English 11 Humor Read the NoticeExplanatory etc to the novel as a class pg 6 Mark Twain sates in the Notice that persons attempting to find a moral in this book will be banished While he slightly overstates his case we should not forget that this novel is very funny It is importan ID: 291831
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Slide1
Huck Finn Reader’s Response
English 11Slide2
Humor
Read the Notice/Explanatory etc. to the novel as a class, pg. 6
Mark Twain sates in the “Notice” that persons attempting to find a moral in this book will be banished. While he slightly overstates his case, we should not forget that this novel is very funny. It is important to find the humor in the novel. Too often we as readers are so concerned with the social aspect that we forget to look for what is funny.Slide3
Finding Finn’s Funnies
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
is a funny book, but too often readers miss what is funny when they cannot hear it aloud.
As a class, we will make a chart of what we find funny. Prepare to watch for ‘funnies’ as you read and keep track of them.
Start a page that you will keep all novel long. Title it: Huck Finn’s Funnies. Each day you will be asked to write down one funny line or part from your reading. See chart on next slide for an example of how to create this page.
On the wall is a yellow poster also titled Huck Finn’s Funnies. Each day two of you will be able to write down a funny you find from the book. Note the page number and your name as you will get credit for this. Slide4
Chart
Read and then we make a chart of your own with funny quotes from the novel. Make sure you include page numbers in your notes. Create your first entry now.
Quote
Character Who Is Speaking
Comments
Chapter 1
“She called me a lot
of other names, too, but she never meant no harm by it.”
Huck
The widow
uses words that aren’t ‘nice’ when she is angry at Huck.
Chapter 2
“I offered them Miss Watson.”
Huck
Huck is happy to allow the gang to kill Miss Watson because he doesn’t like her anyway.Slide5
Quiz 5-7
1
. Pap kidnaps Huck. Where does he take him?
2. Why does Huck want people to think that he is dead?
3. Does Pap get Huck’s six thousand dollars?
4. What does Pap do with Huck when he goes to town for supplies?
5. What tool does Huck use to escape from the cabin?
6. Why does Huck kill the pig?
7. What does the “June rise” of the river bring with it for Huck?
8. Why does Huck wish Tom Sawyer were with him?
9. Why does Huck suddenly enjoy school?
10. Huck sleeps in the canoe just before he escapes to Jackson’s Island. What is he waiting for?Slide6
Quiz 8-11
5 sentence summary of the chapters
List two ways that you can relate to characters in the chapters.
List 1 prediction that you have for the novel.
Write down two of your favorite lines from these chapters.
10
points possibleSlide7
Wealth
Huck Finn is rich because of the robber’s treasure he and Tom Sawyer found. However, he does not have much use for it. In fact, he feels it causes more trouble than it is worth and tries to give it away to the judge.
Consider what money can and cannot do.
Share your opinion
with a classmate, discuss what you both use money for and how you are different in your money usage. Discuss what you cannot use money for that you need.Slide8
Wealth
Money plays
a very important role in the actions of numerous characters, and is often used to highlight the difference between the rich and the poor.
Money
can even be considered a theme of the novel, as it inspires greed, generosity, and symbolizes disparity in society.
Almost
every one of the main characters are affected by money in some way. It is often at the very root of their actions, for better or for worse. Slide9
Affects of Money
Create a Venn diagram where you show how money affects Huck Finn and how money affects you.
Make sure you include 5-5-3 ways in each category. (5 Huck, 5 you, 3 both)
Really think about how Money drives what Huck does and what you do.Slide10
Jokes
Humor is an important part of American culture. It fits in with our optimistic viewpoint. Why not create our own humor cartoons of Huckleberry Finn?
Create a cartoon, based on Huckleberry Finn, to present to the class. The cartoons need too be at least 4 scenes long and include characters from the story.Slide11
Discussion 12-14
What two items does Huck and Jim decide to NOT “borrow?”
According to Huck Finn, how much money do steamboat captains make per month?
What happens when Jim & Huck are on the crashed ferry?
What is the name of the wreck?
What happened to the wreck at the end of
Ch
13?
