This section is dripping with satire of romantic writers; which of Tom Sawyer's ideas did you find most ridiculous? Why do Huck and Jim go along with him? What do Huck's actions in this section reveal about his "journey" throughout the novel? (Has he grown or backtracked in this section?) Some critics (Hemingway included) love the book, but are unhappy with the end. Were you satisfied with the ending or do you agree with them? How does the tone of the ending contrast with the rest of the novel? How does the focus/emphasis shift? Are these positive or negative changes? How does Huck fare in the inherited prejudice vs. human dignity spectrum in this part? What are Huck's plans at the end of the novel? What does the last statement he makes tell you about him? How does it relate to a recurring theme in the novel?
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Wow! What an incredibly bizzare ending to a bizzare book! As I read and read about all of Tom's plans, it continuted to amaze me how ridiculous they were! It seemd so pointless to put rats and snakes and spiders in the cabin, and to put Jim through all that misery just becasue Tom said "that's they way it is done!" The most ridiculous idea he had, in m oppinion, was when he thought about cutting Jim's leg off just to make getting the chain off even more "adventurous" and difficult. It seemed stupid and selfish and I can't believe he even thought about doing it. And then I was mad and annoyed when Tom announced that Jim was already free and that he only did all that for the adventure. I don't know how Huck kept his sanity. I wasn't overly satisfied with the ending, although I feel that Twain had to end the book there, or it could have gone on and on about the adventures they would have had if they had escaped. The fact that the book ended with Huck being back in civilization and living in a real house with a real family amused me. It showed that in the end, civilization dominates over nature, rasionalist over romanticism and that Twain really does hate romantics.
ReplyDeleteMark Twain's ending to his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn provides the reader with a huge and unlikely surprise. When Tom wakes up and begins telling the Phelps' family the whole story of how Tom and Huck were the ones that plotted the entire stealing of Jim into freedom, it makes the reader think that the Phelps' are going to be furious with the boys. However, when Tom tells everyone that Miss Watson had died and that in her will she freed Jim from being a slave, it makes the reader angry with Tom because he went through so much trouble to free an already free slave. Tom causes such mischeif and keeps the secret from Huck and Jim just to have the pleasure of planning and following through of a real robbery. This mirrors Tom's desires to steal and kill in the beginning of the novel when he creates the club that ruins a Sunday school picnic that is imagined to be a group of traveling Arabs. Tom clearly shows that he likes to use his imagination especially in action-filled schemes. The fact that Huck was adopted by the Phelps' family to be "sivilized" is a bit of a schock because Huck never seemed to like living in a "sivilized" society. Therefore, it seems unlikely and somewhat humerous that Huck was actually going to live with a family. I personally love the ending, but it did not seem consistent with the rest of the book. The majority of the book was action-filled and filled with violence, villians, and large amounts of satire. While there is still satire in the ending, it seems to happy and peaceful to be consistent with the rest of the novel.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Jim has been freed for two months is quite ironic. Twain has been using Jim throughout the whole novel to satirize the racist and abolitionist movement, but with an ending like this, it makes the reader wonder why Twain even wrote the book. It could be inferred that Twain wants the book simply to be a reminder of the hardships of slaves and the obstacles they overcame. With the book being published 20 years after the Civil War, this is a pretty logical guess. Twain also shows that although slaves are technically free, society doesn't see them this way and still treats them poorly. Perhaps this is the true meaning that Twain meant. Jim's character lends itself to the vast themes of morality and race in this novel, and Twain does a great job of getting his opinion across.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tyler about Jim's freedom being very ironic. Not only that, but it was very angering! When I found out that Tom had known the whole time I was infuriated! I understand that Tom loves a good adventure, but there is no doubt a line that he crossed in the fact that he didn't tell Huck until the fact didn't matter nearly as much. Twain does a great job in satirizing slavery and racism. When Tom and Huck tried to get Jim to share his money with rats and snakes, and when they saw him as more of an object to be gained than an actual person to save, you could tell that Twain was showing how cruel and selfish people were and unfortunately still may be. I also agree with Tyler on the themes, most definitely they are morality and racism.
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