The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

"All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called

Huckleberry Finn" Ernest Hemingway

Racism & Slavery• written after Emancipation

Proclamation abolished slavery, but time period of story set during slavery

• during Reconstruction, a less institutionalized form of slavery existed in the South (Jim Crow laws)

• allegorical portrayal of conditions of “Blacks” in U.S. after end of slavery

Hypocrisy of “Civilized” Society

• Society’s laws (Miss Watson and Widow Douglas) vs. higher moral values (Huck and Jim)

• Rules and precepts that reflect faulty logic

• Civilized vs. Natural• A “just” society that

condones slavery• Unsteady justice is blinded by

cowardice, prejudice, and a lack of common sense

• Seemingly good and just characters are slave-owners

• Hypocrisy of “civilized” society which values morality, but condones slavery

Freedom

• importance of individual thinking and ideas

• escaping an illogical and oppressive society

• Mississippi River as a safe haven• slavery vs. liberty• outcasts labeled by citizens (mob

mentality) are arguably the only truly free characters

Food• Food plays a prominent role in the

novel. • In Huck's childhood, he often fights

pigs for food, and eats out of "a barrel of odds and ends."

• *Thus, providing Huck with food becomes a symbol of people caring for and protecting him. – For example, in the first chapter, the

Widow Douglas feeds Huck, and later on Jim becomes his symbolic caretaker, feeding and watching over him on Jackson's Island.

Mockery of Religion• A theme Twain focuses on

quite heavily on in this novel is the mockery of religion.

• Throughout his life, Twain was known for his attacks on organized religion.

• Huck Finn's sarcastic character

perfectly situates him to deride religion, representing Twain's personal views. – In the first chapter, Huck indicates

that hell sounds far more fun than heaven.

Superstition• Superstition appears throughout the novel. • Generally, both Huck and Jim are very rational

characters, yet when they encounter anything slightly superstitious, irrationality takes over.

• The power superstition holds over the two demonstrates that Huck and Jim are child-like despite their apparent maturity.

• In addition, superstition foreshadows the plot at several key junctions. – For instance, when Huck spills salt, Pap

returns, and when Huck touches a snakeskin with his bare hands, a rattlesnake bites Jim.

Maturation and Development

• Bildungsroman– A moral coming of age story.

• being open-minded is a quality that Huck represents, as a child, which allows for his development and maturation

• Huck’s relationship with Jim assists his progression throughout the novel

• Huck’s experiences and apprehension about society help lead to his maturity

Symbols• The Mississippi River

– a source of freedom; a safe haven

– Life– confluence of all currents of

American life in the first half of the nineteenth century

• The Land – Real vs. Ideal (the river)

• Raft– tool for escape– safe place

• Money– separates the civilized from

the “outcasts”

Terms to know:• Emancipation

Proclamation• Reconstruction• Jim Crow Laws• allegory• superstition• mob mentality• Bildungsroman

• hypocrisy• irony• dialect• parody