Title of Work: Laiken, Deidre S., and Mark Twain. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

New York, NY: Baronet, 1990. Print Literary Time Period: The time period in which this book was written was the mid 1800s. The time period determines numerous aspects of the novel, such as dialogue. For example, they use words like bout, haint, and clayey. Also, the issue of slavery is prominent and present through Jim. When Huck meets Jim, Jim is running away from slavery to find freedom. This is a characteristic of the 1800s along with the Civil War, which is also mentioned. Genre: Adventure; This novel is adventurous in several instances, two being, Jims escape from slavery and Hucks escape from his father. Also, Huck and Jim experience countless run-ins with infamous criminals and families. Characters: Major: Huckleberry Finn Jim Minor: Tom Sawyer Widow Douglas Miss Watson Plot Summary: A young boy, Huck searches for freedom and adventure, mostly down the shores of the Mississippi. Huck is kidnapped by Pap, his drunken father, because Pap wants Huck's $6000, which Huck acquired from a treasure he and Tom Sawyer found in their adventure in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Pap keeps Huck in a deserted house in the woods, but Huck escapes and finds a canoe to begin his adventure down the river. Instead of going back to the widow's house, he decides to run away. He is sick of all of the confinement and civilization that the widow enforces upon him. Along his journey he meets Jim, Miss Watson's slave, and together, they spend nights and days journeying down the river, both in search of freedom. While traveling on a raft down the river, Huck and Jim have many adventures and, during many long talks, become best friends. Their adventures include finding a house with a dead man, stealing many things from the house, and discovering a wrecked ship. Upon discovering the ship, they decide to board it, only to be mixed up with murderers. After detangling themselves from that scenario, they become separated from each other in the heavy fog. Eventually, they find each other again, but are deterred when, yet again, they lose each other when a steamboat crashes into their raft. Huck has a run-in with the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons, two families at war with each other. He is reunited with Jim shortly after this. Then, they meet the King and the Duke, and get into a good deal of trouble performing plays. The King and the Duke pretend to be Peter Wilks' Pap The Duke The King Judge Thatcher Aunt Sally Uncle Silas Aunt Polly The Grangerford Family The Sheppardsons

long lost brothers from England and try to steal all of the money left behind in his will, but escape before they are caught. Huck finally gets rid of them, but is left to search for Jim, who gets sold by the King. He ends up at Tom Sawyer's Aunt Sally's house, where Tom and Huck rescue Jim. Through all of the adventures down the river, Huck learns a variety of life lessons and improves as a person. He develops a conscience and truly feels for humanity. The complexity of his character is enhanced by his ability to relate so easily with nature and the river. Literary Devices: a. Simile: I reckon I shook like a leaf, and I didn't know hardly what to do (Chapter XI). This quote occurs after Huck has runaway there is a 300 dollar bounty on him. While still in his town, Huck is dressed as a girl and stops at a womans house. The woman realizes that Huck is no girl. When Huck describes himself as shaking like a leaf, he is portraying his nervousness b. Metaphor: He was sunshine most always... When he turned into a cloudbank it was awful dark" (Chapter XVIII). In this instance, Huck is describing the character traits of Col. Grangerford. By referring to him as sunshine, he means that he was enjoyable to be around and by describing him as a cloudbank, Huck means that Grangerfords attitude was like a dark storm when he was in a bad mood. c. Personification: She was a two-story, and tilted over, considerable (Chapter IX). This is Twains attempt at personification, making the house seem alive by referring to it as she. It is very easy for the reader to then imagine this scene: raging waters, constant storms, while a house serenely floats by the boys. Twain has Huck use such words to demonstrate Hucks young character, who was probably stimulated more by sounds and sights then by words. d. Irony: His foot swelled up pretty big, and so did his leg; but by and by the drunk begun to come, and so I judged he was all right; but I'd ruther been bit with a snake than pap's whisky" (Chapter X). Here, Huck is inadvertently demonstrating how little he cares for his Pap, by saying he'd rather be bitten by a snake than be drunk off Pap's whisky. e. Symbolism: Throughout the novel, the main setting is the Mississippi River. This river symbolizes freedom. It is how Huck escaped his Pap and it is how Jim escaped his master, representing freedom and a new life for both character. f. Assonance: rumbling, grumbling, tumbling. (Chapter VI). In this example, Huck is listening to and describing the storm outside. His use of assonance helps to convey the rhythmic nature of the storm and the sounds that the thunder makes.

