Huck+Finn

For Monday (9/19): Tom and Huck Discussion Leaders: **﻿Christina**- Huck and Tom have a unique relationship. I feel as though Huck has always idolized Tom and tried to impress or outdo him in their adventurous ways. Earlier in the book, when Huck was faking his own death, he felt accomplished and he feels as if Tom Sawyer himself could not have done a better job, furthering his feeling of being proud of his work. Refering back to Emily talking about how " Tom was respectable, well brought up, had character, bringht, and not ignorant. All of the reasons, Huck believed, go against Tom helping a slave." This not only shows how Huck percieves Tom, but it shows the reader that because Huck is helping a slave, he does not believe that he has these qualities, because Huck believes that there is no reason for him to not help Jim escape. Huck becomes frustrated with Jim in these chapters because Huck wants to help Jim escape in the quickest and most efficient way possible, whereas Tom would rather take the longer, yet more adventurous ways which he has read about in books. In these chapters I think that Huck becomes the voice of reason, trying to look at things locially rather than imaginary, the way Tom looks at things. Huck does his best to keep his cool and not to argue with Tom too much, he even takes some of Tom's ideas and almost uses them against him in a certain way. When Tom finally decides that it is a better to "dig him out with the picks, and //let// on it's case-knives' (246), then the boys are trying to get back into the house after the night of digging and Tom cannot use the lightening rod because his hands are too sore, Huck suggests that he "come up the stairs, and let on it's a lightening rod" (247). Because of this, I think it shows a certain level of intelligence in Huck, even if he does not believe that he is intelligent because he is not well educated.
 * LEADER - I have a lot of notes, so this will be one LONG entry. -Rather than comment on the plot of this section of reading, I chose to examine Huck's internal struggles, opinions, and self-image in relation to the real Tom Sawyer within the pages. The first thing I noted was when Tom and Huck snuck out to go see the king and duke's show in town. As they neared, they saw the "king" and "duke" being carried off after being tarred and feathered by the townspeople. Upon seeing this, Huck says, "Human beings //can// be awful cruel to one another" (231). I found this ironic, because earlier in the book, when the king and duke pretended to be related to Peter Wilks and got sympathy from the townspeople, Huck **** was disgusted and thought, "It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race" (163). He was appalled by both the fraud of the con-men and by their punishment, which seemed contradictory to me. I found that Huck's moral choices and self-image are altered when Tom is around. Last section, Huck made all of us proud little readers when he decided not to turn Jim in, but ever since Tom arrived, he views himself as inferior. When he realizes that Tom is definitely going to help him with Jim, he list many reasons why Tom should not be helping a slave; saying Tom was respectable, well brought up, had character, bringht, and not ignorant. All of the reasons, Huck believed, go against Tom helping a slave. But by saying all of this, it seems to me that Huck is saying that because he is helping Jim, he is none of those things. Tom also makes a few comments, such as "Well, if that ain't just like you Huck Finn. You //can// get up the infant-schoolest ways of going at a thing"(239). These words seem to secure Tom's spot as the leader of the two of them, and he continually reminds Huck of his dominant role. When Huck steals a watermelon from the garden, he says that Tom made him go back to the slaves and pay for it. Another thing I noted was when Huck convinced Tom that digging with knives to Jim was not the best idea, and Huck made a comment about morality. He said, "Picks is the thing, moral or no moral; and as for me, I don't care shucks for the morality of it, nohow[...] I don't give a dead rat what the authorities thinks about it nuther"(246). Even though he is talking about picking a lock, the statements he made clearly gives off a callous attitude towards the idea of morals and values. This is the first time where I have seen him ready to ocmpletely dismiss the idea of morals. End. **

