Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
1. Huck begins and ends the novel by resisting being "sivilized." What do you think Huck means by this? What does he do to resist being "sivilized?"
2. Did you ever fantasize about running away? What did you hope to accomplish?
3. Describe the relationship between Huck and Jim. Does their relationship change over time? In what way?
4. What is the role of the Mississippi River in this book?
5. What did freedom mean to Huck? What did it mean to Jim?
6. Huck's sound heart and deformed conscience came into conflict in this novel. Describe one situation and tell how Huck resolves the conflict. Remember a situation where your heart and conscience have experienced conflict. Were you able to resolve it in a way that brought you peace?
7. Twain used dialect to portray characters realistically and to enhance mood. What effect does dialect have on you as you read?
8. Compare and contrast society in Twain's time to today's society. Does time change the "message" of the book?
9. Ernest Hemingway has said that all modern American literature comes from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. What features make this book modern? What features make this book American?
10. What makes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn a controversial and banned book? What makes the book important and popular in today's world?
