So far, the book is pretty good. It was clever for Mark Twain to have Huckleberry Finn as (kind of) a sequel of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, just shifting the main character from Tom to Huck.
Just to make sure, are Widow Douglas and Miss Watson protagonists or antagonists? And why did Pap suddenly appear out of nowhere? Is it just for the sake of Huck's wealth? :D
It was interesting how in the beginning of the book, even when the story refers to first person, Huck Finn refers the author as Mr. Twain. Usually in novels and stories, this doesn't really happen. I think that it is purely for entertainment and has no deeper meaning to it.
In the beginning chapters, Huck Finn's foster parents try to teach him to be a civilized person. They teach him about being a good person and having good morals so that he would go to heaven and not to hell. But for them to say this at that time is kind of ironic. They thought that they were right and just, yet they owned slaves who were humans treated like animals. I doubt there is anything good about slavery. I think most of the slave owners who were Christians thought about this irony before, but they just simply ignored it because it was a necessary crime. They needed people to work on their farms to complete the plantation.
Why did Jim let Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer go? Jim probably knows that Aunt Polly wants Huck Finn to stay and surely doesn't want to let him go. Why does Jim go against Aunt Polly's will?
I think Huck was really smart to give Judge Thatcher his money, because somehow he knew that his dad was going to come back and try to get the money from him. I don't think its fair how Hucks dad didn't want Huck to have a proper education just because he didn't. I think Huck is a clever boy who deserves more than a dad who's constantly getting drunk and beating him up for him.
To Tereasa: I think Huck's dad appeared not just because he wanted Huck's money. It was probably a big part of the reason, but i think Huck's dad wanted to feel like he was the boss of somebody. People look down at him because he's an alcoholic, but Huck has to listen to him, legally.
I found the book rather difficult to read. The accents given to Huck, his father, and Jim - while they make the story more real, sometimes I have to sound out the words several times to figure it out..
I'm not sure whether the widow and her sister are protagonists or antagonists. I think to us, they are the protagonists - they certainly have a lot more morals than Huck's father, they're than Huck's father, they're Christian, and everything there is to be respectable and righteous in that time. But to Huck, they just seem to be like jailguards, especially Miss Watson, always telling him off and making him do things he's uncomfortable with. I guess we'll find out more about them later in the book.
Huck's father is an interesting character. Yes, I think he just came back for the money. You already see him making Huck get him money, and just wasting it away on whiskey.
What about the time when his father visited the new judge on page 32 (new book)? Do you think he was just pretending when he was crying and calling himself a fool and he was to turn over a new leaf? (Of course he doesn't in the end but do you really think he meant it before?)
I thought it interesting how the "kids" were acting very independant, yet very childish. I mean, they were talking about killing and robbing, very grown up stuff. But yet one kid started crying because he was homesick. Is there a reason to why these kids want to form a gang? Perhaps a sense of belonging? or just bad influece? there
I agree with Elissa when she says the accent that the people have were hard to follow along. Many times, I had to read aloud certain sections to understand what they were saying. Even by doing so, it took me a while to fully understand what they were trying to say. For example, I found it hard to keep up when Jim, the Negro says “Yo ‘ole father doan’ know yit what he’s a-gwyne to do. Sometimes he spec he’ll go ‘way, en den ag’in he spec he’ll stay De bes’ way is to res’ easy en let de ole man take his own way… One uv ‘em’s light and t’other one is dark. One is rich en t’other is po’. You’s gwyne to marry de po’ one fust en de rich one by en by… ‘kase it’s down in de bills dat you’s gwyne to git hung” (26, Twain). Not only does his grammar make his words sound funny and hard to understand, but also the spelling Mark Twain uses to fit his accent.
To Tereasa – Yea, I think he probably came back for the money and no other reason, but the book says he heard that his son was rich after he arrived in town.
To Johnathan – I thought Jim simply fell asleep after a while.
JASMINE SAID: I thought that it was pretty cool how Huck Finn could be at different places. He was either with his drunk father or else with his foster parents. His drunk father represented wildness and his foster parents represented ciilization. His foser parents tried to teach him manners and respect. On the other hand, Huck real father was wild, cussing every second.
Huck Finn seems to be used to being civilized, but when he is at home, he feels the despreate freedom to swear. Do you think he wants the old ways, or does he want to live with his father?
KATHY SAID: In the beginning of the book Huck talks about Tom Sawyer, and says that if you hadn’t read the story about Tom you wouldn’t know about Huck himself. It’s really interesting how the Twain puts this in the beginning. He makes it as if Huck is the one who wrote this book, not the author himself. In the first few chapter, Huck goes on talking about how Miss Watson and Widow Douglas tried to make him civilized.
Can Huck be proper and civilized throughout the whole book?
Also, later on in chapter five Huck’s father, Pap, is introduced into the story. Do you think Huck’s father ever cared about Huck, (using the description that the book gave about Huck’s father)?
JENNY SAID: I think Twain introduced the novel with: "You don't know about me" because he wants to make it clear that Huck is the narrator, and that we will hear the story of his adventures directly from him. I find the introduction very unusual because normally novels do not start like that. I think it’s kind of ironic that Huck finds spelling very difficult to learn and hates the lessons so much, that he thinks hell sounds more enjoyable. Only a child would choose hell over heaven because they still don’t understand the meaning of hell. Slavery is introduced through Tom and Huck's interactions with Miss Watson's slave, Jim.When Huck commented that Jim, "was most ruined, for a servant," it demonstrates that he supports the idea of slavery.
Question: Do you think Huck will change his opinion about slavery? Why?
RICHARD SAID: The book so far was pretty hard to read. I had to read at a slow pace just to get what the book is talking about.
