Huckleberry Finn A Lesson in Language

Language When Huckleberry Finn was first published, it was banned for its “rough, ignorant dialect,” “systematic use of bad grammar and an employment of ineloquent expressions,” and “flippant” tone. Why would Twain, an educated, successful, well-read author, choose this colloquial language for his main character?

Language What can you tell about Huck Finn from his language? How old is he? Is he educated or not? Smart or dumb? Wise or naïve? Moral or immoral? A rebel or a conformist? Is he a good or a bad judge of people? How does he feel about nature? Does he sound like an contemporary characters? Look for specific examples from the text to support your opinions. To better understand the dialect used in the novel, examine Huck’s initial speech patterns in Chapter One, charting under these three headings: Grammar, Vocabulary, and Speech Patterns/Idioms. Discuss: How does Huck’s dialect differ from Standard English? What does Huck’s speech suggest about his intelligence and education? Do these patterns reveal him to be a reliable narrator for the novel? What would be the effect on the reader if all the characters in the novel spoke Standard English?

Language / Stereotypes What stereotypes does Mark Twain play on to create the characters in his novel? Think of Pap, Miss Watson, Jim, Tom, and Huck himself.

Language Open your books to Chapter 31. Describe the features of Huck’s speech. Look for slang, poor grammar and colorful phrases.

Language Poor grammar- Double negative “We couldn’t seem to do nothing right.” Misplaced pronoun “The duke he fretted and sweated around.” Wrong pronoun case “So me and the duke…” Wrong verb tense “I was good and glad when midday come.” S/V agreement “We judged they was studying up some kind of worse devilry than ever.” Mispronunciations “Another time they tried to go at yellocution.”

Language Descriptive language “I lit out and shook the reef out of my hind legs and spun down the river road like a deer.” Colloquialism “I might as well go the whole hog.” Humorous observations “First they done a lecture on temperance; but they didn’t make enough for them both to get drunk on.” Unexpected eloquence “It was the first I ever see it growing, and it made the woods look solemn and dismal.”

Language What effect does this language have? Would Huck sound different if he spoke “proper” English?

Language Rewrite the following sentence into grammatically correct, contemporary English. “She run off in de night some time- nobody don’t know jis’ when; run off to get married to dat young Harney Sheperdson, you know – leastways, so dey ‘spec.”

Language Your sentence might look something like this: She ran off in the middle of the night, but no one knows exactly when. She went to marry young Harney Shepherdson. At least, that’s what everyone is saying.

Language Change the following sentences to “Huck” language. Four score and seven year ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Language Your sentence might look something like this: I reckon ‘twas a long time ago, our paps come over yonder and made themselves a nation, ‘deed they has, so white men could be free.

Your assignment: In telling the story, Huck proves himself a talented actor who mimics others’ speech patterns. Examine the speech of the characters below, noting the differences in this character’s speech and social station and Huck’s own dialect and social standing. Judith Loftus, Missouri housewife, pp. 65-67 Colonel Sherburn, Arkansas gentry, pp. 145-146 Jim, runaway slave, p. 154 Arkansas loafers, p. 139