Friday, April 19, 2013

Aye...


            Chapter thirty one of “Huck Finn” is one of the most significant chapters in the entire novel. The duke and the king sold Jim back into slavery for forty dollars so they could get drunk. This forces Huck to basically choose between helping Jim or leaving him behind. If he were to help the captured slave, he would be looked down upon in the society and “go to hell”, but if he chooses not to, Huck would be overcome with guilt.  He boldly says in the story,  "All right, then, I'll go to hell," to end his moral struggle. This proclamation is significant because it shows sincere growth in Huck as a human being. He is forced to make a decision, and chooses to take the more difficult and selfless path. The statement becomes even more influential when we realize that Huck's decision to recognize Jim's humanity is not shared by the rest of his culture.
            In chapter thirty two, Huck isn’t a jovial boy, but rather a solemn young man. His arrival at the Phelps’ house is significant not only because they have Jim, but also because his arrival symbolizes his return to civilized society. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Huck is thought to be Tom Sawyer by Aunt Sally, who is expecting this rascals coming. When Huck finds out this information, he immediately goes into the town to intercept him. Tom, still as superstitious as ever, believes Huck to be a ghost, but eventually he realizes his friend is actually alive.  Tom’s introduction back into the book seems very unlikely to me, but I’m not judging. I feel like his presence will only hold Huck’s growth as an individual back due to Tom’s nature. He also conforms a lot more to society. Despite his reliance on societal views, he still agrees to help Huck rescue Jim.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hey Gabe! You make excellent points in your blog this week! First, I love how you mention “This proclamation is significant because it shows sincere growth in Huck as a human being”, in regards to Huck overcoming his struggle and deciding to find his friend Jim. This is one of the largest decisions Huck has to make, and it shapes him the most. This chapter is definitely one of the most important in the novel. Lastly, I just wanted to share how much I agree with your opinion on Tom’s potential influence that he can have on Huck. It is very likely for Tom to get in the way of things for Huck, for Tom can be very dramatic and tends to take charge. Tom is likely to interrupt Huck’s growth. Great job!

Unknown said...

I did not realize until you mentioned that Huck Finn’s arrival at the Phelps’ house symbolizes his return to civilized society. I agree with you because he has to get back into the mindset of living in a house rather than out of society. He pretends to be Tom Sawyer whom is a typical well-mannered boy in the south. Tom grew up with a caring family and a sheltered life. It’s ironic how Huck entering the Phelps home transforms him into that type of role. You can also see the joy he feels being surrounded by a nice and welcoming family. It shows that Huck has the power to break away from his old image as an outcast if he really wanted to.