Last one everybody! Yeah!
Chapter: 31
"At last I had an idea; and I says, I'll go and write the letter- and then see if I can pray." (page 194)
Comments and Questions:
At this point in the story, Jim has just been captured, and the duke and king are nowhere in sight, leaving all the thinking and doing to Huck for himself. There is no one else to help him decide what to do, and that is very apparent in this passage. Huck uses I repeatedly, reminding the reader that Huck is alone, with no advice or assistance from anyone else.
And the over usage of I gives Huck a feeling of loneliness. Jim was a great friend to Huck, and thus without him, Huck feels alone, which I believe helps Huckleberry make the decision to save Jim, because without Jim, Huck is alone in the world with no one to rely on or to take advice from.
Chapter: 32
"I went right along, not fixing up any plan, but just trusting to Providence to put the right words in my mouth when the time come; for I'd noticed that Providence always did put the right words in my mouth, if I left it alone." (page 199)
Comments and Questions:
Huck seems to think that ignorance is bliss, that if you don't know, then you can't fight the outcome of it all. He never presses an issue to much, nor does he like to say too much if it disturbers someone else's ignorance.
He goes to Phelps without a plan, leaving it up to someone else to get him out of a fix if he needs it... which does happen when he discovers that Aunt Sally mistook him for Tom.
Huck seems to think that if you don't try to plan too much, there won't any plans to fall through. Sometimes you can over think something, and then it never happens. I can see this coming into effect later on, Huck not wanting to explore something too much before he goes into action.
Chapter: 34
"I never said noting, because I warn't expecting nothing different; but I knowed mighty well that whenever he got his plan ready it wouldn't have none of them objections to it." (page 211)
Comments and Questions:
Tom is the leader of any group he is in, and that is particularly shown here by Twain to show who is leading this band of rascals. :) Huck is very observant, and knows a lot of things, even if sometimes he doesn't let everyone else know that he understands. Like with king and duke, he knew almost instantly that they weren't really a king and a duke, but dangerous men on the river. Huck has noticed that throughout his friendship with Tom, if Tom says something, nobody can say otherwise. I can see this coming into play in there lives continuously.
Chapter: 38
"He [Tom] could outsuperintend any boy I ever see. He knowed how to do everything." (page 235)
Comments and Questions:
Little side notes from my thoughts-- I got a little upset with Huck during this part of the book when he let Tom just take over. Huck has been basically living on his own for a long time now and has escaped many difficult situations with some flare, but when Tom comes into the picture, Huck steps aside and lets Tom take over. He may say a few comments like "this is pointeless" but after listening to Tom, he immediatly agrees to follow whatever Tom's instructions are. end of side note :)
I get the feeling sometimes of Huck and Tom's relationship being more like a big brother, little brother, where Tom is the big brother and Huck looks up to his older brother. I think it is Tom's confidence that makes him seem really brilliant, when in reality he is just making up most of the things he says.
Chapter: 40
"I did wish Aunt Sally would come, and get done, and lick me, if she wanted to, and let me get away and tell Tom how we'd overdone this thing, and what a thundering hornet's nest we'd got ourselves into, so we could stop fooling, straight off, and clear out with Jim before these rips got out of patience and come for us." (page 245)
Comments and Questions:
Now Huck is thinking everything through. He immediately said yes to Tom's plan, but now that he has seen the effect of their actions, he now doubts how they came about freeing Jim. Huck is like the friend that followed the other off the cliff, and then half way he was like... opps this was a mistake.
I think it's funny how Huck isn't even trying to think of an excuse at this point. Whenever I'm in trouble, I feel like the air is knocked out of me, and I can't think of anything other than, 'what's going to happen?', but I guess Huck has been in trouble a ton of times, so he is used to that scared feeling.
If there were a sequel to this book, I could see the theme of Tom leading, and Huck following on almost every page.
Chapter: 43
"... and I can't stand it. I been there before." (page 263)
Comments and Questions:
Huck is always looking for an adventure. Whenever something doesn't interest him, or isn't an adventure, he either ignores it or he tries to avoid it, but I feel that with Aunt Sally adopting him, it'll be a new adventure. He may have had other people that cared for him for a bit, but when someone REALLY cares for you, and not just your well-being but your happiness too it changes your lifestyle. They make you a birthday cake, and they cook your favorite meal because they love you. I feel that this new adventure will be good for Huck.