I think that Huck was just not brought up well. He has thoughts such as rather go to the “bad place”, or hell, than the "good place", and grumbling for praying before meals. Huck's dad is very drunk, doing things that a normal father wouldn't do. He kidnaps his son and locks him in this room, and beats Huck up when he is drunk.
KRISTIN (KK) SAID: I think the book Huckleberry Finn is very interesting. Sometimes, it is difficult to actually understand what they are saying because of the weird spelling or words I am not familiar with. However, overall, it is very good so far. What made me very uncomfortable was knowing how crazy Huck's dad was. He's always drunk, and even dared to kill his own son with a knife! His dad is just plain cruel, demanding, and insane. Although the author describes Huck's father as a drunk, I believe that he was once a decent person and that something had caused him to turn into what he is today.
Why are the kids interested in such things like robbing/killing? Has the story reached its plot yet?
DIANE SAID: The way the prose in the novel is written is different from a lot of the other novels I've read. The grammar is informal, making Huck's voice very real. Reading the novel is more like carrying a conversation. I think that how Pap is raising Huck is really bad for him. Pap is not being a good example for him. Pap is not being a good example for his son, and the moment where Pap threatened to kill Huck was scary.
(to those who haven't read the book yet) How do you think Huck and Pap's relationship will end?
Tereasa: I agree! He suddenly desired a father-son bond not to atone for anything, but for the dough.
Q: in this society, Jim is a slave, and doesn't have a lot of rights just like rest of the colored people on the street, but how does Jim, a slave, differs to those on the street wandering around?
I think that the first few chapters show us how the people have not been educated well (except for a few people like Mrs. Watson). For example, the kids talked about bloody things like killing people and cutting throats and burning bodies. I think this has something to do with the environment they were brought up in. Huck’s unwillingness to sit straight and go to the “good place” shows how he was brought up. I think it is quite sad how his father has been addicted to drinking and has to get money from his son.
liang: i agree with liang, because no matter what happened Huck still get beaten up anyways, so why not give away the money. make the money more useful.
As said before, I think pap is an awful character. He treated his son without care and feelings; and even forced him to drop school because he was afraid that his son would outsmart him. All he want is money. Like Bess said, "I think Huck was really smart to give Judge Thatcher his money, because somehow he knew that his dad was going to come back and try to get the money from him", I totally agree with it. I bet if pap haven't heard that Huck was rich, he wouldn't even have came back to see him.
JENNY SAID: Kathy- Also, later on in chapter five Huck’s father, Pap, is introduced into the story. Do you think Huck’s father ever cared about Huck, (using the description that the book gave about Huck’s father)?
I really don't think there's a chance that Huck's father cares about his own son, he even beats him! I think he's a selfish person, with bad personality. He represents the bad or at least the bottom of civilization.
I find it strange that despite how Huck's father treats him and abuses him, he is still in a sense still loyal to his father despite the fact that he probably could have killed him easily.
It's also interesting how Tom thinks he is knowledgeable despite the fact that he doesn't really understand the books he read. It shows how despite their dreams and ideas, the children in Huckleberry Finn are still children after all. I think Mark Twain was extremely good at indirectly describing and giving information about the characters.
What i find rather surprising is that there seemed to be a lot of racism in the USA back then in Mark Twain's 19th century setting. It is extremely disturbing to see the conditions of the blacks during that period. What is even more ironic is despite all the talk of "freedom", America was not even close to being a free nation.
I think it is interesting to note how Huck probably had a very deprived childhood in a dysfunctional family because of the constant abuse he was subject do.
On page 31 when Huck decided to "sell" all his money to Judge Thatcher, was it to prevent it from falling into his father's hands? Is Judge Thatcher thinking for Huck or for himself?
I like how Mark Twain relates this novel to the first one by using the same characters, but I think he almost completely erased whatever he wrote in the first book by Huck throwing away his money and almost have no relationship between the two novels. Huck is pretty young to be smoking. I guess Huck is pretty stupid to ask the Widow if he can smoke. I not sure if I like how Mark Twain put accents on some of his characters and uses slang, because I think it is pretty hard to really understand them.
MATTHEW SAID: To KK Why are the kids interested in such things like robbing/killing? Has the story reached its plot yet?
A: I think that the kids are interested in robbing and killing because they want to be bad. To them, being bad is the same as being "cool". They want to act tough and show everybody else that they're not wusses and will do brave things. Yes i think it has.
I find it interesting that the kids all wish to be robbers and killers and put on a show that they are, but dont have the guts to do anything for real. I also think that Huck's father is the demonstration of what a father shouldn't be. He's a drunk and hits his child for no reason at times. I think that we can learn what not to be from Huck's father. I also think its funny how that Huck thinks that praying is a way to get things from God somehow.
In your opinion, why do you think Huck still stayed with the Widow Douglas?
I find this book very interesting and fun to read. The interesting part of the book was the way the author wrote the story. Mark Twain writes the story using slangs and informal english. By doing this, Twain can make it sound like Huck is telling the story. From the misspellings, we can tell that Huck doesn't really have good education. The informal english made the story interesting, but it also made some parts harder to understand.
After reading the first six chapters, I was most surprised by Huck's father. I couldn't believe that a father could be bad to that extent. It really shocked me when he said, "And looky here-- you drop that school, you hear? I'll learn people to bring up a boy to put on airs over his own father and let on to be better'n what he is. You lemme catch you fooling around that school again, you hear?" I mean what kind of father doesn't want his child to get an education because the child would be surpassing him. Also, when he chased Huck around with a knife while threatening to kill him, I was even frightened a little. This father-son relationship is seriously crazy.
