Huck Finn 5: 130-157

“If I never learnt nothing else out of pap, I learnt that the best way to get along with his kind of people is to let them have their own way” (137).

It has been very clear throughout the novel that Pap has demonstrated false characteristics of what a man should be like. Pap is abusive, constantly intoxicated, and has no problem in taking food out of his son’s mouth to feed himself. Huck has two major influences in his life: Pap, and the Widow and Miss Watson combined. Huck usually tends to lean towards Pap’s influence, most likely because they have lived similar lifestyles and come from the same sort of upbringing. Huck decides to take into consideration the lesson that his Pap had taught him when realizing that the “duke” and “king” are not who they say they are. By allowing the “duke” and “king” to believe that Huck believes them, Huck is allowing them to believe that he is stupid and ignorant, hence there wouldn’t be any suspicions of Huck trying to do anything to trick them.

“They asked us considerable many questions; wanted to know what we covered up the raft that way for, and laid by in the day-time instead of running- was Jim a runaway nigger?” (138).

In previous chapters we see that Huck was faced with a difficult decision to make. Huck decided to go the “wrong” route in his eyes by covering up for Jim, and we see that covering up for Jim has become a sort of habit. Huck made up a story about Jim having small pox previously and now is making up another story about how his father and younger brother died after the raft fell over. Jim is clearly only lying to protect Jim and also to be a good friend to him, but I believe that all this lying that he is doing is going to lead to more serious lies that will get him in trouble.

Galoot
–noun Slang.
an awkward, eccentric, or foolish person.


“Next you’d see a raft sliding by, away off yonder, and maybe a galoot on it chopping” (130).

Contrite
–adjective
1. caused by or showing sincere remorse.


"come with contrite heart!" (143).

Huck Finn 4: 89 - 129

"It takes fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger-- but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterwards, neither” (98).

The fact that a friendship developed between Jim and Huck is very rare, and Jim takes this friendship very seriously. Jim loves Huck dearly, and he shows this when he realizes that Huck isn’t dead: “It’s too good for true, honey, it’s too good for true” (96). Jim is clearly excited when he realizes that Huck is alive, but is hurt when Huck attempts to fool him.

“Well, then, says I, what’s the use you learning to do right, when it’s troublesome to do right and ain’t no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same?” (104).

Deciding between right and wrong, who hasn’t been in that situation? The predicament in which Huck is confronted with is one of extreme difficulty. Jim is embarking on his journey to seek freedom, and Huck has an ultimatum in front of him. Huck can either turn Jim in or cover up for him. Due to the fact that Huck was brought up in a society where racism is normal, Huck’s definition of “right” is turning Jim in. When in reality, by turning Jim in, Huck would be advocating the practice of slavery, which is clearly not right.

Reticule
–noun
1. a small purse or bag, originally of network but later of silk, rayon, etc.


“holding a white handkerchief and a reticule" (113).

Pensive
–adjective
1. dreamily or wistfully thoughtful: a pensive mood.

2. expressing or revealing thoughtfulness, usually marked by some sadness: a pensive adagio.

“She was leaning pensive on a tombstone” (113).

Huck Finn 3: 47-66

“When it was dark I set by my camp fire smoking, and feeling pretty satisfied; but by-and-by it got sort of lonesome” (49).

Since the beginning of the novel, Huck has been feeling alone, even though in reality he wasn’t: “I felt so lonesome I most wished I was dead” (11), and he has continued to feel alone up to this point. It seemed as if something was missing in Huck’s life, and maybe it was a little bit of variety. Huck has been surrounded by the same people that he never felt close or connected to them. Miss Watson tried to get close to Huck, but Huck never really allowed her too. Huck never was able to trust in his pap, considering the fact that he was drunk all the time. I think that Huck will no longer be alone after finding Jim on the island, for Jim is different in all aspects.

“I said I wouldn’t, and I’ll stick to it. Honest injun I will” (53).

Tom Sawyer’s values of loyalty and integrity have rubbed off on Huck. I think that with the quote above, a lasting friendship has erupted between Huck and Jim. Following this quote, Jim confesses to Huck everything that has happened that lead to his escape from Miss Watson. Considering the fact that Jim was black and Huck was white, this was a very big risk for Jim to take, but there was trust between them.

Brash

–adjective Also, brashy.
1. impertinent; impudent; tactless: a brash young man.

2. hasty; rash; impetuous.

“When I got to camp I warn’t feeling very brash” (50).

Loll
–verb (used with object)
3. to allow to hang, droop, or dangle.

“we lolled on the grass and eat it smoking hot” (53).

Huck Finn 2: 28-46

You think you’re better’n your father, now, don’t you, because he can’t? I’ll take it out of you. Who told you you might meddle with such hifalut’n foolishness, hey?- who told you you could?” (29).

Huck Finn can be described as ignorant, but that is only because he is too young to know any better. The ignorance shown by Huck’s father in the quote above is not only surprising but also nauseating. The job of a parent figure is to be happy at your child’s success. It’s like when you finally beat your father in one-on-one basketball. You know that your father is somewhat upset at the fact that he’s finally getting old, but is happy that his son is growing up to be a man. Usually that is the reaction that is expected from a father, but since Huck’s father is both an alcoholic and abusive, he gets offended and decides to stop Huck from achieving.

