Image: Boy fishing
Part 1: Vocabulary
1. Robbers (noun):
Definition: People who steal from others.
Example: Tom and Huck found the money that the robbers had hidden.
2. Cave (noun):
Definition: A large, hollowed-out underground space.
Example: The robbers hid their money in a cave.
3. Interest (noun):
Definition: Money earned from saving or investing money.
Example: Judge Thatcher put the money out at interest, so it grew over time.
4. Sivilize (verb, dialect):
Definition: To civilize or make more refined.
Example: The Widow Douglas wanted to sivilize Huck and make him more cultured.
5. Dismal (adjective):
Definition: Depressing, gloomy, or dreary.
Example: Living with the widow was sometimes dismal because of her strict rules.
6. Regular (adjective):
Definition: Following a consistent and predictable pattern.
Example: The widow had regular routines and expected Huck to follow them.
7. Decent (adjective):
Definition: Conforming to accepted standards of behavior; socially acceptable.
Example: The widow was always decent and polite in her actions and manners.
8. Lit out (verb phrase, informal):
Definition: To leave quickly or escape.
Example: Huck couldn’t stand living with the widow anymore, so he lit out.
9. Rags (noun):
Definition: Torn, old, or tattered clothing.
Example: Huck put on his old rags when he decided to leave.
10. Sugar-hogshead (noun):
Definition: A large barrel used for storing sugar.
Example: Huck used a sugar-hogshead as part of his disguise.
11. Satisfied (adjective):
Definition: Content or pleased with something.
Example: After escaping, Huck felt free and satisfied with his decision.
12. Dismal (adjective):
Definition: Depressing, gloomy, or dreary.
Example: The widow’s strict and regular routine made Huck’s life feel dismal.
13. Victuals (noun):
Definition: Food or provisions.
Example: Huck had to wait for the widow to finish grumbling over the victuals before eating.
14. Barrel (noun):
Definition: A large cylindrical container, often used for storing goods.
Example: Huck mentioned that things in a barrel of odds and ends get mixed up and taste better.
15. Juice (noun):
Definition: Liquid, typically from cooking or marinating food.
Example: In a barrel of odds and ends, the juice from various ingredients mixes and enhances the flavor.
Part 2: Story
You don’t know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain’t no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth. That is nothing. I never seen anybody but lied one time or another, without it was Aunt Polly, or the widow, or maybe Mary. Aunt Polly—Tom’s Aunt Polly, she is—and Mary, and the Widow Douglas is all told about in that book, which is mostly a true book, with some stretchers, as I said before.
Now the way that the book winds up is this: Tom and me found the money that the robbers hid in the cave, and it made us rich. We got six thousand dollars apiece—all gold. It was an awful sight of money when it was piled up. Well, Judge Thatcher he took it and put it out at interest, and it fetched us a dollar a day apiece all the year round—more than a body could tell what to do with. The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways; and so when I couldn’t stand it no longer I lit out. I got into my old rags and my sugar-hogshead again, and was free and satisfied. But Tom Sawyer he hunted me up and said he was going to start a band of robbers, and I might join if I would go back to the widow and be respectable. So I went back.
The widow she cried over me, and called me a poor lost lamb, and she called me a lot of other names, too, but she never meant no harm by it. She put me in them new clothes again, and I couldn’t do nothing but sweat and sweat, and feel all cramped up. Well, then, the old thing commenced again. The widow rung a bell for supper, and you had to come to time. When you got to the table you couldn’t go right to eating, but you had to wait for the widow to tuck down her head and grumble a little over the victuals, though there warn’t really anything the matter with them,—that is, nothing only everything was cooked by itself. In a barrel of odds and ends it is different; things get mixed up, and the juice kind of swaps around, and the things go better.
Exercise 3: Questions
1. Who is the author of the book “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” and how does the narrator, Huck Finn, describe the book’s accuracy?
2. What is the significant event that occurs at the beginning of the story regarding the discovery of a magical seed?
3. What are some of the challenges that Huck faces when living with the Widow Douglas, and why does he decide to leave her home?
4. Describe the transformation that takes place within Huck’s character during his journey away from the Widow’s home.
5. What lessons or themes can be drawn from Huck’s experiences with the Widow Douglas and his decision to return to her home?
Exercise 4: Discussion
1. In “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” Huck Finn’s character embarks on a journey to escape societal norms. Can you think of similar literary characters or stories from your culture that also feature protagonists challenging societal expectations or norms?
2. This passage highlights the contrast between Huck’s life with the Widow Douglas and his previous, more independent lifestyle. Are there any cultural stories or books in your tradition that explore the tension between conformity and individuality in a similar way?
3. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” touches on themes of freedom and adventure. Are there any stories in your culture that emphasize these themes and portray adventures or quests for freedom in a unique cultural context?
4. Huck’s decision to return to the Widow Douglas’s home reflects his inner conflict. Can you share examples from your culture’s literature where characters face internal struggles between opposing values or desires?
5. The passage describes the Widow Douglas’s attempts to “sivilize” Huck. Are there cultural stories or books in your background that explore the concept of societal or cultural assimilation, and if so, how do they compare to Huck’s experiences in this American classic?
