The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Chapter 5
Summary
Pap is a frightening sight. The nearly fifty-year-old
man’s skin is a ghastly, disgusting white. Noticing Huck’s “starchy”
clothes, Pap wonders out loud if Huck thinks himself better than
his father and promises to take Huck “down a peg.” Pap promises
to teach Widow Douglas not to “meddle” and is outraged that Huck
has become the first person in his family to learn to read. Pap
asks if Huck is really as rich as he has heard and calls his son
a liar when Huck replies that he has no more money. Pap then takes
the dollar that Huck got from Judge Thatcher and leaves to buy whiskey. The next day, Pap shows up drunk and demands Huck’s money from
Judge Thatcher. The Judge and Widow Douglas try to get custody of
Huck but give up after the new judge in town refuses to separate
a father and son. Pap eventually lands in jail after a drunken spree. The
new judge takes Pap into his home and tries to reform him, but the
judge and his wife prove to be very weepy and moralizing. Pap tearfully
repents his ways but soon gets drunk again, and the new judge decides
that the only way to reform Pap is with a shotgun.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Chapter 3
Summary
After punishing Huck for dirtying his new clothes during his night out with Tom, Miss Watson tries to explain prayer to him. Huck gives up on it after some of his prayers are not answered. Miss Watson calls him a fool, and the Widow Douglas later explains that prayer bestows spiritual gifts, such as acting selflessly to help others. Huck, who cannot see any advantage in such gifts, resolves to forget the matter. The two women often take Huck aside for religious discussions, in which Widow Douglas describes a wonderful God, while Miss Watson describes a terrible one. Huck concludes there are two Gods and decides he would like to belong to Widow Douglas’s, if He would take him. Huck considers this unlikely because of his bad qualities.
Meanwhile, a rumor circulates that Huck’s Pap, who has not been seen in a year, is dead. A corpse was found in the river, thought to be Pap because of its “ragged” appearance. The face, however, was unrecognizable. At first, Huck is relieved. His father had been a drunk who beat him when he was sober, although Huck stayed hidden from him most of the time. Upon hearing further description of the body found, however, Huck realizes that it is not his father but rather a woman dressed in men’s clothes. Huck worries that his father will soon reappear.
Chapter 3
Summary
After punishing Huck for dirtying his new clothes during his night out with Tom, Miss Watson tries to explain prayer to him. Huck gives up on it after some of his prayers are not answered. Miss Watson calls him a fool, and the Widow Douglas later explains that prayer bestows spiritual gifts, such as acting selflessly to help others. Huck, who cannot see any advantage in such gifts, resolves to forget the matter. The two women often take Huck aside for religious discussions, in which Widow Douglas describes a wonderful God, while Miss Watson describes a terrible one. Huck concludes there are two Gods and decides he would like to belong to Widow Douglas’s, if He would take him. Huck considers this unlikely because of his bad qualities.
Meanwhile, a rumor circulates that Huck’s Pap, who has not been seen in a year, is dead. A corpse was found in the river, thought to be Pap because of its “ragged” appearance. The face, however, was unrecognizable. At first, Huck is relieved. His father had been a drunk who beat him when he was sober, although Huck stayed hidden from him most of the time. Upon hearing further description of the body found, however, Huck realizes that it is not his father but rather a woman dressed in men’s clothes. Huck worries that his father will soon reappear.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Post on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Chapter 1
Summary
We learn that Tom Sawyer ended with Tom
and Huckleberry finding a stash of gold some robbers had hidden
in a cave. The boys received $6,000 apiece, which the local
judge, Judge Thatcher, put into a trust. The
money in the bank now accrues a dollar a day from interest. Then,
the Widow Douglas adopted and tried to “sivilize” Huck. Huck couldn’t
stand it, so he threw on his old rags and ran away. He has since returned
because Tom Sawyer told him he could join his new band of robbers
if he would return to the Widow “and be respectable.” The Widow frequently bemoans her failure to reform Huck.
He particularly cringes at the fact that he has to “grumble” (i.e.,
pray) over the food before every meal. The Widow tries
to teach Huck about Moses, but Huck loses interest when he realizes
that Moses is dead. The Widow will not let Huck smoke but approves
of snuff since she uses it herself. Her sister, Miss Watson, tries
to give Huck spelling lessons. These efforts are not in vain, as
Huck does in fact learn to read.
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