1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1876-1883)
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focused increasingly on the institution of slavery and the South

- Picaresque novel (episodic, colorful story often in the form of a quest or journey); satire of
popular adventure and romance novels; bildungsroman (novel of education or moral
development)
2. Themes
- racism and slavery

- we might read Twain’s depiction of slavery as an allegorical representation of the
condition of blacks in the United States even after the abolition of slavery.
- exposing the hypocrisy of slavery, demonstration how racism distorts the oppressors
as much as it does those who are oppressed.
- a world of moral confusion, in which seemingly “good” white people express no
concern about the injustice of slavery or the cruelty

- intellectual and moral education

- depicting an individual’s maturation and development.
- questioning many of the received teachings regarding race and slavery.
- basing decisions on experiences, own sense of logic, and what conscience tells
- “reading” the world around him, to distinguish good, bad, right, wrong, menace,
friend etc

- the hypocracy of ‘civilized’ society

- new judge in town allows Pap to keep custody of Huck.
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system that puts a white man’s rights to his “property” over the welfare and freedom

of a black man
- shaky sense of justice
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terrible acts go unpunished, yet frivolous crimes lead to executions

- society instead of maintaining collective welfare, is marked by cowardice, a lack of
logic, and profound selfishness

3. Motifs
- childhood

- excuses Huck in certain ways and also deepens the novel’s commentary on slavery
and society.
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Huck often knows better than the adults around him

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links between youth and status as a black man: both are vulnerable, yet Huck,

because he is white, has power over Jim

- lies and cons

- contrast between Huck and duke and dauphin

- some lies are good (right), some are wrong

- superstitions and folk believes

- Jim’s tales appears foolish to believe (signs and omens), it turns out that many of his
beliefs do indeed have some basis in reality or presage events to come
- Jim’s superstition serves as an alternative to accepted social teachings and
assumptions and provides a reminder that mainstream conventions are not always
right.

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parodies of popular romance novels

- popular literature rarely reflects the reality of a society.
- adherence to these romantic ideals is ultimately dangerous: (Tom is shot, Emmeline
dies, and the Shepherdsons and Grangerfords end up in a deadly clash)

4. Symbols
- Mississipi river

- symbol of freedom