Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Summary

+RZ,W$OO*RHV'RZQ Huck Finn introduces himself as the narrator at the outset of the story. He starts off at the Widows in Missouri, where hes "getting sivilized" by her and her sister Miss Watson, who try to teach him manners and religion and also send him to school. But Huck spends time with his imaginative friend Tom Sawyer playing pranks on people like Jim, Miss Watsons slave. Curiously, the boys generally ignore the fact that each of them still has $6,000 that they found in a cave (in Mark Twains previous novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer). When Huck gets a bad feeling (in the superstitious sense), he signs all his money over to Judge Thatcher. Shortly after, his drunk and abusive father shows up back in town. Until now, everyone thought Hucks dad was dead, but that is sadly not the case. Anyway, he demands money from Huck, whos all, "Oh, man, too bad you didnt get here yesterday." Enraged and abusive, Dad threatens Huck for a bit and finally kidnaps him so they can both live in filthy poverty by the river. Huck shortly gets fed up, fakes his own death, and leaves to go hide out on the nearby Jacksons Island. There, he runs into Jim, Miss Watsons slave, who has gone on there to avoid being sold South (and therefore separated from his family). Jim is now a suspect in Hucks murder, which isnt so great. They decide to run away together to the mouth of the Ohio river, where Jim can escape to the free states and earn some money with which to come back and buy his family. Before they leave Jacksons Island, they find a dead man but Jim wont let Huck look at the guys face on account of it being "too gashly." Meanwhile, Huck does some reconnaissance work in a nearby town by pretending (poorly) to be a girl. Realizing they will soon be caught, the two take off as quickly as they can, heading south on the river for Cairo, the town where the Mississippi meets the Ohio River. (Visualize it with this map; the Ohio River is the one that curves up north, and the boys start off in Missouri next to the Mississippi.) The first real "adventure" occurs when the duo comes across a wrecked steamship in the middle of a thunderstorm. Climbing aboard, Huck finds three robbers, two in the process of killing the third. He wants to send for help, but their raft has broken free and now he and Jim are stuck on a sinking boat with two would-be murderers and a soon-to-die thief. They manage to escape and send for help, but the three thieving men die on the steamship anyway. Afraid they will miss Cairo (in other words, go too far south on the Mississippi River), Huck decides to go ashore and inquire as to where they are. On the way in, he realizes that by

helping Jim to escape, hes really stealing Miss Watsons property. He has a lengthy moral crisis as to whether he should follow the rules or help his friend. Ultimately, he cant bring himself to turn Jim in. When he gets back to the raft, they realize theyve passed Cairo in the midst of some fog. Then they are nearly run over by a huge steamboat that breaks up their raft. Both are thrown into the water. Huck makes it to shore and is taken in by the Grangerfords, a wealthy and aristocratic family feuding with another nearby and also aristocratic family, the Shepherdsons. He spends some time with Buck, the conveniently named son of the family, who is around the same age as Huck. To make a long story short, one of the Grangerford daughters runs away with one of the Shepherdsons, adding fuel to an already hot fire and leading to a shoot-out in the woods in which lots of people die, including Buck. Huck watches this go down, laments the ridiculous stupidity of mankind, finds Jim again, and they both leave on the raft. Since they missed the Ohio River exit, the new plan is to sell the raft for money to take a steamboat up north. Unfortunately, before they can do so, they are joined by two men running away from the law, or possibly just an angry mob, although lets face it, theres not much difference in this place. Anyway, Huck has a soft spot forcriminals, so he takes the two men onto the raft and helps them escape. Bad idea. The men turn out to be con artists, who introduce themselves as the duke (the younger and not-so-evil man) and the king (the older and more-evil man). Right away they start plotting their first con together (it turns out that they didnt know each other before and just happened to be on the lam at the same time). The first thing they do is absolutely butcher some Shakespeare scenes together, the plan being to perform the scenes for cash. Before any performances can go down, they go ashore and the king cons a ton of money (almost ninety bucks) from a bunch of gullible religious folks. This is not a nice man youve got here. Next they stop in a town in Arkansas where we witness an odd scene: a drunk man named Boggs makes drunken threats against a stern and stoic fellow named Sherburn. Sherburn gives him a warning and then kills him for being insolent, annoying, and of course, drunk as a skunk in broad daylight. When a mob tries to lynch Sherburn, he tells them theyre all too cowardly to lynch a real man. Amazingly, the members of the mob all pout and leave without touching a hair on his head. With that little drama over with, the duke and king are free to perform their Shakespeare. Unfortunately, theyre in a Podunk town in Arkansas, so brilliant 16th century theater sort of goes unappreciated. They decide to do some lowbrow comedy instead, which isnt so much a real comedy as two seconds of naked prancing about. Somehow, the conmen manage to