How many wives does Huck say Solomon had?
How many boxes of cigars did Huck & Jim get from the ferry-boat?
How did Louis the XVI die?
What is satirical about Huck telling the story of Solomon?Slide12
Predicting the Outcome
By now, Huck has been through many adventures along the Mississippi River. At this point they have passed the mouth of the Ohio River, so they must continue down the river. The King and Duke are aboard on the raft. Huck has no real plans. He just goes where the river takes him and reacts to each new adventure.
What will happen next?
Write the next chapter of the novel including the four characters – Huck, Jim, the king, and the duke in your chapter. Be prepared to present your chapter to the class.
(1 page)Slide13
Living on a Raft
After Huck barely escapes with his life from the
Grangerford
-Shepherdson’s feud, he and Jim have some wonderful days floating down the river. In chapter 19, Huck says:
Two or three days and nights went by; I reckon I might say they swum by, they slid along so quiet and smooth and lovely… then we set out the lines. Next we slid into the river and had a swim… Not a sound
anywheres
—perfectly still—just like the whole world was asleep… Sometimes we’d have that whole river all to ourselves for the longest time. Yonder was the banks and the islands, across the water… maybe you could hear a fiddle or a song coming over from one of them… It’s lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them…Slide14Slide15
Group Discussion
In a group of three, discuss the questions below. After discussing, each person needs to record his or her own responses on their paper.
What images does this excerpt from the book bring to your imagination?
Does it remind you of anything you have experienced?
If you had the opportunity, do you think you would enjoy an experience similar to the one Huck describes? Why?
What would be most fun about a raft trip down a river?
What might be a problem of such a trip?
When Huck Finn was published in 1884, young readers thought this type of trip sounded wonderful. Do you think most people would feel the same today? Explain your thoughts.
Why do you think the author, Mark Twain, chose to put Huck and Jim on a raft instead of on foot?
What does life on the raft symbolize?
Compare Huck and Jim’s life on the raft to their lives off of the raft.Slide16
Life on a Raft
Write your own well developed one paragraph experience of what a day on a raft would be like for you. Include what you see, how you feel, and things you want to do or get to do on the raft.
Answer the following questions after your paragraph.
The first time Huck runs away, it is from his father. Do you think that Huck makes the right decision? Why or why not?
Most people who run away are looking for something they do not have. What is Huck looking for?
What would be the advantages of living on your own?
What would be some of the disadvantages of living on your own?
What are the dangers of living on your own?
What are some other options to consider before a person feels it necessary to run away from home?Slide17
Point-of-View
Huckleberry Finn is told from Huck’s point-of-view. How would this story be different if it was told from another character’s point-of-view?
Write one page dealing with the story of Peter
Wilks
death involving the duke and the king’s scam. Write this story from the perspective of another character. You can choose Jim, the duke, the king, Mary Jane
Wilks
, or other prominent characters.Slide18
Living on Your Own
The first time Huck runs away, it is from his father. Do you think Huck made the right decision?
Most people who run away are looking for something they do not have. What is Huck looking for?
What would be the advantages of living on your own?Slide19
Living on Your Own
4. What would be the disadvantages of living on your own?
5. What are the dangers of living on your own?
6. What are some other options to consider before a person feels it necessary to run away from home?Slide20
Making It Up!
Huck makes up many stories during Huckleberry Finn. Most readers would say that he only makes up stories to protect others and, sometimes, himself.
In the following statements, describe the reason(s) Huck makes up the stories.
Huck tells Mrs. Loftus in Ch. 11 that his name is Sarah (or Mary!) Williams, and “her” mother is sick, and the family is out of food and money.
In Ch. 16, Huck makes some men on the river think that his family has smallpox.Slide21
Making It Up!
Huck tells the king and the duke in Ch. 20 that his pa and brother drowned on a trip down the river, but he and the servant Jim were able to swim to safety.
T
hink of another story Huck makes up to protect himself or someone else.
Do you think that Huck’s stories can be justified, or is he just plain lying? Defend your choice with reasons.Slide22
Making Choices
Throughout the novel, Huck is making choices. Consider the following problems that Huck faces and then write your responses to them.
