Huck Finn Essay Research Paper Plot Summary

Huck Finn Essay, Research Paper

Plot Summary: Huck introduces himself as someone who appeared in an

earlierbook by Mark Twain, reminding us of what happened at the end ofthat story.

Though he won’t mention it until Chapter 3, hisirresponsible father has left him on his

own. Huck has beenliving with Widow Douglas, a kind woman who wants to teach

himall the things his father has neglected, the things all normalkids learn. He tells us

about Miss Watson, the widow’s sister, who isbent on teaching him manners and religion,

and about Tom Sawyer,a boy Huck looks up to because of his wide reading and

vividimagination. He’s also friendly with Jim, Miss Watson’s blackslave. Huck’s father

returns and takes him away from the widow.When his father begins beating him too

often, Huck runs away andmakes it look as though he’s been murdered. He hides out on

anearby island, intending to take off after his neighbors stopsearching for his body. Jim

is also hiding on the island, since he has run away fromMiss Watson, who was about to

sell him and separate him from hiswife and children. They decide to escape together,

and whenthey find a large raft, their journey along the MississippiRiver begins. After a

couple of adventures on the river, their raft is hitby a steamboat, and Huck and Jim are

separated. Huck goesashore and finds himself at the home of the Grangerfords,

whoallow him to come and live with them. At first he admires thesepeople for what he

thinks is their class and good taste. Butwhen he learns about the deaths caused by a feud

with anotherfamily, he becomes disgusted with them. By this time Jim has repaired the

raft, and Huck rejoins him.They’re soon joined by two men who are escaping the law and

whoclaim to be a duke and the son of the king of France. Huckknows they’re actually

small-time con men, but he pretends tobelieve them. After watching these frauds bilk

people of their money in twotowns, Huck is forced to help them try to swindle an

inheritanceout of three girls who were recently orphaned. He goes along atfirst because

he doesn’t want them to turn Jim in, buteventually he decides that the thieves have gone

too far. Heinvents a complicated plan to escape and to have themarrested. The plan

almost works, but at the last minute the two crooksshow up and continue to travel with

Huck and Jim. When alltheir money-making schemes begin to fail, they sell Jim to

afarmer in one of the towns they’re visiting. Huck learns aboutthis and decides to free his

friend. The farmer turns out to be Tom Sawyer’s uncle, and through amisunderstanding

he and his wife think Huck is Tom. When Tomhimself arrives, Huck brings him up to

date on what’s happening.Tom pretends to be his own brother Sid, and the two boys

setabout to rescue Jim. True to his imaginative style, Tom devises a plan that isinfinitely

more complicated than it has to be. Eventually theyactually pull it off and reach the raft

without being caught.Tom, however, has been shot in the leg, and Jim refuses to

leaveuntil the wound has been treated. The result is that Jim is recaptured and Tom and

Huck have toexplain what they’ve done. Tom, it turns out, knew all alongthat Miss

Watson had set Jim free in her will, so everyone cannow return home together. Huck,

however, thinks he’s had enoughof civilization, and hints that he might take off for the

IndianTerritory instead of going back home. Huck tells us about several people who live

in his town, andhe meets many more on his river voyage. You’ll find comments on these

characters as Huck introduces them. For an idea inadvance of who the main characters

are, the following sketcheswill be helpful.

Characters: HUCKLEBERRY FINN Huck is the son of the town drunkard, a man

who goes away forlong stretches and beats his son when he’s home. Huck cares

forhimself most of the time, though he’s living with a charitablewoman when the novel

begins. He prefers living in the woods tobeing in a home, and he doesn’t think much of

school, religioustraining, or being “sivilized” in general. When he’s in trouble, Huck can

be a first-class liar, butgenerally he’s honest, sensitive about other people’s feelings,and

kind. He sometimes has feelings of guilt over troubles hehasn’t caused, and he has a very

active and intrusiveconscience. Huck has an ambivalent attitude toward himself. On the

onehand, he keeps telling us that he knows he’s “low-down” and”ornery,” that he’s lacking

in all the things that make otherpeople respectable. On the other hand, he almost always

goeshis own way, makes up his own mind, and lives by his ownstandards. His negative

feelings about himself stem from his belief thatcertain qualities make people good–such

things as education,religious training, and a willingness to follow rules. He’sbeen taught

to equate these things with virtue, and the part ofhis mind that believes in the equation

tells him he doesn’tmeasure up. What he doesn’t realize

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