MWA: Huckleberry Finn

Author, Title, Setting, Genre The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a satirical, Adventure fiction novel written by Mark Twain. The novel was first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884 and in the United States in February 1885. Though the timing of the publishing takes place some twenty years after the Civil War, the setting within the novel lies sometime between 1830-1840, where slavery is very much alive and thriving in the south, which Twain presents as Huck travels down the Mississippi River along Missouri, Illinois, and Arkansas. Twain aims to show the reader the inhumane and unnecessary racism that existed towards African American during his time.

Summary The novel begins by Huckleberry Finn, who goes by Huck for short, giving the reader context as to how he in to his current position. We find out from him that he acquired quite a bit of money at the end of Twain’s previous novel, Tom Sawyer, and is on his way to becoming “civilized” by sisters Widow Douglas and Miss Watson. However, being good friends with Tom Sawyer makes this a difficult feat, as he is always coming up with the next great adventure for Huck, which includes pranking Miss Watson’s slave Jim. Huck’s father had been rumored to be long gone, for the better most would say, yet Huck has a feeling that he is still wandering around so he disposes all of his money over to Judge Thatcher. Huck’s gut feeling proves trustworthy, for Huck’s father “Pap” shows up the next day demanding the money. After refusing and telling Pap he handed the money over the day before, Pap effectively kidnaps Huck and takes him to live in a filthy, rundown shack down by the river. It becomes clear that Pap is a drunkard and deadbeat father who abuses Huck daily, so naturally, Huck takes action to fake his own death and find a place down the river to hide out. After