Huck Finn Annotations 23x6i
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2011.3.1 AP English
Huck Finn Annotations
1 Dan Parker
The number of the notes below correspond to the sticky notes in the book. 1. “Is all told about”: Huck’s grammar is not standard English as mark Twain explains in his “EXPLANATORY”. Therefore one can remark upon Huck’s diction at any point he speaks within the story. While one cannot completely generalize about the effect of the use of dialect it could well be assumed that it’s effect is to provide verisimilitude and to give the character of Huck a ‘backwater’ appearance. 2. It is clear that Huck is too young to understand the Bible or any moral tenets. Question: How old is Huck supposed to be? We are not told his exact age so far. 3. “Awful bad sign”: Huck’s marked superstition again implies that he is either young or un educated. It will be interesting to note if Twain creates bad luck to match the unlikely portent. 4. Notice polysyndeton; this serves to slow down the action and further the appearance that Huck is sneaking around. 5. Jim’s language is also in a dialect, just as Huck’s. Personally, I find Jim’s language harder to understand than Huck’s. 6. More superstition, this time about witches. I wonder how accurately Twain portrays the culture of slaves in this book. 7. Tom is acting characteristically Romantic. 8. “Stuff! . . . burglary”: Notice the distinction Tom makes to put himself in better light: burglary is low-class, while robbery is fine. 9. Huck is very suspicious of ulterior motives in Miss Watson’s religion. This seems to be Twain satirizing religion. 10. ‘Ambuscade’: what does this word mean? An ambush, perhaps? Also, of course Tom has read Don Quixote. 11. While Huck does not seem to fully understand religion, he is making a show of being religious in order to placate the adults. 12. A prophecy. Although vague, it probably foreshadows events to come in the book. 13. Huck’s father has a curious attitude toward Huck. He is deriding Huck’s more civilized manners, while simultaneously trying to take advantage of them. 14. “Raised Cain”: a biblical reference, but also an obviously censored phrase (not “raised hell”). It is not possible to tell if it was censored by Huck as narrator, or, more likely, by Twain conform with the sensibilities of this era. 15. In all of Huck’s father’s “cussin”’, he never actually swears except for the word “nigger”. It is strange how the opposite would be acceptable today. 16. “Tramp—tramp—tramp”: onomatopoeia. Provides imagery of Huck’s father in his drunken state, and makes us wonder if he is guilty of something (since the dead are coming to get him). Could this also foreshadow his death? 17. Although he doesn’t appear to be too bright, Huck has a rugged practicality about him which makes it seemingly easy to escape from his father once he puts his mind to it. The preceding pages give us little or no idea of Huck’s state of mind, so it is hard to discern what has prompted Huck to leave at this moment.
2011.3.1 AP English
Huck Finn Annotations
2 Dan Parker
18. Why is Huck faking his own death? 19. The ferry and the cannon again: This is reminiscent of the scene in Tom Sawyer in which Tom is wrongly believed to have died, and the cannon is shot to make his body appear. People in this Missouri town sure have difficulty dying! 20. Huck, in another moment of innocence, has absolutely no idea what Jim is doing by himself in the woods without supervision (he is running away). 21. Once again, Jim is also presented as very superstitious. 22. Hilarious zeguma on “stock”! 23. Wonderful imagery of a summer storm. Huck creates a vivid description of the scene that involves metaphors, onomatopoeia (“fst!”) and similes (“like rolled empty barrels down-stairs — where it’s long stairs and they bounce a good deal”). 24. Could this be Huck’s father? The whiskey bottle certainly suggests it. 25. Huck is clearly exaggerating here; one doesn’t find 200 pound catfish. How reliable a narrator is he? 26. What a shrewd woman! She easily saw through Huck’s facade and cross-dressing. Possibly the nicest character thus far in the book. Also a bit sarcastic. Huck completely fails to take advantage of her kindness. This indicates both his self-reliance and his distrust of society. 27. Jim seems to trust Huck implicitly. Twain might be playing up the stereotype of the black slave always listening and revering the white master. 28. So Huck, despite his brief run-in with religion, does not seem to have any morals at all. Is this the source of the age-old substitution of ‘borrowing’ for ‘stealing’ ? 29. Now it is the opposite: Huck is determined to save the man’s life — though in a way that certainly does not put his own at risk. As we would say nowadays, his heart is in the right place. 