Huckleberry Finn- Blog #2

What Mark Twain is trying to tell his readers at the beginning of this reading is how Huck’s father “pap” is like society. This satire is since Pap tried to convince the judge that he is not a drunk and he has changed from a bad non-caring father to one that now cares for his son. When he finally hangs around Huck but treats him horribly judge finds out and tries to take Huck away from his abusive father. Pap takes him away by hiding him in the woods so no one can take him away. Anyway he only took Huck because he has a lot of money that he gave to judge so his father could not take it. This represents society because people are like this. Humans mooch off other humans to get what they want. They are greedy and most do not like change.

All the superstitions that Jim comes up with or grew up with all come out one by one during the reading of Huckleberry Finn. The rattlesnake prank, the burnt spider, and now the dead body floating down the river are all superstitions that have appeared. When Huck and Jim found that body in the shore house Jim knew it was Huck’s dad but did not tell Huck because he did not want to make him upset. It happens once more when Jim and Huck see a dead body floating down the river. Jim again says not to look at it because it says it will bring him bad luck. This is also satire because it is like people in the world covering up the truth. Jim makes up the superstition so Huck will believe him and not get suspicious. People in the word avoid heartbreak and pain by covering up the truth and lying so they do not hurt themselves or other people.

What I thought to be humorous and also hypocritical was the Gangerford and Shepardson families seemed to be so religious but yet did a lot of things against God. The Ten Commandments were rarely followed or even mentioned and they carried guns with them everywhere, even to church. And a family murder seemed to be families past time as if it was like going on vacation. I found reading this about these two families a little like our world. It has people that are against gun control but then blame the people on shooting and murders or the other way around.

In this reading Jim makes himself vulnerable to Huck by confessing his flaws and errors that he had done to his family. He also spoke to Huck as if he was part of his family. He tells Huck the story of when he beat his daughter even though she did not deserve it in the first place. I am predicting that reading even farther in the book Jim will release more and more of his emotions and feelings to Huck. The result of this is Huck will think of Jim less as a slave or more as an actual person like himself.