Jasmine: I think Huck Finn is embracing freedom just as any kid would. No child would want to be confined in a house of rules, regulations, and homework when given the choice to be free. Though, Huck would most likely choose the civilized ways over living with his alcoholic father if he had to choose. And for the record, he did grow accustomed to a civilized life before, so why not again?
“’I think that’s foolishness. Why can’t a body take a club and ransom them as soon as they get here?’ ‘Because it ain’t in the books so—that’s why.’” (Twain 18) I think it is interesting how Tom Sawyer imagines up things in the real world based on what he read. Mark Twain expresses the nature of children those days quite well in this chapter. It looks like they know of the crimes in the world like robbing and murdering. Yet they don’t know the seriousness behind these crimes, and they act as if it is a game. Perhaps the kids learned about murdering and robbing from the books they read, but the robbing and murdering in stories are just part of the plot, and does not fully reveal the true meaning behind these crimes. I hope these kids don’t go around committing these crimes later in the story.
I think the beginning of the novel was interesting how the author somehow continue the story of Tom Sawyer, and also turned the main character to Huck. I thought the story was intersting but yet hard to read and understand.
My question is, why did Huck give his money to the judge?
To John: As what Liang said, Jim didn't let Huck and Tom go, but he simply fell asleep, and they ran away from Jim.
I thought that Twain's style of writing was very interesting. He directly writes down what people talk like, therefore giving readers more connection to the characters and setting of the story. (I wonder what Mark Twain TALKS like!!) A part of chapter three that really stuck out to me was when the people discovered the dead body floating in the river. "I knowed mighty well that a drownded man don't float on his back, but on his face. So I knowed, then, that this warn't pop, but a woman dressed up in a man's clothes. So I was uncomfortable again." What is the significance of this quote? Why was it a woman? How did Huck know? Why was the woman dressed in a man's clothes? A lot of questions pop out here.
I thought the story was very interesting, but the misspellings and bad grammar made some parts hard to understand. I think Twain has done a good job of showing how a boy who hasn't been brought up with that much education would act and think, how he would think more about what his actions could do for himself than other people. Also, the kids may seem violent when they say that they will kill and rob people, but in reality they don't even know what those things are and are exploring innocently the world that they think is the world of adults.
However, I think it is really weird of Huck's pap to suddenly come and say that he can't go to school, that he can't be educated, that he has to live rough etc...and I think its freaky the way he locks him up and beats him when he's drunk. Also, his dad seems to be a bit delusional, almost as if he believes the world should cater to him.
In Huckleberry Finn at some parts of the book, Twain uses informal grammar and words. It takes time to understand what the person is trying to say. I think why Huck’s father went back to his kid was because he only wanted money and did not care for Huck. If he really cared for Huck he would want better for his son and tell him to keep going to school and receiving education, and not threaten him. He would want his child to be better than him, other then turning into someone like him.
I think the way Pap always is getting drunk and not caring about what happens to Huck, and locking him up in the shack for up to 3 days, also shows he doesn’t care for Huck.
I think that the accents Mark Twain gave the characters was pretty amusing. I like Finn's accent the best. It's like a lilting, rolling, accidentally-lyrical kind of speech style. Also, it's funny how Twain is like Finn's biographer.
this book is so hard to read. :( its because of the accents that its hard to understand, but in a way, this gives the characters life. I agree with many others, it is very interesting how Huck introduces himself, saying that a book was written about him and his friend Tom, and he brings up the name Mark Twain (which is the pen name of the author). Diane: I actually think the way he is being raised is good for him, I think, he knows how bad Pap is and this way, he will be inspired to NOT be like Pap in any way, which makes him have his own morals. What do you think about Tom and Huck’s relationship?
I find this book interesting, but I don't really like Tom's attitude. He seems to be belittling his friends and thinking that things in real life will match the books he reads.
Shannon: I agree that it's interesting how he calls Twain his own biographer. I think the accents make it more real, but Jim's is hard to understand.
As Teresa had mention before, I think that Mark Twain made a good choice to sort of continue the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. This book is interesting, but i somehow find it difficult to read. I think it's probably because we're not used to the way Mark Twain, since he writes in a unique way. Why do you think the kids made this club? Do you really think they really want to steal/kill?
Whoa~...I think I'm dizzy. I understand that "Huck Finn" is a famous piece of American literature, but it is so hard for me to read!
I acknowledge that that improper use of grammar is meant as a literary tool to connect the readers to this world of Mark Twain's, but I find that this may be a impediment in enjoying the story. Certain things are harder for me to understand and it takes too long for me to recognize words in context. As I know it, the human brain processes words by the first letter, last letter, and the letters in between but only as letters, which in turn point to a certain word in their vocabulary, but the context in which the messed up grammar and spelling is used in the novel makes the novel hard to access. (I'm rambling again, aren't I?)
To the point: I'm just wondering what the point of the current contents of the story is so far. As far as I see, the stuff we have here is just back story...a very long backstory. How might the current backstory be relevant to the future?
To James: I think Tom and Huck's relationship is just for fun, funny, and out of pure sharing of thoughts. Just friendship.
How did Jim get fourteen dollars? I thought he was a slave. Is fourteen dollars a lot? I like how Jim is very optimistic and knows how much he’s worth. I’m guessing to have slaves cost a lot. I think it is funny how Jim used to own a cow and even as it died he used its hide to get some money back. I feel bad for Jim for losing all his money without really spending it.
I think it was a waste of time for Huck to fake his death. He could’ve just ran and still go to the island to hide. If the people who went looking for his dead body couldn’t find him, they won’t find him anyways if they knew Huck was alive.
(didn't work last night) I think Huck is a very smart boy who was lucky to have found the money. He was smart enough to realize that his father would come take it from him, so he gave it to Thatcher. His father was violent and drunk most of the time, therefore he had barely any education.
