Huck Finn
Reader’s
Response
English 11
Humor


Read the Notice/Explanatory etc. to the
novel as a class, pg. 6
Mark Twain sates in the “Notice” that persons
attempting to find a moral in this book will be
banished. While he slightly overstates his
case, we should not forget that this novel is
very funny. It is important to find the humor in
the novel. Too often we as readers are so
concerned with the social aspect that we
forget to look for what is funny.
Finding Finn’s Funnies

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a funny book, but too often
readers miss what is funny when they cannot hear it aloud.

As a class, we will make a chart of what we find funny. Prepare to
watch for ‘funnies’ as you read and keep track of them.

Start a page that you will keep all novel long. Title it: Huck Finn’s
Funnies. Each day you will be asked to write down one funny line
or part from your reading. See chart on next slide for an example
of how to create this page.
On the wall is a yellow poster also titled Huck Finn’s Funnies. Each
day two of you will be able to write down a funny you find from
the book. Note the page number and your name as you will get
credit for this.

Chart
Read and then we make a chart of your own with
funny quotes from the novel. Make sure you
include page numbers in your notes. Create your
first entry now.
Quote
Character Who Is
Speaking
Comments
Chapter 1
Huck
“She called me a lot
of other names, too,
but she never meant
no harm by it.”
The widow uses
words that aren’t
‘nice’ when she is
angry at Huck.
Chapter 2
“I offered them Miss
Watson.”
Huck is happy to
allow the gang to kill
Miss Watson
because he doesn’t
like her anyway.
Huck
Quiz 5-7










1. Pap kidnaps Huck. Where does he take him?
2. Why does Huck want people to think that he is dead?
3. Does Pap get Huck’s six thousand dollars?
4. What does Pap do with Huck when he goes to town
for supplies?
5. What tool does Huck use to escape from the cabin?
6. Why does Huck kill the pig?
7. What does the “June rise” of the river bring with it for
Huck?
8. Why does Huck wish Tom Sawyer were with him?
9. Why does Huck suddenly enjoy school?
10. Huck sleeps in the canoe just before he escapes to
Jackson’s Island. What is he waiting for?
Quiz 8-11
5
sentence summary of the chapters
 List two ways that you can relate to
characters in the chapters.
 List 1 prediction that you have for the
novel.
 Write down two of your favorite lines from
these chapters.
 10 points possible
Wealth

Huck Finn is rich because of the robber’s
treasure he and Tom Sawyer found. However,
he does not have much use for it. In fact, he
feels it causes more trouble than it is worth
and tries to give it away to the judge.

Consider what money can and cannot do.

Share your opinion with a classmate, discuss
what you both use money for and how you are
different in your money usage. Discuss what
you cannot use money for that you need.
Wealth



Money plays a very important role in the
actions of numerous characters, and is often
used to highlight the difference between the
rich and the poor.
Money can even be considered a theme of
the novel, as it inspires greed, generosity, and
symbolizes disparity in society.
Almost every one of the main characters are
affected by money in some way. It is often at
the very root of their actions, for better or for
worse.
Affects of Money
 Create
a Venn diagram where you show
how money affects Huck Finn and how
money affects you.
 Make sure you include 5-5-3 ways in each
category. (5 Huck, 5 you, 3 both)
 Really think about how Money drives what
Huck does and what you do.
Jokes
 Humor
is an important part of American
culture. It fits in with our optimistic
viewpoint. Why not create our own
humor cartoons of Huckleberry Finn?
 Create a cartoon, based on Huckleberry
Finn, to present to the class. The cartoons
need too be at least 4 scenes long and
include characters from the story.
Discussion 12-14









