Aurel Lazar Mrs. Murray AP English 3 Early Bird January 12, 2007 Quotes Reflections “I never seen anybody but lied, one time or another, without it was Aunt Polly, or the widow, or maybe Mary.” (1) Seems to suggest that Huck feels that lying, and all sorts of other normally “bad” activities are commonplace; his naivety is shown in his inability to recognize that what is commonplace is not always the right thing. “Then she told me all about the bad place and I said I wished I was there… I was glad about that because I wanted him and me to be together.” (2) Once again, Huck seems to see things from the simple point of view of a child and not from the desires of his own personal micro-universe. The fact that he’s glad Tom won’t go there not only shows his intense gullibility but also a heavy inability to comprehend the consequences of his words. It almost seems to suggest that later on this inability to see the results of his actions will lead to a misfortunate event. “Tom whispered to me and wanted to tie Jim to the tree for fun; but I said no; he might wake and make a disturbance, and then they’d find out I warn’t in.” (5) In this, Huck’s practicality and childlike sense of logic is juxtaposed with the impish and utterly mischievous nature prevalent in Tom’s desires to always play tricks. However Huck seems to admire Tom’s courage in willing to “resk it” (5). “Now we’ll start this band of robbers and call it Tom Sawyer’s Gang. Everyone that wants to join has got to take an oath and write his name in blood.” (7) Relating back to the previous example of Tom’s impish desire to constantly play tricks, the boys all seem to ardently worship Tom for his courage by seeming to always give the position of leader to Tom. “Well I don’t know. But per’aps if we keep them till they’re ransomed, it means we keep them till they’re dead.” (9) Pride seems to be shown in this example, as if is an absorbent figure of attention, he wishes to preserve his status even by making up something. It seems Tom would make an excellent politician, as he says virtually nothing, yet allows others to interpret his words and conduct his decisions. Aurel Lazar Mrs. Murray AP English 3 Early Bird January 12, 2007 Quotes Reflections “I knowed mighty well that a drowned man don’t float on his back, but on his face. So I knowed then, that this warn’t pap, but a woman… ” (12) Street smarts appears to be something Huck has in abundance, even if he can’t master his multiplication table. These logical facts seem to be things lost to our time period, as modern medicine and forensics seem to take over our ways of thought. “He said there was hundreds of soldiers there, and elephants and treasure, and so on, but we had enemies which he called magicians, and they had turned the whole thing into an infant Sunday school, just out of spite. I said, all right, then the thing for us was to go for the magicians. Tom Sawyer said I was a numbskull.” (13) Another example of Tom’s pathetic attempt to keep himself from becoming publicly humiliated. Once again, Huck seems to show a powerful ability to find the best path to resolving the situation, a practicality not normally in high prevalence in children. Huck seems to be an expert tactician, whereas Tom seems to be attempting to keep his head high while retaining a pathetic childish hope. “Oho-o. I think I see. You want to sell all your property to me—not give it. That’s the correct idea.” (17) I feel that Twain seems to be suggesting that adults seem to fail to understand the simplicity of life as viewed from a child’s mind. The judge feels the need for legality, whereas Huck simply feels especially philanthropic. Aurel Lazar Mrs. Murray AP English 3 Early Bird January 12, 2007 Quotes Reflections “You’re educated, they say; can read and write. You think you’re better’n your father, now, don’t you, because he can’t?” (19) What surprised me about this passage is the intensity with which Mr. Finn objects to any educational advancement of his son. Normally, a father would wish for his son to be educated, but Mr. Finn is not normal. Aside from that is not a desire for Huck not to learn, but rather for things to stay as they are. He would like his son to be exactly the same as him, and the “meddling” of the widow seems to have intruded on his intimate desires. “He reckoned a body could reform the ole man with a shot-gun, maybe, but he didn’t know no other way.” (22) At first, I was shocked that he actually “repented” but then it turns out that it was only an external change, as words cannot affect addiction. “Two months or more run along, and my clothes got to be all rags and dirt, and I didn’t see how I’d ever got to like it so well at the widow’s, where you had to wash, and eat on a plate, and comb up, and go to bed, and get up regular, and be forever bothering over a book and have old Miss Watson pecking at you all the time.” (24) I personally see this as a sort of allegory to the life of a sinful person. Once somebody repents, he is always tempted by “Me-ows” coming from the window, sinful attractions that want to detract from a clean, sinless lifestyle. It is not easy, apparently, to grow to repel temptation, but, if you do happen to be carried away, the sinful lifestyle will always seem beautiful until one realizes what one has done. Take it as a sort of prodigal son, fallen into the world, runs out of money and sees his predicament. In such a way, he lost all he struggled to achieve because his father took him, but later he began to realize that he was being maltreated. Aurel Lazar Mrs. Murray AP