The novel "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is satirical novel, because there is a large number of characters and a lot of events that extend through the extensive novel. The author of the novel gave the greatest attention to the adventures of the main character Huckleberry Finn. The theme of the novel are the adventures that this boy experiences during one summer when traveling the Mississippi River.
Twain is at the same time showing the complex relationship between Huckleberry Finn and his father. His father was an alcoholic, and with his image the author wanted to show how the alcoholism is a big and common problem in society, and that it bears the consequences. Huckleberry Fin, because of his troubled father didn't have a nice and carefree childhood that every child deserves. Throughout the novel there is also the supporting theme - slavery - that was current at that time.
The author sets up the novel in the time in which he lived. Over the story, we can see humorous scenes that give the novel vibrancy and genuinity. We shouldn't forget the criticism of the then American society and human relationships that are also present in this novel.
Genre: novel
Time: 1950's
Book Summary
At the beginning of the novel, Huck reminds us how the book "Adventures of Tom Sawyer" ended up when Tom and Huck found the treasure that the robbers hid in the cave. Huck and Tom got 6.000 $ each and the judge Thatcher suggested that they invest the money so that the boys get 1$ interest every day. The story goes on with the description of Hucks life with the widow Douglas that wants to educate him with the help of her sister.
Hucks desire for a free lifestyle makes him run away but he comes back when Tom Sawyer tells him that he'll put him back with the robbers if he does not go back. The widow burst into tears when Huck reappeared again and dressed him in nice clothes. When everyone fell asleep Huck sneaked out of the house but he almost got caught up by Miss Watsons Jim. He had to wait until Jim fell asleep.
Tom and Huck met with some boys, went down by the river and sailed to the cave in a boat. The formed a troupe named "Tom Sawyer". After they've sworn with blood and declared Tom their leader they went home. A few months passed by and winter came. Huck was getting used to school again but he could not get used to his bed. Sometimes he would go into the woods and sleep under the sky just so that he could get some rest.
One morning he noticed traces in the snow and got scared that they could belong to his father who was a cruel man. Huck declared in front of the judge that he does not want 1$ interest nor the 6.000$. The judge was confused and wrote down that he repurchased his 6.000$ for 1$. Huck visited Jim hoping that he could tell him if his father is near but Jim as a real prophet couldn't say anything specific. When he came back to his room that night, he found his father there.
His father was furious at him for knowing how to write and read and also forbid him to go back to school. He came to town when he heard that Huck got a lot of money and asked judge Thatcher to give him the money. The judge refused and he together with the widow demanded the judge to separate Huck and his father. The problem is that there was a new judge in town and he ordered families to be together. The father pressed charges against Thatcher and beat up Huck because he did not want to leave his school.
One day his father took him to the other side of the river Mississippi where they were fishing and doing nothing for about two months. One night his father got so drunk that he chased Huck around the cottage with a knife. Huck realized that it was about time to run away from his father. He made a raft and placed a bunch of stuff on it. He took a rifle and shoot a pig, dragged her to the cottage and then to the river. He was setting up the traces so that everybody would believe that he has been murdered by some robbers and thrown into the river.
He went onto his raft and moved towards Jacksons Island. The next morning he heard a loud scream and noticed a ferry and many people. He knows they were shooting out of the cannon so that the river would get his body to the surface. He recognized Tom Sawyer, judge Thatcher, his father and many others. The further he got from them the less could he hear the cannon shot. He got settled on an island and ran into Jim who ran away from Miss Watson who wanted to sell him for 800$.
They became good friends. One day Huck went to the city to get some food and find out some news. He went disguised as a girl so that nobody would recognize him. He found out that the police thought that Jim killed Huck and now there was a reward for the person that finds Jim first. Huck rushed over to Jim, they packed their things and went down the river.
Jim made a tent on the raft and that's how they managed to pass Saint Louis. Huck was the one getting the groceries and he insisted on the two of them taking a walk through town. He saw it as an adventure. On their way back they heard voices and saw three robbers on a boat. One of them was tied up and the other two were talking about killing him because he blackmailed them. The robbers decided to leave the tied one on the wreckage so that he would sink eventually but Huck remembered to untie the boat and prevent a murder.
In the meantime, Hucks and Jims raft untied and they lost it. Their only chance was to get a hold of the boat that belonged to the robbers. Luck was on their side after the robbers went back to the boat and realized they did not rob the other robber who was left to die so they went back to the deck. Huch and Jim stole their boat and ran away. They stumbled upon their own raft. After the storm had started, Huck was afraid for the lives of the robbers because he believed they should go to court and not die without being punished.
They found a wreckage deep in the water and believed that nobody survived. The robbers left behind some blankets, clothes, books, and cigars. Jim and Huck enjoyed smoking cigars and talking about selling the raft in a small place named Cairo and move forward to the slavery-free states. As he was listening to Jim talking about liberty Huck thought he should bring him back to is owners but he changed his mind back again.
One night they encountered a boat of hunters in search of runaway slaves. They wanted to examine the boat but luckily Jim hid in time. Huck told them that his ill father was in the tent so the hunters went away and gave him 20$.
Unfortunately, they missed Cairo because of an accident and all they got left was the raft so they continued their journey down Mississippi. They let two weird men onto the raft but they turned out to be frauds and when Huck wasn't present they sold Jim to a farmer. Huck went looking for him and ran into a boy who told him that a slave was at the farm of Mister Phelps. Huck moved towards the farm where everyone was expecting Tom Sawyer because Phelps was his uncle. Soon Tom came along and protected Huck introducing himself as Sid Sawyer, his cousin. Nobody suspected a thing because aunt Sally hasn't seen her nephews in a while.
Tom and Huck came to the conclusion that Jim is in the cottage because a black man was there carrying food and watermelons. Watermelons were not eaten by dogs so they were sure that Jim was there. The three of them were acting like they don't know each other and kept on visiting Jim. They were trying to come up with a way to set him free. They tried one night but Tom got shot and Jim was caught again. Tom admitted that Jim was already free because Miss Watson declared him a free man in his will. Tom didn't want to say anything because he wanted an adventure.
Jim was free at the end and rewarded for taking care of Tom when he was injured. Huck found out that he was rich again because Judge Thatcher saved all of his money. He wasn't afraid of his father anymore because he died. Tom got better and decided to go into a new adventure amongst the Indians and when Huck found out that aunt Sally wants to adopt him he did the same thing.
Mark Twain Biography
Mark Twain (1835. - 1910.) with the real name Samuel Langhorne Clemens was an American writer and humorist who became popular and appreciated in every generation.
He wasn't a good student so he dropped out of school at the age of 12. He worked on many different jobs. Mark started as a printer and even worked as a helmsman on the river Mississippi. After that, he was a gold digger, a journalist, a publisher and at the end he was a writer.
He couldn't stay long in one place so he moved around a lot. That's how he started he journalist career.
After he participated as a volunteer in the Civil war, he started working as a reporter and it was then when he started to publish as Mark Twain.
It is believed that some of his best works came to life in 1980's. Some of his best books are "The prince and the pauper", "Life on Mississippi", "The adventures of Tom Sawyer" and its sequel "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"…
He kept a cheerful spirit and is well known for his humoristic novels. He promotes freedom and right to equality. He had shown the American lifestyle very well even though he had no basic education.
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