What two items does Huck and Jim decide to NOT
“borrow?”
According to Huck Finn, how much money do
steamboat captains make per month?
What happens when Jim & Huck are on the crashed
ferry?
What is the name of the wreck?
What happened to the wreck at the end of Ch 13?
How many wives does Huck say Solomon had?
How many boxes of cigars did Huck & Jim get from the
ferry-boat?
How did Louis the XVI die?
What is satirical about Huck telling the story of Solomon?
Predicting the Outcome
 By
now, Huck has been through many adventures
along the Mississippi River. At this point they have
passed the mouth of the Ohio River, so they must
continue down the river. The King and Duke are
aboard on the raft. Huck has no real plans. He just
goes where the river takes him and reacts to each
new adventure.
 What will happen next?
 Write the next chapter of the novel including the
four characters – Huck, Jim, the king, and the duke
in your chapter. Be prepared to present your
chapter to the class. (1 page)
Living on a Raft

After Huck barely escapes with his life from the
Grangerford-Shepherdson’s feud, he and Jim have
some wonderful days floating down the river. In
chapter 19, Huck says:

Two or three days and nights went by; I reckon I might say
they swum by, they slid along so quiet and smooth and
lovely… then we set out the lines. Next we slid into the
river and had a swim… Not a sound anywheres—
perfectly still—just like the whole world was asleep…
Sometimes we’d have that whole river all to ourselves for
the longest time. Yonder was the banks and the islands,
across the water… maybe you could hear a fiddle or a
song coming over from one of them… It’s lovely to live on
a raft. We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars,
and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them…
Group Discussion

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
In a group of three, discuss the questions below. After discussing,
each person needs to record his or her own responses on their paper.
What images does this excerpt from the book bring to your
imagination?
Does it remind you of anything you have experienced?
If you had the opportunity, do you think you would enjoy an
experience similar to the one Huck describes? Why?
What would be most fun about a raft trip down a river?
What might be a problem of such a trip?
When Huck Finn was published in 1884, young readers thought this
type of trip sounded wonderful. Do you think most people would feel
the same today? Explain your thoughts.
Why do you think the author, Mark Twain, chose to put Huck and Jim
on a raft instead of on foot?
What does life on the raft symbolize?
Compare Huck and Jim’s life on the raft to their lives off of the raft.
Life on a Raft


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Write your own well developed one paragraph experience of
what a day on a raft would be like for you. Include what you see,
how you feel, and things you want to do or get to do on the raft.
Answer the following questions after your paragraph.
The first time Huck runs away, it is from his father. Do you think that
Huck makes the right decision? Why or why not?
Most people who run away are looking for something they do not
have. What is Huck looking for?
What would be the advantages of living on your own?
What would be some of the disadvantages of living on your own?
What are the dangers of living on your own?
What are some other options to consider before a person feels it
necessary to run away from home?
Point-of-View
 Huckleberry
Finn is told from Huck’s point-of-view.
How would this story be different if it was told from
another character’s point-of-view?
 Write one page dealing with the story of Peter Wilks
death involving the duke and the king’s scam.
Write this story from the perspective of another
character. You can choose Jim, the duke, the
king, Mary Jane Wilks, or other prominent
characters.
Living on Your Own
1.
2.
3.
The first time Huck runs away, it is from his
father. Do you think Huck made the right
decision?
Most people who run away are looking
for something they do not have. What is
Huck looking for?
What would be the advantages of living
on your own?
Living on Your Own
4. What would be the disadvantages of
living on your own?
5. What are the dangers of living on your
own?
6. What are some other options to consider
before a person feels it necessary to run
away from home?
Making It Up!
 Huck
makes up many stories during Huckleberry Finn.
Most readers would say that he only makes up stories
to protect others and, sometimes, himself.
 In the following statements, describe the reason(s)
Huck makes up the stories.
1. Huck tells Mrs. Loftus in Ch. 11 that his name is Sarah
(or Mary!) Williams, and “her” mother is sick, and the
family is out of food and money.
2. In Ch. 16, Huck makes some men on the river think
that his family has smallpox.
Making It Up!
1.
2.
3.
Huck tells the king and the duke in Ch. 20
that his pa and brother drowned on a
trip down the river, but he and the
servant Jim were able to swim to safety.
Think of another story Huck makes up to
protect himself or someone else.
Do you think that Huck’s stories can be
justified, or is he just plain lying? Defend
your choice with reasons.
Making Choices

