Chapters 19 and 20
Mia Acosta, Joe Bukowski, Asia Jenkins, Zachary Jensen, Joel Woodyard,
Chapter 19 Summary
● Jim and Huck head down the river, and meet two men on the shore
implore them to be let on the raft.
● The men told their stories, which involved both of them fleeing the
townspeople.
● Being similar in experiences, and related by being both scammers,
the men decide to team up
● The men declare they are of royalty (younger man as a duke, older
man as a long lost king)
● Huck knows they are lying, but decides it is best to not cause issues,
and continues to let them act.
Chapter 20 Summary
● The fake duke and king decide to reenact Romeo and Juliet
● They go into town the next day, but find all the townspeople kept up in the
woods for some religious meeting.
● The king tricks them into raising money for him by claiming he is a pirate down
on his luck and was reformed by their ceremony
● The duke and king print ads for their play. They also print a fake ad for Jim’s
capture and return, claiming he is a runaway slave, so they can travel freely
during the day.
Overall Theme
The lesson: Don’t trust everyone, as people can lie about who they are.
How it’s learned: The two con artists lying about being a king and a duke.
Evidence: “‘...Whenever we see anybody coming we can tie Jim hand
and foot with a rope, and lay him in the wigwam and show the handbill
and says we (the duke and king)...’” (Twain 103)
Literary Analysis
● “Not a sound anywheres -- perfectly still -- just like the whole world
was asleep, only sometimes the bullfrogs a-cluttering, maybe.”
(Twain 19)
● “...then the nice breeze springs up, and comes fanning you from
over there, so cool and fresh and sweet to smell on account of the
woods and the flowers.” (Twain 19)
● “...how the wind...did scream along.” (Twain 20)
Study Guide Answers
Question 8. How do the descriptions of the river in the first few pages of Chapter 19 point out the contrasts of
the rivers personality?
It is described as monstrous but also said to be a place of safety and home like.
Question 9. What is the significance of the many errors and inconsistencies in the claims of the King and the
Duke?
It signifies that they are careless and will eventually be caught.
Question 10. Huck accepts the outsiders, “for what you want, above all things, on a raft, is for everyone to be
satisfied, and feel right and kind toward the others.” Why?
They are all living on the raft together so you must accept and forgive if you want to live in peace.