Thank you! I hope you enjoyed! I'll see y'all on Arena Day! :)
8/08/2013
7/24/2013
They Say / I Say #2 Post
Summary #1
In David Zinczenko's "Don't Blame the Eater", he makes many points that even though it is partially the eater's fault he/she is obese, it is also due to the fact that they don't have any other options with the money budget that they have. Even though I agree with him that it seems harder to find healthier, inexpensive food to the common public, there are ways to eat healthier, you just have to be educated in what is healthy and what just looks healthier.
Summary #2
As long as I can remember, childhood obesity has been a huge problem, and many fingers have been pointed to find a reason for this. In David Zinczenko's "Don't Blame the Eater", he brings up the topic that even though it is the children who are putting the high calorie food into their mouths, thus causing major weight gain, there are other people involved in the thought process behind buying the fattening food. Many agree with Zinczenko that it is somewhat the companies fault with uneducating the public on how bad their food is for you, but there is others to blame for the rise in childhood diabetes. For example, the parents or guardians who are the ones paying for the food, help the children load the food into their mouths, and also leaving their kids uneducated on what is good for you and what is harmful to your bodies, doesn't help them when trying to make wise decisions.
In David Zinczenko's "Don't Blame the Eater", he makes many points that even though it is partially the eater's fault he/she is obese, it is also due to the fact that they don't have any other options with the money budget that they have. Even though I agree with him that it seems harder to find healthier, inexpensive food to the common public, there are ways to eat healthier, you just have to be educated in what is healthy and what just looks healthier.
Summary #2
As long as I can remember, childhood obesity has been a huge problem, and many fingers have been pointed to find a reason for this. In David Zinczenko's "Don't Blame the Eater", he brings up the topic that even though it is the children who are putting the high calorie food into their mouths, thus causing major weight gain, there are other people involved in the thought process behind buying the fattening food. Many agree with Zinczenko that it is somewhat the companies fault with uneducating the public on how bad their food is for you, but there is others to blame for the rise in childhood diabetes. For example, the parents or guardians who are the ones paying for the food, help the children load the food into their mouths, and also leaving their kids uneducated on what is good for you and what is harmful to your bodies, doesn't help them when trying to make wise decisions.
Dialectic Journal #2
Sorry this is late! I had thought the deadline was the 30th! Enjoy!
Chapter: 16
"He said he'd be mighty sure to see it, because he'd be a free man the minute he seen it, but if he missed it he'd be in the slave country again and no more show for freedom." (page 81)
Comments and Questions:
Jim, as we have seen throughout the book, is a very superstitious man. Mark Twain uses Jim to create a different perspective on life, and to give the reader the feeling that there is more going on in the book than what meets the eye. What I mean by that is this, Huckleberry Finn has a very limited experiences, and on this journey, he has proven over and over that he can take care of himself, even if it's not the best care. But Jim on the other hand, lives life believing that there is always a cause and an effect of an action. If you do this, then this is the effect.
Also Twain uses the word "he" a lot in this sentence, showing that Jim considers himself a slave to the world and his superstitions, but Huck considers himself a free man.
Chapter: 18
"About an hour after dinner everybody was dozing around, some in their chairs and some in their rooms, and it got pretty dull." (page 101)
Comments and Questions:
Twain does a good job of comparing all the different lives that Huck has lived on the river. In this part of the story, Huck is living with the Grangerfords. Huck finds himself enjoying the life that he has with them, but there are moments, like in this quote, that Huck misses the river and the feeling of something new around every bend.
Throughout this book, when something became "normal", Twain has taken the path that Huckleberry is on, and takes him into a whole new lifestyle. One day he is living with the widow, the next with his abusive father, then alone, with Jim, so on. So if we look at previous adventures that Huck has experienced, we can see that Twain is about to change the story, again.
Chapter: 19
"Two or three days and nights went by; I reckon I might say they swum by, they slid along so quiet and smooth and lovely." (page 108)
Comments and Questions:
Chapter 18 was the chapter in which Huck's current living situation became dangerous. One minute they are dodging bullets and the next Huck and Jim are enjoying the peacefulness that comes from gliding down the river. Twain gives the reader a moment of excitement and real adventure, and the next we are at peace again. It's like riding a roller coaster, one moment you are up, and the next you are going down in a very rapid pace. I feel that the river gives Huck a place to go when he needs or wants to escape the normal life that he is currently living in.