1.
2.
3.
4.
Throughout the novel, Huck is making choices. Consider the following
problems that Huck faces and then write your responses to them.
Huck decides to go back to Jackson’s Island in order to tell Jim the
bounty hunters are after him. Why does Huck return to get Jim?
What do you think Huck is thinking as he crosses the river from Mrs.
Loftus’ house to Jackson’s Island?
Huck must decide if he will help Jim escape to the free territory. He
has learned that black people in the South are considered property.
If he helps Jim escape, then he is helping to steal someone’s
property. How do you feel about what Huck is doing? Explain why
you feel this way.
Huck, in Ch. 16, lies in order to keep some men from finding Jim.
Even though Huck worries about his decisions, the reader sees that
Huck is doing the right thing. Explain why Huck is having trouble
deciding what to do.
Huck tells Mary Jane Wilks that the king and the duke are pretending
to be her uncles in order to steal the gold. Why do you think it takes
Huck so long to decide to tell Mary Jane? Why does it become
Life Experiences
 Huck
learns about life as he travels down the
Mississippi River. Each time a new incident occurs and
Huck responds to it in words or actions, he is
educated by his life experiences.
 What do the following episodes contribute to Huck’s
education about life? (discuss with a neighbor each
episode, write down their response)




The rattlesnake biting Jim
The Grangerford feud
The king and the duke trying to steal the Wilks’ gold
Jim’s concern for his daughter
Life Experiences
 Pick
a different experience that Huck has in the
novel. Write 4-5 sentences detailing how that
experience contributes to Huck’s education about
life.
 Pick two experiences that Huck has and write 4-5
sentences on each that show how that experience
has educated you about life. What can you apply
to your life from Huck’s experiences? How did they
change how you think? How did the experiences
change how you see the world? What experiences
have you had that are similar to Huck Finn’s life
What
You
Do
Best
 Huckleberry Finn is able to do many things well.

He can fish,
navigate a raft, and take care of himself. He also has the
ability to understand other people’s problems and is able
to change his attitude as he learns more about Jim. He
seems like a person that most kids would like to call a friend.
What other kinds of things can Huck do well?
Everyone has the ability to do many things well.




What can you do well?
What can you do that almost no one else in your class can do?
What do you know about which only a few people or perhaps
no one else in your class knows about?
You might be thinking, “I really don’t know what to write. I
can’t do much.” Think of Huck – he feels the same about
himself. Yet he has many special abilities. So do you!


On a sheet of paper, label the top I AM (Interesting, Awesome
Me)
Your assignment that is due Wednesday, is to come up with a
Now What?
 You
have finally finished your 50 qualities about
yourself. Now, we are going to make a list of 10 Huck
Finn characteristics. You already made a list of 50 so
this should be easy.
 After
you are finished, write a one paragraph short
essay on how you and Huck Finn are similar or
different. Choose one stance and back it up with
evidence.
Adult Confusion




Much of the fun of the novel’s last section consists of Tom
and Huck confusing Aunt Sally. The poor woman is so
bewildered that she thinks she might be losing her mind.
Many young people consider this to be the funniest part of
the book.
Work with a partner to create a story about two children who
confuse an adult. Make it as much fun and as convoluted as
what Tom and Huck do to Aunt Sally. One way to begin is to
brainstorm ideas. Think of real situations in which you have
been involved or have heard about. Or being with a story,
movie, or TV plot, and add your own special touches.
You will prepare your story as a short skit for the class. Each
person in the group must participate and your presentation
should show that you read and understand the part of Huck
Finn where Tom and Huck confuse and trick Aunt Sally.
Have fun and really confuse the poor adult!
Finishing Up



After, quietly find a partner that is already finished with
their essay and pick a conversation you and your
partner both want to finish. Imagine you are Huck Finn
or another character and continue the event.
You will write a 1-2 page conversation response.
Remember Mark Twain is known for his humor and
teaching through humorous situations while pointing out
social flaws. You too can use this in your conversation.
You will present your conversations for the class. This will
be your final grade. - 25 for the conversation paper
and 15 for the class presentation. Totaling 40 pts.