Reader Response 3: (14 - 18)

What impresses Huck about the Grangerford’s house was the look of the house. He was impressed by the brass doorknob which is not common where he lives. “It didn’t have an iron latch on the front door, nor a wooden one with a buckskin string, but a brass knob to turn, the same as houses in a town.”(ch.17, p.75, par.2) He also is impressed because there are no beds in the parlor, which is actually used as a parlor and not an extra bedroom. These things that impress Huck show that his view of success and happiness is somewhat based on your possessions but also on your personality and hospitality.

The books in the house are all higher reading than what Huck has read before. They all have some sort of importance to the family whether it is for entertainment, guidance, reference, or remembrance for their daughter who died at a young age. Huck is interested in them because they all are things to help him too in some way or another. They also challenge him and help him to increase his knowledge and reading skills. “I read considerable in it now and then. The statements was interesting, but tough.”(ch.17, p.76, par.2) This all shows that Huck view on education is positive unlike his father who, unlike Huck is very illiterate. Twain's view on education is very similar to Huck’s in the fact that they both used their prior knowledge to make inferences.

The thing that is unique about the drawings and poems in the scrapbook is the repetitive references to death. The girl who created all the things in the scrapbook seems to be obsessed with death and the deceased. Twain describes one of her unfinished drawings in detail more so than the others. He does so because the girl died before she was able to finish the drawing and it represents several things. One of the things it represents is his view on death, Twain like the girl fascinated was by death and its methods. It also shows Twain's appreciation for different mediums through which art is expressed whether its in words, or a drawing. Huck is touched by the girl's life and her art because she had great potential and would have probably been famous if it weren't for her death at such an early age. "If Emmeline Grangerford could make poetry like that before she was fourteen, there ain't no telling what she could a done by-and-by."(ch.17, p.78, par.1)

Reader Response 2: Huck Finn (7 - 13)

Huck is influenced by a large number of people in his life, some are a negative influence and some are a positive influence on him. The people that influence him throughout the story are Tom sawyer, Widow Douglas, Pap, and Jim. These influences affect how Huck reacts to situations and conflicts in the book.

First Tom Sawyer is a big influence on Huck in many ways. Huck looks up to him as if he was his older brother. Throughout the book he is continually thinking of what Tom sawyer would have done or, what Tom sawyer would have thought. “I did wish Tom Sawyer was here, I knowed he would take an interest in this kind of business, and throw in the fancy touches.”(ch.VII, pg.25, par.1) He thinks Tom is smart and knows everything. Tom and Huck are always getting in trouble together but overall Tom sawyer is a good influence on Huck.

Next there is Widow Douglas who took Huck in and takes care of him in the beginning. She teaches him to be “civilized” and makes him clean himself up and go to school. She also tries to teach him about religion but he does not see an advantage in some of the things he learns about it. “Well, I couldn’t see no advantage in going where she was going, so I made up my mind I wouldn’t try for it.” (ch.I, pg.2, par.3) Huck may not think she is, but widow Douglas is a good influence on him in the story.

Another character that influences Huck is Pap. Pap is his father who is an alcoholic and abuses/abused Huck. Pap is lower than low, he is almost never sober, and he is also very illiterate. "The law takes a man worth six thousand dollars and upards, and jams him into an old trap of a cabin like this, and lets him go round in clothes that ain't fitten for a hog." (ch.VI, pg.20, par.1) After Huck is with Pap for a while he starts to go back to being like he was before he started to live with Widow Douglas. Overall Pap is a very bad influence on Huck throughout story.

The last person that influences Huck in the story is Jim. Jim is one Widow Douglas's slaves who she might have planned to sell. Jim is also very reliable and can be very superstitious at times. "And Jim said you musn't count the things you are going to cook for dinner, because that would bring bad luck." (ch.VIII, pg.34, par.4) Although he is illiterate he has a lot of knowledge and is always questionable to stand firm on a certain belief, he tends to go both ways. Huck learns a lot from Jim and gains a lot of good things from him.

Reader Response 1: Huck Finn (1 - 6)

"Well, I couldn't see advantage in going where she was going, so I made up my mind i wouldn't try for it. But I never said so, because it would only make trouble, and wouldn't do no good."(ch.1, p.2, par.4). I dont see the advantage of going where she wants to go, so I've decided im not gonna make an effort to try to get there. I never said that though, because she would have a fit if I told her.
The quote I chose describes hucks opinion towards religion taufgt to him by widow douglas. She told him if he didn't behave better he would go to hell. Huck basically says he doesn't want to go to heaven because it is where Widow douglas wants to go when she dies. He thinks it would be boring to go there because Widow Douglas described it as the same thing over and over again for eternity and he wants change.
Mark Twain would think this quote is a good look at what Huck Finn thinks of religion. It shows that Huck Finn just wants change and not the same thing over and over again because it bores him. Hucks view on religion is similar to Mark Twains life because he travelled and did many things during his life. Mark Twain never did the same thing for a very long time because he might of got tired of it, or he just wanted change in his life like Huck in the story.