Huck Questions 2

12. "I was powerful glad to get away from the feuds, and so was Jim to get away from the swamp. We said there warn't no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so clamped up and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft"(88). Discuss the paradox. Furthermore, this excerpt from the final paragraph of Chapter XVIII is significant in that it pertains to the major themes of the novel. Explain.

-Whenever they are on the raft they have this feeling of freedom which is a huge theme in this book since Jim is a runaway slave and Huck is a child held captive with his father or forced into school. Huck is saying that even on land he feels cramped and smothered which is understandable because of the people. On the raft Huck is surrounded by the people he wants to be around and away from the racist society on land. 

13. Huck and Jim's manner of dress on the raft is symbolic. What do clothes represent?

-Clothes represent civilization and overall society. Huck and Jim would prefer to just lounge around on their raft naked which is a symbol of their current state of freedom.

14. Why doesn't Huck expose the Duke and the King (Dauphin) as frauds?

-Huck didn't want to cause any quarrels.

15. Who is the most shrewd, the King and the Duke or Huck? Why? Give some examples.

-Huck. He doesn't expose the false royalty that they are traveling with and doesn't even tell Jim about what exactly is going on. Huck also gives up the tent on the raft so that the King and the Duke can hide from the storm. Huck also serves the royalty food with the help of Jim.

16. What does Twain satirize in the plan to present Romeo and Juliet? Discuss Romeo and Juliet as a motif.

- The King is going to be playing Juliet in the play which is a slight insult to the country people's intelligence. The motif of Romeo and Juliet relates to the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons episode earlier in the book.

17. Discuss the significance of the pirate and the revival meeting. What is Twain satirizing?

- While the king and duke come off as very evil people for scamming people at a church service, the crowd is mainly being satirized because they believe such a wild story.

18. Is Twain making a statement about society through the antics of the King and Duke? Explain.

-Yes! He's making society out to be very gullible and simple minded people. I have a feeling that he really did not like his travels to the south. It's either that or this is as close to the truth as he could get.