(Sorry I couldnt post this yesterday cuz of the word veri. reason so im posting it today) I found the novel "Huckleberry Finn" very interesting. I also found this novel very different from other novels. Most novels don’t have their own characters talk directly to the readers and actually address the author, and especially not talking about the novel's own prequel. I guess this is what makes Mark Twain’s writings so brilliant. The characters' use of slangs and accents makes the dialogues sometimes hard to read, that is why I had to read it over and over again until I understood it. However, using theses slangs and accents makes the novel more descriptive. By this way, readers can easily feel the culture and lifestyle the author is trying though express through the characters like huck. What I didn’t like in the novel was Huck's father. He is a hillbilly bloke that a drunkie bloodthirsty for liquor and money. He sets a really bad role model for Huck, probably ruining his childhood. I can’t believe that a father would even dare to threaten to kill his own son! Huck's father abuses huck. However overall I think the plots so far is pretty good; it clearly portrays the lifestyle of Huck's era.
It was really quite an adventure of how Mark Twain had described in the beginning of Huck life being adopted by the widow. It’s also very interesting how Huck disliking the new ways of living, but comfortable in old clothes and sleeping on the ground instead of on beds. But I’ve been wondering where his desire of receiving love from his parents is, does he really not care about having such kind parents like the others? Huck I guess has been under the background of poor and uneducated situation grow up. I’ve notice how the widow care so much for Huck, and yet Huck still runs around outside at night with Tom Sawyer trying to make a Gang. The part where Huck had finally got use to going to school and learning was pretty disappointing. Because his father showed up and made lots of fussed in town and drag him away from that spite of light that’s there to begin a new life. I thought it was a waste when I read to it, but then after living a while with his father. Huck had started to get use to this way of living, the way he liked except the cowhide. I always wonder, wouldn’t Huck ever want to do something in life? Something that he wanted the most, even if it’s something small, or even a dream perhaps. But despite of his father behaviors towards raising his own son had made Huck not able to get the knowledge of love from anyone around him. I thought this is one of the most important things that I felt sorry for Huck when I was reading these chapters.
Kathy: I don't think Huck Finn will be ever civilizized throughout the novel. According to his personality, he craves for freedom and fun. Huck Finn has trouble coping with Miss Watson, because he is caught up with orders and tight schedules. He doesn't like being civilized. He joined the gang of robbers, which is inappropriate to steal.
I don't think Pap ever cared about his son. From his actions, you can tell he isn't so much of a good father. He swears a lot and is untrustworthy (He used the money that the judge gave him to get drunk). Also, he locked Huck in the cabin before. According to his actions, it doesn't seem like Pap ever cared for Huck. If Pap cares for Huck, then the father wouldn't use swear words and wouldn't be untrustworthy.
My favorite part of the first six chapters is the part when Miss Watson tells Huck that Tom Sawyer is not going to heaven, because of his misbehavior. Huck cleverly said that he wanted Tom and himself to be together, meaning that they are probably going to hell after they die. This quote is pretty hilarious and Huck said this in a sarcastic tone that showed Mark Twain’s humorous style of writing. The first chapter is very interesting, because at the front, Huckleberry Finn begins to narrate himself and mentions about Mark Twain. Then, the viewpoint changes to Mark Twain’s point of view. The transition is not awkward, but it is very innovative kind of writing. Mark Twain brings out the “cruel” past of slavery by writing scenes with Miss Watson and the household slaves, emphasizing that in that period of time slavery is common.
I find it interesting in how Hick's father reacts towards the African American people in society. When Hick’s father was drunk, he starts to tell the story of an African American from the North that was free and how Hick’s father was so displeased with how the government had handled the situation. This also showed the serious problem of discrimination during that time period that whites had on blacks. Hick’s father believed that blacks should not be free but sold at auctions to white families. I also find the filial abuse between Huck’s father and Huck interesting because of how even though his father abuses him and taunts him, somewhere in his heart, the loves Huck.
The novel begins with Huckleberry Finn talking about Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and commenting about the novel. We soon find out that the people in the town own household slaves, which tells us the setting—time and place—of the novel. Owning slaves in the town of St. Petersburg is very normal, because even Widow Douglas (who is a devoted Christian) owns slaves and one of them is named Jim. Speaking of Jim, I don’t like reading the parts where he talks. I find it very confusing and I have to read it out loud in order to know what he’s talking about. The accent and his grammar and everything make it hard for me to understand, so it took me some time to understand his lines. Because we talked about African-American slavery and I read the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, so I’m guessing that this novel is also about slavery and the life of Huck Finn with Jim? To john: I agree with you about the Christian and irony thing. I think it was because the society was just like that and everything, it was back in the old days when the blacks and whites weren’t equal.
To Ted Linghu - I think that the kids talk about killing and robbing because they don't really understand those topics that well. They all agree to join the group because joining that group means that you're "cool", or one of the popular kids, and at their age, who doesn't want to be one of the popular kids? I think they want to form a gang because they want something to do. When you read about the kid that got homesick, we see that they are really still just children, and they don't understand robbing and killing, which is probably why they talk about those with such relish.
How does the author's writing language effect the way the story is told? Do you think it is a positive or negative effect?
So far, the book is pretty good. It was clever for Mark Twain to have Huckleberry Finn as (kind of) a sequel of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, just shifting the main character from Tom to Huck.
