Chapter 1-3 Discussion Questions
1. What do the "robbers" think ransoming is and what are some objections to it?
-They think ransom is letting the person to die. Some objections are that they would be killing someone and that's not good.
2. How would you contrast the characters of Huck and Finn?
-Huck is more reserved and Tom doesn't care what he does and doesn't care about the consequences.
3. What does Huck mean at the end of chapter 3, "It had all the marks of a Sunday school"?
-He means that you don't always have to believe what is being told to you.
Chapter 4-6 Discussion Questions
1. How does Twain use irony to show Pap's ignorance of government?
-It shows his ignorance of the government because he wants to be in charge of the money, because he is Huck's "father" and isn't fit to take care of himself nor Huck, and it isn't even his money so he is upset with the government for simply doing their job.
2. How does Huck like life with his father? Why does he decide to run away?
- He is sort of frustrated because his dad is mean to him, but he still knows that he loves his dad and he will always be there for him.
3. What's a hairball? What does this tell us about the slave culture?
- It's in the stomach of an ox. It shows us that slaves are really spiritual and superstitious.
Chapter 7-8 Discussion Questions
1. Huck escaped the cabin by finding an old saw blade and cutting a hole in the wall. He covered the hole up when he wasn't working so Pa couldn't find it. This tells us that Huck is very resourceful and clever.
3. Jim says he's rich now because since he escaped, he has freedom he has never had before. The life of a slave is difficult and he's very happy to be out on his own, which is why he says he's rich.
5. Huck stages his own murder in hopes that people won't be coming after him. If he simply ran away Pa would look for him and find him. I also think pretending to be killed was his excuse for leaving. Even though he beat him, Huck didn't want to disappoint his father.
Chapters 9-11
1. Huck's superstition greatly increases throughout chapter 10. He starts off saying that superstition is useless and there's no such thing as bad luck. He even touched a snake skin and nothing had happened to him.
2. Mrs. Loftus is a kind woman, who is very sympathetic towards Huck. She is clever and knows her way in the world, as we see by her figuring out Huck isn't a girl. She is also understanding of Huck's predicament. Mrs. Loftus also loves to gossip and wants to find out the truth.
7. The reward for Jim is most likely higher than Pap because he is someone's property. As a slave, he is owned by someone and cost them good money. They could sell him for good money, too. Pap is an alchoholic that most people don't even care about.
Chapter 12-14
1. Huck's going aboard the wreck shows us that he is passionately curious and has a taste for adventure. He can't give up a chance to go exploring. Tom Sawyer greatly influences this. Huck is curious about a lot of things and when he wants to do something, he's going to do it, no matter if it's dangerous.
4. Huck's information about dukes and kings is both inaccurate and accurate. As a young boy living in the south in mid-19th century America, he won't know much about royalty. The things he says about frilly outfits and stuff is old fashioned and not accurate in the current time period.
8. The pun in the last sentence of chapter 13 is that Huck is supposedly dead, saying that he slept like a dead person is ironic. Another take on it could be that he and Jim just left some men on the wreck to die.
Chapter 15-16
2. Huck convinces the men not to search the raft by telling them is family is onboard and infected with small pox. This scares the men into not searching, and they even leave forty dollars in gold because they feel bad for Huck.
3. The principal conflict about Jim in Huck's mind is whether or not to turn him in. On one hand, he is a runaway slave and the southerner in him knows he should be turned in. Also, Jim was Widow Douglas' slave, and she did so much for Huck so returning her slave would be a kind gesture.
7. The theme of loneliness and isolation comes out twice in these chapters. The first being when Huck is all alone in the fog with no idea where he is. He can't see a thing and is acutely aware that he is on his own. He's isolated from Jim and has no idea how to get back.
Chapter 17-18
1. Huck tricks Buck into revealing his name when he forgets it by asking him to spell it. They were talking about their education and Huck doesn't believe Buck can spell, so he puts him to the test.
4. Huck rediscovers Jim by following one of the Grangerford's slaves. The slave told him he wanted to show him a bunch of water mocassins, but when he took him to the swamp there lay Jim.
9. Life on shore and life on the raft differ greatly so far. On shore, the sleeping is much more comfortable and there is a greater ease in obtaining food. When on the raft Huck and Jim have to hunt for their own meals.
Chapter 19-20
2. Though the two men are different, the duke seems to be morally superior. His way of conning is not so direct and impacting. He also found a way for Huck and Jim to be able to travel by day, so they can make quicker time. The king on the other hand, isn't afraid to cheat.