g. Alliteration: None of your flabby, tough meat that's laid in a cupboard in a damp cellar all night and tastes like a hunk of old cold cannibal in the morning (Chapter XXXIII). When Tom joins Huck at Aunt Sally's, they are served a nice meal. Aunt Sally describes what they usually eat with words like cupboard, cold, and cannibal. h. Paradox: Huckleberry Finn, thanks to the treasure that he and Tom Sawyer found, is one of the richest children in town, but he dresses in rags, can't be bothered to wear shoes, and prefers to sleep in an old barrel. He ignores the fact that he can buy nice things instead of wearing old, dirty clothes. Themes: a. The Love of Money The love of money is the root of all evil. The Bible contains numerous instances of the love of money and it is used throughout other pieces of literature as well. In the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it is the love of money, that prompts Pap to gain custody of Huck. It is the love of money that motivates the Duke and the King to work their scams. And, most important of all, it is the love of money that makes southerners retain the institution of slavery. b. Freedom All human beings are free, independent, and equal members of society. The novel celebrates the spirit of freedom and independence through Huck and Jim, escapees from oppression; as evidenced by Hucks escape from Pap and Jims escape from slavery. c. The Importance of Moral Law The moral law supersedes government law. For example, by protecting the black slave Jim, Huck breaks man-made law and feels guilty. But he refuses to turn Jim in because his moral instincts tell him he is doing the right thing. Critical Analysis: Citation: Swan, Katharine. "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Review." Rev. of Novel. New York Times [New York City] Spring 2012: n. pag. Print. Summary: In this review of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Katharine Swan respectfully claims this novel as the most celebrated novel in America. She explores a different angle when considering themes of the novel. Instead of slavery as a main point, she veers to the emotional growing pains of growing up, describing phases of Hucks life such as, his life with Pap, his journey with Jim, and his own self-discovery along the way in becoming a man. Quote: Huck is faced with the emotional growing pains of becoming a man in a morally flawed society.

Explanation: Katharine Swan uses this statement as her main point in her critics review, recognizing Hucks struggling as he grows from a boy to a man. This struggling is made even more difficult because of society views. Swan describes this society as flawed to express the wrongfulness of slavery. Huck must make his own moral decisions, based on slavery, that result in him growing up. Final Thoughts: I enjoyed this book a lot. I liked the different point of view and the more serious undertone of this novel compared to that of Tom Sawyer.

Angelas Ashes Essay: Three Significant Instances of Hunger Throughout Angelas Ashes by Frank McCourt, the McCourt family suffers through many hardships. Although the McCourt family eventually persevered through their hard times, hunger was nearly always present, as evidenced by immigration, sickness, and reluctantly given and received assistance; proving that hunger consistently plagued the family, causing numerour effects on the family and initiating much sadness. Immigration was an extreme effect of hunger in Angelas Ashes. In the novel, the McCourt family moves back to Ireland after their daughter, Margaret, dies and Mr. McCourt is yet again out of a job; letting his family starve. In fact, in a letter to Angelas mother, Mrs. Leibowitz wrote, He goes out for work everyday, but we know he spend all his time in the saloons (45). His addiction to saloons and pubs is evident and causes his family to live in poverty. Hunger is especially evident with the McCourt children. For instance McCourt recounted, The twins are awake, crying with the hunger, but Dad stands in the middle of the room, staring at the ceiling (36). The whole family unit suffers from the hunger and poverty inflicted upon them and, for this reason, the McCourts choose to leave America in hopes that Ireland will serve as a respite. Sickness was an almost constant presence in this novel. The hunger that is associated with poverty was the cause of multiple sicknesses in the family, specifically Olivers sickness and eventual death. As a result of the bad living conditions and hunger, Oliver fell ill. McCourt observed that when the family didnt have the food needed to cure Oliver, a nice woman was generous to them and stated, Here is a nice onion for the sick child, missus (70). The onion may have helped if it had been administered sooner, but due to the lack of funds, Oliver died.

Lastly, in a desperate attempt to regain stability, the McCourt family, not including Mr. McCourt, reluctantly moved in with a man named Laman Griffin. Griffin is a men man who is the cause of several problems between Angela and McCourt. Throughout this section of the books, many conflicts arise and a wedge is driven between McCourt and his mother. For example, after a violent episode between McCourt and Laman, McCourt leaves and admits to himself, I dont know if I can look at my mother (298). McCourts damaged relationship with his mother is a direct result of the issue of hunger. If hunger hadnt been present, the family wouldnt have had to move in with Griffin and the mother-son relationship wouldnt have been damaged. Hunger also brings McCourt to beg. While living on his own, McCourt is prompted into begging for food by his hunger. In one instance, McCourt said, Im not much better than a beggar myself (301). His acknowledgment of begging seems to bother him, but his own hunger overrides that feeling and keeps him going. The lasting effects that hunger had on the McCourt family are substantial. Through hunger, the family experienced much heartache and they had to fight to survive. Although their circumstances werent good, the family pulled through and are most likely better for their hardships today.