30. Huck is a cunning liar, playing up his youth and vulnerability to have his white lie accepted more easily. Also notice how emasculate he appears by crying, just as when he dressed up as a girl. Now that I think of it, the cross-dressing is very reminiscent of Shakespeare and probably was used to solidify the book as a comedy in the audience’s mind. 31. Is Jim supposed to appear sophisticated or unsophisticated by making such an analogy and biblical allusion? Moreover, if he is supposed to appear unsophisticated, is that because he’s black or because he’s talking down to Huck, who is much younger than himself? 32. These two have a very curious dynamic. Both are attempting to play the father figure, wisely explaining the world and absolutely convinced they are right. Huck because of his race, Jim because of his age. Neither seem all that wise. Both seem quite racist. 33. I can’t quite figure out why Huck lies here, it doesn’t really serve any purpose aside from not appearing stupid. Unless I missed some detail or connection. 34. Huck displays his superstition again in the chapter-title. This is several chapters after the snake and several good — as well as bad — things have happened. But only this gets blamed on the rattlesnake. Twain seems to be condescendingly emphasizing Huck’s superstition again. 35. Again we have Huck employing a white lie to avoid trouble — but this time he profits from it, although through no clear plan of his own. I fail to see the bad luck in the situation. Indeed, he seems to have came out far ahead of were he started.
2011.3.1 AP English
Huck Finn Annotations
3 Dan Parker
36. Why is “ ‘treading water’ ” in quotes? That seems a bit incongruous with Huck’s manner of narration. Was it a very new phrase at the time of writing perhaps? Perhaps I’m getting used to the way Huck talks, I hardly notice his unusual mode of speech any longer. This particular bit doesn’t fit. 37. Why should a “gentleman” be so scared as to open his door with a gun and considerable backup? Also, I notice a pattern. Just as in Heart of Darkness, most of the action occurs during stops, not on the river itself. It seems almost obvious that Huck will soon find another boat and continue on his voyage as if he had never stopped at all. Does he change at all from incident to incident? Perhaps Twain, like Dickens, was used to writing in an episodic fashion for magazines — or it might have been the style of the time. At any rate, he certainly employs it heavily. At the end, they’re always back on the river. 38. Huck seem inordinately excited by a “brass knob” for the door, which reminds us how poor he is. 39. After reading the next part, the choice of books here is deliberately a heavily ironic. Henry Clay was a United States Senator referred to a “the Great Compromiser” because of his leading role in negotiations between the Northern and Southern Senators during the Antebellum period — most notably Daniel Webster from Massachusetts and John Calhoun from South Carolina. Family Medicine is just what these families need, I have no knowledge of the actual contents of the book. Pilgrim’s Progress, to my knowledge is a religion allegory about reaching heaven, something these families can’t seem to get a grasp on. 40. I don’t think much of Huck’s assertion that this is quality poetry. 41. Feuds always make me think of Romeo and Juliet — or the Greek myth where the lovers meet through the garden wall. A pair of lovers will probably pop up soon enough. 42. This makes no sense; why is it so highly embarrassing to have forgotten your bible in church? 43. There, I knew he would turn up! Huck seems to have quite a lot of affection for Jim by this point. 44. Huck’s narrative of the would-be-exciting gun battle is strangely bland. I feel somewhat removed from the action and almost bored, not in danger of being killed. This is certainly a conscious choice of the part of Twain, no storytelling slouch. 45. Beautiful imagery of the natural scene on the Mississippi. 46. So they’re con artists. Will Huck be fooled? Moreover, will he go along with their misdeeds? It seems right up his alley. 47. Twain is again emphasizing Huck’s innocence and naivit´e. 48. “But the histrionic muse is the darling”: this seems extraordinarily funny to me. Twain is a very effective comic writer. 49. Twain seems to be going back to mocking things happening or facets of life in the American South at the time. This is very clearly a religious gathering as part of the Second Great Awakening. APUSH is very useful in deciphering the events here, going to show that this is definitely a satire and inextricably linked to the time period. I wonder how much of this goes above the heads of modern readers without being informed of the history. I guess that’s what APUSH is for. 50. I’m not expert on Shakespeare, but something seems not-quite-right about Hamlet’s soliloquy. 51. The completely overblown language on the posters is very comic. Wonderful use of diction to create humor.
