Chapters 1-15 Huck Finn

1. "That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth" (Ch. 1 Pg. 1).

Comments and Questions
The reason the author starts his book with this quote, is that he wants to make sure that the reader understands that he can and will attempt to trick you throughout the novel. Huckelberry Finn begins narrating his story, by introducing the author of the book, Mark Twain. Mark Twain, similar to Huckelberry Finn, was a trickster as well as a made up character. You may be asking yourself how the author of the book could possibly be a made up character. The name 'Mark Twain' is simply a pseudonym used by Samuel Clemens, however it is not just the name that has been made up. For example, there is a famous quote by Mark Twain:
"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."
Mark Twain was a completely different personality created by Samuel Clemens. Samuel Clemens father had already been dead for 3 years before turning 14, so this quote could never have been true. Throughout Huckelberry Finn, this humorous personality of his will shine through into Huck's character.

2. "I could say the multiplication table up to six times seven is thirty-five... I don't take no stock in mathematics anyway" (Chapter 4 Pg. 20).

Comments and Questions

Huckelberry Finn repeats phrases similar to this throughout the book. Closer to the beginning of the book he says the same about dead people, when referring to Moses. These quotes reflect Huckelberrys young, rebellious spirit. He doesn't trust the adults that try to teach him, and doesn't care for learning anyway. The author uses humour to get his point across that Huckelberry is just like any other boy, when it comes to school, by having Huckelberry mess up his multiplication in this quote. 

3. "But by-and-by pap got too handy with his hick'ry, and I couldn't stand it. I was all over welts" (Ch.6 Pg. 32). 

Comments and Questions

Huckelberry Finn was written in the late 1800's, when it was more normal for parents to beat their children as punishment and not get in as much trouble. Hickory is the type of wood that Huck's father used to punish him, and it seemed to Huckelberry that with his fathers drunkenness, came more beatings.

4. "Well you see, it 'uz dis way. Ole missus-- dat's Miss Watson-- she pecks on me all de time, en treats me pooty rough, but she awluz said she wouldn' sell me down to Orleans" (Ch. 8 Pg. 58).

Comments and Questions
In this passage, Jim is telling Huckelberry Finn why he is running away with him. During this time, people who were black were considered an inferior race, and were sold as slaves. Because of this, Jim did not have a very good education and spoke with a strong dialect. The author, Mark Twain, wrote this novel spelling the words phoenetically, so the reader would know to read it in their dialect, and to help further the understanding of the characters.

5. "Now you think it's bad luck; but what did you say when I fetched the snake-skin that I found on the top of the ridge day before yesterday? I wish we could have some bad luck like this everyday, Jim" (Ch. 10 Pg. 70).

Comments and Questions
Good luck and bad luck is a topic that seems to come up a lot in Huckelberry Finn's story. He, as well as many of the other people he speaks with, seems to be very superstitious and some of his actions may be controlled by what he thinks may be good or bad luck. Although he is very superstitious, he also has his doubts, and questions what may be considered good and bad luck by paying attention to his own experiences with 'bad luck'. Huckleberry Finn is growing up, knowing that sometimes you can't just trust what somebody says and that you must experience it yourself before knowing that what they say is truthful, but also knowing to be careful about 'bad luck' in case they are right.

6. "Now trot along to your uncle, Sarah Mary Williams George Elexander Peters, and if you get into trouble, you send word to Mrs. Judith Loftus, which is me, and I'll do what I can to get you out of it" (Chapter 11 Pg. 83).

Comments and Questions
While running away with Jim, Huck Finn decided to look around a town to find out information about what people were saying about his running away. He disguised himself as a girl to do this, but the lady he spoke to could tell by watching him that he was really a boy. As he left, the lady told him that she would help him try to get out of any trouble and gave him tips on how to run away and be better disguised as a girl. This may come in later, if he needs to be disguised again.   

7. "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" (Ch. 15 Pg. 115).

Comments and Questions

Again, during this period in time, black people were considered to be lower in quality, so it was very strange for someone to act the way Huckelberry did. The reader knows that Huck is not judgemental and he understands that a person is a person, no matter what color their skin is. We also see that Huck is becoming more mature because he no longer wants to play any tricks on Jim and sees that their friendship is more important in this jouney they are taking together.