ReplyDeleteJust to make sure, are Widow Douglas and Miss Watson protagonists or antagonists? And why did Pap suddenly appear out of nowhere? Is it just for the sake of Huck's wealth? :D
It was interesting how in the beginning of the book, even when the story refers to first person, Huck Finn refers the author as Mr. Twain. Usually in novels and stories, this doesn't really happen. I think that it is purely for entertainment and has no deeper meaning to it.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning chapters, Huck Finn's foster parents try to teach him to be a civilized person. They teach him about being a good person and having good morals so that he would go to heaven and not to hell. But for them to say this at that time is kind of ironic. They thought that they were right and just, yet they owned slaves who were humans treated like animals. I doubt there is anything good about slavery. I think most of the slave owners who were Christians thought about this irony before, but they just simply ignored it because it was a necessary crime. They needed people to work on their farms to complete the plantation.
Why did Jim let Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer go? Jim probably knows that Aunt Polly wants Huck Finn to stay and surely doesn't want to let him go. Why does Jim go against Aunt Polly's will?
BESS says (her blogspot won't work) -
ReplyDeleteI think Huck was really smart to give Judge Thatcher his money, because somehow he knew that his dad was going to come back and try to get the money from him. I don't think its fair how Hucks dad didn't want Huck to have a proper education just because he didn't. I think Huck is a clever boy who deserves more than a dad who's constantly getting drunk and beating him up for him.
To Tereasa: I think Huck's dad appeared not just because he wanted Huck's money. It was probably a big part of the reason, but i think Huck's dad wanted to feel like he was the boss of somebody. People look down at him because he's an alcoholic, but Huck has to listen to him, legally.
ELISSA says (her blospot won't work either..) -
ReplyDeleteI found the book rather difficult to read. The accents given to Huck, his father, and Jim - while they make the story more real, sometimes I have to sound out the words several times to figure it out..
I'm not sure whether the widow and her sister are protagonists or antagonists. I think to us, they are the protagonists - they certainly have a lot more morals than Huck's father, they're than Huck's father, they're Christian, and everything there is to be respectable and righteous in that time. But to Huck, they just seem to be like jailguards, especially Miss Watson, always telling him off and making him do things he's uncomfortable with. I guess we'll find out more about them later in the book.
Huck's father is an interesting character. Yes, I think he just came back for the money. You already see him making Huck get him money, and just wasting it away on whiskey.
What about the time when his father visited the new judge on page 32 (new book)? Do you think he was just pretending when he was crying and calling himself a fool and he was to turn over a new leaf? (Of course he doesn't in the end but do you really think he meant it before?)
TED LINGHU SAID:
ReplyDeleteI thought it interesting how the "kids" were acting very independant, yet very childish. I mean, they were talking about killing and robbing, very grown up stuff. But yet one kid started crying because he was homesick. Is there a reason to why these kids want to form a gang? Perhaps a sense of belonging? or just bad influece?
there
I agree with Elissa when she says the accent that the people have were hard to follow along. Many times, I had to read aloud certain sections to understand what they were saying. Even by doing so, it took me a while to fully understand what they were trying to say. For example, I found it hard to keep up when Jim, the Negro says “Yo ‘ole father doan’ know yit what he’s a-gwyne to do. Sometimes he spec he’ll go ‘way, en den ag’in he spec he’ll stay De bes’ way is to res’ easy en let de ole man take his own way… One uv ‘em’s light and t’other one is dark. One is rich en t’other is po’. You’s gwyne to marry de po’ one fust en de rich one by en by… ‘kase it’s down in de bills dat you’s gwyne to git hung” (26, Twain). Not only does his grammar make his words sound funny and hard to understand, but also the spelling Mark Twain uses to fit his accent.
ReplyDeleteTo Tereasa – Yea, I think he probably came back for the money and no other reason, but the book says he heard that his son was rich after he arrived in town.
To Johnathan – I thought Jim simply fell asleep after a while.
JASMINE SAID:
ReplyDeleteI thought that it was pretty cool how Huck Finn could be at different places. He was either with his drunk father or else with his foster parents. His drunk father represented wildness and his foster parents represented ciilization. His foser parents tried to teach him manners and respect. On the other hand, Huck real father was wild, cussing every second.
Huck Finn seems to be used to being civilized, but when he is at home, he feels the despreate freedom to swear. Do you think he wants the old ways, or does he want to live with his father?
KATHY SAID:
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the book Huck talks about Tom Sawyer, and says that if you hadn’t read the story about Tom you wouldn’t know about Huck himself. It’s really interesting how the Twain puts this in the beginning. He makes it as if Huck is the one who wrote this book, not the author himself. In the first few chapter, Huck goes on talking about how Miss Watson and Widow Douglas tried to make him civilized.
Can Huck be proper and civilized throughout the whole book?
Also, later on in chapter five Huck’s father, Pap, is introduced into the story. Do you think Huck’s father ever cared about Huck, (using the description that the book gave about Huck’s father)?
JENNY SAID:
ReplyDeleteI think Twain introduced the novel with: "You don't know about me" because he wants to make it clear that Huck is the narrator, and that we will hear the story of his adventures directly from him. I find the introduction very unusual because normally novels do not start like that. I think it’s kind of ironic that Huck finds spelling very difficult to learn and hates the lessons so much, that he thinks hell sounds more enjoyable. Only a child would choose hell over heaven because they still don’t understand the meaning of hell. Slavery is introduced through Tom and Huck's interactions with Miss Watson's slave, Jim.When Huck commented that Jim, "was most ruined, for a servant," it demonstrates that he supports the idea of slavery.
Question: Do you think Huck will change his opinion about slavery? Why?
RICHARD SAID:
ReplyDeleteThe book so far was pretty hard to read. I had to read at a slow pace just to get what the book is talking about.
