Chapters 19-23

1. Imagery

     

        In the beginning of chapter 19, after Huck and Jim have reunited and set sail again, Huck narrates how they spend their time over these two or three days. He describes how quiet it was, with not a sound to be heard except the occasional "bullfrogs a-cluttering, maybe." This allows readers to gain knowledge of the quiet, peaceful solitude the two are thoroughly enjoying. Sometimes, though, Huck states that "sometimes you could hear a sweep screaking; or jumbled-up voices, it was so still, and sounds come so far..." which also depicts the quiet of the river was. As the day goes on, the songbirds stir up and emphasize the joy of their current place.

   Huck could also see the beauty of the earth while sitting and watching the day begin. He mentions the "dull line" over the water, which was the woods on the other side of the river. He talks about how the sky's colors changed, and the "pale place" that spread all over and made the water less dark. He watches "he mist curl up off of the water" and spots a log cabin in the woods. Readers establish the time of day, and once again the beauty of the area. 

    When a "nice breeze springs up," Huck senses the sweet aroma that is "so cool and fresh and sweet to smell on account of the woods and the flowers..." but also the repulsive scent of the dead fish. The sense of touch is also described, as the feel of the river is illustrated. The two men dipped into the river after setting their lines to "freshen up and cool off," which shows that the water was nice, clean, and cold. The sand also depicts how the river felt. All of these images touch on the senses and make readers understand the beautiful calm Huck and Jim have reached after a bit of chaos. 

2. Characterization

         The king and the duke are, frankly, awful individuals. They are con artists and believe in using lies and manipulation to get what they want, which is mostly money. They believe in telling ridiculous tales and going to extremes to get this wealth they desire. 

       

     Their characterization is satiric because they probably represent Twain's view of government leaders, or "nobles." The king and duke try to mislead and convince the regular folks to respect and obey them, which government officials tend to also do. They also target people that may be unintelligent or uninformed because they are easier to persuade and they can typically get what they yearn for from them. Government leaders and politicians are known to stretch the truth in their campaigns, to in a way con voters to go in their direction, which will be them getting what they want, which is similar to the king and duke's plans and goals.

           Twain is trying to emphasize that the con-men have no morals. They will do anything to get as much money and riches as possible. This includes conning religious people at the large revival. They convince them that the dauphin is a reformed pirate, and are showered with money and great attention from people. This could also be a bit of a jab at religious people, and could be a way of Twain suggesting that faithful people are easily fooled and believe unbelievable things, such as the tale the dauphin is spouting. 

            The Arkansas townspeople are also shown in a negative light by Twain. They are described as drunks and loafers, and their town is a dirty, rundown place filled with mud, roaming pigs, and people with bad reputations. They all do not possess morals, and do not seem to know what the right thing to do is. Boggs is an example, as he is a rude individual that is aggressive towards Huck, but is killed by another drunk that does the wrong thing, Colonel Sherburn. Twain describes them this way because it creates evidence that they are less likely to catch on to the scam of the con-men, for they do not seem to know what morals are, and are probably more gullible for this reason. The final jab made at this town is the success of the king and duke's second show. This gives the people the negative connotation of being stingy about money, as they are angry about being ripped off, and also not compassionate to their neighbors, because they want to trick them into being conned as well. 

           

3. Motif

          Yet another spell of bad weather strikes Huck and Jim in chapter 20. Huck is keeping watch but is in awe of the majestic storm. He describes it by saying "My souls, how the wind did scream along! And every second or two there'd come a glare that lit up the whitecaps for a half a mile around, and you'd see the islands looking dusty through the rain, and the trees thrashing around in the wind..." (Twain, pg. 129) and also states the loud and marvelous noises it created and the forceful way it moved the raft and snags. This dark and dangerous storm foreshadows difficult, challenging, or maybe frightening times that will be coming. These times do, in fact, make an appearance when the "duke" devises a plan to advertise a reward for capturing Jim, but with full intention of making look as though him and the "king" caught him so they can receive the reward. This is yet another struggle that Jim and Huck need to cunningly get out of. 