Chapter: 20
"We all said the duke was pretty smart, and there couldn't be no trouble about running daytimes." (page 123)
Comments and Questions:
They are all very easily persuaded. The moment that anybody has an idea, they all join in without even thinking about all the different scenarios that could happen, nor the consequences for their actions. Twain uses moments like these to remind the reader that these men are all naive and don't really have any idea about what they are getting into. It's like they are getting into a fishing boat in the middle of a mucky pool, hoping that they can catch fish, even though they can't see them.
Chapter: 22
"They swarmed up in front of Sherburn's palings as thick as they could jam together, and you couldn't hear yourself think for the noise."
Comments and Questions:
Twain never let's the reader know where Huck is at during the book. Instead of saying how Huck felt in that moment, or what side he was taking in the argument, or saying where he was at during all of this commotion, he describes where everyone else is at and how they are acting. It gives the reader a chances to have their own opinions, rather then be influenced by Huck's emotions and feelings.
Twain also uses the word they and you a lot to show that Huck does not associate himself with other people, nether will he take any blame for himself, for somehow he had to be one of the 'they' to be able to see what Sherburn's reaction is to the crowd.
Chapter: 27
"I run in the parlor and took a swift look around, and the only place I see to hide the bag was in the coffin." (page 163)
Comments and Questions:
I find this ironic. The only place that Huck could find to hide the money in, was with the dead man that had earned it. The money did not belong with the king and duke, nor with Huck, but with Peter, who had spent many years slaving day after day to earn the money, it was like the money was drawn to Peter for it was with Peter that the money belonged.
One thing that I find that is interesting in this passage is that Huck never freaked out. He never overreacted. He was calm, and collected and immediately found an answer to his problem, which in this case was to hide. And the amazing this, is that Mary Jane never did realize that Huck was in the room.
Chapter: 30
"Leggo the boy, you old idiot! Would you a done any different? Did you inquire around for him, when you got loose? I don't remember it."
Comments and Questions:
Twain wrote this in order to give the reader an insight into how bad the king and duke were. We all know that they tried to steal everything from Mary Jane and her sisters, but when they don't even care for one of their own, that's when you know you have to get away!
I hope this does continue to play much longer in the book. We all care for Huck and his well-being, and we all hope that this story will end well, which means that Huck and Jim will have to get away from the king and duke. I hope this will happen soon, or else Huck will end up in the same situation that he was with his father... just being used.
The end.
I hope you enjoyed reading! Again I am sorry this is late, but I will try better next time in making the other on time! :) have a great rest of the summer everybody!
Chapter: 16
"He said he'd be mighty sure to see it, because he'd be a free man the minute he seen it, but if he missed it he'd be in the slave country again and no more show for freedom." (page 81)
Comments and Questions:
Jim, as we have seen throughout the book, is a very superstitious man. Mark Twain uses Jim to create a different perspective on life, and to give the reader the feeling that there is more going on in the book than what meets the eye. What I mean by that is this, Huckleberry Finn has a very limited experiences, and on this journey, he has proven over and over that he can take care of himself, even if it's not the best care. But Jim on the other hand, lives life believing that there is always a cause and an effect of an action. If you do this, then this is the effect.
Also Twain uses the word "he" a lot in this sentence, showing that Jim considers himself a slave to the world and his superstitions, but Huck considers himself a free man.
Chapter: 18
"About an hour after dinner everybody was dozing around, some in their chairs and some in their rooms, and it got pretty dull." (page 101)
Comments and Questions:
Twain does a good job of comparing all the different lives that Huck has lived on the river. In this part of the story, Huck is living with the Grangerfords. Huck finds himself enjoying the life that he has with them, but there are moments, like in this quote, that Huck misses the river and the feeling of something new around every bend.
Throughout this book, when something became "normal", Twain has taken the path that Huckleberry is on, and takes him into a whole new lifestyle. One day he is living with the widow, the next with his abusive father, then alone, with Jim, so on. So if we look at previous adventures that Huck has experienced, we can see that Twain is about to change the story, again.