I think that Huck was just not brought up well. He has thoughts such as rather go to the “bad place”, or hell, than the "good place", and grumbling for praying before meals. Huck's dad is very drunk, doing things that a normal father wouldn't do. He kidnaps his son and locks him in this room, and beats Huck up when he is drunk.
to liang: then i guess the best way is to read it out. :D
ReplyDeleteKRISTIN (KK) SAID:
ReplyDeleteI think the book Huckleberry Finn is very interesting. Sometimes, it is difficult to actually understand what they are saying because of the weird spelling or words I am not familiar with. However, overall, it is very good so far. What made me very uncomfortable was knowing how crazy Huck's dad was. He's always drunk, and even dared to kill his own son with a knife! His dad is just plain cruel, demanding, and insane. Although the author describes Huck's father as a drunk, I believe that he was once a decent person and that something had caused him to turn into what he is today.
Why are the kids interested in such things like robbing/killing? Has the story reached its plot yet?
DIANE SAID:
ReplyDeleteThe way the prose in the novel is written is different from a lot of the other novels I've read. The grammar is informal, making Huck's voice very real. Reading the novel is more like carrying a conversation.
I think that how Pap is raising Huck is really bad for him. Pap is not being a good example for him. Pap is not being a good example for his son, and the moment where Pap threatened to kill Huck was scary.
(to those who haven't read the book yet) How do you think Huck and Pap's relationship will end?
Tereasa: I agree! He suddenly desired a father-son bond not to atone for anything, but for the dough.
Q: in this society, Jim is a slave, and doesn't have a lot of rights just like rest of the colored people on the street, but how does Jim, a slave, differs to those on the street wandering around?
ReplyDeleteI think that the first few chapters show us how the people have not been educated well (except for a few people like Mrs. Watson). For example, the kids talked about bloody things like killing people and cutting throats and burning bodies. I think this has something to do with the environment they were brought up in. Huck’s unwillingness to sit straight and go to the “good place” shows how he was brought up. I think it is quite sad how his father has been addicted to drinking and has to get money from his son.
ReplyDeleteliang: i agree with liang, because no matter what happened Huck still get beaten up anyways, so why not give away the money. make the money more useful.
ReplyDeleteKeViN's Response:
ReplyDeleteAs said before, I think pap is an awful character. He treated his son without care and feelings; and even forced him to drop school because he was afraid that his son would outsmart him. All he want is money. Like Bess said, "I think Huck was really smart to give Judge Thatcher his money, because somehow he knew that his dad was going to come back and try to get the money from him", I totally agree with it. I bet if pap haven't heard that Huck was rich, he wouldn't even have came back to see him.
JENNY SAID:
ReplyDeleteKathy- Also, later on in chapter five Huck’s father, Pap, is introduced into the story. Do you think Huck’s father ever cared about Huck, (using the description that the book gave about Huck’s father)?
I really don't think there's a chance that Huck's father cares about his own son, he even beats him!
I think he's a selfish person, with bad personality. He represents the bad or at least the bottom of civilization.
CHUNi says
ReplyDeleteI find it strange that despite how Huck's father treats him and abuses him, he is still in a sense still loyal to his father despite the fact that he probably could have killed him easily.
It's also interesting how Tom thinks he is knowledgeable despite the fact that he doesn't really understand the books he read. It shows how despite their dreams and ideas, the children in Huckleberry Finn are still children after all. I think Mark Twain was extremely good at indirectly describing and giving information about the characters.
What i find rather surprising is that there seemed to be a lot of racism in the USA back then in Mark Twain's 19th century setting. It is extremely disturbing to see the conditions of the blacks during that period. What is even more ironic is despite all the talk of "freedom", America was not even close to being a free nation.
I think it is interesting to note how Huck probably had a very deprived childhood in a dysfunctional family because of the constant abuse he was subject do.
On page 31 when Huck decided to "sell" all his money to Judge Thatcher, was it to prevent it from falling into his father's hands? Is Judge Thatcher thinking for Huck or for himself?
ADAM says
ReplyDeleteI like how Mark Twain relates this novel to the first one by using the same characters, but I think he almost completely erased whatever he wrote in the first book by Huck throwing away his money and almost have no relationship between the two novels. Huck is pretty young to be smoking. I guess Huck is pretty stupid to ask the Widow if he can smoke. I not sure if I like how Mark Twain put accents on some of his characters and uses slang, because I think it is pretty hard to really understand them.
MATTHEW SAID:
ReplyDeleteTo KK Why are the kids interested in such things like robbing/killing? Has the story reached its plot yet?
A: I think that the kids are interested in robbing and killing because they want to be bad. To them, being bad is the same as being "cool". They want to act tough and show everybody else that they're not wusses and will do brave things. Yes i think it has.
I find it interesting that the kids all wish to be robbers and killers and put on a show that they are, but dont have the guts to do anything for real. I also think that Huck's father is the demonstration of what a father shouldn't be. He's a drunk and hits his child for no reason at times. I think that we can learn what not to be from Huck's father. I also think its funny how that Huck thinks that praying is a way to get things from God somehow.
In your opinion, why do you think Huck still stayed with the Widow Douglas?
ANDY HSU:
ReplyDeleteI find this book very interesting and fun to read. The interesting part of the book was the way the author wrote the story. Mark Twain writes the story using slangs and informal english. By doing this, Twain can make it sound like Huck is telling the story. From the misspellings, we can tell that Huck doesn't really have good education. The informal english made the story interesting, but it also made some parts harder to understand.
Jackie:
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the first six chapters, I was most surprised by Huck's father. I couldn't believe that a father could be bad to that extent. It really shocked me when he said, "And looky here-- you drop that school, you hear? I'll learn people to bring up a boy to put on airs over his own father and let on to be better'n what he is. You lemme catch you fooling around that school again, you hear?" I mean what kind of father doesn't want his child to get an education because the child would be surpassing him. Also, when he chased Huck around with a knife while threatening to kill him, I was even frightened a little. This father-son relationship is seriously crazy.