4. Theme

          Huck observes a "moaning and mourning" Jim for many of the nights they are together. He knows that Jim misses his wife and children greatly, and is awfully homesick. With this knowledge, Huck has the epiphany that black people "cared just as much for [their] people as white folks does for their'n." (Twain, pg. 155) This is Twain once again addressing the theme of racism, but specifically racial equality, for black and white individuals are almost the same. While people in the days of which Huck and Jim lived did not believe they were similar, they have all of the same qualities, apart from their complexions. 

5. Pathos

       An obvious example of a character in chapter 23 that is a helpless, innocent victim is Jim's daughter, Lizabeth. Jim is unaware that she has become deaf due to scarlet fever, and believes she is not listening to him and being disrespectful when he tells her to shut the door, so he hits her and causes her to fall down and weep. It is not her fault she is deaf and could not hear her father's orders, but she suffers because of it. This tugs at the heartstrings of readers, because of her inability to help herself. We feel instant pity for her because of her disability, but even more when Jim reacts so negatively towards her. We understand the remorse and mistake that Jim feels and it causes a tenderness within us. 

25: Narrator and Point of View

   The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is told from the first person point of view from Huck himself. This omits a main character from the novel because the text is not about Huck often, even though his name is in the title. He is always talking about other characters and simply his interactions with them. The chapters focus on other major characters, from Pap, to Jim, to the Grangerfords. A main character cannot be identified because each part of the story has a different one, but it is not ever Huck.

    Huck is a youthful narrator, and his personality and some views make that obvious. This influences how readers will interpret the novel because his views may not be fully developed. As a child, he does not know very much about a lot of aspects of life, such as morals and ways the world works. This means that readers can rely on what Huck is narrating, because it is his story. However, the narration of serious topics coming from a child is what produces a lot of the satire in this book, so they need to realize some things may not be accurate interpretations coming from Huck's perspective.

23: Frame Story

  The entirety of chapter 18 is basically a frame story. It takes a break from the plot thus far of Jim and Huck's escapade, and focuses on developing the Grangerfords as characters, at least in the beginning. A more specific frame story begins on page 110 though, when Buck begins to tell Huck the tale of the feud between his family and the Shepherdsons. He explains why he tries to kill Harney, but says that no one remembers why it started.

24: Situational Irony

    The sermon delivered at church could not be any more fitting than it was when the Grangerfords' and Shepherdsons' attend at the same time. The sermon was "all about brotherly love, and such-like tiresomeness." It is ironic because the families have a deep hatred for one another, and will not ever bond as brothers. This is further emphasized as they hide their rifles with them in the church. They have basically been at war for quite some time now. This feud does not even begin to fade after what the characters stated was a good sermon, but instead climaxes with a gun battle in the woods. This results in the death of Buck, his father, brothers, and cousin, along with a couple Shepherdson family members.

22: Foil

   Buck and Huck have several similarities. Their names only differ by a single letter, and they are approximately the same age. The two also develop a friendship rather quickly. Buck was raised in a classy, loving, wealthy family, while Huck was brought up in quite the opposite environment, being poor with an abusive, alcoholic father who was barely around. However, Huck seems to have better sense than the Grangerfords. They are in a feud with the Shepherdsons, and a few family members from each group have been killed because of this ridiculous spat. No one can remember the way this fight has started. Huck seems to somewhat realize how awful this fight is, which shows that a better upbringing may not make an individual superior. The boys are different in the way they grew-up, but also in the way they act now because of this.

21: Satire

  Satire continues to be a prominent feature in this novel. In chapter 17, one example would be Huck's forgetfulness of his fake name. It is dramatic irony when he does not remember that he is known as George Jackson, which causes him to ask Buck if he can spell it, so he will be reminded. He then memorizes how to spell the name so he is able to do it if he is ever asked to do so. It also seems ironic that Huck loves his time in the home and has a great feeling of happiness, but Emmeline, the deceased daughter, seemed to live a rather melancholic life. She had a fascination with death and created multiple poems and art pieces that were dark and depressing. It seems interesting that they both had such different experiences in the home they lived in at the same age. Chapter 18 also brings dramatic irony, when Huck is uncomfortable with a servant waiting on him. Each Grangerford family member has one, but he does not feel right about having his wait on him hand and foot, even though slavery was obviously perfectly normal during this time. This most likely developed from his friendship with Jim. Another example of irony is when the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons attend church together, but have their rifles hidden with them, and the sermon speaks of brotherhood. Not only is having a lethal weapon in a church ironic, but so is this idea of the two families hating each other despite hearing these words of how they should band together.

