1. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain

2. Mark Twain Born Samuel Clemens in 1835
Grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, on the Mississippi River
Worked various jobs
printer’s assistant
apprentice to a riverboat pilot,
fought for two weeks for the confederate army during the Civil War
Before Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain best known for his humorous stories

3. The Novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written 1876-1883
published 1885
novel set in the 1850s—the Civil War was not until

4. Slavery in Huck Finn Twain’s father was a slaveholder
slavery was a common sight in Missouri before Civil War
Missourians had mixed feelings about slavery; state never joined the Confederacy
racist characters portrayed in an unflattering light; the moral conscience of society is contrasted with Huck’s heart/inner conscience

5. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is “a book of mine where a sound heart and a deformed conscience come into collision and conscience suffers defeat”
—From one of Mark Twain’s notebooks dated August 1895

6. Picaresque Novel Chronicles life in 1st person point-of-view.
Central character (picaro) –
low social level
a ‘rascal’--would rather live by his wits than by ‘honorable’ work.
Series of episodes (not a regular plot)

7. Picaresque (continued)
Pícaro wanders and has adventures with people of all social classes and professions.
Often just barely escapes punishment for his own lying, cheating, and stealing
Method is realistic: plainness in language.
Satire prominent element
Uses humor to expose societal/institutional flaws and to illustrate the need for change
Hero stops short of being an actual criminal

8. Satire
Seen through literary genre/form, as well as graphic & performing arts
Human/individual vices/shortcomings are examined through ridicule, parody, or irony
Intended to bring about improvement

9. Satire (continued)
Although humor is often intended, its purpose is to attack something the author disapproves of using wit
Often uses:
irony juxtaposition
sarcasm comparison
parody analogy
exaggeration double entendre/puns

10. The Mighty Mississippi
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn primarily takes place on the Mississippi River

11. A passenger riverboat

12. Log Rafts

13. Language and Vocabulary
“The Widow Douglass she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me…”
“He took me up a little blue and yaller picture of some cows and a boy…”
“And ain’t you had nothing but that kind of rubbage to eat?”
“…I mean the doctor was shipping a sick man to t’other world, and the preacher was pinting him right.”
“Nemmine why, Huck…”