Chapter: 19
"Two or three days and nights went by; I reckon I might say they swum by, they slid along so quiet and smooth and lovely." (page 108)
Comments and Questions:
Chapter 18 was the chapter in which Huck's current living situation became dangerous. One minute they are dodging bullets and the next Huck and Jim are enjoying the peacefulness that comes from gliding down the river. Twain gives the reader a moment of excitement and real adventure, and the next we are at peace again. It's like riding a roller coaster, one moment you are up, and the next you are going down in a very rapid pace. I feel that the river gives Huck a place to go when he needs or wants to escape the normal life that he is currently living in.
Chapter: 20
"We all said the duke was pretty smart, and there couldn't be no trouble about running daytimes." (page 123)
Comments and Questions:
They are all very easily persuaded. The moment that anybody has an idea, they all join in without even thinking about all the different scenarios that could happen, nor the consequences for their actions. Twain uses moments like these to remind the reader that these men are all naive and don't really have any idea about what they are getting into. It's like they are getting into a fishing boat in the middle of a mucky pool, hoping that they can catch fish, even though they can't see them.
Chapter: 22
"They swarmed up in front of Sherburn's palings as thick as they could jam together, and you couldn't hear yourself think for the noise."
Comments and Questions:
Twain never let's the reader know where Huck is at during the book. Instead of saying how Huck felt in that moment, or what side he was taking in the argument, or saying where he was at during all of this commotion, he describes where everyone else is at and how they are acting. It gives the reader a chances to have their own opinions, rather then be influenced by Huck's emotions and feelings.
Twain also uses the word they and you a lot to show that Huck does not associate himself with other people, nether will he take any blame for himself, for somehow he had to be one of the 'they' to be able to see what Sherburn's reaction is to the crowd.
Chapter: 27
"I run in the parlor and took a swift look around, and the only place I see to hide the bag was in the coffin." (page 163)
Comments and Questions:
I find this ironic. The only place that Huck could find to hide the money in, was with the dead man that had earned it. The money did not belong with the king and duke, nor with Huck, but with Peter, who had spent many years slaving day after day to earn the money, it was like the money was drawn to Peter for it was with Peter that the money belonged.
One thing that I find that is interesting in this passage is that Huck never freaked out. He never overreacted. He was calm, and collected and immediately found an answer to his problem, which in this case was to hide. And the amazing this, is that Mary Jane never did realize that Huck was in the room.
Chapter: 30
"Leggo the boy, you old idiot! Would you a done any different? Did you inquire around for him, when you got loose? I don't remember it."
Comments and Questions:
Twain wrote this in order to give the reader an insight into how bad the king and duke were. We all know that they tried to steal everything from Mary Jane and her sisters, but when they don't even care for one of their own, that's when you know you have to get away!
I hope this does continue to play much longer in the book. We all care for Huck and his well-being, and we all hope that this story will end well, which means that Huck and Jim will have to get away from the king and duke. I hope this will happen soon, or else Huck will end up in the same situation that he was with his father... just being used.
The end.
I hope you enjoyed reading! Again I am sorry this is late, but I will try better next time in making the other on time! :) have a great rest of the summer everybody!
6/23/2013
They Say, I Say Exercises 1 & 2
Exercise #1
Many people view maturity as a person's higher mental and emotional capability. If someone was older, and wasn't acting their age, someone might say that they have have "a low maturity level". However, the dictionary defines maturity as being "the state, fact, or period of being mature", and mature means, "fully developed physically; fully grown." So on the contrary, when someone is not acting their age, their maturity levels are not lower, but their mental and emotional capabilities are lower. The difference is this, children and adults react to situations differently because of their life experiences. When a child loses a toy, their whole words is now in total caos, but when an adult loses "a toy" they do not throw themselves on the floor and wail until they get a new one, but even though they may be sad, they know that their world will continue to turn with or without that "toy". So even if a person's mental and emotional capabilities are lower, and they act in a way that is not their age, it is not because their maturity leves are low, but that they just are not acting their age.
I don't know id that made any sense! haha :) I hope you enjoyed earning about the differences between maturity and mental and emotional capabili... "wait, you lost me at 'i hope'"... haha :) have a great summer everybody!