Kayla: ** As I read I thought about how Tom is perceived by Huck Finn before and after the events in this weekend's reading. Before the plan to rescue Jim was set into motion, Huck believed that Tom Sawyer was a true friends who had good morals and would do anything to help his friend. Huck says, "Here was a boy that was respectable, and well brung up;and had character to lose; and folks at home that had characters; and he was bright and not leather-headed; and knowing and not ignorant; and not mean but kind" (233). Huck really feels that Tom Sawyer is a special person who brings adventure and excitement into his own (Huck's) life. Another quote explaining this is, " What a head for just a boy to have! If I had Tom Sawyer's head, I wouldn't trade it off to be a duke, nor mate of a steamboat, nor clown in a circus, nor nothing I can think of"(232). This shows how Huck feels that Tom is a sort of role model for him to look up to and aspire to be. To Huck, before the plan starts, Tom makes every right choice, always comes up with the best plan, and always knows what to do. After the plan is set into motion, Huck starts to feel differently. Tom feels the plan needs more excitement added to it, and needs to be more like the exaggerated rescue missions Tom has heard about. At one point, Tome wants to cut off Jim's leg. Huck immediately objects saying there is no need for this. It reads, "Why, to saw Jim's leg off [...] Good land! Why there ain't //no// necessity for it. And what would you want to saw his leg off for anyway?" (240). Huck is beginning to become frustrated with Tom because he is trying to exaggerate and add excitement into this rescue. Huck finds that he really only wants Jim to get out safe, and does not want to risk endangering Jim in the process. Continually throughout this rescue, Tom repeatedly offers up unneeded added excitement that could potentially hurt Jim. In my opinion, Huck has matured on this journey he has been on, and has passed the time where he thought all of this excitement was needed to make things more interesting. Huck's maturity has exceeded Tom's and now they have made some of their disagreements apparent. ** As you post, please consider - how Huck perceives Tom prior to the weekend's reading - why Huck becomes frustrated with Tom in these chapters

FOR THURSDAY (9/15): "You Can't Pray a Lie" Our first three volunteers--Tim, Chris, and Andrew--should comment on the chapter "You Can't Pray a Lie."

Please consider the following: - the significance of the chapter's title - the relation of this chapter to previous chapters (of this scene to previous scenes) - how this chapter appears significant given our class discussions of the novel - have fun and be honest so everyone can be better prepared for class

Andrew In this chapter Huck and Jim decide that they do not like the King or the Duke. The King and the Duke scam people and Huck and Jim are against it. Huck tries to float away on the raft with Jim and leave the Duke and King behind but he finds that Jim has been captured by a slave catcher. Huck doesn't know what to do. He tries praying to god and asking for forgiveness, but he does not feel he is wrong in helping Jim. HUck doesn't believe in what he's praying for. This ties into the title You Cant Pray a Lie. Huck tears up his letter and decides not to pray: "All right, then, I'll go to hell" (214). This is a turning point for Huck. He chooses to ignore Miss Watson's and his father's morals and help free Jim.

Chris It seems as if Huck has a big change of heart through this chapter. He actually cries when he thinks Jim might be gone, when before he just saw Jim as another piece of property. Like Dawson said, he prays for forgiveness, but he does not think that what he did was wrong, and he knows you cant "pray a lie", which shows how much Huck has changes since the beginning. He is torn between what he was taught was right (report Jim) and what he believes his right (help i his closest friend). He is reminded of the many great times that him and how Jim has always been there for him. He decides to help find Jim and this a big milestone in stepping away from what he was taught and gaining his own beliefs.

Timmy This chapter i believe is very significant in that it represents a stage of maturity for Huck as well as reinforces the fact that Huck is not necessarily a bad kid, but rather a good one who has constantly struggled with internal conflict. What his upbringing had taught him and how he thinks on his own constantly clashes. In this chapter however after Huck decides to ditch the duke and the king and finds Jim gone, he believes its Gods way of punishing him for his wrongdoing. As he kneels to pray and ask for forgiveness and promise that he will return Jim and do what he was taught was right, he realizes that he cannot do it because of how he cares for Jim. He knows that he would not return Jim and therefore cannot pray a lie. Furthermore, you can sense that Huck has just made a pivotal decision in how Twain writes "I was a-trembling, because I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and i knowed it." He made up his mind to help Jim on his own based on what __he__ thought was right, not based on what he thought others felt was right which previously had influenced him immensely. Just to add on, this chapter made me very happy for Huck. Kid deserves a serious pat on the back or something.