Jasmine: I think Huck Finn is embracing freedom just as any kid would. No child would want to be confined in a house of rules, regulations, and homework when given the choice to be free. Though, Huck would most likely choose the civilized ways over living with his alcoholic father if he had to choose. And for the record, he did grow accustomed to a civilized life before, so why not again?
Steven:
ReplyDelete“’I think that’s foolishness. Why can’t a body take a club and ransom them as soon as they get here?’ ‘Because it ain’t in the books so—that’s why.’” (Twain 18) I think it is interesting how Tom Sawyer imagines up things in the real world based on what he read. Mark Twain expresses the nature of children those days quite well in this chapter. It looks like they know of the crimes in the world like robbing and murdering. Yet they don’t know the seriousness behind these crimes, and they act as if it is a game. Perhaps the kids learned about murdering and robbing from the books they read, but the robbing and murdering in stories are just part of the plot, and does not fully reveal the true meaning behind these crimes. I hope these kids don’t go around committing these crimes later in the story.
HALEY says:
ReplyDeleteI think the beginning of the novel was interesting how the author somehow continue the story of Tom Sawyer, and also turned the main character to Huck.
I thought the story was intersting but yet hard to read and understand.
My question is, why did Huck give his money to the judge?
To John: As what Liang said, Jim didn't let Huck and Tom go, but he simply fell asleep, and they ran away from Jim.
KRISTEN'S:
ReplyDeleteI thought that Twain's style of writing was very interesting. He directly writes down what people talk like, therefore giving readers more connection to the characters and setting of the story. (I wonder what Mark Twain TALKS like!!)
A part of chapter three that really stuck out to me was when the people discovered the dead body floating in the river. "I knowed mighty well that a drownded man don't float on his back, but on his face. So I knowed, then, that this warn't pop, but a woman dressed up in a man's clothes. So I was uncomfortable again." What is the significance of this quote? Why was it a woman? How did Huck know? Why was the woman dressed in a man's clothes? A lot of questions pop out here.
I thought the story was very interesting, but the misspellings and bad grammar made some parts hard to understand. I think Twain has done a good job of showing how a boy who hasn't been brought up with that much education would act and think, how he would think more about what his actions could do for himself than other people. Also, the kids may seem violent when they say that they will kill and rob people, but in reality they don't even know what those things are and are exploring innocently the world that they think is the world of adults.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I think it is really weird of Huck's pap to suddenly come and say that he can't go to school, that he can't be educated, that he has to live rough etc...and I think its freaky the way he locks him up and beats him when he's drunk. Also, his dad seems to be a bit delusional, almost as if he believes the world should cater to him.
In Huckleberry Finn at some parts of the book, Twain uses informal grammar and words. It takes time to understand what the person is trying to say. I think why Huck’s father went back to his kid was because he only wanted money and did not care for Huck. If he really cared for Huck he would want better for his son and tell him to keep going to school and receiving education, and not threaten him. He would want his child to be better than him, other then turning into someone like him.
ReplyDeleteI think the way Pap always is getting drunk and not caring about what happens to Huck, and locking him up in the shack for up to 3 days, also shows he doesn’t care for Huck.
I think that the accents Mark Twain gave the characters was pretty amusing. I like Finn's accent the best. It's like a lilting, rolling, accidentally-lyrical kind of speech style. Also, it's funny how Twain is like Finn's biographer.
ReplyDeletethis book is so hard to read. :(
ReplyDeleteits because of the accents that its hard to understand, but in a way, this gives the characters life.
I agree with many others, it is very interesting how Huck introduces himself, saying that a book was written about him and his friend Tom, and he brings up the name Mark Twain (which is the pen name of the author).
Diane: I actually think the way he is being raised is good for him, I think, he knows how bad Pap is and this way, he will be inspired to NOT be like Pap in any way, which makes him have his own morals.
What do you think about Tom and Huck’s relationship?
I find this book interesting, but I don't really like Tom's attitude. He seems to be belittling his friends and thinking that things in real life will match the books he reads.
ReplyDeleteShannon: I agree that it's interesting how he calls Twain his own biographer. I think the accents make it more real, but Jim's is hard to understand.
As Teresa had mention before, I think that Mark Twain made a good choice to sort of continue the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. This book is interesting, but i somehow find it difficult to read. I think it's probably because we're not used to the way Mark Twain, since he writes in a unique way. Why do you think the kids made this club? Do you really think they really want to steal/kill?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhoa~...I think I'm dizzy. I understand that "Huck Finn" is a famous piece of American literature, but it is so hard for me to read!
ReplyDeleteI acknowledge that that improper use of grammar is meant as a literary tool to connect the readers to this world of Mark Twain's, but I find that this may be a impediment in enjoying the story. Certain things are harder for me to understand and it takes too long for me to recognize words in context. As I know it, the human brain processes words by the first letter, last letter, and the letters in between but only as letters, which in turn point to a certain word in their vocabulary, but the context in which the messed up grammar and spelling is used in the novel makes the novel hard to access.
(I'm rambling again, aren't I?)
To the point: I'm just wondering what the point of the current contents of the story is so far. As far as I see, the stuff we have here is just back story...a very long backstory. How might the current backstory be relevant to the future?
To James: I think Tom and Huck's relationship is just for fun, funny, and out of pure sharing of thoughts. Just friendship.
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ReplyDeleteHow did Jim get fourteen dollars? I thought he was a slave. Is fourteen dollars a lot?
ReplyDeleteI like how Jim is very optimistic and knows how much he’s worth. I’m guessing to have slaves cost a lot. I think it is funny how Jim used to own a cow and even as it died he used its hide to get some money back. I feel bad for Jim for losing all his money without really spending it.