    Twain also satirizes Emmeline Grangerford's morbid poetry, as well as the idea of feuding families. He most likely does this to show that families may seem lovely and put-together on the outside, but every one is dysfunctional in their own way. This shows that even seemingly perfect families can mess things up, which he shows through the ridiculous feud between the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons, and the sadness of the dead daughter.

 

20: Characterization

 A prominent theme of this novel is "coming of age." Huck starts out the novel as an immature, mischievous young boy, but as the book progresses, particularly in chapters 12-16, readers see him begin to grow up. He is becoming a more responsible individual, as well as beginning to reason and contemplate his morals. He is starting to decipher rights from wrongs, and seems as though he wants to do the right and good things now, as opposed to stirring up trouble like he once was quite fond of.

   Huck does still possess his quick wit despite his maturing mind. He is still able to get out of situations by using this cleverness he is gifted with. This becomes most helpful when he creates the fantastic story for the ferry watchman of his family being stranded on the Walter Scott, and he convinces the watchman to go rescue this non-existent family. He may be becoming a young man quickly, but his creativity and rascal-like tendencies will most likely never completely vanish.

    This wit does get Huck into yet another sticky situation, however. After being separated from Jim in the fog, his canoe being pulled away from the raft, they are reunited. Jim had slept through that event, but is still thrilled when they are brought back together. Huck manages to convince Jim that he had dreamed the whole thing. Later, though, Jim notices the debris on the raft and becomes angry with Huck for lying and making a fool of him. He makes Huck feel guilty, because he was very concerned for his safety. Huck narrates, "It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and i warn't ever sorry for it afterwards, neither." (Twain, pg. 90) He apologizes to Jim because he genuinely feels bad for hurting him. This shows that the two are now true friends, and the differences of their skin colors no longer seem to matter in their relationship.

19: Figurative Language

    The first paragraph of chapter 13 is hyperbolic. In it, readers can comprehend the level of fear both Jim and Huck experience when they think their raft has floated away, and they are stuck dangerously close to seemingly murderous robbers. Huck narrates "Well, I catched my breath and most fainted," which depicts that he was startled and shocked by this occurrence. The paragraph also states that Jim was "so scared he hadn't hardly any strength left." This, again, emphasizes the terror the duo was suffering from and creates an understanding of the stress of this situation.

   The last line of this chapter is also an example of figurative language. It is as follows: "By the time I got there the sky was beginning to get a little gray in the east; so we struck for an island, and hid the raft, and sunk the skiff, and turned in and slept like dead people." (Twain, pg. 81) This sentence is a simile that describes the very deep sleep Huck and Jim fell into after their troublesome day. It illustrates that they were sleeping so soundly that were like dead people, or, in other words, dead to the outside world. They were so exhausted nothing would cause them to stir and they would most likely sleep for a very long time.

18: Conflict

   Huck has a hard decision to make in chapter 16. He has to choose between the women who have cared for him and his new dear friend. He is unsure if he should help Jim escape from his owner,especially after he hears his plans to rescue, or possibly steal, his family. He feels as though it would be a wrong-doing to Miss Watson, who has done so much for him, if he assists her ex-slave. He almost gives Jim up when they believe they have reached Cairo, but changes his mind when an ecstatic Jim says "Jim won't ever forgit you, Huck; you's de bes' fren' Jim's ever had; en you's de only fren' ole Jim's got now." (Twain, pg. 93)  He also mentions that Huck is the only person to ever keep a promise to him. Huck resolves his internal moral conflict by deciding to not worry about what is right and wrong, because that is too hard to answer. He convinced  himself it is best to simply act on whichever option seems "handiest," which in this case, was continuing on in his mission with Jim.