2011.3.1 AP English
Huck Finn Annotations
4 Dan Parker
52. Besides mocking Southern society for being very quite to lynch people, this is also a reference to the Aeneid. In Book I when Poseidon is calming the waves and the winds of Aeolus making the storm, Vergil uses this simile (translated from the latin) to describe him: “And just as a when often great sedition arises in the people, and the vulgar mob seethes in its soul soul; and now torches and stones fly, fury supplies arms; then, if by chance they see some man grave in piety and in service, they grow silent and stand with ears turned up; that man rules theirs minds with words and smoothes their hearts:”. The situations seem quite parallel. 53. Ouch, Arkansas. “The King’s Cameleopard” indeed. What, pray tell, is a cameleopard? 54. This makes it sound as if Jim is abusive, unless I’m interpreting it wrong. It seems completely at-odds with the rest of his character which Huck continually describes a gentle and “good”. 55. I can’t believe that this would fool anyone. Twain is now just trying to emphasize the ridiculous trusting attitude of strangers, possibly. 56. “He was the worst I ever struck”: what does this mean? Possibly, ‘he was the worst liar I have ever laid eyes upon’ ? At any rate, he is excellent bald-faced liar. Is this what Huck will grow up to be? 57. Huck seems to have absolutely no conception of what yarns will get them into trouble. Up to here, however, they’ve all been believable (to an extent) when he lies, but not this time. I don’t think they can pull this off. 58. How is it that Huck is so afraid of snake-skins, but not corpses? I would have been terrified at that age. Also, why does he steal the gold back? It makes no sense. 59. Syntax/diction: these two have used more italics on the last page — mostly for emphasis — that I’ve seen so far in the entire book. Every sentence, it seems. 60. So now Huck recognizes that the “King” and “Duke” ’s scheme is bad, but he’s not exactly effective in revealing it and only does it through more lying. It seems he is apt to get into trouble himself. Still, it reflects upon his changing character that he is telling her anything. Also, he seems to young to be interested in women romantically, now that I think about it, so that gives some better definition of his age. Granted, none of these women are very close to his age, so I might be wrong. Tom Sawyer certainly is different, but he might just be going through the motions in the name of Romanticism. 61. “pretty awkward”: I think this is actually a huge blow to Huck’s pride; he seems to take pride in his lies. Perhaps he was lying badly on purpose to make it more likely that they would get caught though. 62. I may be ignorant of wildlife, but “like wildcats” doesn’t quite seem to fit as a smilie. Unusual choice of words. 63. The duke, for all his schemes, just saved Huck’s life, but Huck doesn’t really seem to care. It’s the same lack of worrying in his narration as earlier. Bizarre. 64. “First they done a lecture on temperance, but they didn’t make enough for them both to get drunk on.” Oh, the irony. 65. So Miss Watson is still the ‘good angel’, as it were, on Huck’s shoulder. I guess just like in Jim’s prophecy. Well, a little bit like that. At any rate, he is still religious it seems. 66. Or perhaps not. It is interesting to note that what would have been considered quite immoral then — freeing a slave — is considered the only morally righteous course today. This shows how messed up their society is, how relative morality is, and the force of presentism. How much of this was Twain aware of? What was his position on slavery?
