Comprehensive English 11 Honors
Summer Reading Assignment
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Go to Mr. Perago’s web page on the Spring Grove HS website to find pdf files of these
documents, which will help you understand the novel more easily!
Sgasd.org Select a School  HS  Teacher Web Pages Mr. Perago  Comp English Honors
(In the red section on the left of the screen, click on “Huckleberry Finn Summer Reading”)
 Elements of the Novel
o These will help you to better understand various aspects of the novel.
o Read them before you start, then review them as you read and refer to them after
you finish the novel to help you with the culminating essay assignment.
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Themes
Setting
Structure
Style
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Point of View
Satire
Irony
Historical Context (and map)
 Vocabulary of Special terms
o These are terms you might not find in the dictionary. This list will help you
understand references in the novel.
o Preview the list for each section before reading those chapters.
 Literary Focus
o These notes will help you to understand various important aspects of the first few
chapters (1-11). This will get you started and help you to focus on key issues as
they develop through the rest of the novel.
 Points to Consider
o These questions will help you to focus and reflect on key aspects of each section.
They are grouped by chapters similarly to the Literary Focus commentary.
Note: This novel can be challenging for some readers due to the use of dialect, especially in Jim’s
dialogue. If you are having trouble understanding the text, you might want to listen to more difficult
passages on an audio reading on the following link to help you understand the dialect :
http://www.loudlit.org/works/hfinn.htm
Huckleberry Finn Essay
Be prepared to respond to one of these essay prompts
immediately upon returning to school in August.
Write a 3-4 page essay discussing one of the following topics:

Discuss how the novel develops the contrast between nature and civilization. How does Mark Twain
describe the beauty of the Mississippi River and its surrounding area? How does he describe the people
and towns Huck visits on shore? What point do you think Twain is trying to make by using these
descriptions?

How is the theme of deception developed in this novel? Discuss some characters that deceive others,
and explain their motivations for doing so. Are there some characters for whom it is acceptable to lie,
and others for whom we are less forgiving? Are our opinions of them based on their motivations?

Some people consider Huck “a moral person in an immoral society.” Discuss this theme, showing that
Huck is basically a good person and that the world in which he lives is generally immoral or bad. Give
at least two examples for Huck and at least three examples for society. Conclude your essay with a brief
discussion of Huck’s self-image and the dramatic irony it demonstrates.

Imagine that you are a high school teacher who has been criticized for teaching The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn. Defend the book against claims that it promotes racism and is unfit for the average
high school student. Provide examples and explanations to support your claims.
For interesting and varied discussion on this topic, check out the link below.
Click on each of the “Debaters” on the left side of the screen.
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/01/05/does-one-word-change-huckleberry-finn

Huckleberry Finn is a book that is filled with humor that is simmering just beneath the surface. Huck’s
naïve, deadpan description of the ridiculous people and events adds to the humor, because he is unaware
that there is anything humorous or ironic about what he is describing. An astute reader, however, can
detect the subtle humor and enjoy the book as a comical masterpiece that satirizes every institution in
American culture. Discuss Twain’s use of humor in the book and provide examples and explanations to
support your claims.
Conform to the following specifications:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
typed in Times New Roman (12) font
double-spaced
at least three whole pages
1 inch margins
MLA heading on the first page
It should have a title
Last name and page number in the upper right of each page
The following link will explain MLA format if you need help:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wljCiv8FX40
Additionally, if you have any questions, please email your teacher:
peragos@sgasd.org
or
holderh@sgasd.org
Your paper should have
1. a thorough introduction, including
h. the author and title
i. a brief (one or two sentence) synopsis of the plot
j. your thesis
Note: any essay using first person pronouns (I, we, me, etc.) will be returned and not scored
2. several support paragraphs that develop your thesis, including
a. At least six examples from the text (total, not per paragraph), with page numbers cited in
MLA format
b. Of these six examples, at least three of them must be direct quotations from the text (in
quotation marks), with page numbers cited in MLA format
c. your own explanations and comments supporting the examples
3. a conclusion that restates the thesis and provides a broad analysis of the significance of your topic in
the novel