Huck Finn: Initial Discussion Questions

→ Chapter 11

1. What is the conflict/tension between common knowledge (sense) and intellectual knowledge. How do Huck and Jim exemplify this?

2. What is civility (sivililty)? Think: small scale v. larger scale…

3. Why do you think Twain uses dialect so freely? 4. Why does Huck feel compelled to go into town

(Loftus)? What do you think this represents?

Discussion Groups: Focus on text support!

Huck Finn: Initial Discussion Questions

→ Chapter 12-181. Huck begins to feel sorry for the murderers. What is

Huck’s metaphorical conflict?2. What is the irony of going south to go north?3. What is Jim demonstrating with his discourse on King

Solomon?4. in the fog: what does this represent? What is the

significance of Huck’s actions towards Jim when they are reunited?

5. What is the moral/ethical quandary of Huck turning in Jim?

6. What is significant about Huck and Jim’s second separation (Grangerford) and their subsequent reuniting?

Huck Finn: Initial Discussion Questions

→ Chapter 19-25• The Duke and Dauphin: explain their

significance to the novel. What do they represent? How are Huck and Jim impacted by them?

• Based upon what the Duke and Dauphin represent, how to they impact Huck and Jim’s flight to freedom?

• What is the significance of Twain using/misusing Shakespeare?

Journal Entry: Dec. 7

• Put yourself in Huck’s shoes…and reflect on the moral decision he is facing re Jim: treat Jim as an equal…or cave into societal pressure.

• What would you do? Why…?

The Essence of Huck and Jim

“Is a Frenchman a man?”“Yes.”“Well, den! Dad blame it, why doan’ he talk

like a man? You answer me dat!”I see it warn’t no use wasting words – you

can’t learn a nigger to argue. So I quit.

From Page 174: Human beings can be awful cruel to one another…

Peeling Back Several Layers of the Onion

Why do you automatically assume that Huck is white…?

Or

Why can’t Huck be an African American?

The Journey• Break for Freedom• Mississippi River• The Raft• Fog• Grangerfords• Duke and Dauphin• Moral conscience…• Human Beings can be awful cruel to one another

(p. 174)• Tom Sawyer: His convoluted plan for freedom (p.

218)…had gone to all the trouble to set a free nigger free.

• Freedom from Huck’s past: house floating down the river (p.220)

• But I reckon I got to light out for the territory ahead… (p. 220)