2011.3.1 AP English
Huck Finn Annotations
5 Dan Parker
67. Again Huck comes across a rather stereotypical part of southern society. In this case, the celebrated small farm with a few slaves, supposedly (according to politicians of the time) the bread and butter of Southern slavery and agriculture. The imagery is impartial, however, as if it is just a pretty scene. 68. Here’s an anachronous expression: “kinder than thin ice”. I can’t imagine what it means. 69. Oh right. Of course he ran into Tom Sawyer’s relatives. What a startling coincidence. The only reason for this is if Tom himself turns up, just to make things interesting. 70. There he is, right on cue. Go figure. I am intrigued to find out what happened to the “Royalty”, however. 71. “Southern hospitality”: the first time it’s explicitly mentioned, that I’ve noticed. Will Twain refrain from mocking these people on of their being Tom’s relatives? Certainly they seem nice enough. It is curious that they don’t actually have any idea what Tom looks like. 72. I don’t enough about Tom’s character to say if it is in or out of it to want to free Jim. Huck, however, is very confused to the point of great suspicion of Tom’s easy willingness to help him. I note Tom is saying “steal”, not “borrow”. 73. Back to witches, but now they’re a farce — just another lie to control the situation. Huck seems to be gaining more control over his world. Certainly a large contrast from being cowed by his abusive father in the beginning. (Was that abusive at the time? Even then, I think it would have been severely frowned upon, but perhaps more for the drunkenness than violence.) 74. Huck is trying — and failing — to resist all of Tom’s crazy ideas. He is still cowed by Tom in the end, it seems, but makes some progress. “Cut his leg off”: is Tom actually crazy? 75. Huck is getting testy with his best friend, it seems. “If it ain’t unregular and irreligious”: very sarcastic, for Huck’s standards. 76. This book is getting a little boring. Now Huck and Tom are just weighing down the action with all their juvenile tricks and pretending. 77. Tom seems to be making references to Romantic characters (e.g. Northumberland is from MacBeth), but I don’t understand the point he is trying to make here. 78. It is very ironic that Tom and Huck let Jim out as one step in their plan to get him out – and then lock him back in! 79. I notice that Huck doesn’t speak up at all about Tom’s ludicrous suggestions. 80. Finally, Huck has starting arguing with Tom again: “nonamous letters” aren’t going to help at all in gaining Jim’s release. 81. Great letter! Perhaps slightly overdone. Twain is having fun. I like the “whoop-jamboreehoo”. 82. Finally we have a scene that Huck describes as “action-packed”. Lots of short sentences, asyndeton, and coordinating conjunctions. 83. With humorous irony, Huck is more concerned with Jim’s final escape and new-found freedom than he is with the bullet in Tom’s leg. This reinforces the idea that Huck is now his own judge of right and wrong, and is completely self-reliant. 84. Biblical reference to “Nebokoodneezer” (meaning King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon), but there is no indication that Miss Hotchkiss understands there reference in the slightest. Why does Twain have all these farmer’s wives calling each other “sister”?
2011.3.1 AP English
Huck Finn Annotations
6 Dan Parker
85. It appears that Tom’s relatives do genuinely care for him, and Huck recognizes that they are good people. 86. Do Tom’s relatives know which boy is Tom and which is not? Twain makes this ambiguous. 87. Now it makes sense why Tom went along with Hick’s plan to free Jim: Tom knew that Jim was already free because he had heard Miss Watson’s will read. 88. Now Twain gives the story a neat ending: Huck is still rich, his father is dead (about which he seems not that unhappy) and he can return to his former life. He definitely has gotten older over the course of the story. At the end, it seems, it has made no difference and he is going to go right back to being “sivilized”.