I think it was a waste of time for Huck to fake his death. He could’ve just ran and still go to the island to hide. If the people who went looking for his dead body couldn’t find him, they won’t find him anyways if they knew Huck was alive.
(didn't work last night)
ReplyDeleteI think Huck is a very smart boy who was lucky to have found the money. He was smart enough to realize that his father would come take it from him, so he gave it to Thatcher. His father was violent and drunk most of the time, therefore he had barely any education.
(Sorry I couldnt post this yesterday cuz of the word veri. reason so im posting it today)
ReplyDeleteI found the novel "Huckleberry Finn" very interesting. I also found this novel very different from other novels. Most novels don’t have their own characters talk directly to the readers and actually address the author, and especially not talking about the novel's own prequel. I guess this is what makes Mark Twain’s writings so brilliant. The characters' use of slangs and accents makes the dialogues sometimes hard to read, that is why I had to read it over and over again until I understood it. However, using theses slangs and accents makes the novel more descriptive. By this way, readers can easily feel the culture and lifestyle the author is trying though express through the characters like huck. What I didn’t like in the novel was Huck's father. He is a hillbilly bloke that a drunkie bloodthirsty for liquor and money. He sets a really bad role model for Huck, probably ruining his childhood. I can’t believe that a father would even dare to threaten to kill his own son! Huck's father abuses huck. However overall I think the plots so far is pretty good; it clearly portrays the lifestyle of Huck's era.
It was really quite an adventure of how Mark Twain had described in the beginning of Huck life being adopted by the widow. It’s also very interesting how Huck disliking the new ways of living, but comfortable in old clothes and sleeping on the ground instead of on beds. But I’ve been wondering where his desire of receiving love from his parents is, does he really not care about having such kind parents like the others?
ReplyDeleteHuck I guess has been under the background of poor and uneducated situation grow up. I’ve notice how the widow care so much for Huck, and yet Huck still runs around outside at night with Tom Sawyer trying to make a Gang. The part where Huck had finally got use to going to school and learning was pretty disappointing. Because his father showed up and made lots of fussed in town and drag him away from that spite of light that’s there to begin a new life. I thought it was a waste when I read to it, but then after living a while with his father. Huck had started to get use to this way of living, the way he liked except the cowhide.
I always wonder, wouldn’t Huck ever want to do something in life? Something that he wanted the most, even if it’s something small, or even a dream perhaps. But despite of his father behaviors towards raising his own son had made Huck not able to get the knowledge of love from anyone around him. I thought this is one of the most important things that I felt sorry for Huck when I was reading these chapters.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteKathy: I don't think Huck Finn will be ever civilizized throughout the novel. According to his personality, he craves for freedom and fun. Huck Finn has trouble coping with Miss Watson, because he is caught up with orders and tight schedules. He doesn't like being civilized. He joined the gang of robbers, which is inappropriate to steal.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Pap ever cared about his son. From his actions, you can tell he isn't so much of a good father. He swears a lot and is untrustworthy (He used the money that the judge gave him to get drunk). Also, he locked Huck in the cabin before. According to his actions, it doesn't seem like Pap ever cared for Huck. If Pap cares for Huck, then the father wouldn't use swear words and wouldn't be untrustworthy.
My favorite part of the first six chapters is the part when Miss Watson tells Huck that Tom Sawyer is not going to heaven, because of his misbehavior. Huck cleverly said that he wanted Tom and himself to be together, meaning that they are probably going to hell after they die. This quote is pretty hilarious and Huck said this in a sarcastic tone that showed Mark Twain’s humorous style of writing. The first chapter is very interesting, because at the front, Huckleberry Finn begins to narrate himself and mentions about Mark Twain. Then, the viewpoint changes to Mark Twain’s point of view. The transition is not awkward, but it is very innovative kind of writing. Mark Twain brings out the “cruel” past of slavery by writing scenes with Miss Watson and the household slaves, emphasizing that in that period of time slavery is common.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting in how Hick's father reacts towards the African American people in society. When Hick’s father was drunk, he starts to tell the story of an African American from the North that was free and how Hick’s father was so displeased with how the government had handled the situation. This also showed the serious problem of discrimination during that time period that whites had on blacks. Hick’s father believed that blacks should not be free but sold at auctions to white families. I also find the filial abuse between Huck’s father and Huck interesting because of how even though his father abuses him and taunts him, somewhere in his heart, the loves Huck.
ReplyDeleteThe novel begins with Huckleberry Finn talking about Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and commenting about the novel. We soon find out that the people in the town own household slaves, which tells us the setting—time and place—of the novel. Owning slaves in the town of St. Petersburg is very normal, because even Widow Douglas (who is a devoted Christian) owns slaves and one of them is named Jim. Speaking of Jim, I don’t like reading the parts where he talks. I find it very confusing and I have to read it out loud in order to know what he’s talking about. The accent and his grammar and everything make it hard for me to understand, so it took me some time to understand his lines. Because we talked about African-American slavery and I read the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, so I’m guessing that this novel is also about slavery and the life of Huck Finn with Jim?
ReplyDeleteTo john:
I agree with you about the Christian and irony thing. I think it was because the society was just like that and everything, it was back in the old days when the blacks and whites weren’t equal.
To Ted Linghu - I think that the kids talk about killing and robbing because they don't really understand those topics that well. They all agree to join the group because joining that group means that you're "cool", or one of the popular kids, and at their age, who doesn't want to be one of the popular kids? I think they want to form a gang because they want something to do. When you read about the kid that got homesick, we see that they are really still just children, and they don't understand robbing and killing, which is probably why they talk about those with such relish.
ReplyDeleteHow does the author's writing language effect the way the story is told? Do you think it is a positive or negative effect?