“I say to myself, they’ll follow the track of that sackful of rocks to the shore and then drag the river for me” (44).

In the quote above, I realize how much not having a parent figure in Huck’s life has affected him. This quote seems like a cry for attention and it demonstrates to me how much Huck wants to be wanted. It appears as if Huck has experienced many disappointments in his life so he usually has a sort of shield up to hide his emotions. We see Huck’s disappointments when he at first was convinced that everyone’s only worry will be to find him: “They won’t ever hunt the river for anything but my dead carcass” (44). And in a matter of seconds he prepares himself for disappointment: “They’ll soon get tired of that, and won’t bother no more about me” (44). Gregory Raye’s word of advice to everyone was to “set your goals low, so that way you’ll never be disappointed”. I feel as if Huck has taken this advice.

Nabob

–noun
any of various types of boats small enough for sailing or rowing by one person.

“The awfulest nabob in the State” (37).

Slough

–noun
1.
an area of soft, muddy ground; swamp or swamplike region.

“There was a slough or a creek leading out of it on the other side” (43).

Huck Finn 1: 9-27

“Tom Sawyer’s Gang. Everybody that wants to join has got to take an oath, and write his name in blood” (15).

Tom Sawyer, in his little gang of friends, appears to be the leader of the group. He organizes them and calls out the shots. Personally, I believe that Tom Sawyer is the only character that will remain the same throughout the entire novel. With the quote above, Tom’s values are shown, and I think that loyalty and integrity are at the top of Tom’s priority list. This message is sent through the requirement of writing their names in blood to prove their dedication to the gang.

“I was so ignorant and so kind of low-down and ornery” (20).

The keyword in the quote above is “was”. I say this because obviously Huck believes that there is a difference in him that no longer makes him ignorant. At the very beginning of the novel, Huck was unwilling to being helped out by Miss Watson. It was like as if Huck refused to be a charity case. Well, this state of mind soon faded away when Huck said, “I must help other people, and do everything I could for other people, and look out for them all the time, and never think about myself” (19). Miss Watson has clearly influenced Huck and Huck realizes his need for change.

Injun

–noun Often Offensive.
an American Indian.

"I got an old tin lamp and an iron ring and went out in the woods and rubbed and rubbed till I sweat like an Injun" (23).

Skiff

–noun
any of various types of boats small enough for sailing or rowing by one person.

“So we unhitched a skiff and pulled down the river to mile and a half” (15).

Witticisms

1. The only wrong decision is indecision.

2. Life is like a book. It’s filled with climaxes, fairy tale endings, and disappointments. Every highlight in your life has a chapter dedicated to it. Regardless of the dissatisfaction with the way things are going, you manage to turn the page and continue reading.

3. Falling in love isn’t about chocolates, sweet poems, flowers, or holding hands. It’s not about long walks, romantic dinners, and sweet whispers in the ear. It’s about fighting, disagreeing, screaming at the top of your lungs, and still having the willingness to keep going on.

4. Sometimes the people we miss most are those that have been right by our sides all along. We’ve been too concerned with what we have been lacking rather than what we have been blessed with.

5. Forgiveness isn’t giving someone else another chance, its lowering one’s standards and settling for imperfection

6. The main component to love is money. Why else do you think women are more prone to fall in love?

7. Vain people are those who are too arrogant to admit that they are proud.

8. The chances that we are too afraid to take are disguised as dreams.

9. Love is life’s way of reminding us that no matter how hard we try, our efforts are unrecognized.

10. Trusting another is being weak enough to let someone enter our soul.

Dorian Gray Chpts 15 and 16

“She is very clever, too clever for a woman. She lacks the indefinable charm of weakness” (185).

Lord Henry has been very degrading and inconsiderate thus far in the novel. Not once has he ever taken into consideration the feelings and emotions of others when speaking. Harry has continuously referred to women negatively: “no woman is a genius. Women are a decorative sex. They never have anything to say, but they say it charmingly. Women represent the triumph of matter over mind” (51). Depicting females in a negative manner leads us to wonder what in Harry’s previous years or childhood led him to have such a negative perception of the sex.

“Something has happened to you, Dorian. Tell me what it is. You are not yourself to-night” (186).

The change that has occurred within Dorian has been recognized by everyone. Basil was the first one to become aware of Dorian’s transformation. As the years went on everyone else caught on as well. Women who were once enchanted by Dorian’s presence tend to flee when Dorian walks into the room. The fact that Lord Henry is realizing a change in Dorian is quite dumbfounding. One would imagine that Lord Henry would not be surprised at all with the transformation of Dorian. Does this mean that Dorian will ultimately end up being worse of a human being than Lord Henry?

Audacious
–adjective
1. extremely bold or daring; recklessly brave; fearless

“Oh! She is audacious enough for anything, my dear” (182).

Incorrigible
–adjective
1. not corrigible; bad beyond correction or reform

“Isn’t he incorrigible? Cried Dorian, leaning forward in his chair” (183).