Audio excerpt: Chapter 14: Solomon, a discussion about the wisest man that ever lived, by Jim and Huck.
Adventures of Tom Sawyer: helps give the context for this story. Famous scenes: painting the fence, Injun Joe in the cave. Tom lived with his aunt. Common superstitions.
It’s a raw story. Poor kid with father who is town drunk. They might search for his body for a day, but oh well, no big loss. Realistic slice from small town America. In a small town, you can’t disappear, everyone is known.
Before reading the book: expecting Twain to bring acerbic wit and social commentary through a child’s perspective.
All-American childhood.
Would you join Huck for a summer? Is his life desirable?
- Summer is the time kids do this.
- Angie: biking along the Mississippi river for a week. Take just what you can carry. Sense of living light. Stop and camp wherever you want. Flat tire creates adventures. Stop at church for mid-week service with some hospitality. Life boiled down to biking, eating and sleeping. So freeing.
Chapter 34: Huck’s plan vs. Tom’s plan
discussion of the word “nigger” as changing from descriptive to derogatory over time. People who want to ban the book not getting the irony, the satiric writing. Twain’s perspective as pro-black.
Twain on Christianity
Sees Christianity as myth, but part of the culture, something you have to go through the motions on. Or does he see it as a lot of white-washed cops—people acting like Christians externally but not good at heart.
Prayer: he prayed about sending a letter but he couldn’t do it.
Twain lost his father around age 10 or so. Huck looks for a father and finds Jim.
Why does Huck decide to go to hell? He goes against the society, morality, church, law. Instead, he tries to save Jim because of “love” (Angie) or “friendship” (Ken).
Angie: Twain doesn’t have a Christian world view, but he’s “not that far.” He’s attracted to the truth.
He studied the people on the river, which gave him all the characters he needed for his stories. God’s imprint is on these people, so he can capture it by studying His creatures.