17: Symbol

  Runaways typically crave one thing: freedom. This case is not different for the two runaways of this novel, Jim and Huck. The Mississippi River symbolizes this freedom for the two. While they are sailing on their raft, or resting on the shore, they answer to no one but one another, and it seems as though nothing can catch them. The river takes them anywhere, and keeps them from things. It carries Huck further from Pap and the pecking of his caregivers in the town, and lifts Jim on his way to a free state and closer to his family.

   A fog arises on the river later in the novel, which causes Huck and Jim to become separated and lost for a bit. This fog could represent blindness, particularly targeted at Huck. He is already a free young man, he is not enslaved and about to be sold off, like Jim is. He had every reason to escape his cruel, drunken father, but the right thing to do would have been to return to the town and be taken care of by the widow or the judge, despite their annoying "pecking." Huck could have been a happy, educated lad spending time with his friends if he would have returned to the town, and he would have most likely been protected from Pap. He, basically, would have had everything Jim wants. This could also explain the symbolism of Jim and Huck being separated as they sail through the fog. Jim needs to run away if he wants to find his family and freedom, but Huck does not. Realistically, Huck should return home, and Jim should keep going. However, the struggles in the fog also show how much the two really need one another, and they continue on their free way.

16: Foil

   Jim is clearly a better a father figure than Pap, Huck's biological father, ever was and ever will be. Jim cares for Huck and attempts to keep him safe by telling him of the bad things that are coming and simply looking out for his well-being. He worries about Huck and makes sure he is as safe as possible. He is also open with Huck, which is shown when he answers his questions and discusses life with him. Pap would most likely never have sat down and had a nice conversation with his son, even if he was intoxicated. He even protects Huck from seeing some of the horrors of the world when he covers up the dead man in the floating house so he cannot see it. He makes sure that Huck is well disguised when he ventures into town so that he remains hidden. Huck, while it is not blatantly stated, feels safe with Jim, and has a much better relationship with him than he did with Pap.

15: Motif

    As has already been acknowledged, Jim is a superstitious fellow. He believes in crazy things, such as birds showing signs of rain. When he spots young birds soaring in the sky "a yard or two at a time and lighting," (Twain, pg. 52) he says rain is coming because of the way in which they are flying. Jim is, in fact, correct in his prediction. He also warns Huck to not touch a snakeskin, for it will bring the worst of luck. At first, after finding the dead man's house and dozens of treasures, Huck does not believe this myth because of the good fortune they have been having. But, unfortunately, their luck ends when Jim is bit by the snake and has to wait for four days for it to heal. Jim's "signs" may seem ridiculous, but perhaps they are correct, and not simply coincidental occurrences.

     Huck questions Jim and wonders why his signs only predict bad luck. Jim responds, "What you want to know when good luck's a-comin' for? Want to keep it off?" (Twain, pg. 52-53) This is actually a rather logical response, and makes his seemingly negative outlook on life make more sense. Good luck is, obviously, good, and is going to make one's life better or happier. If all the good fortune that is going to come to people is told to them, what are they going to do about it? Nothing, except sit around and wait. Bad luck is something people want to prevent, which is why Jim's signs tell him of these things coming, so he can figure out ways to make it less of a bad thing, like preparing their materials for the storm. Good luck should be something that people are surprised by and get pleasure from, and knowing that it is coming will defeat these aspects of it.

    Jim and Huck are inhabiting the caves and caverns of the Mississippi Valley for similar reasons; they are both escapees in hiding. These crevices in the earth illustrate the need for refuge that the two desire. Neither one of them wants to be caught, because terrible things could happen to each individual. They also offer a means of shelter, and most importantly, protection from both being caught and the natural elements of the earth. Safety is what matters most, and these caves will deliver this want to the two men.

14: Satire

   Huck wakes up on his first morning as a free young man on the shore. He hears the cannons looking for him and continues to hide, but realizes how hungry he is. He remembers that the townsfolk always send loaves of bread with quicksilver in them to find corpses, so he decides to wait and watch for the bread intended to discover his non-existent corpse. The bread appears, and he enjoys it and thinks. He narrates "And then something struck me. I says, now I reckon the widow or the parson or somebody prayed that this bread would find me, and here it has gone and done it." (Twain, pg. 45) He believes that the bread has come to him because someone has asked through prayer that he receive this nourishment. This is a satirical dig by Twain at people who believe religion is simply that one always gets what one wants by asking for it by praying and believing. It is an uneducated and unrealistic view of religion and life.

