Huck Finn Project: The Grangerfords Alyssa Inorio, Brooke Baker, Victoria Morales, Sydney Zima, and Bella Demichellis

Plot Summary - Chapter 17 The chapter starts when Huck finds himself in a nerve racking situation, in which he is surrounded by dogs A man calls the dogs off, saving Huck Huck tells the man that is name is George Jackson Huck (George) is invited into the man’s house, and at first the man and his family suspect that he is a Shepherdson Huck is introduced to a boy about his age, named Buck Huck comes up with an elaborate lie about how he was orphaned The Grangerfords, the family he is staying with, tells Huck that he is welcome to stay with them for as long as he pleases, and he thinks that life couldn’t get better than it is in that house.

Plot Summary - Chapter 18 Colonel Grangerford is introduced, and Huck admires him One day, Buck attempts to shoot a young man (Harney Shepherdson), but he misses Buck then informs Huck about the feud that exists between the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons, and explains that nobody really knows how it started Buck tells Huck that the Shepherdsons killed his fourteen-year-old cousin The Grangerfords and Shepherdsons attend church together, but both hold their rifles the whole time Sophia Grangerford asks Huck to go get a copy of the Bible from the pews for her Sophia is happy when she finds a note in the Bible, saying “half-past two” Later that day, Huck finds Jim deep in the swamps, where Jim tells him he followed him there the night they were wrecked, but remained hidden in fear of being caught Jim got their raft back Sophia runs off with Harney, which causes a huge fight between the families, and two Grangerford’s die (including Buck) Huck and Jim then get back on the raft, and head downstream

Hucks Development/Lesson … a.) What is the lesson learned? The lesson that Huck learns is that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. b.)How is the lesson learned? Huck learns this lesson when he spends time with a family that seems like they have it all, and don’t have any hardships, but he realizes that even the “perfect” family still has problems. (One large problem being the feud) c.) What is the evidence? Huck says, “...there warn’t no home like a raft, after all” (Twain 88). He also says, “Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don’t. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft” (Twain 88). Both of these quotes show that even though he thought staying with the Grangerfords was the best that life could get, and that their life was so much better than his life spent on a raft, there were really many upsides to the life he had.

Style/ Literary analysis 1.)Theme: An important theme in chapters 17 and 18 is the hypocrisy of the “civilized” society. For example, “Next Sunday we all went to church...The men took their guns along, so did Buck, and kept them between their knees or stood them handy against the wall. The Shepherdsons done the same. It was pretty ornery preaching - all about brotherly love … ” (Twain 83). -The society is civilized to the point where the two feuding families can attend the same church, but while listening to a sermon about brotherly love, they are holding guns, ready to fight one another. 2.)Figurative Language: A simile is used in the beginning of chapter 17. It says, “The dogs were as still as the humans, but they followed a little behind me,” (Twain 73). -The use of this simile helped to convey the nerves Huck was likely feeling in this situation. (continued on next slide)

Style/Literary Analysis (continued) 3.)Tone: Throughout chapters 17 and 18, there is a frequent ironic tone. For example, “‘I bet you can’t spell my name,’ says I. ‘I bet you what you dare I can,’ says he. ‘All right,’ says I, ‘go ahead.” ‘G-o-r-g-e J-a-x-o-n - there now,’ he says … I set it down, private, because somebody might want me to spell it, next, and so I wanted to be handy to rattle it off like I was used to it,” (Twain 75). -This quote shows the ironic tone found throughout the chapters because Buck spells Huck’s fake name incorrectly, and Huck, not realizing this, writes it down so he knows how to spell it, just in case, but really it is an incorrect spelling.

Study Guide Questions 1. Why does Huck take a new name? -Huck takes a new name for a few reasons. First of all, Huck is believed to be dead, do he wants to keep his identity a secret, but also to have a fresh start. 2. What is the significance of the remark that Buck will get enough of the battle “in all good time”? -This remark may be foreshadowing that Buck will get involved in the feud that is going on between the Shepherdsons and Grangerfords.

Study Guide Questions 3. Why does Twain describe with such detail the physical setting of the Grangerford home? -Twain describes the physical setting of the Grangerford home in such detail likely to create a clear image for the reader, and to make it very clear of how wealthy the Grangerfords are. His detailed description also makes it clear to the reader why it would seem to Huck that the Grangerfords have the perfect life, before he learns about the relentless feud they are involved in. 4. Chapter 18 Begins with the comment, “Col. Grangerford was a gentleman, you see.” What does Twain wish the reader to see? -I think Twain may want to reader to see that Col. Grangerford was a respectable man, and was a stereotypical southern man, who was very nice to Huck, but he was very hypocritical when it came to his kindness, as he hated his neighbors.

Study Guide Questions 5. What was the irony of this sermon? -The sermon was ironic because it was all about brotherly love, yet the two families were holding guns the whole time. 6. Who are the only members members of the feuding families specifically mentioned as saved from the massacre? - The only members of the feuding families that were specifically mentioned as saved from the massacre were Miss Sofia and Harmony Shepardson.

Study Guide Questions 7. What does Huck say that there is “no home like a raft”? -Huck says that there is “no home like a raft,” because he came to realize all the good things about living on the raft, and realized that a big, fancy house like the Grangerfords had wasn’t really necessary. Also, so much of his time has been spent on the raft, surrounded by nature, and his definition of home is slightly different than many of the people around him.

Works Cited Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Dover Publications Print.