The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain Chapters 41-43

Chapter 41 – Question 1 What story does Huck tell the doctor? Why does the doctor go alone to tend to Tom? Huck tells the doctor that he and his brother were hunting, and he kicked his gun in his dreams, shooting his brother in the leg. Huck asks the doctor to fix up his leg, so he can go home and surprise everyone. The doctor goes alone to tend to Tom. He says that he thinks the canoe is too small for two people.

Question 2 Where does Huck tell Uncle Silas he has been? Where does Huck say that Sid is? Huck tell Uncle Silas that he and “Sid” were hunting for Jim. Huck says that “Sid” is at the post office to see what he can hear.

Question 3 What do people say about Jim after they search the ash hopper? Farmers and wives say Jim was crazy. It must have taken many men many nights to do all that work.

Question 4 Why is Aunt Sally so upset? Aunt Sally is upset because “Sid” has not returned yet. She thinks something has happened to him.

Chapter 42 – Question 1 What letter does Uncle Silas say he got at the post office yesterday? Does Aunt Sally get a chance to read it? Why? What does Huck do with the letters? Uncle Silas says he got a letter from St. Petersburg from his sister. Aunt Sally does not read it. She drops it in her hurry to see “Sid” when he arrives on a mattress. Huck takes the letter and hides it.

Question 2 Who does the doctor bring to the Phelps’s? The doctor arrives with “Sid” on a mattress. Jim is with them and he is wearing Aunt Sally’s calico dress and accompanied by lots of armed men.

Question 3 Why do the men decide not to hang Jim? How is Jim treated? The men decide not to hang Jim. They would have to pay for him if his owner showed up. Jim is treated poorly. He is cussed at, hit, and chained by his hands and legs. He only gets bread and water.

Question 4 Why does the doctor recommend being lenient on Jim? The doctor says to be lenient on Jim. Jim came out of hiding to help the doctor with “Sid.” He risked his freedom to help, and he never caused any problems.

Question 5 Why does Tom tell Aunt Sally that Jim is a free man? Tom says that Jim was freed two months ago in Miss Watson’s will. She was ashamed she was going to sell him down the river.

Why does Tom say he freed Jim? Question 6 Why does Tom say he freed Jim? Tom had set Jim free for the fun of it. He wanted to have an adventure.

Question 7 Who identifies the boys as Tom and Huck? Aunt Polly (Sally’s sister and Tom’s aunt) identifies the boys as Tom and Huck. When she had not heard anything from Sally, she decided to come and see what was going on.

Question 8 What had happened to Aunt Polly’s letters? Aunt Polly’s two letters were in the trunk. They had been hidden by Tom. Aunt Sally thinks she has the third letter, but Huck had hidden it, too.

Chapter 43 – Question 1 What was Tom’s plan if he had freed Jim and not gotten caught? Tom’s plan if Jim had escaped was to run the river on the raft. He would have eventually told Jim he was free and taken him home on a steamboat as a hero.

Question 2 What does Jim receive for being such a good prisoner? How does this make one of Jim’s superstitions come true? Tom gives Jim $40.00 for “being prisoner so patient.” Jim’s belief in the superstition of a hairy breast has come true. He has become rich (by his standards).

Question 3 What does Jim tell Pap about Huck? Why was it selfish on Jim’s part not to have revealed this earlier? Jim tells Huck that Pap was the dead man in the floating house earlier in the novel. This was selfish of Jim because if Huck had known Pap were dead, Huck may not have traveled with Jim.

Question 4 Where does Huck go at the end of the novel? Huck decides to “light out for the territory.” He wants to avoid being civilized and adopted by Aunt Sally. He says, …I can’t stand it. I been there before.” Huck has seen civilization at its worst and does not agree with it.