Huck decides to go back to Jackson’s Island in order to tell Jim the bounty hunters are after him. Why does Huck return to get Jim? What do you think Huck is thinking as he crosses the river from Mrs. Loftus’ house to Jackson’s Island?
Huck must decide if he will help Jim escape to the free territory. He has learned that black people in the South are considered property. If he helps Jim escape, then he is helping to steal someone’s property. How do you feel about what Huck is doing? Explain why you feel this way.
Huck, in Ch. 16, lies in order to keep some men from finding Jim. Even though Huck worries about his decisions, the reader sees that Huck is doing the right thing. Explain why Huck is having trouble deciding what to do.
Huck tells Mary Jane
Wilks
that the king and the duke are pretending to be her uncles in order to steal the gold. Why do you think it takes Huck so long to decide to tell Mary Jane? Why does it become more difficult for someone to confess as more time has passed?Slide23
Life Experiences
Huck learns about life as he travels down the Mississippi River. Each time a new incident occurs and Huck responds to it in words or actions, he is educated by his life experiences.
What do the following episodes contribute to Huck’s education about life? (discuss with a neighbor each episode, write down their response)
The rattlesnake biting Jim
The
Grangerford
feud
The king and the duke trying to steal the
Wilks
’ gold
Jim’s concern for his daughterSlide24
Life Experiences
Pick a different experience that Huck has in the novel. Write 4-5 sentences detailing how that experience contributes to Huck’s education about life.
Pick two experiences that Huck has and write 4-5 sentences on each that show how that experience has educated you about life. What can you apply to your life from Huck’s experiences? How did they change how you think? How did the experiences change how you see the world? What experiences have you had that are similar to Huck Finn’s life lessons?Slide25
What You Do Best
Huckleberry Finn is able to do many things well. He can fish, navigate a raft, and take care of himself. He also has the ability to understand other people’s problems and is able to change his attitude as he learns more about Jim. He seems like a person that most kids would like to call a friend. What other kinds of things can Huck do well?
Everyone has the ability to do many things well.
What can you do well?
What can you do that almost no one else in your class can do?
What do you know about which only a few people or perhaps no one else in your class knows about?
You might be thinking, “I really don’t know what to write. I can’t do much.” Think of Huck –
he feels the same about himself. Yet he has many special abilities. So do you!
On a sheet of paper, label the top I AM (Interesting, Awesome Me)
Your assignment that is due Wednesday, is to come up with a list
of 50
things about yourself that you can do and your special qualities.Slide26
Now What?
You have finally finished your 50 qualities about yourself. Now, we are going to make a list of 10 Huck Finn characteristics. You already made a list of 50 so this should be easy.
After you are finished, write a one paragraph short essay on how you and Huck Finn are similar or different. Choose one stance and back it up with evidence.Slide27
Adult Confusion
Much of the fun of the novel’s last section consists of Tom and Huck confusing Aunt Sally. The poor woman is so bewildered that she thinks she might be losing her mind. Many young people consider this to be the funniest part of the book.
Work with a partner to create a story about two children who confuse an adult. Make it as much fun and as convoluted as what Tom and Huck do to Aunt Sally. One way to begin is to brainstorm ideas. Think of real situations in which you have been involved or have heard about. Or being with a story, movie, or TV plot, and add your own special touches.
You will prepare your story as a short skit for the class. Each person in the group must participate and your presentation should show that you read and understand the part of
Huck Finn
where Tom and Huck confuse and trick Aunt Sally.
Have fun and really confuse the poor adult!Slide28
Finishing Up
After, quietly find a partner that is already finished with their essay and pick a
conversation you and your partner both
want to finish
. Imagine you are Huck Finn or another character and continue the event.
You
will write a 1-2 page conversation response. Remember Mark Twain is known for his humor and teaching through humorous situations while pointing out social flaws. You too can use this in your conversation.
You will present your conversations for the class. This will be your final grade. - 25 for the conversation paper and 15 for the class presentation. Totaling 40
pts
.