Journal #11 Mark Twain: Good Lessons For Kids!

QUOTE:

“She said all a body would have to do there was to go around all day long with a harp and sing, forever and ever…I asked her if she reckoned Tom Sawyer would go there, and, she said, not by a considerable sight. I was glad about that, because I wanted him and me to be together” (Twain 110).


SUMMARY:

Miss Watson tells Huck about heaven, “the good place,” but he realizes that he probably wouldn’t care to go to heaven. This foreshadows Huck’s tough decision later in the story.


RESPONSE:

This little conversation about heaven and hell in the beginning of the story sets up the nature of Huck’s character. He seems to think like a young boy who would rather play all day than take life seriously, but he is also a loyal friend. He would much rather go to hell and be able to have “fun” with his friends, than go to heaven and stroll around the clouds with a harp singing. I think Huck truly believes in heaven and hell, and especially because he is so superstitious. Just from killing a spider, Huck ends up completing at least three actions “to keep witches away” (110), and yet he still has no problem with sneaking out to start a gang with Tom Sawyer.

This gang is pretty violent and nasty, however, Tom Sawyer’s Gang doesn't actually do anything in real life that is “bad,” such as killing people. The first couple chapters set up the book to be about a bunch of kids playing “make-believe” games, so I can see why a lot of people thought Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was going to be a Tom Sawyer Part II. When I first started reading (probably up until Huck’s father comes back), I was even thinking what a great book this must be for young kids. However, even after reading about Huck’s father, a part of me still thinks there is a lot in this book that is probably better for kids to learn at a young age. Maybe? I guess I think kids can handle a lot more than people give them credit for.