Time for an “oldie,
but goodie” with just a tad bit of controversy. The Adventures
of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is what I would call a period piece which
gained fame from his first novel, Tom
Sawyer. The tale is told from the
first person, Huck Finn. Finn, a friend
of Tom Sawyer (who actually appears in this tale), has come into a good deal of
money and that’s where the mad journey begins.
Huck is re-united with his abusive father who decides to take the son
back (for the money for sure), but Huck escapes by faking his own death! During the journey heading on the Mississippi
River, Huck finds Jim, a slave of Miss Watson, whom Huck knows. The two decide to travel together and bond,
even though Jim’s price for return would net Huck a larger nest egg. Huck’s disappearance is believed by those
back home to be at the hands of the escapee slave Jim. Huck grows fond of Jim and during their
travels together meet an interesting cast of characters, including a preacher,
a Duke, and a King. In each case, the
stories of these characters capture the local “flair” of the time and exposes
the depths of racism and prejudice against African descendent slaves. Huck and Jim’s bond grows to the point where
Huck hides his identity when Jim is finally recaptured. Huck plays the role of his friend Tom Sawyer
in attempt to keep Jim safe from his captors.
Tom saves the day when he arrives and the trickery is concluded, but Tom
announces that Miss Watson, Jim’s owner, has died and that Jim was to be freed
upon her death! To make things even
better, Huck learns that his father is dead, he was the dead man that Jim had
found during their travels earlier in the story. Lots more to this one where language and
character development are the stories strong suits. The transformation of a white southern boy to
defend a slave was ahead of its time.
This is a really good read for young readers beginning the process of
learning about differences. The
language is a bit rough and not a big fan of the southern twang.
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