3. Jim's theory on the origin of the stars is that the moon laid them, and since a frog has a ton of babies at once it doesn't seem that improbable to him and Huck.
4. Huck and Jim are naked while they are on the raft. It's much more comfortable for them. In this novel, clothes seem to be associated with the confinement of society. On the raft they are free, so they don't wear clothing.
Chapter 21-24
4. Twain's purpose for including Jims story of his daughter is to show that Jim isn't perfect, but is willing to own up to his mistakes. Obviously as a negro in the south in that time period no matter what he does he will be thought poorly of.
8. The duke and king entice people to see "The Royal Nonesuch" by printing on the bill that ladies and children are not permitted.
9. The connection Huck sees between real royalty and his raft companions is corruption. Both they and kings of old used lying, cheating, and stealing to benefit themselves. The inclusion of this shows Twain's opinion on royalty is not a positive one.
Chapter 25-28
1. The separation of the slave family is what makes the Wilks girls saddest about the property being sold. The mother is going one way and her two sons are going another way.
4. Huck's increasing maturity is shown in how he now tries to stop the con men he's traveling with. He takes concrete measures to foil their plans. We can also see it in how he comforts the Wilks girls. As well as his growing sense of right and wrong.
6. These townspeople were just as gullible to the trickery of the duke and dauphin as those in previous towns. The mob mentality takes hold and the people will believe almost anything. They were actually worse in the emotion part. They were reduced to a blubbering mess at the arrival of the brothers.
Chapter 29-31
4. The duke and king are starting to argue a lot more. While at first they were partners in crime and helped each other a lot, they now disagree on more and almost get into fistfights.
5. Huck doesn't want Jim to be a slave again, so he decides to write to Miss Watson to come get him. But he then realizes that she was going to sell him anyway, so he is at a loss of what to do. Twain uses irony here in that no matter what, writing to Miss Watson won't help, and that is what Huck decides to do.
6. Huck decides to go to hell because it is considered a sin to help an escaped slave, but after considering his friendship with Jim he goes to help him anyway.
Chapter 32-34
2. The white attitude that slaves are inferior and their life has no value is very prevalent in Huck's conversation with Aunt Sally. This reinforces the theme of racism and believed superiority of white people in the South in this time period.
5. It's ironic that Tom Sawyer agrees to help Huck free Jim in that Tom is a southern boy through and through so the fact that he is helping an escaped slave goes against is nature and is very surprising.
6. The title "The Pitiful Ending of Royalty" is significant because we see the last of duke and dauphin. They were tarred and feathered and chased out of town, a pitiful ending for supposed royals.
Chapter 35-38
3. The evidence that this chapter provides that getting Jim out is pretty much a game to Tom is I believe the fact that they pulled Jim out of the shed to try and move the stone. And after that failed, they took Jim back in the shed.
4. Aunt Sally is both caring and busy. She wants the best for the boys so she's less likely to say no. She's also busy so she's less likely to notice what they're doing. She also doesn't dig very deep into things, such as the disappearing sheets and shirts.
5. Twain uses the situation of baking a pie to lighten the mood. Putting the rope ladder in a pie is completely unnecessary and Tom only does it to make the plan more adventurous.
Chapter 39-40
3. Huck's statement about Tom being the happiest since he has a bullet in his leg is ironic because one would expect the person who got shot to be the least happy. But Tom has an insatiable thirst for adventure so the wound and souvenir just added to the excitement.
4. I don't think Jim is really suffering during the whole endeavor. He seems comfortable in the shed and he's taken care of well. I think Huck's response is reasonable as he doesn't want Jim to go back into slavery as they've developed a very close friendship over the course of their travels.
8. Huck realizes at the end of this section that Jim is "white inside". He finally sees that Jim isn't just a slave but a person with feelings. He is worried about Tom being shot and his concern proved to Huck that he is a good man.
Chapter 41-43
1. Twain creates pathos in 41 by showing Huck having concern for Aunt Sally. She was upset about "Sid" and doesn't want Huck to get hurt, and he's touched by her concern.
5. The title about hanging Jim immediately appeals to the reader as any topic of death can instantly hook someone. They'll want to know why Jim was spared and they'll have to keep reading to find out.
8. I think Twain's purpose of revealing Jim is free at the end is to open up more questions than we're given answers. Huck's morals underwent a huge change throughout the novel and a lot of it was unnecessary as Jim was already free. It makes the reader wonder what would've happened if they had known earlier.
