AP Literature & Composition - Reading Notes for Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The title of this novel is Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It was written by Mark Twain and was published in December 1884. This piece of literature falls into the Post-Civil War Period, Gilded Age (derived by Mark Twain himself), and the Victorian Era. It is a picaresque novel which involves some bildungsroman and satire.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is set in the 1835 to 1845’s (before the Civil War) along the Mississippi River. Some notable places include the river itself. It is how Huck gets from place to place. Huck and Jim used it as a means of escape to hide from troubles. St. Petersburg is significant because that is where the story starts out. It is home
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The readers follow Huck throughout his journey. Readers are able to understand his feelings and thoughts along the way. Since he is exposed to prejudice, readers are also able to have insight on what a thirteen year old thinks of it.
The opening scene tells readers that Huck is living with the Widow and her sister. They want to try to civilize Huck and he seems not to mind as much. He becomes superstitious when he flicks a spider into the fire. Huck tries to reverse the bad luck by doing a series of tasks. The opening scene is merely an introduction of some characters and the setting.
The ending scene reveals that Tom’s relatives want to adopt Huck. Huck doesn’t want to be settled down and taught to be civilized. He debates whether or not he wants to leave and travel the rest of the Territory. It also reveals a plot twist in which Jim discovers that he was free the whole time.
Significant characters in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:
Huckleberry Finn, also known as Huck, is the protagonist of the story. He wants to escape his father and being civilized. He sails down the river with Jim and they have an adventure. Huck witnesses prejudice and doesn’t know how he feels about it. Eventually, he decides to do what is best and fights societal norms to support his friend Jim. Huck is carefree, pragmatic and