The Adventures ofThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Huckleberry Finn

By By Mark Mark TwaiTwai

nn

Real name was Samuel Langhorne Real name was Samuel Langhorne ClemensClemens

Born November 30,1835, the night Born November 30,1835, the night Halley’s Comet flashed across the Halley’s Comet flashed across the skysky

Halley’s comet is the only comet Halley’s comet is the only comet visible to the naked eyevisible to the naked eye

Appears about every 75 yearsAppears about every 75 years Grew up along the Mississippi RiverGrew up along the Mississippi River Quit school at age 12Quit school at age 12 Died on April 21, 1910, as Halley’s Died on April 21, 1910, as Halley’s

comet again flashed through the skycomet again flashed through the sky

TWAIN’S WORKSTWAIN’S WORKS

Travel books (non-fiction)Travel books (non-fiction)

Historic novels Historic novels

Short storiesShort stories

Innocents Abroad

Life on the Mississippi

The Prince and the Pauper

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur´s Court

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras Country

The NovelThe Novel The The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnAdventures of Huckleberry Finn was was

written after written after The Adventures of Tom The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.Sawyer.

At the end of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry At the end of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, a poor boy with a drunken father, and Finn, a poor boy with a drunken father, and his friend Tom Sawyer, a middle-class boy his friend Tom Sawyer, a middle-class boy with an imagination too active for his own with an imagination too active for his own good, found a robber's stash of gold. good, found a robber's stash of gold.

As a result of his adventure, Huck gained As a result of his adventure, Huck gained quite a bit of money, which the bank held quite a bit of money, which the bank held for him in trust. Huck was taken in by the for him in trust. Huck was taken in by the Widow Douglas, a kind but stifling woman Widow Douglas, a kind but stifling woman who lives with her sister, the self-righteous who lives with her sister, the self-righteous Miss Watson.Miss Watson.

IntroductionIntroductionMark Twain described the major theme of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as

“A sound heart and a deformed conscience come into collision, and conscience suffers defeat.”

•“A sound heart” = a good, honest heart.

•“A deformed conscience” = a conscience influenced by the laws of society and a sense of duty toward those laws.

Key FactsKey Facts GenreGenre

Satiric Novel (Fiction)Satiric Novel (Fiction)• A work that uses humor, irony, andA work that uses humor, irony, and

extreme exaggeration to ridicule society in extreme exaggeration to ridicule society in

order to bring about changeorder to bring about change

Narrator & Protagonist Narrator & Protagonist Huck Finn: Huck Finn: literal, realistic, practicalliteral, realistic, practical

SettingSetting TimeTime

• Before the Civil War; roughly 1835–1845 Before the Civil War; roughly 1835–1845 PlacePlace

• The Mississippi River town of St. Petersburg, Missouri The Mississippi River town of St. Petersburg, Missouri • The adventure continues down the Mississippi into ArkansasThe adventure continues down the Mississippi into Arkansas

Themes: Themes: What does Twain teach us What does Twain teach us about each idea?about each idea?

Racism & SlaveryRacism & Slavery

Intellectual and Moral Intellectual and Moral EducationEducation

The Hypocrisy of The Hypocrisy of “Civilized” Society“Civilized” Society

Racism & SlaveryRacism & Slavery Although written 20 years after the Although written 20 years after the

Emancipation Proclamation, Emancipation Proclamation, America – especially the South – America – especially the South – was still struggling with racism and was still struggling with racism and the aftereffects of slavery.the aftereffects of slavery.

Insidious racism arose near the Insidious racism arose near the end of Reconstruction that end of Reconstruction that oppressed blacks for illogical and oppressed blacks for illogical and hypocritical reasons.hypocritical reasons.

Twain exposes the hypocrisy of Twain exposes the hypocrisy of slavery and demonstrates how slavery and demonstrates how racism distorts the oppressors as racism distorts the oppressors as much as the oppressed.much as the oppressed.

The result is a world of moral The result is a world of moral confusion.confusion.

Intellectual and Moral EducationIntellectual and Moral Education

Huck is an uneducated boy.Huck is an uneducated boy. He distrusts the morals and He distrusts the morals and

precepts of the society that precepts of the society that treats him as an outcast and treats him as an outcast and fails to protect him from abuse.fails to protect him from abuse.

Huck questions his teachings, Huck questions his teachings, especially regarding race and especially regarding race and slavery.slavery.

