Huck Finn Post #3

During the chapters of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn where the Grangerfords are present, there is humor, sadness, and allusion to Romeo and Juliet. Humor can be seen through the feud between the Grangerfords and Sheperdsons. At one point when Huck is staying with the Grangerfords he attends church with them. Both the Grangerfords and Sheperdsons bring guns to church, while Huck says the sermon “was pretty ornery preaching – all about brotherly love and such-like tiresomeness; but everybody said it was a good sermon…” (Twain 111). This is ironic in the fact that both the Grangerfords and Sheperdsons will go around and kill one of the members of the other family if they so please. Also both families had brought guns to church, which is a bit of a weird occurrence, because church is supposed to be a peaceful place and the preacher even preached about love.

                Sadness can be seen through Emmeline Grangerford. When Emmeline died her family "kept Emmeline's room trim and nice, and all the things fixed in it just the way she liked it" (Twain 106). This is a depressing aspect of her family never moving forward, and accepting her death. In a way, by keeping her room the way nice, and the way she would have liked it, is like the Grandgerfords are still hoping that Emmeline will come back and stay in her room. Also, Emmeline herself was a pretty sad character. Huck even felt bad for her, saying "Poor Emmeline made poetry about all the dead people when she was alive, and it didn't seem right that there warn't nobody to make some about her now she was gone; so I tried to sweat out a verse or two myself , but I couldn't seem to make it go somehow" (Twain 106). Even before her death, Emmeline had death surrounding her, which can be morbid and strange for a fourteen year old girl.

                The allusion to Romeo and Juliet can be seen through the pointless feud between the Grangerfords and Sheperdsons. The families do not even remember why they are fighting. When Huck asked about why one of the Grangerfords killed one of the Sheperdsons, they said that "'Him? He never done nothing to me.' 'Well, then, what did you want to kill him for?' 'Why, nothing--only it's on account of the feud'" (Twain 109). Even though the Grangerfords and Sheperdsons go around killing one another, they do not know why they are even feuding; it is just something that has always been done. This is just like Romeo and Juliet in that the families are feuding, and just go around killing one another for no good reason. Also, they do not know why they are fighting, they just are.

Huck Finn Post #2

                The relationship between Huck and Jim is a very close relationship. The relationship is like a father/son relationship. In this relationship, Jim tries to protect Huck from horrors that they face along their journey. One of the times that Jim protected Huck was when they came across the dead man in the boat. Jim said to Huck “’It’s a dead man. Yes, indeedy; naked, too. He’s been shot in de back. I reck’n he’s ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan’ look at his face-it’s too gashly” (Twain, 57). Jim did not want Huck to see the horrors of a dead man, like a father would want to protect his son.  This father/son relationship is one that Huck has never had.

                 What comes along with the father/son is a fierce loyalty. This can be seen through Huck when he finds out about the bounty that is out for Jim for Huck’s murder. Huck said that he “had got so uneasy I couldn't set still” (Twain 64). Huck did not want Jim to get caught for his murder, especially because he had not been murdered, and there was no way Jim would have murdered him. When Huck was told that at first his real father was suspected for his murder, Huck had no such feeling of loyalty. This was because Huck’s father was never really a father to him and Jim is more of a father figure then his real father ever will be.

Huck Finn Post #1

In the first 10 chapters of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" Huck reveals himself to be a lonely person. He has grown up without a mother, and an alcoholic father who is rarely there. Huck one time says that he "tried to think of something cheerful, but it warn't no use. I felt so lonesome I most wished I was dead" (Twain 13). This loneliness leads Huck to be heavily influenced by people, especially Tom Sawyer. Huck would do anything for Tom, even if it was stealing. I think that Huck is fearful of loosing Tom, like he has lost so many others, so he would do anything to keep him around. This loneliness also leads Huck to rebel against the widow and her sister. Huck does not know what a normal family life would be like, and he does not understand what the widow and her sister are trying to do for him. He has been so lonely in the past he does not know what a real family would be like. 

In addition to being a lonely person, Huck is also very superstitious. Huck has many superstitions, and acts on most of them. "I got up and turned around in my tracks three times and crossed my breast every time; and then I tried to tie up a little lock of my hair with a thread to keep witches away" (13). Huck believed that this would keep him safe, and he believed that there were witches that could do harm to him. While Huck is very superstitious, he does not understand organized religion. He did not know why the Widow Douglas would "grumble" over her food before she ate it, and he just wanted to eat it. Also, he did not like reading the bible. At first when the widow was reading it to him he quite liked it, but when he found out that the people in it were all dead, he did not see the point of reading it. This contrast of dislike and lack of understanding for organized religion and a very superstitious person makes Huck a very diverse character.