Huck Finn Annotations
1 Dan Parker
The number of the notes below correspond to the sticky notes in the book. 1. “Is all told about”: Huck’s grammar is not standard English as mark Twain explains in his “EXPLANATORY”. Therefore one can remark upon Huck’s diction at any point he speaks within the story. While one cannot completely generalize about the effect of the use of dialect it could well be assumed that it’s effect is to provide verisimilitude and to give the character of Huck a ‘backwater’ appearance. 2. It is clear that Huck is too young to understand the Bible or any moral tenets. Question: How old is Huck supposed to be? We are not told his exact age so far. 3. “Awful bad sign”: Huck’s marked superstition again implies that he is either young or un educated. It will be interesting to note if Twain creates bad luck to match the unlikely portent. 4. Notice polysyndeton; this serves to slow down the action and further the appearance that Huck is sneaking around. 5. Jim’s language is also in a dialect, just as Huck’s. Personally, I find Jim’s language harder to understand than Huck’s. 6. More superstition, this time about witches. I wonder how accurately Twain portrays the culture of slaves in this book. 7. Tom is acting characteristically Romantic. 8. “Stuff! . . . burglary”: Notice the distinction Tom makes to put himself in better light: burglary is low-class, while robbery is fine. 9. Huck is very suspicious of ulterior motives in Miss Watson’s religion. This seems to be Twain satirizing religion. 10. ‘Ambuscade’: what does this word mean? An ambush, perhaps? Also, of course Tom has read Don Quixote. 11. While Huck does not seem to fully understand religion, he is making a show of being religious in order to placate the adults. 12. A prophecy. Although vague, it probably foreshadows events to come in the book. 13. Huck’s father has a curious attitude toward Huck. He is deriding Huck’s more civilized manners, while simultaneously trying to take advantage of them. 14. “Raised Cain”: a biblical reference, but also an obviously censored phrase (not “raised hell”). It is not possible to tell if it was censored by Huck as narrator, or, more likely, by Twain conform with the sensibilities of this era. 15. In all of Huck’s father’s “cussin”’, he never actually swears except for the word “nigger”. It is strange how the opposite would be acceptable today. 16. “Tramp—tramp—tramp”: onomatopoeia. Provides imagery of Huck’s father in his drunken state, and makes us wonder if he is guilty of something (since the dead are coming to get him). Could this also foreshadow his death? 17. Although he doesn’t appear to be too bright, Huck has a rugged practicality about him which makes it seemingly easy to escape from his father once he puts his mind to it. The preceding pages give us little or no idea of Huck’s state of mind, so it is hard to discern what has prompted Huck to leave at this moment.
2011.3.1 AP English
Huck Finn Annotations
2 Dan Parker
18. Why is Huck faking his own death? 19. The ferry and the cannon again: This is reminiscent of the scene in Tom Sawyer in which Tom is wrongly believed to have died, and the cannon is shot to make his body appear. People in this Missouri town sure have difficulty dying! 20. Huck, in another moment of innocence, has absolutely no idea what Jim is doing by himself in the woods without supervision (he is running away). 21. Once again, Jim is also presented as very superstitious. 22. Hilarious zeguma on “stock”! 23. Wonderful imagery of a summer storm. Huck creates a vivid description of the scene that involves metaphors, onomatopoeia (“fst!”) and similes (“like rolled empty barrels down-stairs — where it’s long stairs and they bounce a good deal”). 24. Could this be Huck’s father? The whiskey bottle certainly suggests it. 25. Huck is clearly exaggerating here; one doesn’t find 200 pound catfish. How reliable a narrator is he? 26. What a shrewd woman! She easily saw through Huck’s facade and cross-dressing. Possibly the nicest character thus far in the book. Also a bit sarcastic. Huck completely fails to take advantage of her kindness. This indicates both his self-reliance and his distrust of society. 27. Jim seems to trust Huck implicitly. Twain might be playing up the stereotype of the black slave always listening and revering the white master. 28. So Huck, despite his brief run-in with religion, does not seem to have any morals at all. Is this the source of the age-old substitution of ‘borrowing’ for ‘stealing’ ? 29. Now it is the opposite: Huck is determined to save the man’s life — though in a way that certainly does not put his own at risk. As we would say nowadays, his heart is in the right place. 