Blog 2 "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"

In Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” I found myself with so many things running through my head as I was reading the novel. I had read this novel as a child, but still found myself caught up in the suspense and adventure of it all. So of course after satisfying my own imagination, I went back and reread the story and was able to better focus on the meaning.


As the novel opens up I found Huckleberry Finn bored and ready for an adventure. Although it seemed as if he would be thrilled to be in his current situation, he was longing to be free. When it seems like Huck is beginning to settle down slightly and adjusting to the idea of school and becoming more civilized, a twist is thrown in. Huck’s father, the complete opposite of the Widow, takes Huck and locks him up. Once Huck made it to the river, the true meaning of the story began to unfold.  Huck reminded me of the innocence a child has, and the struggle that many of us have within ourselves with morality.  What is right and wrong?  In what situations do the rules change?  Society teaches us these things, but over time what is seen as right may not be later, such as slavery.  It seems like even when many people feel something is wrong in their hearts, they just follow the norm anyway.  Children, such as Huck, also have a feeling of what is wrong and right.  It just seems to be lost as we age.  These where questions that popped into my mind as I was reading.

Then there is Jim, the slave of Miss Watson. Jim is a man seemingly treated well, considering the circumstances, and is also longing for freedom. They both seem to be trapped, but in different ways. On the surface, Jim was portrayed as a typical slave. It fit the time and setting of the novel and also the perceptions of what many people thought of African American people. In my opinion, Mark Twain was well aware of how he portrayed Jim on the surface, and let the reader see how many people viewed, at the time, and may have still viewed African American people.

. As the story unfolds so does the fact that Jim is not just a slave, but a human-being. Jim may have been seemingly portrayed as ignorant, but he was determined. As they ran into adventures time and time again along the river, he never gave up. Jim had a dream and no matter what obstacles got in the way, he pushed forward. It made me think of one thing he said in particular when he said he was once rich and will be rich again, because superstition says men with hair on their chest and arms are rich. In the end Jim got his riches and freedom. It sounds silly even to me, but that was not the point. Having faith in something and sticking to that belief, even when you are at the lowest of the low, is what I thought about when I read about Jim. It seems like so many people today have trouble being true to themselves when things take a turn for the worst. Jim always stayed true to who he was.

The river to me was a metaphor for life, and the twists and turns along the way made me think of the difficult decisions we face in our lives. As Huck and Jim ventured along the river together, Jim made me think of a father figure for Huck. He really seemed to look out for him and protected him. When he found his father dead he kept it a secret from Huck because he did not want to upset him or cause him any pain. He was always looking out for Huck and what was good for him, unlike his real father.

Week One

My name is Danielle Burton.  I am currently completing my last year at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute.  I am pursuing a degree in psychology, which I plan on beginning next fall through the partnership program Appalachian State University offers.  I enrolled in American Literature because I enjoy learning about American History, and our authors are part of that history. I am hoping to learn many things about American Literature and to read some old favorites.  My interest in reading is varied, I enjoy anything from reading science fiction to reading biography's.  I do not read near as much as I used to and admit that I have not read anything over the course of the summer.  Having a family of four, soon to be five, puts a limit on the quiet time I can muster up to read.  I am still determined to push forward this semester and take all online classes instead of taking a semester off.  I am excited to be finally finishing up my AA and to be moving forward despite the challenges that we all seem to be facing in this economy.