Mark Twain Research Paper

I. AUTHOR’S BACKGROUND
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known to most as Mark Twain, has been hailed by many as the father of American Literature. His two most famous works, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn (1884), are considered two of the greatest novels of all time.
Twain was born in Florida, Missouri on 30th November 1835. He grew up in the town of Hannibal on the Mississippi River, which would eventually serve as the basis for the place where Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn would live.
Twain tried turning his hand into many different professions throughout his life, but continued writing all the while. His first job was a printer’s apprentice and, a pilot. After two years of training, he acquired his license and began travelling the mighty Mississippi River as a pilot of a steamboat.
Twain grew up in Missouri at a time when it was a slave state. Though he began as a comic writer, the sorrow he faced in his personal life perhaps served to turn him into a serious, even pessimistic, writer in his later years. Twain passed away in 1910, but he is still one of the best-loved writers around the world.

II. SETTING The story took place in St Petersburg, Missouri, America in 1884 in the 19th century. Slavery in North America began in 1619. However, it continued right through until the 19th century. The
Adventure of Huckleberry Finn is set. The great Mississippi River was one of the most significant landmarks of the period. Winding its way through the heartland of America, it was closely linked to slavery. Steamboats plied up and down the river, and were a symbol of both bondage and freedom. On the one hand, the steamboats were used to transport slaves to various plantations, and acted as cargo ships for the various slave-produce commodities like cotton, sugar and tobacco. On the other hand, they provided the opportunity for the world of slavery to be left behind. Slaves often escaped, passing themselves off as passengers or workers, on these boats. In addition, they brought news of far-flung family and friends to the riverside slaves.

III. Characters Huckleberry Finn is an ordinary boy always seeking for adventure and also for a peaceful and happy life. He runaway from Widow Douglas to escape his boring life with her and look for adventure in life he always wanted. When he met Tom Sawyer, Huck’s friend, he encourages him to go back to Widow’ Douglas to be civilized and respectable before accepting him into his gangster. Harper and Ben Rogers, Huck’s friends, join their gang as they form as “Tom Sawyer’s Gang.” He tried to hide his fear from his father but as he beats him, it made him to hate him more. When Huck and Tom found a treasure they went to Judge Thatcher and ask him to safe keep their money and give them interest. When Huck’s father went back in town he was the one who helped Huck so that his father will not take his money.

Widow Douglas was the woman that took care of Huckleberry and made him civilized when everyone in town thought that his father was dead. Mrs. Watson the slim old maid sister of Widow Douglas with glasses and had just come to stay with her. Then Huck met Jim, Miss Watson’s biggest slave and believes and always blaming odd things in witches. When he knew that Mrs. Watson was going to sell him, he run away until Huck found him. They went to an adventure together. Huckleberry’s father always beats him and asks for his money. He never wanted a good life for him. He hated to know that Huck was well taken care of, having good clothes and going to school. To force Huck to give him what he wanted, he kidnapped him and brought Huck to an island.

The King and the Duke is the two frauds that used Huck and Jim to have money and fool people.

IV. Plot

The novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” was the sequel of the novel “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. The story took place in Missouri in the 19th century were slavery is still practice. The stories started when Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer found a treasure consist of gold coins. Having difficulty of doing with the treasure they found they decided to give it to Judge Thatcher for safe keeping.

One of the problems the main character encountered is belongingness. When he wants to belong to one group the “gang” he followed their rules and condition just to be accepted. His problem with his drunken father that abused and maltreated him always hunted him. Even if he is staying with the Widow Douglas his father manage to sneak inside the house and threatened him. This forced him to run away and even gave away his fortune that is being kept by Judge Thatcher so as to escape from his father.

The climax of the story is when Huckleberry and Jim tried to solve the problem when the King and the Duke tried to impersonate Harvey Wilks and William Wilks. The Duke and the King want to steal the money of the orphans. Since the girls were so nice to Huck he was ashamed of himself to let the Duke and the King steal their money. He cannot stand to see as he stayed on the dead man’s house and watching his orphans being tricked. They tried to solve it by burying the money outside of the house of the orphans. After the money was buried, the King and the Duke argued about the money but they decided to blame the house slaves. While they were arguing, a steamboat landed and in about two minutes, they found out that there was the true Harvey and William Wilks. After they have escape the town of Wilk’s, they offshore again and the King try to find another nearby town.
When he was not able to go back they try to look for him and found him in the back room of a small bar. When they are to busy arguing Huck ran as quickly as he can to escape the two and look for Jim. And Huck reaches the house of the Phelps’ when a boy told him that Jim was brought to the house of the Phelps’. He was able to pretend the he was Tom Sawyer since they were expecting Tom Sawyer. Until the real Tom arrive. Tom pretended that he was Sid Sawyer. Huck and Tom plan to save Jim since he was locked-up in the
barn They solve all of their problems by their teamwork, discipline, cooperation, hard work, intelligence, and trust to one another. Through their initiative and resourcefulness they were able to use all available things that they thought would help them free Jim. The story ended by Huck and Tom found and saved Jim from mean people. They lived happily, no one tried to kill them. Tom had been cured and Huck said to Aunt Polly the truth about what happen to them and his true personality.

V. Reflection

The story tells about the life of Huckleberry Finn and his adventures. It tells about his kindness towards people and how he cares about them. He is a carefree boy trying to find something in life. As he goes along with his life and his battle to be free from his father he encounters difficulties and trials. With his friend Jim and Tom Sawyer he was able to overcome his problems and trials. One thing I like about the story is the wittiness of the characters such as Huck and Tom that they use it to help people they love and cared for. They even sacrifice their safety to help Jim to be free from slavery. Their eagerness to help Jim was not wasted since Jim was able to get his freedom. The thing that I don’t like with the story is the persistence of Huck and even Tom not to go to school, be educated and be civilized. We need to go to school to learn things that we need in life. Even though Huck and Tom learn things outside of school that help them solve their problems, they still need to go to school to learn.