Huck Finn Book Circle Work: Day 2 

Read (if you haven’t already) until you’ve all finished ch. 8. Then answer the following questions
as a group. You should turn in one copy of this for the group to get credit. Anything not finished
becomes homework.

1. What are your thoughts so far? Discuss the book for five minutes and put the key ideas
expressed here.

2. Huck and his father on principle rebel against the ways that society asks us to conform
(nice clothes, education, religion, following rules, etc.). To think deeper on the meaning
of this, fill in the list below of at least six rules that society asks us to conform too and the
reason why. Then use that list to answer the question below.

Behavior We Are Asked to Conform to The Reason We Are Asked to Do This

After looking at this, are you more with Huck/his dad or Miss Watson/Widow, which is to say do
you think these acts of conformity are good or bad for us and society as a whole? Use examples
from your life and the book in answering this question.
3. We talked on Monday about how Mark Twain targets Segregationalists with his satire,
but they are far from his only target. Who/what else does he ridicule and what are his
potential messages about them/it?

4. Look at Jim and Huck’s conversation in chapter eight and then record a short (5-7
sentence) reaction to it. This reaction can take any direction that your thoughts do.
 Huck Finn Book Circle Work: Day 3 
Read (if you haven’t already) until you’ve all finished ch. 18. Then answer the following
questions as a group. You should turn in one copy of this for the group to get credit. Anything
not finished becomes homework.

What thoughts do you have so far about ​Huck Finn​? Please give specifics in your answer.

Huck Finn is a relatively modern novel, but it is based on an old form, namely the form of the
Odyssey. Like the Odyssey, each stop Huck encounters a new threat that illustrates something
we should be wary of. Please draw a map of the river that labels the adventures and what
dangers they warn us of.
Jim is a character designed to quietly knock down racist notions. For example, his King
Solomon debate quietly contradicts the notion that Black men can’t control their sexual desires
because he says that a harem would be awful because one wouldn’t be able to get rest. What
are some other moments that contradict the racist stereotypes of the time?

Satire is an art of subtlety. For example, there is the line:

“A large reward—300 dollars— will be paid to anyone who catches Jim. A reward of 200
dollars will be paid to anyone who finds Huck’s father.”

This is a quiet but vicious criticism of a society that is more worried about false threats and its
own greed than the killing of a child.

What are two other lines that show biting satire? Please write them down and explain what they
are critiquing.
 Huck Finn Book Circle Work: Day 4 
Read (if you haven’t already) until you’ve all finished ch. 20. Then answer the following
questions as a group. Each person should get this checked off for credit today. Anything not
finished becomes homework.

When reading older texts, it can be easy to look at what was going on in those older societies
and write the people off as less intelligent and more ignorant. And while society often does
advance, the demons that people struggled with 125 years ago are the same ones that people
continue to struggle with today, even if they wear different clothes.

In class today, we will be examining the demons encountered in chs. 15-19, making modern
connections, and coming to some conclusions. To do this, please fill in each section with the
partner/s given.

Topic #1: Huck’s internal struggle with helping Jim to escape

Summary:

Modern example of the same type of struggle:

What can we learn from Huck’s struggle in the book about the modern struggle?

Topic #2: The Shepherdson/Grangerford Feud

Summary:

Modern example of a nonsensical feud:

What can we learn from the Shepherdson/Grangerford feud to help solve the modern
nonsensical feud?
Topic #3: The Duke and the Dauphin

Summary:

Modern example/s of snake-oil salesman/men:

What can we learn from the Duke and Dauphin about dealing with the modern snake-oil
salesman/men?