30. Huck is a cunning liar, playing up his youth and vulnerability to have his white lie accepted more easily. Also notice how emasculate he appears by crying, just as when he dressed up as a girl. Now that I think of it, the cross-dressing is very reminiscent of Shakespeare and probably was used to solidify the book as a comedy in the audience’s mind. 31. Is Jim supposed to appear sophisticated or unsophisticated by making such an analogy and biblical allusion? Moreover, if he is supposed to appear unsophisticated, is that because he’s black or because he’s talking down to Huck, who is much younger than himself? 32. These two have a very curious dynamic. Both are attempting to play the father figure, wisely explaining the world and absolutely convinced they are right. Huck because of his race, Jim because of his age. Neither seem all that wise. Both seem quite racist. 33. I can’t quite figure out why Huck lies here, it doesn’t really serve any purpose aside from not appearing stupid. Unless I missed some detail or connection. 34. Huck displays his superstition again in the chapter-title. This is several chapters after the snake and several good — as well as bad — things have happened. But only this gets blamed on the rattlesnake. Twain seems to be condescendingly emphasizing Huck’s superstition again. 35. Again we have Huck employing a white lie to avoid trouble — but this time he profits from it, although through no clear plan of his own. I fail to see the bad luck in the situation. Indeed, he seems to have came out far ahead of were he started.
2011.3.1 AP English
Huck Finn Annotations
3 Dan Parker
36. Why is “ ‘treading water’ ” in quotes? That seems a bit incongruous with Huck’s manner of narration. Was it a very new phrase at the time of writing perhaps? Perhaps I’m getting used to the way Huck talks, I hardly notice his unusual mode of speech any longer. This particular bit doesn’t fit. 37. Why should a “gentleman” be so scared as to open his door with a gun and considerable backup? Also, I notice a pattern. Just as in Heart of Darkness, most of the action occurs during stops, not on the river itself. It seems almost obvious that Huck will soon find another boat and continue on his voyage as if he had never stopped at all. Does he change at all from incident to incident? Perhaps Twain, like Dickens, was used to writing in an episodic fashion for magazines — or it might have been the style of the time. At any rate, he certainly employs it heavily. At the end, they’re always back on the river. 38. Huck seem inordinately excited by a “brass knob” for the door, which reminds us how poor he is. 39. After reading the next part, the choice of books here is deliberately a heavily ironic. Henry Clay was a United States Senator referred to a “the Great Compromiser” because of his leading role in negotiations between the Northern and Southern Senators during the Antebellum period — most notably Daniel Webster from Massachusetts and John Calhoun from South Carolina. Family Medicine is just what these families need, I have no knowledge of the actual contents of the book. Pilgrim’s Progress, to my knowledge is a religion allegory about reaching heaven, something these families can’t seem to get a grasp on. 40. I don’t think much of Huck’s assertion that this is quality poetry. 41. Feuds always make me think of Romeo and Juliet — or the Greek myth where the lovers meet through the garden wall. A pair of lovers will probably pop up soon enough. 42. This makes no sense; why is it so highly embarrassing to have forgotten your bible in church? 43. There, I knew he would turn up! Huck seems to have quite a lot of affection for Jim by this point. 44. Huck’s narrative of the would-be-exciting gun battle is strangely bland. I feel somewhat removed from the action and almost bored, not in danger of being killed. This is certainly a conscious choice of the part of Twain, no storytelling slouch. 45. Beautiful imagery of the natural scene on the Mississippi. 46. So they’re con artists. Will Huck be fooled? Moreover, will he go along with their misdeeds? It seems right up his alley. 47. Twain is again emphasizing Huck’s innocence and naivit´e. 48. “But the histrionic muse is the darling”: this seems extraordinarily funny to me. Twain is a very effective comic writer. 49. Twain seems to be going back to mocking things happening or facets of life in the American South at the time. This is very clearly a religious gathering as part of the Second Great Awakening. APUSH is very useful in deciphering the events here, going to show that this is definitely a satire and inextricably linked to the time period. I wonder how much of this goes above the heads of modern readers without being informed of the history. I guess that’s what APUSH is for. 50. I’m not expert on Shakespeare, but something seems not-quite-right about Hamlet’s soliloquy. 51. The completely overblown language on the posters is very comic. Wonderful use of diction to create humor.
