Papers

Huck Finn focus questions

1. After Huck writes the letter to Miss Watson, he recalls the time he spent with Jim on the river. He also recalls their friendship. This remembrance of their friendship with Jim leads him to listen to his conscience, and he decides that he would “go to hell” if it was necessary to protect his friend. Twain uses irony here because Huck believes he would go to hell for trying to save Jim. Twain is showing the "backwardness" of the south because Huck is being a good friend to Jim but Huck has a weird feeling that he will suffer due to this kindness. 2. Huck decides to “go to hell” because he is sacrificing himself to save Jim instead of writing a letter to Miss Watson and Tom Sawyer. 3. In chapter 32, Huck says that he looks to “Providence to put the right words in my mouth.” Thus, he is relying on providence to help him. This shows that he is putting his fate in the hands of somebody else. Miss Watson would agree because Huck is showing signs of spirituality and religious beliefs, and the funny thing is that he never directly talks to God. 4. The irony is that Huck first said that only one black person died on the boat but he is actually saving a black person from dying. Also, Mrs. Phelps is a wholesome lady, so she is happy that a black person died not a white person. 5. Huck feels sorry for the conmen when they are tarred and feathered. He says, “Human beings can be awful cruel to one another.” He also states that conscience is useless because it makes you feel bad no matter what your action is. This is somewhat surprising because he knows how terrible their antics are and he has seen how much destruction the king and duke have created. Huck shows compassion towards people who are not good people. This is seen in previous chapters, like when Huck wanted to rescue the murders so they wouldn't die. 6. Tom responded this way because Huck stole something for himself, not for somebody else. Tom is more civilized that Huck because Tom follows from all of his reading while Huck learns from his mistakes. 7. Huck and Tom have different ides towards escaping. Huck wants it to be quick and with only necessary things involved, while Tom wants it to be as dramatic as the stories he reads. This shows how Tom is very imaginative due to how Tom gets his inspiration from all the books he reads. Huck is more rational and he recognizes the foolishness and danger of Tom's plan. He says that all of them could die. 8. He is suffering a lot because he has to overcome his fear of snakes and spider and rats, he is living with a lot of rats, he has to live with a memoir about his experiences and he has to write this memoir with his own blood. It seems reasonable because 9. Huck says that Jim is "white inside", and greatly reflects Jim’s character. Jim sacrifices his freedom in order to save Tom. This shows that Jim is a father to his friends and he wants the best for his friends. This shows how much courage and kindness he has for Huck and Tom. Jim deserves to be free with his own family where he can father his own children. 10. It shows a different aspect of society than what Huck has been encountering along his adventures, as the doctor thinks remorsely and logically because he understands that Jims is a kind, whole hearted person, despite trying to escape from slavery because Jim stayed with Tom who had been shot and he did not leave until he was cured and he actually helped the doctor bring Tom back to health. 11. The townspeople treat Jim roughly until the doctor speaks his mind. He informs to everyone of how Jim sacrificed his freedom in order to nurse and save Tom Sawyer. The townspeople realize how Tom took care of Jim, and they set him free. They also feed him and treat him like a king. Tom gives Jim forty dollars for all the stuff he did for him. 12. Twain is a type of author that focuses more on the development of the characters rather than the plot of the story. The main purpose of his work is to reveal the true characters, and through Jim's freedom, the reader gets a glimpse of what type of character Tom is - selfish jerk who uses Jim as a means for fun and adventure. In conclusion, it is believable based on the type of author Mark Twain is.