Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Hello students,

Here is a brief overview of what we're going to be discussing and analyzing as we read Huckleberry Finn:

The plot of Huckleberry Finn is entertaining and masterfully written, but we will be delving into the book’s historical, cultural, and literary significance as well. We will be discussing social topics such as freedom, equality, justice as well as evaluating literary ones such as censorship, setting, and theme. By the end of the unit, we will be looking at the grand question that the book presents: How do you evaluate your society's norms and values? Are you happy with today’s America, and what changes would you make in order to have a “more perfect” society?

This may seem daunting, but we will be doing things such as group activities and creative projects along the way. As long as you think while you read, you will get a lot out of the book.

Here are questions to consider as you read:

The essential question:
How do you evaluate your society's norms and values?

The unit questions:
- In Huckleberry Finn, what is the nature of Huck's conflicts regarding racism?
- How does the time period/setting of Huckleberry Finn influence the story?
- What influence did Mark Twain have on American literature?

The content questions:
- What does the term "local color" mean in a literary work?
- What is "conflict" and how are they dealt with in the book?
- What is the typical plot structure of a narrative? Does Huckleberry Finn adhere to it?
- What is "style" and how does it shape the text of the book?
- What themes are addressed in Huckleberry Finn and how are they developed?

I will be posting more updates shortly, stay tuned!

- Mr. Nguyen