1. What do the "robbers" think ransoming is and what are some objections to it?
-They think ransom is letting the person to die. Some objections are that they would be killing someone and that's not good.
2. How would you contrast the characters of Huck and Finn?
-Huck is more reserved and Tom doesn't care what he does and doesn't care about the consequences.
3. What does Huck mean at the end of chapter 3, "It had all the marks of a Sunday school"?
-He means that you don't always have to believe what is being told to you.
Chapter 4-6 Discussion Questions
1. How does Twain use irony to show Pap's ignorance of government?
-It shows his ignorance of the government because he wants to be in charge of the money, because he is Huck's "father" and isn't fit to take care of himself nor Huck, and it isn't even his money so he is upset with the government for simply doing their job.
2. How does Huck like life with his father? Why does he decide to run away?
- He is sort of frustrated because his dad is mean to him, but he still knows that he loves his dad and he will always be there for him.
3. What's a hairball? What does this tell us about the slave culture?
- It's in the stomach of an ox. It shows us that slaves are really spiritual and superstitious.
Chapter 7-8 Discussion Questions
1. Huck escaped the cabin by finding an old saw blade and cutting a hole in the wall. He covered the hole up when he wasn't working so Pa couldn't find it. This tells us that Huck is very resourceful and clever.
3. Jim says he's rich now because since he escaped, he has freedom he has never had before. The life of a slave is difficult and he's very happy to be out on his own, which is why he says he's rich.
5. Huck stages his own murder in hopes that people won't be coming after him. If he simply ran away Pa would look for him and find him. I also think pretending to be killed was his excuse for leaving. Even though he beat him, Huck didn't want to disappoint his father.
Chapters 9-11
1. Huck's superstition greatly increases throughout chapter 10. He starts off saying that superstition is useless and there's no such thing as bad luck. He even touched a snake skin and nothing had happened to him.
2. Mrs. Loftus is a kind woman, who is very sympathetic towards Huck. She is clever and knows her way in the world, as we see by her figuring out Huck isn't a girl. She is also understanding of Huck's predicament. Mrs. Loftus also loves to gossip and wants to find out the truth.
7. The reward for Jim is most likely higher than Pap because he is someone's property. As a slave, he is owned by someone and cost them good money. They could sell him for good money, too. Pap is an alchoholic that most people don't even care about.
Chapter 12-14
1. Huck's going aboard the wreck shows us that he is passionately curious and has a taste for adventure. He can't give up a chance to go exploring. Tom Sawyer greatly influences this. Huck is curious about a lot of things and when he wants to do something, he's going to do it, no matter if it's dangerous.
4. Huck's information about dukes and kings is both inaccurate and accurate. As a young boy living in the south in mid-19th century America, he won't know much about royalty. The things he says about frilly outfits and stuff is old fashioned and not accurate in the current time period.
8. The pun in the last sentence of chapter 13 is that Huck is supposedly dead, saying that he slept like a dead person is ironic. Another take on it could be that he and Jim just left some men on the wreck to die.
Chapter 15-16
2. Huck convinces the men not to search the raft by telling them is family is onboard and infected with small pox. This scares the men into not searching, and they even leave forty dollars in gold because they feel bad for Huck.
3. The principal conflict about Jim in Huck's mind is whether or not to turn him in. On one hand, he is a runaway slave and the southerner in him knows he should be turned in. Also, Jim was Widow Douglas' slave, and she did so much for Huck so returning her slave would be a kind gesture.
7. The theme of loneliness and isolation comes out twice in these chapters. The first being when Huck is all alone in the fog with no idea where he is. He can't see a thing and is acutely aware that he is on his own. He's isolated from Jim and has no idea how to get back.
Chapter 17-18
1. Huck tricks Buck into revealing his name when he forgets it by asking him to spell it. They were talking about their education and Huck doesn't believe Buck can spell, so he puts him to the test.
4. Huck rediscovers Jim by following one of the Grangerford's slaves. The slave told him he wanted to show him a bunch of water mocassins, but when he took him to the swamp there lay Jim.
9. Life on shore and life on the raft differ greatly so far. On shore, the sleeping is much more comfortable and there is a greater ease in obtaining food. When on the raft Huck and Jim have to hunt for their own meals.
Chapter 19-20
2. Though the two men are different, the duke seems to be morally superior. His way of conning is not so direct and impacting. He also found a way for Huck and Jim to be able to travel by day, so they can make quicker time. The king on the other hand, isn't afraid to cheat.
