Humor, Illusion and Sadness Post.

Buck was one of Huck’s companions while Huck was at the Grangerfords. The two grew somewhat fond of each other during that time. Sadly, Buck got involved in one of the feuds. “When I got down out of the tree I crept along down the riverbank a piece, and found the two bodies laying in the edge of the water, and tugged at them till I got them ashore; then I covered up their faces, and got away as quick as I could. I cried a little when I was covering up Buck’s face, for he was mighty good to me” (Twain 117). This tragedy made Huck cry which has never been seen before throughout the book. Huck takes this whole experience and places it into reality. Huck realized that Buck’s life could have easily been replaced with his. Whenever Huck gets involved with society, things tend to go wrong. If Huck hadn’t given Sophia the letter then Buck may not have even died. Sadness, at that moment, took hold of Huck and might change his view of life completely.

In the Romeo and Juliet play, the two families are rivals. In Huckleberry Finn, the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons resemble those two families. No one really knew why the families were having a feud, but the rivalry continued either way. “The men took their guns along, so did Buck, and kept them between their knees or stood them against the wall. The Shepherdsons done the same. It was a pretty ornery preaching- brotherly love, and such-like tiresomeness; but everybody said it was a good sermon, and they all talked it over going home, and had such a powerful lot to say about faith and good works and free grace and preforeordestinations, and I don’t know what all, that it did seem to me to be one of the roughest Sundays I had run across yet” (Twain 111). In this point of the story, a form of humor takes place. Here sits two families who go to church and yet have guns in reach ready to kill if something should happen. The family is then saying that the brotherly love sermon was well said. Apparently the bitterness between the two families has driven to insanity. The feud has been going on for so long that no one even knows why the fighting ever took place. Yet the guns will be shot and the blood shall be poured.

While Huck is at the Grangerfords’ house, there is a hidden, famous story taking place. Between Sophia and Harney, there is a secret love that has been kept. The love between the two symbolizes the Shakespearean play, Romeo and Juliet. “Well, den, Miss Sophia’s run off! ‘deed she has. She run off in de night some time- nobody don’t know jis’ when; run off to get married to dat young Harney Shepherdson, you know- leastways, so dey ‘spec” (Twain 114). The love growing inside is what enabled Sophia and Harney to sneak out and get married and run away. Fortunately, unlike the real Romeo and Juliet, Sophia and Harney survived as well as the love. Since the two families were feuding, the love was unable to make itself known. The love then would not have to be hidden and put at risk like Romeo and Juliet’s love was. After all, love is strong enough and that’s what gave Sophia and Harney the courage to be together finally.

Father-Son Relationship.

Jim and Huck are not related but the relationship between the two shows something different. When Jim and Huck are together on the island, the two grow fond of each other’s company. One would even protect the other from things that should not be seen to spare one’s mind. “It’s a dead man. Yes, indeedly; naked too. He’s ben shot in de back. I reck’n he’s ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan’ look at his face- it’s too gashly” (Twain 57). Jim does not want Huck to see the dead body because Jim is afraid of how Huck would act. Huck might get freaked out or scared by it. Jim did not want to take the chance of that happening to Huck. Without showing it, Huck respects Jim’s decision and does not insist on seeing the dead body. Without making it obvious, Jim and Huck both care for each other more than the other cares to admit or even realize.

Now that Jim and Huck have spent some time together, feelings of being together are starting to become more comfortable. Huck and Jim are now starting to accept each other. Huck and Jim now have company whereas before neither had someone to be with. “Well you wouldn’t ‘a’ ben here ‘f it hadn’t ‘a’ ben for Jim. You’d ‘a’ ben down dah in de woods widout any dinner. An gittin’ mos’ drownded, too; dat you would, honey” (Twain 56). Jim is taking care of Huck  and helping whenever possible. Jim cares for Huck as a father would care for a son or a family member. In a way or another, Jim is letting Huck know in a hidden way that help is always there when needed and that’s exactly what Jim tries to do. Jim tells Huck all about the superstitions and to stay clear or bad things will happen. Jim does not have to tell Huck about the superstitions but Jim does because he is showing care. “Goodness gracious, is dat you, Huck? En you ain’ dead-you ain’t drownded-you’s back ag’in? It’s too good for true, honey, it’s too good for true. Lemme look at you chile, lemme feel o’ you. No you ain’ dead! You’s back ag’in, ‘live en soun’, jis de same ole Huck-de same ole Huck, thanks to goodness” (Twain 87)! When Jim finally finds Huck after the two had gotten separated, Jim shows Huck the care and attention that any father would give. At this moment, Jim was acting like Huck was his son. Jim was so happy to see Huck not hurt or dead and that Huck was alive and well. Whether Jim and Huck show care in a small way or a way that stands out more clearly, Jim and Huck both share a relationship worth keeping. A father- son relationship that could help Jim and Huck make it through the journey.

Huckleberry Finn Post #1.

Even though Huck is only 12 years old, he is wise enough to use his resources when they are needed. Huck was trapped in a wooden cabin with absolutely no way of getting out. All of the windows were too small and the door to getting out was locked by his father who also had the key. Huck, however, was able to think of a genius plan in order to escape. “There was an old horse blanket nailed against the logs at the far end of the cabin behind the table, to keep the wind from blowing through the chinks and putting the candle out. I got under the table and raised the blanket, and went to work to saw a section of the big bottom log out- big enough to let me through” (Twain 33). His ability to think of that for himself is clever. Most people at this point might have given up. Huck knew that if his father caught him trying to sneak away that he would be in world of hurt. He stayed calm and did not let fear slow him down which unfortunately might have prevented him from escaping. Huck to me is a very wise kid and probably forever will be wise seeming that later on in the chapters he fakes his own death. Huck is one creative kid and his schemes, I believe, are ways that prove it.

Huck is very wise for his age, but he can also be somewhat gullible at times. When he was with Tom Sawyer and his friends, Tom would try to trick the boys into thinking that the Arabs, Spaniards and elephants were there by magic. Tom also told the boys about genies and how they can grant wishes to whatever your heart desires. As silly as this all sounded at first, Huck had to make sure for himself. “I got an old tin lamp and an iron ring, and went out in the woods and rubbed and rubbed till I sweat like an Injun, calculating to build a palace and sell it; but it warn’t no use, none of the genies come. So then I judged that all that stuff was only just one of Tom Sawyer’s lies” (Twain 23). Even though some things are hard to believe, we sometimes can never settle our minds down whether or not to believe the things we see or hear about are true. Huck had a smart thought that he could get money by building and selling a palace. In that situation, he was a great thinker. However, the real world in his mind was quite a long distance away getting farther as his curiosity grew. Even though some of us are afraid to admit it, there is always still a kid with an imaginative mind willing to try anything inside us all.