The Adventures

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The Adventures
of Huckleberry Finn
By Mark Twain
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BIOGRAPHY
Mark Twain Samuel Clemens (1835 1910) Huck
Finn is a riverboat term Born in Florida,
Missouri Lived in Hannibal, Missouri most of his
life
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BIOGRAPHY
Steamboat Pilot when he was 23 Traveled all
over the country from New York to
California Worked doing many types of
jobs printer, miner, reporter
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WORKS
1866 First book published The Celebrated
Jumping Frog of Calaveras County 1885
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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SOME OTHER WORKS
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer The Prince and the
Pauper A Connecticut Yankee in King
Arthurs Court Life on the Mississippi
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Literary Movement
Realism Authors were concerned with reality
and making literature reflect real life Huck
is real Characterization is very
important Class structure is important
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Huckelberry Finn
Huck fakes his death to escape his father Jim (a
slave) runs away Huck and Jim go down the
Mississippi Bildungsroman (coming of age) The
work satirizes society
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Huckelberry Finn
Journey down Mississippi parallels Hucks growth
he learns from experience (physical journey and
psychological journey Huck is childish at first
and plays stupid pranks on Jim At the end of
the novel, Huck (more mature) tries to reason
with Tom (reflects society), but Tom still
believes life is a game (like many people in
society children and adults)
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SETTING
The Mississippi River Starts in Missouri and
ends in Arkansas Before the Civil War Around
1835-1845
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THEMES
The Individual and Society (What does it mean to
be civilized?) (How can a person be
free?) Racism and Slavery (Why are people
prejudiced?) Education (What does it mean to
be educated? Can education come out of books
or do you need first-hand experience?)
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THEMES
Cruelty of humans Romanticism (the foolishness
of it) Realism (the importance of seeing
reality) Appearance VS Reality Cultural
customs that define what is acceptable are
often ridiculous
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THEMES
Blindness of people (gullibility) Ridiculousness
of rules for the sake of rules Relationships
of people Friendship/loyalty Greed Power of
greed to destroy Slavery is part of the greed
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Religion organized religion people use
religion to suit their own purposes EX
Grangerford family goes to church and
then kills the Shepherdsons
SATIRE
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Classes Huck and Jim are lower class and not
respected because they are lower class BUT
they have more morals and stronger values
than anyone else People should be judged as
individuals
SATIRE
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Cultural Values / Rules of Society Antebellum
Society often ridiculous, but everyone
follows without thinking EX Slavery Blood
feuds Honor Aristocrats on top
SATIRE
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Racism / Slavery Novel written before the
Civil War Injustice of slavery Dehumanization
of slavery to both the slave and the
slaveholder
SATIRE
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Romanticism Opposite of realism in many
ways foolish because it is too emotional
and so highly imaginative that all sense of
reality and common sense is lost Huck
Realist Tom -- Romantic
SATIRE
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Alcoholism and Drunkeness Destructiveness of
alcohol for individual and family
members Abuse that results from alcohol
abuse Hypocrisy in Society EX Widow smokes
but tells Huck it is a mean practice
SATIRE
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Greed People are so concerned about wealth
and achieving money or fame that they
lose their humanity Gullibility People
ignorantly follow or believe others because it
easy
SATIRE
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Blind Obedience Tom is more respectable by
societys standards, so Huck looks-up to
him. Microcosm disrespected individuals or
members of the lower class often follow the more
respected members of society even when the
respected members ideas are foolish This is
why Huck and Jim follow Tom at the end of the
novel even though they know better
(instinctively).
SATIRE
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Point of View 1st person Narrator Huck
Finn Bildungsroman (Coming of
Age) Picaresque (Adventures with a
rogue) Satire (Ridicules society,
especially the ignorance of individuals)
STYLE ELEMENTS
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Dialect Characters talk like they would
during the time period and place adds
credibility (verisimilitude) IRONY Almost
everything is ironic helps develop the
satire
STYLE ELEMENTS
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Foreshadowing Imagery (look for animal
imagery) Figurative Language Humor (use of
humor often used to satirize society)
STYLE ELEMENTS
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• Huck Finn protagonist
• 12 years old
• from an abusive home
• uncivilized and doesnt
• fit into society (Society
• does NOT value Huck)
• realist
• IRONY Huck has better
• values than of many upstanding
• members of society

CHARACTERS
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Hucks internal conflict Whose rules should he
follow? Paps or the Widows Watch for
references where he states, Pap would do
this or the Widow would do this He must learn
he has to live by his own values.
CHARACTERS
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Jim Slave owned by Miss Watson The MOST
honorable character in the novel Hucks true
friend IRONY Society does not value Jim
CHARACTERS
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Widow Douglas and Miss Watson Hucks guardian
and Jims owner CONTRASTING characters Widow
Douglas is actually good Actions
honorable Miss Watson preaches to be
good Actions often not really honorable
CHARACTERS
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Pap Hucks father Abusive drunk Wants
Hucks money Jealous of Hucks ability to
read and write
CHARACTERS
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• Tom Sawyer Hucks friend
• foil for Huck
• typical upstanding youth
• represents Romanticism
• (contrast with Hucks realism)
• selfish and foolish
• no feelings for humanity
• has NO common sense
• does not understand the
• consequences of his actions
• life is a game for him
• typical of the average man/child

CHARACTERS
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• Grangerford Family
• Family Huck stays with
• Represent the so-called
• respectable
• and honorable members
• of society ESP society
• value of HONOR
• IRONY inhumane kill others
• because of a senseless
• feud
• Satire Satirizes romantic
• notion of honor and the
• meaning of respectable

CHARACTERS
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• The Duke and Dauphin
• Antagonists and con men
• Greed loss of humanity
• as a result of greed
• Count on the ignorance of others
• IRONY aristocrats
• Satire all people are equally
• susceptible to the
• dehumanizing effects of
• greed
• Huck states they might as well be true kings

CHARACTERS
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Wilks Family good family that the Duke and
Dauphin try to trick represent the
exploitation of the innocent
CHARACTERS
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The Phelps Family Toms relatives Represents
the great paradox of the Antebellum society Good
people, yet they are also inhumane in many ways
CHARACTERS
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Major Symbols
The River represents freedom
The Shore represents civilization
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OTHER
Banned Book Banned when it was printed because
it was considered to be an abolitionist work and
was too sympathetic towards slavery. Banned
today because it is considered racist because of
the use of the n word.
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OTHER
Be careful the work is a fast read and
is often so subtle or ridiculous that it is easy
to miss the point the author is making.