In many instances, Huck In many instances, Huck chooses to “go to hell” rather chooses to “go to hell” rather than go along with the rules of than go along with the rules of society.society.

The Hypocrisy of “Civilized” SocietyThe Hypocrisy of “Civilized” Society

““Civilized” to Huck means . . .Civilized” to Huck means . . . Regular baths, uncomfortable clothesRegular baths, uncomfortable clothes Mandatory school attendanceMandatory school attendance Degraded rules that defy logicDegraded rules that defy logic

• Huck’s drunkard, abusive father gets to keep Huck’s drunkard, abusive father gets to keep custody of Huck because he is his natural fathercustody of Huck because he is his natural father

• The injustice of slavery that keeps Jim from his The injustice of slavery that keeps Jim from his familyfamily

• Seemingly good people are prejudiced slave-Seemingly good people are prejudiced slave-ownersowners

• Terrible acts go unpunished, while lesser crimes Terrible acts go unpunished, while lesser crimes lead to severe punishmentlead to severe punishment

MotifsMotifs Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or

literary devices that can help to develop and literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.inform the text’s major themes.

ChildhoodChildhood• Huck’s youth is an important factor in his moral Huck’s youth is an important factor in his moral

education; only a child is open-minded enough to education; only a child is open-minded enough to undergo the kind of development that Huck does.undergo the kind of development that Huck does.

Lies and ConsLies and Cons• Huckleberry Finn is full of malicious lies and Huckleberry Finn is full of malicious lies and

scams; the lies are bad and hurt a number of scams; the lies are bad and hurt a number of innocent people.innocent people.

Superstitions and Folk BeliefsSuperstitions and Folk Beliefs• Jim believes in a wide range of superstitions and Jim believes in a wide range of superstitions and

folktales; although Huck is reluctant to believe at folktales; although Huck is reluctant to believe at first, many of the beliefs indeed have some basis first, many of the beliefs indeed have some basis in reality.in reality.

Parodies of Popular Romance NovelsParodies of Popular Romance Novels• The story is full of people who base their lives on The story is full of people who base their lives on

romantic literary models and stereotypes of romantic literary models and stereotypes of various kindsvarious kinds

Tom Sawyer, for example, bases his life and Tom Sawyer, for example, bases his life and actions on adventure novelsactions on adventure novels

Major Conflict: Huck’s internal struggle with Major Conflict: Huck’s internal struggle with his “deformed conscience.”his “deformed conscience.”

Climax: The point in the story where the protagonist’s conflict is resolved, leading to the resolution of the story.

The climax of Huckleberry Finn is when Huck decides to steal Jim out of slavery from the Phelps farm (his own moral code) despite the fact that he believes he will suffer in hell for it (society’s teachings)

Conflict and ClimaxConflict and Climax

QuotesQuotes

Dat truck dah is trash; en trash is what people is dat puts dirt on de head er dey fren’s en makes ‘em ashamed.

It don’t make no difference how foolish it is, it’s the right way – and it’s the regular way.

All right then, I’ll go to hell. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft. People would call me a low doen Ablitionist and despise me

for keeping mum – but that don’t make no difference. I ain’t going to tell.

I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their’n. It don’t seem natural, but I reckon it’s so.

What! And not sell out the rest o’ the property? Human being can be awful cruel to one another. It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race.

In Huck Finn, the river symbolizes freedom, and it becomes symbolic of Huck’s journey to discover his natural virtue. The current determines the direction of the raft as well as Huck’s life.

There is a major contrast between life on the river and life on the shore because life on the river (uncivilized) is peaceful and easy, yet not totally without danger; however, life on the shore (civilized) can be cruel, authoritarian, hypocritical, and reflective of what Twain called the “Damned Human Race.”

Life on the raft is paradoxical. Even though they are confined to a small space on the raft, Huck and Jim experience greater freedom on the raft.

Major Symbol: The Mississippi River

Critics’ CommentsCritics’ Comments

The Adventures of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been Huckleberry Finn has been a controversial book since it a controversial book since it was first published in 1885 was first published in 1885 – mostly because of its – mostly because of its inappropriate language and inappropriate language and racial slurs.racial slurs.

The following slides will The following slides will represent four different represent four different points of views of Twain’s points of views of Twain’s most famous novel.most famous novel.