13: Theme

    When Huck kills a snake in the cavern, he plays what he feel is a friendly, harmless prank on Jim by he setting it on his sleeping area. His intent in doing this is simply to amuse himself. Giving Jim a bit of fright would be humorous for him and most likely a funny bonding moment for him and and his companion once it is realized to be a joke.
 
   However, the dead snake's mate appears and bites Jim on his heel. His foot swells and he is in severe pain, and Huck feels guilty. He also feels as though he is very foolish, since he forgot that a dead snake's mate always finds their other half. Since he feels regretful, it is obvious that he cares for Jim and feels bad for hurting him, for his intent was rather the opposite. This also begins to bring up the idea that he is becoming a more mature young man because he realizes his actions were foolish and decides to not do such a thing again.
 
    The themes of loyalty and unity are prominent throughout the novel, but particularly in these few chapters. Jim and Huck have formed an unusual but great bond. Huck has an attachment to the ex-slave and does not want to turn him in, no matter how much money he would receive, because one does not do that to a friend. It also presents the idea of unity, because the two escapees have survived and worked very well together for some time now. Huck may have realized that he would not be as well-off, and would be quite lonesome yet again, without the company of Jim. They are united like brothers, and Huck is intelligent enough to not soil that relationship.

12: Figurative Language

    Multiple examples of figurative language are prominent throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The given passage shows quite a few of these language tools. Personification is used in line 8, when the narration is describing the gusts of wind and said they "...set the branches to tossing their arms as if they was just wild..." This gives human-like characteristics of having movable limbs to the trees, which are obviously inhuman, inanimate objects. Another tool used is repetition, as Twain writes that the thunder crashed and then went "...rumbling, grumbling, tumbling, down the sky towards the under side of the world...," which is also followed by another tool, a simile, "...like rolling empty barrels down-stairs-where it's long stairs and they bounce a good deal, you know." A simile is also used when the sky is depicted as being "...as bright as glory..." and "...dark as sin..." A small example of onomatopoeia is found when Huck narrates "...when it was just the bluest and blackest-fst!" The unreal "fst" word is used to create the sound that the trees are making as the wind blows in them.These are merely a few of the ways Mark Twain enriches his work.

11: Situational Irony

  Huck's "murder" is a tragedy that seems to shake his small town, so it does make sense that a crowd of people that were close to him were searching for his remains on the steamboat. However, wouldn't it make more sense, if they truly cared for him, to go looking at the shanty to see what they could find there? It is quite ironic that they did not do such a thing. They did not care to attempt to see if they could find remains there, or possibly save Huck if they were to find him alive. It would definitely be smarter for the crowd to search the area around the shanty as well as the surrounding waters.

     The time period of which this novel takes place is, if it hasn't already been made obvious, a time when black individuals were inferior to white individuals, and they were typically enslaved. Since African-Americans were supposedly less important than white Americans, it would make sense that the award for a white man would be greater than that for a black man. This is not the case in this novel though, since the award for finding Jim is three hundred dollars, as opposed to the two hundred being offered for pap. This could perhaps be because people would rather have a black man behind bars than a white man, but it is still ironic. It is also ironic because pap is believed to be responsible for killing his son, while all Jim did was run away. One would think that the award for finding a murderer would be higher than that of a runaway man. Again, society would be happier having a slave behind bars than a free man. During this time the crime of a slave running away must have been a very severe act.

10: Imagery

 We as readers are made to visualize a dark scene from Twain's words at the end of chapter seven. This is after Huck has escaped from pap and the shanty and is now finding refuge on a different shore. "The moon was so bright I could 'a' counted the drift logs that went a-slipping along, black and still, hundreds of yards out from shore. Everything was dead quiet, and it looked late, and smelt late." (Twain, pg. 42) This is the first example of imagery Twain used to describe the darkness and late  hour Huck is living in. He also illustrates the pitch-black of the night when he explains that Huck cannot make out the figure of pap sailing down the water in a canoe. Other examples of this imagery would be when Huck, as the narrator, thinks, "The sky looks ever so deep when you lay down on your back in the moonshine..." (Twain, pg. 43) and he also depicts the sight of Jackson's Island as "...big and dark and solid, like a steamboat without any lights." (Twain, pg. 43) Gradually the setting becomes slightly brighter though, as a few lights can be seen from the distant town and lanterns down the stream are visible. The sky also becomes "a little gray" as Huck decides it is time for breakfast, which contains the dark intense imagery, but begins to lighten the mood a bit.

