Blog Post Two: Huck Finn Response (Ch.13-Ch.17)

In Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck, the protagonist, is greatly influenced by four people: Widow Douglas, Tom Sawyer, Pap, and Jim.
Widow Douglas directly influences Huck by educating him on religion. On page two, she teaches him about Moses. “After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushers, and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by and by she had let it out that Moses had been dead a considerable long time; so then I didn’t care no more about him, because I didn’t take no stock in dead people.” She influences him indirectly by giving him a sense of right and wrong. On page eighty six, he starts to feel bad for helping the run away slave. He knows it is wrong. “What had poor Miss Watson done to you that you could see her n*gger go off right under your eyes and never say one single word?”

Tom Sawyer directly influences Huck by making him think that fallacious and felonious things are acceptable because they’re boisterous. On page eight, the boys start a gang and believe it is acceptable to murder people and rob them of their belongings. “‘Now’ says Ben Rogers, ‘what’s the line of business of this gang?’ ‘Nothing, only robbery and murder.’ Tom said.” He influences him indirectly by giving him a sense of adventure. On page sixty six, Huck finds a ship wreck and is drawn to it. He wants to have an adventure and explore it. “Well, it being away in the night and stormy, and all so mysterious-like, I felt just the way any other boy would’a’felt when I seen that wreck laying there so mournful and lonesome in the middle of the river. I wanted to get aboard of her and slink around a little, and see what there was there.”

(4) Pap directly influences Huck by showing him that violence and drinking is tolerable. He often comes home drunk and hits Huck. On page twenty eight, after supper Pap gets very, very drunk
(5)
(6) Without these key influences in his life, Huck would be a very different person.

Post One: Huck Finn Response (Ch.1-Ch.12)

Huck was living with the Widow Douglas. He had six thousand dollars he found with Tom Sawyer (in the book "Tom Sawyer"). He had Judge Thatcher taking care of his money. Tom and Huck start a gang. Huck's "Pap" comes back into town because he has heard about his money, and he wants it. Pap gets custody and takes Huck to live in a cabin in the woods. He gets drunk all the time and keeps Huck locked up at home. Huck tries to escape using a saw he found. He ends up faking his death and running away. He finds a canoe and travels to Jackson Island. He runs into a slave by the name of Jim who belonged to Miss Watson, Widow Douglas' sister. Jim and Huck live together on the island. They find a house with a dead man who was shot in the back and take his stuff. Huck touches a snakes skin. Jim thinks this is bad luck. Soon, the bad luck comes. They run out of tobacco so Huck dresses as a girl to go into town. He meets a woman named Mrs. Loftus. She soon finds out he is a boy, and tells him of how her husband is trying to find Jim because there is a three hundred dollar reward for him. The people in town think he killed Huckleberry Finn. Huck hurries back to warn Jim. They end up getting on a wrecked ship where they find three men. Two of which want to kill the other. Huck thinks he needs to help.

I have found the book very intriguing so far. It keeps my interest and is difficult to put down. I really enjoy it. My favorite part so far is when Mrs. Loftus figured out he was a boy. I thought it was very clever and interesting how she knew what to look for. I also cares for the part when Huck and Jim decide to not "borrow" the crab apples and the p'simmons. I found it very humorous. My least favorite thing about the book is that Pap beats Huck. I know it adds to the story but, it makes me very uncomfortable because i know things like that really happen. In comparison to Of Mice & Men I like Huck Finn much better. This book is easier to get into and much more enjoyable. I liked Of Mice & Men but it didn't hold my interest.