18841884

Written by William E. Henley of Written by William E. Henley of the the AthenaeumAthenaeum

““In In Huckleberry FinnHuckleberry Finn Twain returns Twain returns to his right mind”to his right mind”

““The book is Mark Twain at his The book is Mark Twain at his best”best”

““It is meant for boys”It is meant for boys” ““Huckleberry . . . is the hero of Huckleberry . . . is the hero of

such scrapes and experiences as such scrapes and experiences as to make your mouth water”to make your mouth water”

““Jim and Huckleberry are real Jim and Huckleberry are real creations”creations”

18851885 Statements made by the Statements made by the

Concord Library Committee after Concord Library Committee after they excluded the book for the they excluded the book for the public library public library

““absolutely immoral in its tone”absolutely immoral in its tone” ““very little humor”very little humor” ““If not for the author’s reputation, If not for the author’s reputation,

the book would undoubtedly meet the book would undoubtedly meet with severe criticism.”with severe criticism.”

““the veriest trash”the veriest trash” ““a low grade of morality”a low grade of morality” ““language of a rough, ignorant language of a rough, ignorant

dialect”dialect” ““systematic use of bad grammar systematic use of bad grammar

and an employment of rough, and an employment of rough, inelegant expressions.”inelegant expressions.”

19921992 Comments by John H. Wallace of Comments by John H. Wallace of

The Washington PostThe Washington Post ““Huckleberry FinnHuckleberry Finn uses the pejorative uses the pejorative

[insulting] term [insulting] term nigger nigger profusely.”profusely.” ““It speaks of black Americans with It speaks of black Americans with

implications that they are not honest, implications that they are not honest, they are not intelligent as whites, and they are not intelligent as whites, and they are not human.”they are not human.”

““It constitutes mental cruelty, It constitutes mental cruelty, harassment, and outright racial harassment, and outright racial intimidation to force black students to intimidation to force black students to sit in a classroom to read this kind of sit in a classroom to read this kind of literature . . .”literature . . .”

19921992 Written by Clarence Page of the Written by Clarence Page of the Des Des

Moines RegisterMoines Register ““Huckleberry Finn may have been Huckleberry Finn may have been

black . . . No, not Huck himself, black . . . No, not Huck himself, but his voice.”but his voice.”

““The news that ol’ Huck might The news that ol’ Huck might have been a soul brother is ironic have been a soul brother is ironic considering how many blacks considering how many blacks have tried to keep Huckleberry have tried to keep Huckleberry Finn out of the hands of school Finn out of the hands of school children every year, despite its children every year, despite its strong anti-slavery, pro-strong anti-slavery, pro-brotherhood message, because it brotherhood message, because it happens to mention the word happens to mention the word ‘nigger’ about 200 times.‘nigger’ about 200 times.

““Twain exposed the lunacy and Twain exposed the lunacy and hypocrisy of American racism by hypocrisy of American racism by showing it through the eyes of a showing it through the eyes of a boy who finds himself . . . helping boy who finds himself . . . helping a slave to escape.”a slave to escape.”

“ “I , too, flinched when I heard my I , too, flinched when I heard my white teacher reading the word white teacher reading the word ‘nigger’ aloud when she ‘nigger’ aloud when she introduced our ninth grade class introduced our ninth grade class to the book. But I soon found to the book. But I soon found myself reading it on my own, at myself reading it on my own, at first out of curiosity, then out of first out of curiosity, then out of sheer pleasure.”sheer pleasure.”

Twain’s View on SlaveryTwain’s View on Slavery As a schoolboy, Twain As a schoolboy, Twain

had no aversion to had no aversion to slaveryslavery

He was not aware He was not aware there was anything there was anything wrong with itwrong with it

The papers said The papers said nothing against itnothing against it

Churches taught that Churches taught that God approved itGod approved it

He took a strong liking He took a strong liking to blacks when they to blacks when they worked on his family’s worked on his family’s farmfarm

He and his family were He and his family were friends with many friends with many blacks in his home blacks in his home town of Hannibaltown of Hannibal

Twain’s family owned Twain’s family owned a slave that he deeply a slave that he deeply admiredadmired

Twain called him Twain called him “Uncle Dan’l”“Uncle Dan’l”

The character of Jim in The character of Jim in Huck Finn is said to be Huck Finn is said to be modeled after this manmodeled after this man

He is also mentioned He is also mentioned in several other Twain in several other Twain stories under his real stories under his real namename