9: Suspense

 In chapter seven, Huck escapes the shanty and the custody of his father. He manages to get out through a hole, and makes a convincing scene that appears as though he has been murdered. He then canoes far away from that shore. The suspense is built because this particular adventure of Huck's is very risky. Every minute there is potential for him to get caught by Pap, and only awful consequences for him could follow his discovery. Huck is nearly discovered when a ferry boat that holds all the people concerned for him sails dangerously close to him. Readers are kept in suspense during this chapter because, not only is Huck's escape very exciting, but we are kept on the edge of our seats to see whether he will be discovered, or if his escapade will be successful.

8: Theme

  Twain uses one of Pap's drunken rants to question the morality of slavery in chapter six. He talks about a well-off black man that was free because he had not lived in the state long enough to be sold as a slave. He was an intelligent man; a college professor that knew many languages. He was also nice looking, had fancy things, and could even vote. Pap is complaining about how awful the government is for allowing this man to not be sold for six months, and letting him be free and successful. The way Twain writes this passage, on pages 35-36, has the potential to make readers realize that slavery is ridiculous, because the African-Americans being sold may be even better people than the white individuals purchasing them.

7: Foreshadowing

   Chapter 4 makes it clear that trouble is coming Huck's way. Part of this trouble is called Pap. Huck knows that his father has returned to town and he knows he will find him soon, but has no idea what he will want. According to Jim's hair-ball, Pap has no idea what he is going to do either. Jim proclaims to Huck that his hair-ball also says, "You gwyne to have considable trouble in yo' life, en considable joy. Sometimes you gwyne to git hurt, en sometimes you gwyne to git sick; but every time you's gwyne to git well ag'in." (Twain, pg. 27) This allows readers to infer that difficult times will be coming to Huck soon, but he is going to get through it, and he will always be alright.
 
     It turns out in the beginning of chapter 6 that Pap does indeed force himself back into Huck's life.  He tries, but fails, to get the money, and takes Huck out of school and moves them to a shanty away from town. At first the conditions of the new life seem awful, as Huck is basically kept prisoner in the little cabin. He begins to enjoy it, however, showing that the trouble could become o.k.. Later in the chapter, when Pap has a dreadful nightmare and attacks his son in his sleep, Huck's outlook is bleak, but he manages to escape, and once again, all things are well.

6: Motif

   Huck becomes rather irrational when he reacts to the footprints. He barely hesitates after spotting it before running for his life to Judge Thatcher's house and attempting to give away his large amount of money. Readers can infer from this reaction that Huck is afraid of his father. We can also begin to acknowledge his father's motivation for returning to the town, which is to take Huck's money for his own, since Huck's first act is to get rid of it. After seeing the footprints, Huck also resorts to supernatural  ways to get answers. He goes to Jim and asks what Pap is going to do and if he is going to stay, and Jim listens to his special hair-ball for the answers.

    Superstition is a main theme of this novel. Huck and Jim have several superstitions, one which is introduced in the very beginning on page 13. Huck flicks a spider into a candle and kills it, which he believes will bring him bad luck. He tries to fend off the potential misfortunes by taking off his clothes, turning in his tracks three times while crossing his chest, and tying a lock of hair with a thread, to, apparently, keep witches away, since he does not have a horseshoe to nail up. All because of the simple murder of a pesky insect. Jim has superstitions along with his hair-ball. After Huck and Tom Sawyer are nearly caught sneaking out by him, they move his hat and tie him up, and Jim thinks he has been attacked by witches. He wears the five-cent piece that Tom had left, except he says it was given to him by the devil, because he believes he will be able to summon witches and cure everything with it. They all work so hard to prevent things developed in their own imaginations from occurring.

