Huck Finn Literature Circle # 2

Chapters 9-20

Summarizer (5-7 minutes)

Share your assessment of the major events of chapter 9-20. Make sure you clearly outline each chapter

Group members may add to the summary, but be RESPECTFUL

This is a good time to clarify any confusion you may have had while reading these chapters

Discussion director should make sure everyone stays on task.

Illustrator (5 minutes)

Share your illustration with your group and explain why you chose what you did. Make sure you are detailed.

Other group members should ask questions and make connections to what the summarizer said

Discussion Director (7-10 minutes)

Begin asking and discussing your questions. Make sure you facilitate the discussion so it lasts the full time period. Make sure you invite everyone to participate in the discussion; don’t monopolize the conversation. Get it going and then allow others to comment.

Illuminator (7-10 minutes)

Share your passages and insights. Make sure you tell your group the page number.

This is a good time to discuss the passages, add to the discussion as the illuminator shares (discussion director, you should be exceptionally perceptive in adding your thoughts here)

Word Watcher (5-7 minutes)

Share the words and their significance with particular attention paid to historical/biographical significance—

If you do not have a word watcher, you should work together as a group to find important words in the passage to record.

Connector (7-10 minutes) Share your connections to the text and

encourage your group to add their own thoughts to your connections.

Next Lit Circle (11/8) chapters 21-29 Discussion director will be

the illuminator Illuminator will be the

illustrator Illustrator will be the

connector Connector will be the

summarizer Summarizer will be the

discussion director

Discussion director will be the illuminator

Illuminator will be the illustrator

Illustrator will be the connector

Connector will be the summarizer

Summarizer will be the Word Watcher

Word Watcher will be the discussion director

Huck Finn

chapters 9-20

“Do any of us truly know others as well as we insist? Do we even truly know ourselves? How many times have we done something, said something we were ashamed of later, and we wonder in secret, “how could I have done that? Said that? Whatever got into me?” When all the time it wasn’t what got into us, but what was already there, deep inside the soul, lodged like a root from a giant oak tree just waiting for the right season to sprout.” –Linda Chaikin

Think of a time when you did something out of character—describe the incident.

Do you agree with the statement that it is impossible to truly know yourself?

In what ways do we, as individuals, try to know ourselves?

What do teenagers do to try to “find themselves”?

Whoooooooo are you? Who—who? Huck’s search for his identity

At this point, Huck has removed himself from society. Jim thinks Huck is a ghost Huck has faked his own death so in a sense he

has officially killed his old self. Huck does not know who he is. The

adventure of Huck Finn is the discovery of self.

Conflict: MAN VS SOCIETY—Marxist?

New Identities Huck begins to take on new identities,

but he can’t keep them straight. Interview with Mrs. Loftis

He can’t establish gender or name Sarah Williams Mary Williams Sarah Mary Williams George Peters

Grangerford/Shepherdson episodeNew name he can’t remember in the morning

George Jackson

Huck’s Resolutions Further separation from society

He decides not to turn Jim in.He decides he and Jim are a team.

“They’re after us!”

Huck’s changing morality: Internal conflict— to turn Jim in or not?

After much debate and a night where he is so miserable he almost wished he was dead, Huck ignores society’s view of right and wrong and chooses his own path

Jim as the Father Figure Jim shelters Huck

Jim won’t let Huck look at the face of the dead man—solidifies his standing as father figure.

Who could the dead man be? Who would have to die for Jim’s place to be

secured?What does he build on the raft?

Wigwam pg 64

Jim teaches Huck SUPERSTION MOTIF—what are some superstitions? Borrowing versus stealing pg. 65

Pap’s view It’s okay as long as you are paying them back sometime

Widow’s view It’s evil and no one who is worth anything would do it

Jim’s view They’re both right—so how do they fix it?

Pick some things on the list never to borrow again: crabapples (gross) & p’simmons (not in season)

Calls Huck “trash” Establishes himself as the superior. What is the risk of this?

What power does Huck have? HUCKS RESPONSE: he apologizes to Jim, showing an

acceptance of equal rank if not inferiority.

Jim takes risks for Huck. Adventure 1

Wrecked steamboat pg 66—who wants to explore? Who does he wish was with him? Why?

Jim Turner debacle Where is the raft? They steal the skiff & leave the men stranded—start to

feel guilty Invent a story to tell the ferryboat man—why?

Jim reveals his internal conflict Take care of Huck? Or Take care of me?

No more adventures!—Jim’s declaration: will it work?

Jim reveals his wisdomRealizes he is wealthy now: owns himself

and he is worth… $800

King Solomon: Reveals a respect for human life that he sees more readily as a slave. Pg 77-78

Sees all men as the same; a statement of EQUALITY OF HUMANS! Huck doesn’t get it.

The River is…

An escape Transportation A highway to

freedom! Peaceful times A connection

Society’s playground Chaotic Adventure Confusing Painful Mixed up Backward

The Land is…

Jim’s Tragedies Missing Cairo—

now they’re headed straight south!!!!! Heart of slavery

Steamboat hits them! Jim is separated from Huck who could pose as

his owner. Huck is now on his own…Twain puts down the

manuscript for 2 years

Huck encounters—DEATH! and lots of it! Emmeline Grangerford (100-104)—she writes about

death. Why? If you hear about death constantly can you become

numb to it? How is this a part of Twain’s satire? Message:

Death is serious Emmeline cares about the order of speakers at the funeral Emmeline takes pride in her poetry Huck feels a connection and believes she was very sad

and depressed

Grangerfords and Shepherdsons: Twain’s Satire Turns Dark Targets the cult of Southern aristocracy and the

traditions of dueling and feuding. Thoughts on death—pg 107

It’s okay to kill if you’re in a feud! What is Twain’s tone toward the Grangerfords and

Shepherdsons? Negative—disdainful: seen through Huck’s observation:

pg. 109 church sermons Huck calls Col. Grangerford a gentlemen—what is

ironic about this? He goes around shooting at others all day long

Huck and Buck

What do you notice about the names? Huck becomes very attached to Buck—sees

something of himself in Buck Compare Buck and Tom:

proper behavior “It’s done because its done” no other reason. Warning against the dangers of blind following

Huck sees no honor or tradition in Huck sees no honor or tradition in it; he just sees dead young men. it; he just sees dead young men. First death—Buck diesFirst death—Buck dies

Without Jim…

Huck feels lost Huck is confused Huck discovers the cruelties of life

The Duke & The Dauphin (King) Conmen and Satire

Professional conmen- What do they do to make money?Trick peopleDuke: selling fake products that don’t work

(toothpaste that take tartar and enamel off your teeth)

King: running a temperance revival and charging money each night while drinking on the sly

Huck does not believe their story. So why does he let them stay?

He wants to avoid conflict

The king himself

The king is basically and idiot. BUT he is smarter than the churchgoers! What is Twain saying about religious fanatics?

Overkill and gullible

What is he saying about the average man? Easily manipulated