Many people view maturity as a person's higher mental and emotional capability. If someone was older, and wasn't acting their age, someone might say that they have have "a low maturity level". However, the dictionary defines maturity as being "the state, fact, or period of being mature", and mature means, "fully developed physically; fully grown." So on the contrary, when someone is not acting their age, their maturity levels are not lower, but their mental and emotional capabilities are lower. The difference is this, children and adults react to situations differently because of their life experiences. When a child loses a toy, their whole words is now in total caos, but when an adult loses "a toy" they do not throw themselves on the floor and wail until they get a new one, but even though they may be sad, they know that their world will continue to turn with or without that "toy". So even if a person's mental and emotional capabilities are lower, and they act in a way that is not their age, it is not because their maturity leves are low, but that they just are not acting their age.
I don't know id that made any sense! haha :) I hope you enjoyed earning about the differences between maturity and mental and emotional capabili... "wait, you lost me at 'i hope'"... haha :) have a great summer everybody!
Exercise #2
In the Introduction to "They
Say/I Say": The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, Gerald Graff and
Cathy Birkenstein provide templates designed to help students not only write
better essays, but to help them take their opinions and form it into
an argument, easily. As the authors themselves put it, "In our
view, the above template and the others in this book will actually help your
writing become more original and creative, not less". Although some people
believe that when you give students a formula to follow, it takes out any real
thought and creativity, Graff and Birkenstein insist that their formulas are
there to assist the students, so that one day, they can leave the nest and fly
on their own easily and affectively. In sum, then, their view is that the
templates are there so that the student learns HOW to take their ideas and opinions
and formulate them such that the reader can affectively convey what they need
to.
I agree with Mr. Graff and
Miss Birkenstein. In my view, the types of templates that the authors recommend
are applicable and easy to use. For instance, in this essay I used their
template so that I could better understand their method, and in using this
template, I find that I can understand my opinion better because the template
not only helped the reader understand, but also me as the writer. In addition,
this template makes my opinion better formulated, better understood, and easier
to write. Some might object, of course, on the grounds that I am just copying
the template, and that I am not really using my brain to write this. Yet I
would argue that I am still conveying my opinion, but in a
better, understandable way to the reader, and to myself. Overall,
then, I believe that these templates will be of great use not only to me, but
also my peers and fellow users.
The End.
:) Yeah! I got to pull out my
Big Girl Words! haha
6/22/2013
Dialectic Journal #1
Chapter: 1
"After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushes; and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by-and-by she let it out that Moses had been dead a considerable long time; when I didn't care no more about him; because I don't take no stock in dead people." (page 6)
Comments and Questions:
Mark Twain does a good job of showing insights early on in the book about Huckleberry and his opinions. Based on the passage, we could say that Huck feels that he is invincible, that he is immortal. He doesn't care about history, or about "dead people", because he feels that anyone before him can not help him, that you cannot learn from the past, that you can only make your own choices. I think this will come into play, because if you don't learn from the past, how will you ever be able to avoid the mistakes that others have made. If you learn from the past, you can easily avoid certain obstacles. But even if this does not come into play, we can easily say that this gives us an insight into Huck's mind.
Chapter: 2
"Now we'll start a band of robbers and it Tom Sawyer's Gang. Everybody that wants to join has got to take an oath, and write his name in blood." (page 10)
Comments and Questions:
In this passage, Twain gives the boys a childish attitude. Little boys make gangs, and make promises and oaths that make them feel larger than they really are. Tom Sawyer has a confidence around him that makes all the other boys want to be larger than life. His overly confident attitude affects Huck and his future actions. Huckleberry asks himself multiple times, "What would Tom Sawyer do?" Huck wants to be larger than life, that might even be the reason why Huck does not like to learn from the "dead people".
I think we could use this passage later on and compare this to Huck at the end of the story, and see how his maturity level has grown.
Chapter: 3
"So then I judged that all that stuff was only just one of Tom Sawyer's lies. I reckoned he believed in the Arabs and the elephants, but as for me I think different. It had all the marks of a Sunday School." (page 17)
Comments and Questions:
I liked how Twain used this passage to show that Huck is not easily persuaded one way or the other. That he is not a leaf just blowing in the wind, but that he is a tree that is firmly planted and not easily pulled one way or the other. So far throughout the book, Huck has always had his own opinion, whether he was living with his the widow and she had her own thoughts about life, or with his dad, or with Tom, he may have agreed with them on certain points but his life and his opinions were never swayed by them and their choices.