English 3 Early Bird January 12, 2007 Quotes Reflections “… I struck another idea, I judged I’d hide her good, and then, stead of taking to the woods when I run off, I’d go down the river about fifty mile and camp in one place for good and not have such a rough time tramping on foot.” (31) This is another perfect example at Huck’s ingenuity, and especially bravery in deciding to withhold information from his father. It almost seems that his intense wisdom in manufacturing this plan through-and-through came to him as he went along, rather than as if he had planned the whole concept from the start. “I took the axe and smashed in the door—I beat it in and hacked in considerable, a-doing it… Well, last I pulled out some of my hair, and bloodied the axe good, and stuck it on the back side.” (33) A sign of Huck’s excessive violence, and his desire to make it look like the real thing actually happen seems to be provoked here. His slyness in using the gun situation from the night before and creating an imaginary man seems utterly amazing to me. “And so for three days and nights.” (39) To survive that long would be a feat to me, but to Huck it seems just like something natural and enjoyable. I think that the way he was raised allowed him to feel at home in this environment. “Yes—en I’s rich now, come to look at it. I owns mysef, en I’s wuth eight hund’d dollars. I wisht I had de money, I wouldn’ want no mo’.” (47) Jims feels freedom at last, escape from the bondage he had previously experience, and realizes that he is worth something despite the constant white propaganda telling him he is a worthless slave. However, Jim seems to have a rather primitive way of looking at himself, which seems to be the right way, but we today are so tangled up in ownership and all sorts of strange ideas that we have no time to appreciate our lives the way that we really should. Aurel Lazar Mrs. Murray AP English 3 Early Bird January 12, 2007 Quotes Reflections “Dats de way Sollermun was gwyne to do wid de chile. Now I want to ast you: what’s de use er dat half a bill?” (78) Although difficult to read because of Jim’s heavy speech, I found this to be one of the most humorous scenes in the entire book. I burst out laughing reading this section because of the amazing realizations that Jim arrives at, that are true, yet only true enough to justify a sort of childish belief. Jim’s mental capacity is less than that of Huck’s, yet Jim can understand many things Huck can’t because Huck is losing his childish innocence. “… and then they would both work to buy the two children, and if their master wouldn’t sell them, they’d get an Ab’litionist to go and steal them.” (89) I find this statement a loaded cannon, pointed at the slave system of the south. The separation of families seems so completely harsh and cold that it would appear that it would not, in any way justify slavery. Jim’s hopes are once again similar to the hopes a child makes with his future ahead of him that often do not turn out to be true. However, he is ardently sure and has even considered the anti-cases. “It didn’t take me long to make up my mind that these liars warn’t no kings nor dukes at all, but just low-down humbugs and frauds.” (126) I think once again, Huck shows a strong perceptive nature as he can understand the commonplace things and see things others can’t. Aside from the initial shock of being told about the heritages of the crooks, I think Huck is a very bright person to be able to arrive at such a deduction, and that fast. “These uncles of yourn ain’t no uncles at all —they’re a couple of frauds—regular dead-beats.” (188) Huck’s been struggling with himself for a long time, and I feel this is the turning point of the novel, as at this point he finally decides to stand up and confess the truth about something. From here on in all the lies are forced up him rather than by him, so it marks the period of change in his journey. “I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: ‘All right then, I’ll go to hell’—and tore it up.” (215) I believe at this point in the story is the last climax that begins to slope down to a denouement. Here, he finally decides to stand up for Jim, even if it means defying the very nature of the society into which he was born. I admire Huck for this, as he chooses to be a nonconformist. Aurel Lazar Mrs. Murray AP English 3 Early Bird January 12, 2007 Character Reflections Huckleberry Finn This young man is a genius with an underdeveloped mind. I felt that he was perceptive, analytical, and foreseeing. His journey down the river allowed him to learn lessons about life and to be forced to choose a stance on an important and controversial issue. Huck is mischievous though, as he is still a child, but he seems to be conformant as well. Tom Sawyer Tom Sawyer is the foil of Huck because everything Tom believes in is something Huck hates. Tom is civilized, and all his rules and pathetic games are also civilized. Tom is a powerful leader, yet he is extremely proud and not very bright. Jim I think Jim is an amazing character, although his speech is difficult to read at certain times. Jim’s naivety, especially in beliefs in superstitions and all sorts of things leads him to be the target of almost every joke played in the book, even if indirectly. Crooks I think the crooks are amazing characters. The method in which they can make money is astounding. When they put on the play, they don’t depend on skill, but on human malevolence. Sadly, because of their lack of skill they lose, but they still made a lot of money ripping people off.