pull off their scam two more nights before escaping town with all the money from tickets leaving behind one incredibly angry mob. Next the two cons pretend to be the brothers of a recently deceased guy to take his inheritance. This involves scamming three lovely nieces, the oldest of which Huck admires. Feeling guilty about his part in the scandal, Huck steals the bag of inheritance cash ($6,000) and hides itin the coffin. After the burial, he confesses everything to the niece he admires (Mary Jane) and they hatch a plot. Just then, the real brothers show up and everything goes to pot. During a scuffle in the graveyard, Huck escapes the brothers but doesnt manage to leave behind the duke and king. Soon, all four men are on their way again. The duke and the king realize they have no more cash (they lost their Shakespearean performance scam money along with the inheritance booty), so while Huck is distracted, the king sells Jim. The king then drinks away all the money he made from the sale in whiskey. Huck ditches the men to go retrieve Jim from a nearby farm owned by a man named Silas Phelps. Silass wife Sally mistakes Huck for her nephew who was supposed to be coming for a visit none other than Tom Sawyer. Huck plays the part and then intercepts the real Tom on his way to the farm. Tom is glad to see that his friend isnt dead and pretends to be Sid Sawyer, Toms younger brother. The two boys locate Jim, who is being held captive in a nearby hut. They decide to set him free, but Tom, being a young boy, is into his imagination and games and decides to make a lengthy process out of the thing. They construct all sorts of elaborate escape methods, like digging him out instead of using the front door and baking unnecessary ladders into pies and all that junk. To make matters worse, Tom sends anonymous warning letters to the house before the evening of the planned escape. A group of farmers has been rallied to guard the hut on the big night, and Tom ends up getting shot in the calf while the boys try to run away with Jim. They make it to the raft, but peacing out right then and there isnt really an option what with the bullet wound and all. Jim hides in the bushes, and Huck goes in the canoe to find a doctor who can help. Because the canoe can only take one person, Huck stays on land while the doctor goes out. He then accidentally falls asleep. Returning to the farm the next day, hes around long enough for Sally to chew him out for leaving the house during the fray. The next day, Tom comes home laid out on a mattress recovering from his wound, along with the doctor whos leading Jim in chains. The men are all ready to execute Jim, but the doctor reveals that the man came out of hiding to save Tom Sawyers life when the doctor needed another pair of hands. For this, they decide to simply enslave rather than kill him. Tom wakes up from being shot and tells the whole story about helping Jim escape, much to the adults shock and anger. He then

reveals that, actually, Miss Watson died two months ago and set Jim free in her will, so the whole thing is a moot and selfish game. Then Sallys sister Polly shows up and reveals the boys real identity. Jim is set free and tells Huck that, by the way, that dead guy they found about two hundred pages ago was Hucks Pap, so they dont have to worry about him coming back anymore. Also, Hucks $6,000 is still around when he wants it. Huck decides he should set out west, where he can have more adventures.

Huckleberry Finn: Main character of the book. He is an illegitimate child who runs away from his adopted family to be free of society and civilization. Huck is Tom Sawyer's sidekick, and Tom is Huck's best friend. Throughout the book, Huck journeys down the Mississippi River with Jim, Miss Watson's slave. Together they have many adventures. They hide out along the river, are almost killed by robbers on a wrecked boat, and meet two con artistswho call themselves the King and the Duke. These two crooks nearly get Huck and Jim tarred and feathered by performing bad plays. Because of the King and the Duke, Huck gets involved in a plot to steal Mr. Wilks' money. Finally, Huck manages to rescue Jim out of slavery with Tom's help. Through spending so much time with Jim, and some of his other experiences along the river, Huck reveals a strong sense of humanity.

Tom Sawyer: Huck's best friend who freely spins lies and loves adventure. He wants things to be exactly as they are in the adventurebooks he reads, and he uses the books as a guide describing the correct ways to steal, rob, and kidnap. He has many romantic ideas, including founding a gang of robbers. The gang will be run exactly as they are in the adventure books. They will rob, steal, and even murder, because that is what the books say they do. Tom helps Huck to free Jim at the end of the story by persuading Huck to use the ideas Tom has learned from adventure books. Widow Douglas: Adopts Huck to try and civilize him. Her sister is Miss Watson. Miss Watson: Sister of the Widow Douglas. She tries to teach Huck religion and how to spell.

Jim: Miss Watson's slave. He runs away and journeys down theMississippi River with Huck. Together, they have many adventures, and Huck becomes best friends with Jim. Pap: Huck's drunkard father. He kidnaps Huck because he wants his money, but Huck escapes. Judge Thatcher: He is charge of Huck's money. He has Huck's best interest at heart. He tries to keep Huck away from Pap, Huck's drunkard father. Shepherdsons : The opposing family to the Grangerfords. They fight the Grangerfords and are responsible for killing Buck, Buck's father, and his two brothers. Buck: The smallest son of the Grangerford family. Huck becomes good friends with Buck. Buck gets killed in the battle with the Shepardsons. It makes Huck sick to see violence like this. Grangerfords: The family that Huck meets after he jumps off of the raft. They take him in and feed and clothe him. They are in a feud with the Shepherdson family. Their daughter, Miss Sophia, runs away with Harney Shepherdson. This starts a battle that ends in tragedy. The Duke: A younger man in trouble that Jim and Huck take on their raft. He tells them he is a Duke and should be treated like one. He is very crafty and is always scheming. He pretends to be Peter Wilks' deaf and dumb brother William. He is tarred and feathered at the end of the book for his cons and performing bad plays. The King: An older man in trouble that Jim and Huck take on their raft. He tells them he is a King and should be treated like one. He pretends to be Peter Wilks' brother, Harvey. Along with the Duke, he is tarred and feathered at the end of the book for his cons and performing bad plays. Peter Wilks: The dead man who leaves his estate to his two brothers and nieces. The King and the Duke pretend to be his long lost brothers from England. Aunt Sally Phelps: Tom Sawyer's aunt and Uncle Silas' wife. Jim is being kept at her house. Tom and Huck rescue Jim from a cabin on their property. Uncle Silas Phelps: Tom Sawyer's uncle and Aunt Sally's husband. Jim is being kept on his property. Minor Characters