Chapter: 6
"But by-and-by pap got too handy with the hick'ry, and I couldn't stand it." (page 25)
Comments and Questions:
Huck references his distaste for any kind of liquor many times, and we can link that straight to his father's overuse of alcohol. Huck has seen what it can do to a man, and the affect that it has on the man's life, and people around him. This is definitely a one of the themes of the book.
Liquor is just a symbol. It is a symbol for something that Huck does not want to become. His father is easily influenced by alcohol, and so Huck does not want to become someone who is easily persuaded, who can be influenced by anyone who comes around.
Chapter: 8
"I reckon I was up in the tree two hours; but I didn't see nothing, I didn't hear nothing-- I only thought I heard and seen as much as a thousand things." (page 39)
Comments and Questions:
Mark Twain uses 'I' a lot throughout the book. I think it gives the reader a deeper look into Huck's thoughts and actions, and it gives the reader a personal connection with Huck. It makes you think that the 'I' is you. That this is your adventure as much as it is Huck's adventure. Just in this one sentence, Twain uses 6 I's. It also gives a feel of suspense. Sometimes repetition gives a slowness to the book, not boring, but just a suspenseful tone.
Chapter: 10
"Old Hank Bunker done it once, and bragged about it; and in less than two years he got drunk and fell off of the shot towers... But anyway, it all come of looking at the moon that way, like a fool." (page 51)
Comments and Questions:
This is another reference to the evils of over usage of alcohol. This also probably influenced Huck's dislike of liquor.
This is a good example of the craziness of superstitions. It's amazing to me that they connected those two events. The bad superstition and him dying. It gives us an insight though on how gossip-centered Huck's village is. Not that it has changed too much, with our magazines and social networks, but it shows how small town Huck's view point is. Now back to my main point, the belief in superstitions. This is definitely a theme of the book. It was referenced especially when Huck is around Jim. This is definitely an influence of the African tribes through Jim.
Chapter: 14
Summary: Huck tries to explain to Jim that there are men that speak like them, and there are men that speak french.
Comments and Questions:
This part made me laugh so hard! The idea that someone doesn't know that there are hundreds upon hundreds of different languages, just blows my mind. This passage really made a time separation between us and Huck. Nowadays everyone knows that their native language is not the only language spoken, but because of the limited communication, and the limited dispersion of knowledge, many people in Huck's time did not know even an 1/8 of what we globally know and understand.
I can see this being a small sub-theme of this book. We can already see Huck mature and grow, but when he comes into more encounters with more people, I can see his knowledge of the world grow as his maturity grows.
"After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushes; and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by-and-by she let it out that Moses had been dead a considerable long time; when I didn't care no more about him; because I don't take no stock in dead people." (page 6)
Comments and Questions:
Mark Twain does a good job of showing insights early on in the book about Huckleberry and his opinions. Based on the passage, we could say that Huck feels that he is invincible, that he is immortal. He doesn't care about history, or about "dead people", because he feels that anyone before him can not help him, that you cannot learn from the past, that you can only make your own choices. I think this will come into play, because if you don't learn from the past, how will you ever be able to avoid the mistakes that others have made. If you learn from the past, you can easily avoid certain obstacles. But even if this does not come into play, we can easily say that this gives us an insight into Huck's mind.
Chapter: 2
"Now we'll start a band of robbers and it Tom Sawyer's Gang. Everybody that wants to join has got to take an oath, and write his name in blood." (page 10)
Comments and Questions:
In this passage, Twain gives the boys a childish attitude. Little boys make gangs, and make promises and oaths that make them feel larger than they really are. Tom Sawyer has a confidence around him that makes all the other boys want to be larger than life. His overly confident attitude affects Huck and his future actions. Huckleberry asks himself multiple times, "What would Tom Sawyer do?" Huck wants to be larger than life, that might even be the reason why Huck does not like to learn from the "dead people".
I think we could use this passage later on and compare this to Huck at the end of the story, and see how his maturity level has grown.
