The Adventures of

Huckleberry Finn

e s
T hem
K e y
1 - 5
 1) Racism & Slavery
• Most of the novel was written after slavery was
abolished, but during the time of the Jim Crow
laws.
• The story is set during slavery because Twain
believed the issues from slavery still existed in
his society.
• His novel portrays the
conditions of “Blacks” in
The U.S. after the end of
slavery.
 Examples
• Owning, selling, separating slaves.

• Huck’s opinions of Jim: ‘I knowed he was white

inside” and "It was fifteen minutes before I could
work myself up to go and
humble myself to a nigger”

• Society not caring if black people die (Tom’s

Aunt Sally – chapter 32)
 2) Moral dilemmas of being
"civilized”
Society’s values VS Moral values

(Miss Watson and Widow Douglas) (Huck and Jim).

• Irony is used to highlight moral dilemmas:

* For example, seemingly ‘good’ characters are slave-

owners..
 3) Education
[Satirizing the Romantics]
• Huck is uneducated and ‘sees no stock’ in ‘sivilised’ behavior.

• Sometimes he conforms to education and society, but later he

chooses to “go to hell” rather than go along with the rules and
follow what he has been taught.

• By the end, Huck has learned to “read” the world around him
without a teacher. He can understand right and wrong, His moral
development is contrasted to Tom Sawyer, who is influenced by
……………..(?)
and Sunday-school teachings, which
he uses to support his reckless and
harmful activities.
 Making fun of Romantics:
• The gang robbing a school picnic and
discussing ‘ransom’.
• Emmaline Grangerford’s work.
• The feud between Grangerford and
Sherpardson families.
• The Shakespeare performances by the Duke
and Dauphin.
• Tom Sawyer planning Jim’s escape.
 4) Religion & Superstition
• Twain mocks religion in his literature and in
his life.

• Huck’s sarcastic character perfectly

represents Twain's personal views.
(In the first chapter, Huck says that hell
sounds far more fun than heaven.)

• Superstition is taken more seriously than

religion!! Some of the things Jim says come
true… can you think of any??

• Twain could be saying that religion is

mainstream and should not be followed
blindly. However different beliefs such as
superstitions should not be laughed at or
dismissed.
 Examples
When Huck spills salt, Pap returns.

When Huck touches a snakeskin with his bare hands,

a rattlesnake bites Jim.

When Jim says the bird’s foretell that it will rain, it

rains.

When Jim says he will one day have a lot of good luck
and be rich, he does (at the end of the novel)
 5) Lies
• The novel is full of lies and scams!
• The Duke and Dauphin (King) are the main
source, although Huck lies a lot too, even Jim
does!
• Huck learns that some lies are okay (the ones that
save Jim) and some are unforgivable (pretending
to be the Wilks brothers).
• Twain uses this to portray Huck’s early confusion,
and then his understanding about moral ‘rights’
and ‘wrongs’.
 Words to know:
• Emancipation • Hypocrisy
Proclamation • Satire
• Jim Crow Laws • Dialect
• Superstition • Sarcastic
• Abolished
• Morals
• Conform
• Mock
 Definitions
• The Emancipation Proclaimation was an
order given on January 1, 1863, by
President Lincoln freeing slaves in all of
the United States.
•
Jim Crow Laws the practice of
segregating (isolating) black people from
white people in the US.
• Superstition a popular but irrational belief
in supernatural influences that lead to good
or bad luck.
• Abolished means to stop, or get rid of.
• Morals are standards of behaviour;
individual understanding of right and
wrong.
• Conform means to follow rules or laws.
• Mock is to tease or laugh at
someone/something scornfully.
• Sarcastic means to use irony to mock
someone/something. You say
something but you mean the opposite
and that’s clear.
• Hypocrisy is saying and believing one
thing, but doing the opposite. E.g. Miss
Watson lectures Huck about being
civilised and kind yet owns slaves.
• Satire – the use of humour irony or
exaggeration to criticise people/society.
• Dialect – a form of language specific
to a region.