The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Grade Levels

Excerpt

• Throughout the book, Huck tells several “stretchers,” or lies.What are two of the best/most effective lies he tells?
• Why is Huck so good at lying?
• In what ways can Jim be seen as Huck’s “true father”?
• How are Jim and Pap different in their treatment of Huck?
• How are Tom and Huck different?
• What scene in the book was the saddest to you? Why?
• Which scene in the book was the most humorous? Why?
• Some say that the way the book ended (Tom’s escape plan) makes Huck’s growth into an independent thinker less impactful. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
• The King and the Duke are the source of much of Jim and Huck’s troubles; however, they do serve a purpose in pushing along the plot of the story. What did these two con artists teach Huck about life?
• Although Huck is only a young teenager, he is often capable of feeling deep emotions (guilt, love, care, concern) for those around him. Name one character other than Tom and Jim that Huck feels emotional about. Why does he feel this way?
• Name two ways that the King and the Duke were successful in conning(scamming, tricking) the local people they encountered on their journey down the river:
• Name two ways that Jim had to hide/conceal himself during the day in order to not be captured as a runaway slave:
• Many of the things that Tom has Jim do while he is held captive on the Phelp’s Plantation can be viewed as cruel. Does this mean that Tom is a cruel person? Why or why not?
• How does Huck define being “sivilized”? Why does he hate the idea of being civilized?
• How are the following settings critical to the novel of Huckleberry Finn? The novel would not be the same without them—how? a. River: b. The southern states:
• Several times in the book, Huck’s conscience “grinds” at him—it tells him that what he is doing/has done is wrong. Name two of those instances and state how Huck “fixes” each situation.
• Small characters play a big part in this book. Who is the most important small character and why?
• Do you consider Huck Finn an “educated” person? Why or why not?
• The use of the “N” word is one of the reasons that this book is banned. How did you feel about the use of the word at the beginning of the book? How did you feel about it at the end?
• Mark Twain has been accused of being a racist. Based on what you know of him through class lectures and the reading of the novel, do you consider him to be a racist? Why or why not?

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Short answer questions that check for understanding and analysis of the novel.