Chapter: 3
"So then I judged that all that stuff was only just one of Tom Sawyer's lies. I reckoned he believed in the Arabs and the elephants, but as for me I think different. It had all the marks of a Sunday School." (page 17)
Comments and Questions:
I liked how Twain used this passage to show that Huck is not easily persuaded one way or the other. That he is not a leaf just blowing in the wind, but that he is a tree that is firmly planted and not easily pulled one way or the other. So far throughout the book, Huck has always had his own opinion, whether he was living with his the widow and she had her own thoughts about life, or with his dad, or with Tom, he may have agreed with them on certain points but his life and his opinions were never swayed by them and their choices.
Chapter: 6
"But by-and-by pap got too handy with the hick'ry, and I couldn't stand it." (page 25)
Comments and Questions:
Huck references his distaste for any kind of liquor many times, and we can link that straight to his father's overuse of alcohol. Huck has seen what it can do to a man, and the affect that it has on the man's life, and people around him. This is definitely a one of the themes of the book.
Liquor is just a symbol. It is a symbol for something that Huck does not want to become. His father is easily influenced by alcohol, and so Huck does not want to become someone who is easily persuaded, who can be influenced by anyone who comes around.
Chapter: 8
"I reckon I was up in the tree two hours; but I didn't see nothing, I didn't hear nothing-- I only thought I heard and seen as much as a thousand things." (page 39)
Comments and Questions:
Mark Twain uses 'I' a lot throughout the book. I think it gives the reader a deeper look into Huck's thoughts and actions, and it gives the reader a personal connection with Huck. It makes you think that the 'I' is you. That this is your adventure as much as it is Huck's adventure. Just in this one sentence, Twain uses 6 I's. It also gives a feel of suspense. Sometimes repetition gives a slowness to the book, not boring, but just a suspenseful tone.
Chapter: 10
"Old Hank Bunker done it once, and bragged about it; and in less than two years he got drunk and fell off of the shot towers... But anyway, it all come of looking at the moon that way, like a fool." (page 51)
Comments and Questions:
This is another reference to the evils of over usage of alcohol. This also probably influenced Huck's dislike of liquor.
This is a good example of the craziness of superstitions. It's amazing to me that they connected those two events. The bad superstition and him dying. It gives us an insight though on how gossip-centered Huck's village is. Not that it has changed too much, with our magazines and social networks, but it shows how small town Huck's view point is. Now back to my main point, the belief in superstitions. This is definitely a theme of the book. It was referenced especially when Huck is around Jim. This is definitely an influence of the African tribes through Jim.
Chapter: 14
Summary: Huck tries to explain to Jim that there are men that speak like them, and there are men that speak french.
Comments and Questions:
This part made me laugh so hard! The idea that someone doesn't know that there are hundreds upon hundreds of different languages, just blows my mind. This passage really made a time separation between us and Huck. Nowadays everyone knows that their native language is not the only language spoken, but because of the limited communication, and the limited dispersion of knowledge, many people in Huck's time did not know even an 1/8 of what we globally know and understand.
I can see this being a small sub-theme of this book. We can already see Huck mature and grow, but when he comes into more encounters with more people, I can see his knowledge of the world grow as his maturity grows.
5/31/2013
My Life
Hello
upcoming Juniors!
My
name is Averee Whited. I'm not sure how much about me I'm supposed to say, so
I'll just give the facts. I started U-prep in August of 2012 when we moved here
to Redding. I've lived in Colorado, Kansas, Tennessee, Mexico, and Texas... and
no I am not a military kid.
My
family and I moved from Nashville, TN in 2010 to Monterrey, Mexico to help out
with an organization called Back2Back. We worked with 10 different orphanages
and 3 squatter villages.
In
spring of 2012, we had to leave due to some violence. We spent a few months In
Texas, and spent the summer with my grandparents in Kansas.
At
the end of August we arrived here in Redding for my parents to attend the
Bethel School.
Sophomore
year I participated in Thoroughly Modern Millie, and played as Ruth. In the
spring, I played the understudy role as Cecily in The Importance of Being
Earnest. This summer I'm hoping to just relax and spend a lot of time with my
family!
I
would like attend a collage in the southeast (Oklahoma, Tennessee...) and would
like to get my degree in education and be an elementary teacher.
Thank
you and have a great summer!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)