The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is one of the most famous American novels. Published in 1884, it was one of the first novels in the USA written in common, everyday language. For example, using non-standard English, Twain wrote, ‘I haven’t got any money,’ to mean ‘I do not have any money’. In this way, Twain made his characters very true to life.
The story is told by Huckleberry Finn, called Huck for short, who runs away to escape his abusive father. At first, Huck goes to a small island in the middle of the Mississippi River. There, he finds Jim, a black slave who has run away to escape slavery. The two of them stay on the island for a few weeks and become friends, but they must leave because Huck learns that people are looking for Jim. They decide to travel on a raft on the Mississippi River to reach the Ohio River, which will take them north to a state that does not allow slavery.
During their journey, Huck and Jim visit many places along the river and meet many different people. Unfortunately, most of the people they meet are not good. For instance, Huck and Jim meet a family, the Grangerfords, who have been fighting with another family, the Shepherdsons, for so many years that nobody remembers how the fight began. While Huck stays with the Grangerfords, the fighting starts again, and several members of both families are killed. Later, Huck and Jim meet the King and the Duke, two men who take control of their raft and make money by tricking people. During the confusion following one of these tricks, Huck and Jim escape with their raft.
Although the people Huck and Jim meet are bad, they are also funny. Mark Twain used humor to show readers the problems of American society in the 1800s. More importantly, despite all of the bad things that happen to Huck and Jim, the novel has a happy ending for both of them. Jim gets his freedom because his owner has died and set him free in her will, and Huck learns that his father has died, so he is also safe.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an adventurous and humorous story, and it teaches modern readers a lot about American society in the 1800s.
How was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn different from earlier novels? (No more than 9 words)                          (2 marks)
What kind of people do Huck and Jim meet?  (No more than 16 words)
(3 marks)
What happens to Huck and Jim in the end?
(No more than 8 words)                            (2 marks)
What's the main idea of the passage?
(No more than 11words)                            (3 marks)