Friday, April 26, 2013

Friendship and Betrayal-4


In the final chapters of the’ Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ we read more about friendship and betrayal. Tom and Huck finally manage to get to Jim. Jim is so happy to see them and begins to feel emotional. It makes me happy to see that all three characters are reunited. I think it is also great that they talk about what has been going on in their lives since the last time they were all together. At the end of the story everything works out for our characters. I guess it is correct to say that there is a “happy ending” after all. I think that all the challenges Jim and Huck faced just made their friendship stronger. There were ups and there were downs in their relationship but everything turned out okay. Also Huck and Tom’s relationship becomes stronger than ever in these last couple chapters. Tom and Huck seem to become more brotherly in these chapters. Jim, Huck and Tom all care a lot about each other. In these last few chapters it is evident that all three of them are very close and care for each other. I like the fact that Jim, Huck and Tom are close and almost family oriented. It helps the reader identify with the book. I am also happy that this book ended with a happy ending! Huck is adopted by Aunt Sally! Overall I think friendship is evident in not only the final chapter’s but in the entire book.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Friendship and Betrayal-3


Once again we read about friendship and betrayal in chapters 31-35 in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  Chapter 31 probably has one of the most shocking scenes of betrayal in the entire book. In chapter 31 Jim is caught and sold for $40. Huck writes a letter to Miss Watson, in the letter he writes that he knows where Jim is. As Huck writes this letter he said he was “all glad and excited” he felt as though he was being a good person in society for reporting Jim. You can see that society does have some influence in Huck. Even though he is mainly independent he cannot help but be influenced by society because it has been surrounding him his whole life. It makes me upset to read that Huck is happy and pleased with himself that he in reporting Jim. He is betraying his best friend. Though as we read Huck reminisces about his whole adventure with Jim, he comes upset and guilty that he says “Alright then- I’ll go to hell” and he tears up the letter. I think Huck acted out in the pressures of society and religion at first. He did not feel like a good person if he protected Jim. But Huck’s feelings brought him back to himself, to his own mind set. He decided that he would protect Jim because Jim was always there for him. Jim is like a father or big brother to Huck. I think even though society may have some influence on Huck’s relationship with Jim in the end Huck’s own feelings overpower him.  Another example of friendship in chapters 31-35 is when Tom Sawyer and Huck meet again. Tom decides to help Huck save Jim; I think that the fact that Tom is going against societies views strengthens his friendship with Huck. 

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Friendship and Betrayal-2


Friendship and betrayal in chapters 26-30 in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are quite evident.
In the beginning of chapter twenty-six Huck is eating supper with Joanna (a.k.a. hare-lip). When she suspects Huck of lying Mary Jane steps into the room and defends him. Huck feels bad because he is helping the convicts steal the Wilks daughters’ fortune. Even though Huck is not very close to Mary Jane he does feel bad because she defends him even though he is a stranger. Eventually the guilt consumes Huck and he tells Mary Jane everything. Huck tells Mary Jane that the two men who claim to be her uncles, Harvey and William, are not her uncle’s but are in reality two convicts wanting to steal her and her sisters’ money. Huck comes up with a plan and Mary Jane helps him, the plan is for Mary Jane to lay low and before eleven at night to put a candle out on the window, if Huck does not show up at eleven at night or past then that means he is gone and safe. Then Mary Jane can spread the news about the convicts. Mary Jane promises to stand by Huck. Mary Jane and Huck are not best friends but Huck does feel bad for her. Huck feels bad because she is very kind and perhaps even motherly, he cannot bear to hurt someone as innocent and kind as Mary Jane. So you can see that even though Huck and Mary Jane are not the closest of friends he still does not betray her. He keeps her safe. On the other hand Huck betrays the king and duke. When the king and the duke are asking Huck if he had gone in their room Huck lies and tells them that he saw “niggers” going in the room. Huck betrays the king and the duke by telling them this because Huck is the one who went into the room and took the bag of gold. It is right of Huck to betray the king and the duke because they want to hurt innocent people. In chapters 26-30 Huck really protects those who deserve to be protected.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Friendship and Betrayal 1


The theme of friendship and betrayal is quite evident in the novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain.  An example of betrayal is the shocking scene in which Tom Sawyer starts a gang.  In order to join the gang you must sign your name in blood, which Huck and all his friends do, but if you tell the secrets of the “Tom Sawyer Gang” you must kill a family member. Since our character Huckleberry Finn has no legitimate family aside from his alcoholic father whom can never be found the other boys in the gang say he cannot join. Upset that he is not able to join the gang Huck opts in and says that he can kill Miss Watson, his guardian. This scene in the book is very shocking because you can see how eager Huck is to join his friends and not be excluded. It is also shocking to read that he would “kill” his guardian Miss Watson. This shows that he is willing to betray someone whom cares so much about him.
     Another important part of the book is Huck’s feelings towards Jim. Huck and Jim get along quite well and are good friends. They both have things in common, for example they are both in search for freedom, though they each want a different type of freedom. In the “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” it is important to notice Huck’s thoughts about Jim. Throughout the story you can read that though Huck is mostly independent and goes by his own rules, but society has an influence on him. Huck often thinks about whether he should report Jim to the authorities or not. You can see that because of the time period in which the novel takes place Huck is influenced by slavery, segregation and racism. The thought of reporting Jim makes Huck feel horrible and like a bad friend but the thought of helping a runaway slave also bothers Huck. This shows that society has had an influence on Huck, it is almost like Huck feels like a trader to society for helping a runaway slave. 
    Mentally Huck thinks and betrays his friend Jim but he never acts on it which demonstrates that Huck cannot betray Jim because he looks at him almost like a brother and best friend. It seems like Huck would only betray someone whom he did not care about that much. Huck would betray Miss Watson but he would not really act on betraying Jim because he cares about him too much.