Huck Finn exercise #2 July 22nd

#1     "He'd be mighty sure to see it, because he'd be a free man the minute he seen it, but if he missed it, he'd be in the slave country again and no more show for freedom" (Ch.16 Pg.117 ).

This quote demonstrates the tones of much of the novel helping the reader to understand the feelings of both Huckleberry and Jim on their journeys to freedom and maturity. Jim's urge to be free and his hope for finding the free lands are apparent in this passage. Although Huck's feelings in this chapter are mixed, he realizes that helping Jim is the overall right thing to do. His uncertainty is caused by the thought that anybody with black skin was considered less than.Huck is, like before, questioning the rules that most people were taught to just accept, to decide for himself what is acceptable.This may be because at the time the novel was written, slavery had only just been abolished. Jim and Huck had to travel north, where there were free states, before slavery had been completely abolished, in 1865.
#2     "A man has a quarrel with another man, and kills him... by and by everybody's killed off, and there ain't no more feud" (Ch. 18 Pg. 144).

Here we see that Huckleberry is in a completely different area than before, where they say words he's never heard of, in this case 'feud'. The author purposely used dialect to demonstrate that people were from different areas, and in this case, he used different words to illustrate the same thing. This may also be a reflection on how young Huck is, to remind the reader that he is having to grow up and learn more than he ever had to before, since he took on the challenge of running away and living by himself, and the people he picks up on his way. One can also compare this time in history to now. Families still have fights that may go on for generations, however most people in modern times won't murder each other over a quarrel that happened years before.

#3    "He told them he was a pirate--been a pirate for thirty years out in the Indian Ocean" (Ch. 20 Pg. 176).

We see the peacekeeper in Huckleberry being revealed, as the two men try to trick Huck and Jim. Because Huckleberry realizes that they are only frauds, yet doesn't do anything about it, he is taking advantage of their intelligence and talent for trickery and gaining from them, instead of acting like anyone else his own age might. and rat them out. As the story goes on, the tone between the two men becomes competitive, each trying to help out the group more. In this way. they are able to entertain themselves, while getting more resources for their travels.

#4   "Your newspapers call you a brave people so much that you think you are braver than any other people--whereas you're just as braver, and no braver" ( Ch.22 Pg.194).  

Sherburn's speech was another example of nonconformity in a society. Sherburn explains to the people living in the town that when  they are told something, they just believe it, instead of questioning it, or experienceing it on their own. Because of this, they would be considered less brave, according to Sherburn, as they are to cowardly to experience things themselves. Sherburn and Huckleberry share similar thoughts when it comes to questioning certain ideas, although Huckleberry's beliefs are more subtle at the time, most likely because he is youthful. They both realize that you must question the lessons tyou are taught, as they might be very flawed.

#5 "Music is a good thing; and after all that soul-butter and hogwash I never see it freshen up things so, and sound so honest and bully " (Ch.25 Pg.219).   \

Religion is a motif that has shown up multiple times throughout the novel. Huckleberry questions the ideas that religion has to offer, as he sees good, religious people doing bad things. An example would be how the widow enslaves Jim. Here, Huck is noticing that although some religious people don't allow music, because they believe it takes away from one worshiping god, it can help heal people who are in pain. Music, however, can be some religions form of praise.He refers to the religious aspects of the funeral as hogwash, but when the people begin singing and worshiping together, making music and being happy, he sees the honesty in it, instead of the corruption.

#6 "But I recollected it wouldn't be much like the king to let anybody else take care of that money but his own self; so then I went to his room and begun to paw around there" (Ch. 26 Pg. 234).

Although Huck Finn has been helping the duke and the king dupe people out of their money, he won't stand for them hurting others to do it. Because of his youthfulness, he is innocent and naturally wants to do good. He is also mature enough to realize what is good, versus what is bad, for himself. He has payed enough attention to the con-men and their actions in order to be able to look at their behavior, analyzing them to find the most mature way to get the money back to the family, who has suffered a major loss.

#7 "A body might stump his toe, and take pison, and fall down the well, and beak his neck, and bust his brains out, and somebody come along and ask what killed him, and some numbskull up and say,' Why he stumped his toe'" (Ch. 28 Pg. 256).

Many of the characters in this novel, both good and bad, tell lies to get what they want. In this case, Huckleberry is telling lies to help other people, when he knows the truth. This quote demonstrates that some of his lies don't quite add up, both because he is making a hasty excuse for what he previously announced, and also because he doesn't yet have enough knowledge of the world, due to his youthfulness. Usually lying is looked down upon, however Huckleberry sees lying as good, when it's for a good cause, although very troublesome.