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Sunday, April 14, 2013
Chapters 26-30
In these chapters, Huck and Jim are still trapped by the King and Duke. Huck especially, as seen through his regrets, guilt, and fear. His guilty conscious is telling him to hide the money from the King and Duke but then regrets it when he thinks the bag has been stolen. Huck is further enslaved when he sees Mary Jane crying and decides to tell her the truth about the Duke and King so she won't be tricked since Huck believes she is a beautiful person. However, Huck does fear being caught and is forced to lie again about the missing gold to the King who lies throughout the chapters due to his greed. Huck is happy to pass on the blame to the slaves which is seen when he says, "... I felt dreadful glad I'd worked it all off onto the niggers and yet hadn't done the niggers no harm by it" (p 212) because he doesn't want to be enslaved by the guilt and fear. But I do believe part of his conscious feels cleared because the slaves aren't harmed showing Huck has come to care a little bit for them. At least that's how I interpreted it. The King also threatens Huck when be is being interrogated by giving Huck a "left-handed look out of the corner of his eye" (p226) which shows the power the King has over Huck. The Duke is also, in my opinion, enslaved by the King because he doesn't object to the King's plans. When the King decided to sell the slaves, Huck says, "... And I tell you the duke was powerful uneasy" (p 210) showing the Duke knew selling the slaves was wrong. I also saw how Huck wanted freedom for himself and Jim when Buck said he had a plan but of course that failed because he is a kid which Ms. Watkins explained to me in her comment so I understand them better. In chapter 28 I thought maybe Huck's thoughts and actions were controlled by Tom because he mentions how Tom would have "throwed more style into it" (p 221) but couldn't because he didn't have that upbringing. Towards the end of chapter 29, Huck mentions how good it is to feel free with Jim even though its only for a little while and is almost brought to tears when the King and Duke return to the canoe which really shows how badly Huck wants freedom.
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3 comments:
I always feel as if Huck and Jim will never get their freedom. But thanks to Matt I know they will lol. Anyways I would just like to say that the further we get into the story the more we see that Huck is holding a lot on his plate. He's making so many tough decisions back to back for him and Jim. Sometimes I just consider him an adult but Huck is only 13, he's done more then I ever did at that age. He knows he needs his freedom so badly that he doesn't want to go through with this plan these con men set up for him. Huck may not be so bright but he does know when he is doing wrong. He knows taking this money isn't the right thing and to do especially to a family who has done no wrong to him. Huck is not a bad guy and he wont put himself through that because that's not what he ran away for. He can imagine that if he continued on he would be under the Duke and Dauphin for a while making him trapped. Why would he run away from a life he didn't want for something worse? If Huck wanted to actually work for these people where would that leave Jim ? The more I read and the more Ms.Watkins explains I notice that Huck kinds of encounters people who are trapped themselves in a way.
I loved the fact that you mentioned the fact of Mary Jane enslaving Huck through her sorrow for her dead father. To tell you the truth I have not noticed this until I read your blog! So thanks for pointing that out. I also liked that you mentioned that he is enslave by guilt, sorrow, and fear. Once again I did not realize it. I also think you are right about the fact of Huck's conscious being cleared due to the fact of blaming the "robbing" of the money. The way you interpreted the action was indeed correct. You do see and sense of relief in Huck as soon as he blames the slaves. I also liked how you included Tom in to the post. I do also think that Tom would of "shaped him up" and "prepared him more" (for lying that is)” since Tom was a "natural" (at least in Huck’s eyes). As soon as Huck sought his chance at being free towards the end. Huck is happy and content about being free with Jim. He is also free in the sense of leaving the Duke and King. I saw how the Duke and King enslaved Huck and Jim both to use them. Both could hardly ever escape because the Duke and King were always there. You really do see the joy Huck express (and I really felt Huck’s joy) to know the King and Duke will be off their plates. At the same time Twain has a sense of comedic humor which he inputs by letting Huck’s joy die out in the return of the two “masters”.
I like how you mentioned that huck is enslaved by his internal conflicts. I did that, too. His fear is holding him back while his guilty conscience is pushing him forward. Also, the idea that huck may be being enslaved by Mary Jane is a thought worth debate. We all know that men can become slaves (for lack of a better word) to women when they are in love, so this brings up the question about gender. Would huck be as enslaved if he were a woman? Girls may hide their emotions more and let things go. Who knows if he would have taken the money had it been a female in the lead role instead of huck.
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