Summary And Analysis Of Mark Twain’S The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

In the novel written by Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, he writes about the dramatic events of a teenage boy living in the pre-civil war time. Huckleberry Finn was his name and he was a courageous and adventurist 14-year-old boy from the small town of St Peters, Missouri. Living with two upright Christian sisters, Widow Douglas and Miss Watson. Miss Watson teaches Huck how to read and write, as Widow Douglas has him working on Civilized goals and becoming a better Christian. Huck doesn’t have any interest in learning to read or write or be a good Christian, all he wants is to be free and live by his own rules. Miss Watson would say, “Don’t put your feet up there, Huckleberry”; and “don’t scrunch up like that, Huckleberry—set up straight”; and pretty soon she would say, “Don’t gap and stretch like that Huckleberry—why don’t you try to behave?” (Levine pg.110). I would want to be free too if I was having someone nagging at me too.

Although, Huck Finn is a boy that is continuing to follow in his best friends’ footsteps, Tom Sawyer, who has his own story, “Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, together they try to make a grand getaway. The escape does not go as planned and they both end up going home and back to their old ways. Confused as Huck was about his Religion, his prayers were not working, and he became frustrated. Widow and Watson have different ways they felt about god. I think Huck thought there were two different god and he is disturbed by morality and life ethics.

Huck’s father Pap was the town drunk and cared more about his drinking than he did about authority. Attempting to sober up with help from the new Judge, Pap was on trial as he tried to change his old drunk ways, to get custody. But, bring back old memories and stealing money from Huck to buy his alcohol and being abusive made Huck want to stay with the sisters.

Later, Pap kidnaps Huck taking him to a cabin in the woods miles away from town locking him up for days at a time. Huck decides that he will try to escape as Pap leaves for one of his drunken journeys into town. Planning an escape turned into faking his own death and planting the murder on Pap. Breaking free with plenty of supplies he took from his father he went on his way to load up the canoe he hid in the woods while checking Pap’s fishing lines. He enters the Mississippi river on his grand getaway. Huck finally felt relief, heading down river he runs into Jim on Jackson’s Island. Jim was Miss Watson’s runaway slave. Sharing their reasons for leaving they both seek situations that are under control of others and they want to rule their own fate. Days go on and Huck and Jim’s friendship forge here, Huck sees Jim as an equal not as a slave. Hiding together on the Island they find a cave to get out of the rain and stay save from the flood.

After the rain Huck and Jim go back out on the water and find a floating raft. Together they continue their adventure to find a house washed by the flood. In the house was a dead body, Jim makes Huck wait outside. The Sensible guy that he was did not want Huck to see that the dead man was indeed Pap, his father. Jim quickly grabs some dry clothes and gets back on the raft with Huck.

After being on the river Huck decides to go back to St Peters and seek news about his dead body. Jim suggested to dress as a girl so no one can recognize him. Disguising as a girl he names himself Sara Williams. Mrs. Loftus’s was the first house he came to. She is invites Huck into her home to ask more questions about Huck’s murder. The disguise wasn’t great, and Huck slipped out a different name then what he told Mrs. Loftus to begin with and she eventually recognizes he is indeed a boy. Huck confesses, making up another story he heads back to the Island. Huck tells Jim what happened, and they pack up and get back on the raft. Their new plans were going to float down the river at night and hide the raft in the day, barrowing food as they need it. Passing St Louis Jim notices a wrecked Ski boat, with robber on it. Jim does not want to aboard the boat, but Huck thought otherwise. Getting trapped and into danger, Jim and his old slave ways was right. Leaving the robbers to die on the sinking boat Huck feels bad and finds a watchman to go back and check on them. Huck wants to feel highly of himself and do the right thing out of the goodness of his heart.

While traveling down the Mississippi River to Cairo, Illinois it becomes foggy and Huck and Jim get split up. Lost in the fog in boredom they both fall asleep for some time, finding each other later. Huck and his childish ways, plays a joke on Jim, telling him that the whole separation was just a dream, Jim believes him. Jim realizes that Huck played a joke on him and made Jim feel like a fool. Jim tells Huck about Miss Watson making him a free man this whole time. Huck is upset with him. After the separation they notice a steamboat on the river. The steamboat was getting too close and eventually wrecks their raft, getting separated once again. Hitting land Huck is trapped by dogs and is in a moral dilemma with being angry with Jim, he wants to turn him in for being a runaway for a $300.00 reward. Though, his morals are growing up and he decides that his friendship with Jim is more important.

Later on in the story, Jim and Huck are back on the river picking berries on the shore and they see Duke and The King, conmen on the run. Joining Huck and Jim as they were manipulated, they make a tent on the raft to keep dry from the rain and rest as they were to take turns steering the boat, unfairly the cons did not take turns. Stopping to shore in Arkansas the cons needed money. Earning money by preforming overcharged skits, which money was the only thing they cared about. Further on the cons attempt to impersonate as the brothers of a dead rich man. Inheriting $6,000 and selling Wilks property. Huck tagging along as he feels he has no choice; he falls in love with the dead man’s daughter. Growing older and wiser his morals start to mature as he sees Mary Jane “Beautiful” and realizing the Conmen are in the wrong, so Huck wants to make it right by steeling back the money. Money bags in hand Huck almost gets caught and throws the money into the coffin with the dead man. The money is buried with the body and the real brothers return in chaos and sues, yet again they uncover the hidden inheritance money and run the boys off. King is angry with Huck and Jim and sells Jim for $40 at a local bar to the Phelps family. Coincidently, this family just happen to be Tom Sawyer’s aunt and uncle. Huck impersonates himself as Tom and when Tom shows up to help, he imposed as Tom’s little brother. Huck now knows that he will have to break the law by steeling Jim back, but no longer cares if he will be judged, he just wants to help his friend and get back his friend. Huck has a simple plan to free Jim but Tom being Tom prefers an elaborate, risky and dangerous escape that will be way more exciting. They free Jim and nearly get away as Tom was shot in the leg by one of 15 armed farmers. Jim could not just leave Tom, he stayed to help and care for him, but Huck goes to find help and finds the doctor. The Phelps family bring Huck back to the house where they make him stay and not leave. Huck was trying to keep the secrete about Tom being shot and freeing Jim. The Doctor came to the rescue noticing how kind and caring Jim was with helping Tom. The Doctor brought Tom back to his family with Jim as well. Finally, during Tom’s recovery he explains to everyone that Miss Watson had died, and Jim is indeed, a free man. With coming clean with secrets, Jim explains to Huck that the dead man in the floating house was his father, Pap. Jim told Huck that he did want him to be scared or worried.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn come to the end when Jim is freed, and the chains are removed. As a free man he will try to find his family up north and Huck wants to follow his dream and go West. Aunt Sally wants Huck to stay, so she can take care of him. Huck no longer wants to be civilized and tied down. He will escape civilized laws and rules and go west to find his own destiny. He did just that, learning many new moral and ethic way to view life and make the right choices.

Reference

Course Hero. (2016, October 27). The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved December 18, 2019, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Adventures-of-Huckleberry-Finn/