2011.3.1 AP English
Huck Finn Annotations
4 Dan Parker
52. Besides mocking Southern society for being very quite to lynch people, this is also a reference to the Aeneid. In Book I when Poseidon is calming the waves and the winds of Aeolus making the storm, Vergil uses this simile (translated from the latin) to describe him: “And just as a when often great sedition arises in the people, and the vulgar mob seethes in its soul soul; and now torches and stones fly, fury supplies arms; then, if by chance they see some man grave in piety and in service, they grow silent and stand with ears turned up; that man rules theirs minds with words and smoothes their hearts:”. The situations seem quite parallel. 53. Ouch, Arkansas. “The King’s Cameleopard” indeed. What, pray tell, is a cameleopard? 54. This makes it sound as if Jim is abusive, unless I’m interpreting it wrong. It seems completely at-odds with the rest of his character which Huck continually describes a gentle and “good”. 55. I can’t believe that this would fool anyone. Twain is now just trying to emphasize the ridiculous trusting attitude of strangers, possibly. 56. “He was the worst I ever struck”: what does this mean? Possibly, ‘he was the worst liar I have ever laid eyes upon’ ? At any rate, he is excellent bald-faced liar. Is this what Huck will grow up to be? 57. Huck seems to have absolutely no conception of what yarns will get them into trouble. Up to here, however, they’ve all been believable (to an extent) when he lies, but not this time. I don’t think they can pull this off. 58. How is it that Huck is so afraid of snake-skins, but not corpses? I would have been terrified at that age. Also, why does he steal the gold back? It makes no sense. 59. Syntax/diction: these two have used more italics on the last page — mostly for emphasis — that I’ve seen so far in the entire book. Every sentence, it seems. 60. So now Huck recognizes that the “King” and “Duke” ’s scheme is bad, but he’s not exactly effective in revealing it and only does it through more lying. It seems he is apt to get into trouble himself. Still, it reflects upon his changing character that he is telling her anything. Also, he seems to young to be interested in women romantically, now that I think about it, so that gives some better definition of his age. Granted, none of these women are very close to his age, so I might be wrong. Tom Sawyer certainly is different, but he might just be going through the motions in the name of Romanticism. 61. “pretty awkward”: I think this is actually a huge blow to Huck’s pride; he seems to take pride in his lies. Perhaps he was lying badly on purpose to make it more likely that they would get caught though. 62. I may be ignorant of wildlife, but “like wildcats” doesn’t quite seem to fit as a smilie. Unusual choice of words. 63. The duke, for all his schemes, just saved Huck’s life, but Huck doesn’t really seem to care. It’s the same lack of worrying in his narration as earlier. Bizarre. 64. “First they done a lecture on temperance, but they didn’t make enough for them both to get drunk on.” Oh, the irony. 65. So Miss Watson is still the ‘good angel’, as it were, on Huck’s shoulder. I guess just like in Jim’s prophecy. Well, a little bit like that. At any rate, he is still religious it seems. 66. Or perhaps not. It is interesting to note that what would have been considered quite immoral then — freeing a slave — is considered the only morally righteous course today. This shows how messed up their society is, how relative morality is, and the force of presentism. How much of this was Twain aware of? What was his position on slavery?