5: Motivation

   Pap only has two things on his mind: money and alcohol. This is made evident not only by his constant state of drunkenness, but by his return into Huck's life, which is motivated solely by his desire to take Huck's earnings and make them his own. A potential other motivator for Pap could be the idea of clearing his name. Most of the town believes he is dead from drowning, and he is remembered as an abusive father and a drunk. He could think that getting this money will redeem him because people will perhaps admire him for being rich. There may also be the slight chance that, despite his awful behavior towards Huck, that he wants to be closer to his son, and maybe become a better parent.

     Pap does not get this opportunity to be a shining father figure, however, because Huck plots his escape shortly after their move to the shanty. His motivation sprouted from the fear he had of his father. This fear reaches its peak the night before his escapade, when Pap has a wild nightmare and nearly kills him, then forgets the entire thing upon awakening. Huck seems to decide he has had enough at this point. While he no longer wants to be in the custody of his father, he also does not want to return to the "pecking" of the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson, so he simply runs away, setting up quite an elaborate scene, and voyages on his own.

4: Syntax

This passage depicts the ridiculous and extreme rules the young boys of the gang create. It involves violent acts of murder that will be bestowed on any lad that breaks these rules by leaking their secrets. This emphasizes the first-person point of view of Huck because readers believe the rules more since Huck is describing them. If some unknown narrator was running off the list, the absurdity of them would be more obvious, but since Huck believes in them and, as he says, "everybody was willing," they seem more real. This characterizes Huck even further by illustrating in even more depth his fearlessness, but also unawareness of the world. He talks of killing others and possibly having to punish his friends as if it is not a big deal and the rules are completely normal. This also describes his wild imagination even further.

3: Narrator and Point of View

  Huckleberry Finn narrates this story about himself, making the point of view of this novel first-person. From this, readers can expect to get a more in-depth description of the character and know that characters emotions and the details of the action he/she is involved in. At one point, Huck says, "I felt so lonesome I most wished I was dead." This states exactly how he feeling, and the level of intensity of which he felt that emotion, and you knew this is right because the person feeling it stated it. This also describes how he is feeling without simply writing, "Huck was lonely." Twain uses humor through this point of view because this allows for Huck's snarky and thoughtful attitude to be exposed, and Heck's wit makes for a casual, conversational narration. The improper grammar makes it seem as though the narration is really just Huck talking to the readers comfortably.

2: Characterization

There is no doubt Huckleberry Finn is a rebellious youngster. Twain makes this obvious when he illustrates the relationship between Huck and his caretakers, the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson. They are training him to become a good and better young man, and irritate Huck with their pestering. One night, when Huck sneaks out to go join and plot with Tom Sawyer and the gang, he returns dirty and tired, unable to hide the evidence of his escapade. The Widow Douglas did not scold him like Miss Watson, but "...only cleaned off the grease and clay, and looked so sorry that I thought I would behave awhile if I could," (Twain, pg. 20) as Huck says. This is an indirect example, as it clearly states that Huck does not behave.

       There are multiple indirect examples. Huck sneaks out of his bedroom late into the night to meet with his gang, and he knows exactly how to get out without getting caught, which clearly shows that he has a tendency to misbehave. The goals of said gang also show the rascal side of Huck and the other boys, as they have violent imaginations and plans to rob and kill people. However, Huck significantly differs from the rest of the gang, as he seems to have a small amount of sense. He is skeptical of the rules of the gang, and nearly does not believe the stories Tom tells, like the genie tale.

1: Setting

Woods and forests are commonly described as places of mystery and wonder in literature. This is no different in the setting of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Huck gazes at the woods from his bedroom window late at night and hears noises of various animals and "ghosts" that appear to be whispering to one another. It also appears to be his place for adventure, and indirectly describes his tendency and desire to be a mischievous rascal. It shows his yearning to escape and be a free boy, away from the "pecking" of Miss Watson and the Widow Douglas. His way of being imaginative is also made obvious when he goes there to summon a genie. When Huck is sitting in his room staring at the forest, as mentioned earlier, he is overcome by a feeling of lonesomeness, but the company of the sounds of the woods seem to make him feel less alone.