner. This in itself is a very interesting moment in the book as the two people sit down with each other to share a meal; a free boy and a slave man. One day while the two are living here, Jim sows himself as a fatherly figure to Huck. As a floating house floated by, Huck and Jim went to retrieve it; however Jim finds a dead body inside which when looking at the text may have been pap, Huck's abusive father. Jim refused to let Huck look at the body, and protected him from this sight. In this way, Jim looked at Huck as a boy which he must protect, and in return Huck saw Jim as a brother. This chapter is very important in showing the budding relationship between Huck and Jim.Chapter 9 showed as simply the first step into them beginning to protect each other and look out for each other throughout future chapters of the novel by Mark Twain.
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