2011.3.1 AP English
Huck Finn Annotations
5 Dan Parker
67. Again Huck comes across a rather stereotypical part of southern society. In this case, the celebrated small farm with a few slaves, supposedly (according to politicians of the time) the bread and butter of Southern slavery and agriculture. The imagery is impartial, however, as if it is just a pretty scene. 68. Here’s an anachronous expression: “kinder than thin ice”. I can’t imagine what it means. 69. Oh right. Of course he ran into Tom Sawyer’s relatives. What a startling coincidence. The only reason for this is if Tom himself turns up, just to make things interesting. 70. There he is, right on cue. Go figure. I am intrigued to find out what happened to the “Royalty”, however. 71. “Southern hospitality”: the first time it’s explicitly mentioned, that I’ve noticed. Will Twain refrain from mocking these people on of their being Tom’s relatives? Certainly they seem nice enough. It is curious that they don’t actually have any idea what Tom looks like. 72. I don’t enough about Tom’s character to say if it is in or out of it to want to free Jim. Huck, however, is very confused to the point of great suspicion of Tom’s easy willingness to help him. I note Tom is saying “steal”, not “borrow”. 73. Back to witches, but now they’re a farce — just another lie to control the situation. Huck seems to be gaining more control over his world. Certainly a large contrast from being cowed by his abusive father in the beginning. (Was that abusive at the time? Even then, I think it would have been severely frowned upon, but perhaps more for the drunkenness than violence.) 74. Huck is trying — and failing — to resist all of Tom’s crazy ideas. He is still cowed by Tom in the end, it seems, but makes some progress. “Cut his leg off”: is Tom actually crazy? 75. Huck is getting testy with his best friend, it seems. “If it ain’t unregular and irreligious”: very sarcastic, for Huck’s standards. 76. This book is getting a little boring. Now Huck and Tom are just weighing down the action with all their juvenile tricks and pretending. 77. Tom seems to be making references to Romantic characters (e.g. Northumberland is from MacBeth), but I don’t understand the point he is trying to make here. 78. It is very ironic that Tom and Huck let Jim out as one step in their plan to get him out – and then lock him back in! 79. I notice that Huck doesn’t speak up at all about Tom’s ludicrous suggestions. 80. Finally, Huck has starting arguing with Tom again: “nonamous letters” aren’t going to help at all in gaining Jim’s release. 81. Great letter! Perhaps slightly overdone. Twain is having fun. I like the “whoop-jamboreehoo”. 82. Finally we have a scene that Huck describes as “action-packed”. Lots of short sentences, asyndeton, and coordinating conjunctions. 83. With humorous irony, Huck is more concerned with Jim’s final escape and new-found freedom than he is with the bullet in Tom’s leg. This reinforces the idea that Huck is now his own judge of right and wrong, and is completely self-reliant. 84. Biblical reference to “Nebokoodneezer” (meaning King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon), but there is no indication that Miss Hotchkiss understands there reference in the slightest. Why does Twain have all these farmer’s wives calling each other “sister”?
2011.3.1 AP English
Huck Finn Annotations
6 Dan Parker
85. It appears that Tom’s relatives do genuinely care for him, and Huck recognizes that they are good people. 86. Do Tom’s relatives know which boy is Tom and which is not? Twain makes this ambiguous. 87. Now it makes sense why Tom went along with Hick’s plan to free Jim: Tom knew that Jim was already free because he had heard Miss Watson’s will read. 88. Now Twain gives the story a neat ending: Huck is still rich, his father is dead (about which he seems not that unhappy) and he can return to his former life. He definitely has gotten older over the course of the story. At the end, it seems, it has made no difference and he is going to go right back to being “sivilized”.
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