Huck, Jim and King Solomon

I can't remember the last time I read something as quickly as I read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. For one it's an engaging, amusing, heartfelt adventure story of a boy who finds himself along the way. For another, most of the chapters are only a few pages long and it's remarkably easy to read a little at a time. I picked it up basically every day until I was done and enjoyed every minute. Though I haven't read all the contenders I wouldn't argue with anyone declaring this the quintessential Great American Novel.

There seems to be a lot of debate around this book and that's certainly due to the language inside, most importantly the widespread use of the n- word in reference to slaves. The story takes place in the 1840s along the Mississippi river, starting in Missouri, where Mark Twain grew up, and farther south, ending presumably in AR/MS/LA somewhere. It's written using the vernacular of the time and place, as well it should be. The second most important character is named Jim, a runaway slave from Huck's (and Tom Sawyer's) hometown. These two float on a raft far down the river and become close friends, so much so that Huck's whole worldview changes as a result. In every way this is the opposite of a racist novel, though Huck lives in a racist world.

"Well, I warn't long making him understand I warn't dead. I was ever so glad to see Jim. I warn't lonesome now. I told him I warn't afraid of him telling the people where I was. I talked along, but he only set there and looked at me; never said nothing."

8 - Sleeping in the Woods

I can say I wouldn't use this book to teach English. The story is written in first person, or to put it another way, Huck is relating his own adventures. He's a wily young man, supposedly about age 13, and while he's been going to school he's still not the most educated. His grammar isn't all that great. But, to his credit, you can always understand what he's saying. Jim, on the other hand, is harder, at least he was for me. It helped to read what he was saying out loud.

My son also recently read the abridged kids (Great Illustrated Classics) version and I asked him what he liked most about it. He said something to the effect of, 'I just like when they're floating down the river.' For that I don't have much argument. Huck and Jim's exploring, their attempts to avoid hazards and separation, even just their conversations, were some of the best parts.

A particular favorite was when the two discussed King Solomon during a conversation about kings and nobles, a subject of great interest to Jim.

"'I didn't know dey was so many un um. I hain't hearn 'bout none un um, skasely, but ole King Sollermun, onless you counts dem kings dat's in a pack er k'yards. How much do a king git?'

'Get?' I says; 'why, they get a thousand dollars a month if they want it; they can have just as much as they want; everything belongs to them.'

'Ain' dat gay? En what dey got to do, Huck?'

'They don't do nothing! Why, how you talk! They just set around.'

'No; is dat so?'

'Of course it is. They just set around--except, maybe, when there's a war; then they go to the war. But other times they just lazy around, or go hawking--just hawking and--Sh!--d'you hear a noise?'

We skipped out and looked; but it warn't nothing but the flutter of a steamboat's wheel away down, coming around the point; so we come back.

'Yes,' says I, 'and other times, when things are dull, they fuss with the parlyment; and if everybody don't go just so he whacks their heads off. But mostly they hang round the harem.'

'Roun' de which?'

'Harem.'

'What's de harem?'

'The place where he keeps his wives. Don't you know about the harem? Solomon had one; he had about a million wives.'

'Why, yes, dat's so; I--I'd done forgot it. A harem's a bo'd'n-house, I reck'n. Mos' likely dey has rackety times in de nussery. En I reck'n de wives quarrels considerable; en dat 'crease de racket. Yit dey say Sollermun de wises' man dat ever liv'. I doan' take no stock in dat. Bekase why: would a wise man want to live in de mids' er sich a blim-blammin' all de time? No--'deed he wouldn't."

14 - A General Good Time

There's more but this was the best of it and made me laugh out loud. I would think having a 1000 wives and concubines (the number provided in the Bible) would cause a lot of blim-blamming and quarrels considerable. And it does call into question Solomon's wisdom, doesn't it? You're a wise man yourself Jim.