The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain Chapters 11-15

Chapter 11 – Question 1 By what names does Huck identify himself when he meets the woman? Huck tells the woman he is Sarah Williams. He is dressed in girls clothing that he acquired from the floating house.

Question 2 What is the first “story” Huck gives the woman about his family? Huck’s first story he tells is his mother is sick and out of money. She (Huck) is on her way to tell her uncle, Abner Moore.

Question 3 What does this woman tell Huck about his “murder” (those being accused/ rewards) The woman says Huck was murdered. Pap is the first suspect because of Huck’s money. There is a $200.00 reward for Pap’s capture. Jim is the second suspect because he ran off the same night Huck disappeared. There is a $300.00 reward for Jim’s capture. (Jim’s reward is higher than Pap’s because he is a slave.) Most people think that Pap killed the boy to get the money, but Jim is still a suspect.

Question 4 Why does this woman plan to have her husband go to Jackson’s Island? The woman saw smoke at Jackson’s Island and heard nobody lives there. She thinks Jim, the runaway slave, is there.

Question 5 How does Huck “slip up” concerning his name? Huck’s name starts with Sarah Williams, becomes Mary Williams, and then Sarah Mary Williams. Huck has forgotten his own story.

Question 6 Discuss the actions that reveal Huck is a boy. Huck gives away he is a boy instead of the girl he claims to be by threading the needle wrong (he takes the needle to the thread), hits a rat (throws like a boy and hits it accurately), and puts his legs together to catch coal (instead of opening his legs to create a pocket in his dress). He changes his story and claims he is George Peters.

Question 7 What is the second “story” Huck tells the woman about his family? Huck’s second story is that his parents are dead, and he is apprenticed to a mean farmer. He says he stole the daughter’s clothes and ran off.

Question 8 What information proves to the woman that Huck is from the country? What is his “name”? Huck proves he is from the country. A cow pushes his hind end up first. A horse gets up with the front end first. Moss grows on the north side of a tree. Cows face the same direction to eat.

Question 9 What is the name of the woman Huck visited for information? The woman who Huck visits is Mrs. Judith Loftus.

Question 10 When Huck returns to the island, what does he say to Jim? (exact quote) Why are the words Huck uses so important? Huck says to Jim, “Git up and hump yourself, Jim! There ain’t a minute to lose. They’re after us!” Huck uses the word us, which identifies Huck and Jim as being together. Huck returns to the island to save Jim rather than leaving him there to get caught.

Chapter 12 – Question 1 Discuss the differences between “borrowing” and “stealing.” Pap says that “borrowing” is taking something with the intention to return it or pay for it at some later time. The Widow Douglass calls Pap’s form of “borrowing” stealing.

Question 2 What is the Walter Scott, and who/what do Huck and Jim find aboard it? The Walter Scott is wrecked steamboat. Jim Turner is tied up and Bill and Jake Packard hold him at gunpoint. Bill and Jake decide not to shoot Jim Turner. They will let him die in the wreckage as the steamboat sinks.

Question 3 Where is the raft? The raft broke loose from the steamboat. Jim and Huck are stuck on the boat.

Chapter 13 – Question 1 How are Jim and Huck able to escape from the steamboat? Jim and Huck steal the skiff and escape, leaving three men stranded on the Walter Scott. Bill and Jake go back to Jim Turner to get his money.

Question 2 Why does Huck feel as though he needs to save the murderers? Huck thinks it’s dreadful even for the murderers to be in a fix. He has a humane heart. He saves them and lets the law deal with them. If they got hanged, justice would be served, but it would be a result of their own actions.

Question 3 Why do Huck and Jim go their separate ways on the raft/canoe? They catch a raft that had been loosened through the storm. Huck takes the canoe, and Jim takes the raft to be safely away, while Huck goes to get help for the murderers.

Question 4 Who does Huck get to help the murderers, and what story does Huck tell that causes this man to help them? Huck finds a ferryboat guard. He tells him that Miss Hooker ran into a wreck and so did his family. They all needed help. The pilot worries about the cost of saving people, but doesn’t hesitate when Huck says Miss Hooker is Hornback’s niece. (Hornback is a rich man.)

Question 5 What is the final fate of the murderers? Help is too late. The murderers die anyway.

Chapter 14 – Question 1 What are some of the things Jim and Huck obtain from the wreckage? Some of the “booty” from the wreckage: boots, blankets, clothes, books, a spyglass, cigars, etc.

Question 2 What do Huck and Jim read about, and what do they argue about? Huck reads to Jim about kings and dukes. They argue about King Solomon, harems, and children. They also argue about speaking different languages.

Chapter 15 – Question 1 What is the plan concerning Cairo? They plan to go to Cairo which is at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes into the Mississippi River. They plan to sell the raft and take a steamboat up the Ohio River to the free states.

Question 2 How do Jim and Huck become separated? Be specific. It is a foggy night. Huck paddles ahead in the canoe with a line tied to a sapling. The raft booms down the river, and it tears the sapling by the roots and breaks free from the raft. Huck is lonely.

Question 3 What trick does Huck play on Jim? Huck and Jim are separated by islands in the river. Huck finds the raft and Jim is sleeping. Huck pretends he and Jim were never separated. Huck says Jim dreamed it all.

Question 4 Discuss Jim’s reaction to Huck’s joke, and tell how this causes Huck to feel. Jim sees trash and debris on the raft. He sees through Huck’s joke (lie). Jim tells how sad he was to have lost Huck and how he cried when he saw that Huck was safe. Jim is disappointed in Huck for making him (Jim) feel ashamed. Huck feels mean and apologizes to Jim. He does not feel sorry for apologizing and decides not to pull any more mean tricks.

Question 5 How does this demonstrate a building father-son relationship between Huck and Jim? Huck feels remorse and learns to value Jim. Jim as a father-figure cares for Huck and disciplines Huck as a “son.”