Chapters 16-17
Quotation:
"...I couldn't get that out of my conscience, no how nor no way. It got to troubling me so I couldn't rest; I couldn't stay still in one place. It hadn't ever come home to me before, what this thing was that I was doing. But now it did; and it staid with me, and scorched me more and more. I tried out to myself that I warn't to blame, because I didn't run Jim off from his rightful owner; but it warn't no use, conscience up and says 'But you knowed he was running for his freedom, and you could a paddled ashore and told somebody.'" (page 90-91)
Comments & Questions:
This passage displays that Huck feels guilty for helping Jim escape from slavery. It helps the reader get a good perspective on the time period, because most people thought slavery was a good thing and they thought of colored people as property. This is significant because it displays that Huck does not deal with internal conflict very well, and he is letting his guilt is affecting him in multiple ways.
Chapters 18-19
Quotation:
"I was about to dig out of there in a hurry, but they was pretty close to me then, and sung out and begged me to save their lives- said they hadn't been doing nothing, and was being chased for it- said there was men and dogs a-coming. They wanted to jump right in but, I says 'Don't you do it. I don't hear no dogs and horses yet.'" (page 122)
Comments & Questions:
This event demonstrates that Huck is hesitant to help these people because he is unsure of who they are and he does not want to get in any trouble for faking his death or helping Jim escape. Once Huck hears the people chasing these two men he decides to help them and get to know them a little bit better. I am curious to know if these people will stay with Huck and Jim and if not what the future holds for them.
Chapters 20-21
Quotation:
"Boggs throws up both of his hands, and says, 'O Lord, don't shoot!' Bang! goes the first shot, and he staggers back clawing at the air- bang! goes the second one and he tumbles backwards onto the ground, heavy and solid, with his arms spread out. That young girl screamed out, and comes rushing, and down she throws herself onto her father, crying and saying 'Oh, he's killed him, he's killed him!'" (page 146)
Comments & Questions:
Boggs is known as the local drunk, and usually everyone ignores what he says and thinks of him as harmless. Though most of the towns people are not too bothered by Boggs, they know that Colonel Sherburn is not someone they should mess with. During one of Boggs' drunken rants he claims that he is going to kill Sherburn, and Sherburn does not take this threat lightly and decides to shoot Boggs in front of a majority of the townspeople, including Boggs' daughter. As most children would be, Boggs' daughter is traumatized by the death of her father.
Chapters 22-23
Quotation:
"Then at the bottom was the biggest line of all- which said: LADIES AND CHILDREN NOT ADMITTED. 'There,' says he, 'if that line don't fetch them, I don't know Arkansaw!'' (page 153)
Comments & Questions:
This acknowledges that during this time period most men did not think women and children were equal to them. Not only, does this point out that women and children were not equal, but it makes it clear that men thought that it was appealing to not have them around all the time.
Chapters 24-25
Quotation:
"'Say' says the duke, 'I got another idea. Le's go up stairs and count this money, and then take and give it to the girls.' 'Good land, duke, lemme hug you! It's the most dazzling idea 'at ever a man struck. You have certainly got the most astonishin' head I ever see. Oh, this is the boss dodge, ther' ain't no mistake 'bout it, Let 'em fetch along their suspicions now, if the want to- this'll lay 'em out.'" (page 170)
Comments & Questions
This proves that the king and the duke are con artists and all they are concerned about is money. This also reiterates to the reader that they were lying when they told Huck that they were innocent and they never did anything wrong. This also reinforces that the men during this time period did not respect women and they just used them when it was convenient.
Chapters 26-27
Quotation:
"The lid was shoved along about a foot, showing the dead mans face in there, with a wet cloth over it, and his shroud on. I tucked the money bag in under the lid, just down beyond where his hand were crossed, which made him creep, they was so cold, and then I run back across the room and in behind the door. The person coming was Mary Jane." (page 182)
Comments & Questions:
Huck had to hide the money that he had stolen from the king and the duke in the coffin because he had planned on taking it outside, but then his plan was ruined when he realized that the door was locked. He decides to put it in the coffin when he hears Mary Jane's footsteps, and he knows that he has to act quickly because he does not want to show bad character and be caught with the money.
Chapters 28-30
Quotation:
"But she had stopped now, with a folded gown in her lap, and had her face in her hands, crying. I felt awful bad to see it; of course anybody would. I went in there and says: 'Miss Mary Jane, you can't abear to see people in trouble, and I can't- most always. Tell me about it.' So she done it. And it was the niggers- I just expected it. (page 188-189)
Comments & Questions:
Once Huck sees how upset Mary Jane is about the slaves being sold and separated from their families he tries to comfort her. While he is talking to her he tells her that the slaves will be reunited and he tells her the truth about the king and the duke. She then becomes very angry and cannot believe she ever trusted them.
No comments:
Post a Comment