3. Jim's theory on the origin of the stars is that the moon laid them, and since a frog has a ton of babies at once it doesn't seem that improbable to him and Huck.
4. Huck and Jim are naked while they are on the raft. It's much more comfortable for them. In this novel, clothes seem to be associated with the confinement of society. On the raft they are free, so they don't wear clothing.
Chapter 21-24
4. Twain's purpose for including Jims story of his daughter is to show that Jim isn't perfect, but is willing to own up to his mistakes. Obviously as a negro in the south in that time period no matter what he does he will be thought poorly of.
8. The duke and king entice people to see "The Royal Nonesuch" by printing on the bill that ladies and children are not permitted.
9. The connection Huck sees between real royalty and his raft companions is corruption. Both they and kings of old used lying, cheating, and stealing to benefit themselves. The inclusion of this shows Twain's opinion on royalty is not a positive one.
Chapter 25-28
1. The separation of the slave family is what makes the Wilks girls saddest about the property being sold. The mother is going one way and her two sons are going another way.
4. Huck's increasing maturity is shown in how he now tries to stop the con men he's traveling with. He takes concrete measures to foil their plans. We can also see it in how he comforts the Wilks girls. As well as his growing sense of right and wrong.
6. These townspeople were just as gullible to the trickery of the duke and dauphin as those in previous towns. The mob mentality takes hold and the people will believe almost anything. They were actually worse in the emotion part. They were reduced to a blubbering mess at the arrival of the brothers.
Chapter 29-31
4. The duke and king are starting to argue a lot more. While at first they were partners in crime and helped each other a lot, they now disagree on more and almost get into fistfights.
5. Huck doesn't want Jim to be a slave again, so he decides to write to Miss Watson to come get him. But he then realizes that she was going to sell him anyway, so he is at a loss of what to do. Twain uses irony here in that no matter what, writing to Miss Watson won't help, and that is what Huck decides to do.
6. Huck decides to go to hell because it is considered a sin to help an escaped slave, but after considering his friendship with Jim he goes to help him anyway.
Chapter 32-34
2. The white attitude that slaves are inferior and their life has no value is very prevalent in Huck's conversation with Aunt Sally. This reinforces the theme of racism and believed superiority of white people in the South in this time period.
5. It's ironic that Tom Sawyer agrees to help Huck free Jim in that Tom is a southern boy through and through so the fact that he is helping an escaped slave goes against is nature and is very surprising.
6. The title "The Pitiful Ending of Royalty" is significant because we see the last of duke and dauphin. They were tarred and feathered and chased out of town, a pitiful ending for supposed royals.
Chapter 35-38
3. The evidence that this chapter provides that getting Jim out is pretty much a game to Tom is I believe the fact that they pulled Jim out of the shed to try and move the stone. And after that failed, they took Jim back in the shed.
4. Aunt Sally is both caring and busy. She wants the best for the boys so she's less likely to say no. She's also busy so she's less likely to notice what they're doing. She also doesn't dig very deep into things, such as the disappearing sheets and shirts.
5. Twain uses the situation of baking a pie to lighten the mood. Putting the rope ladder in a pie is completely unnecessary and Tom only does it to make the plan more adventurous.
Chapter 39-40
3. Huck's statement about Tom being the happiest since he has a bullet in his leg is ironic because one would expect the person who got shot to be the least happy. But Tom has an insatiable thirst for adventure so the wound and souvenir just added to the excitement.
4. I don't think Jim is really suffering during the whole endeavor. He seems comfortable in the shed and he's taken care of well. I think Huck's response is reasonable as he doesn't want Jim to go back into slavery as they've developed a very close friendship over the course of their travels.
8. Huck realizes at the end of this section that Jim is "white inside". He finally sees that Jim isn't just a slave but a person with feelings. He is worried about Tom being shot and his concern proved to Huck that he is a good man.
Chapter 41-43
1. Twain creates pathos in 41 by showing Huck having concern for Aunt Sally. She was upset about "Sid" and doesn't want Huck to get hurt, and he's touched by her concern.
5. The title about hanging Jim immediately appeals to the reader as any topic of death can instantly hook someone. They'll want to know why Jim was spared and they'll have to keep reading to find out.
8. I think Twain's purpose of revealing Jim is free at the end is to open up more questions than we're given answers. Huck's morals underwent a huge change throughout the novel and a lot of it was unnecessary as Jim was already free. It makes the reader wonder what would've happened if they had known earlier.