Judith Loftus: When Huck dresses as a girl to go and try to find out some information about what has been happening around town, he comes across a house in the woods. It is Mrs. Loftus'house. She invites him in, they talk, and she fixes him a snack before he leaves. She tells Huck that she knows he is really a boy. She tests him by making him thread a needle, catch something in between his legs, and throw a bar of lead. Emmeline Grangerford: She is the dead daughter of the Grangerford family. She wrote poetry and painted; her subjects were always about dead people. Huck feels bad that no one writes poetry about her, now that she is dead. He tries to write some for her, but isn't pleased with what he writes. Miss Sophia Grangerford: She is one of the beautiful Grangerford daughters. She asks Huck to go and get the Testament that she left in Church. He does, and discovers a note for her inside the book. Later that night, Miss Sophia runs away with one of the Shepherdson boys, Harney Shepherdson. Harney Shepherdson: He is one of the Shepherdson boys. He runs away with one of the Grangerford girls, Miss Sophia. Boggs: He is a drunk with a red face, who appears to be around fifty years old. He comes galloping to town on a horse, and gets teased and harassed by some of the town members for yelling and causing a ruckus. Colonel Sherburn shoots him and kills him because he won't calm down. Colonel Sherburn: A very well-dressed fifty-five year old man. He is a respected member of the town into which Boggs gallops. He shoots Boggs for yelling like a lunatic in the streets. When the town crowds around his house, seeking revenge for killing Boggs, he insults them by telling them they are all just a bunch of cowards. Everyone eventually clears out. Mary Jane: She is one of the sweet daughters of Peter Wilks. She trusts the King and the Duke immediately, even though they are liars. She doesn't even hesitate to give them the money that her father left in his will. Huck truly likes her and tells her that the King and the Duke are conning her family for the money her father left in his will.

6000: Amount of money that Tom and Huck received from the treasure they found in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Mississippi River: This river is the setting for the entire book. Huck and Jim journey down this river. Huck and the river exist together in a stateof equilibrium. The civility and wildness of the river coexist, much like Huck'spersonality. Jackson's Island: The island where Huck and Jim first hide out after they run away. They stay in a cavern here, where Jim is bitten by a rattlesnake. Cairo: A town towards the bottom of Illinois. Huck and Jim try to reach Cairo; once there, they can journey up the Ohio River into the northern, free states. Pokeville: The town where the King collects money from everyone by saying that he is an ex-pirate who has found his true path in life, free of sin. The Duke makes the reward sign for Jim there so they can travel during the day.

Topic Tracking: Conformity

Conformity 1: When the widow and Miss Watson try to civilize Huck by teaching him about the Bible, clothing him, teaching him how to read and write, and telling him not to smoke, he goes along with it. Instead of putting up a fight, he conforms to what they want and expect. Conformity 2: Huck continues to go toschool, even though he doesn't want to. He has started to get used to the new ways, even though he may like the old ways better. Conformity 3: When Huck is kidnapped by Pap, he takes him to aremote place in the woods. There, Huck can be his old self. Even though he is somewhat civilized now, he fits back into his former lifestyle easily. He adapts very well to new situations. Conformity 4: Huck just met the Grangerfords, but fits right in immediately. Conformity 5: The Duke tells Huck and Jim that he is really the Duke of Bridgewater, and he expects to be treated like a Duke. Huck immediately conforms to this idea, despite the fact that he doesn't know if they are telling the truth or not.

Conformity 6: The King tells Huck and Jim that he is the King ofFrance, and expects to be treated like a King. Once again, Huck conforms, and treats him like a King, no questions asked. Conformity 7: Huck knows that the King and the Duke are liars, and that they aren't really Kings and Dukes. Despite this, he continues to conform to their demands and act like their servant. Conformity 8: When Huck finds out that Mr. and Mrs. Phelps think he is Tom Sawyer, he decides that he is really going to have to act like him. He has no problem doing this, and even likes it at times. Conformity 9: Instead of standing up for himself against Tom, Huck conforms to all of his ideas about how they are to rescue Jim. He agrees with Tom instantly because he thinks Tom's ideas have a lot of style, even though his own ideas are much more realistic.