The book starts with the exposition where Huck introduces himself
as a character from the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the son
of a town drunk. He lives with Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson.
However, Huck does not like the civilized life and would rather live an easy
going life.
One night, after things were very bad for Huck, he went to his
room feeling very lonely. Not knowing what to do about his situation, he suddenly
heard a meowing sound outside his window. He responded with a similar sound
and looking out the window he sees his friend, Tom, down below.
He is overjoyed at the opportunity of having company and climbs
out the window. They boys try to be as quiet as they possibly can be, but
unfortunately Huck trips over a root on the ground and Jim, Miss Watson slave,
hears the sound and comes outside. Jim is curious to find out the source of
the sound and decides to stay put. His intentions are thwarted when be is
overcome with fatigue and falls asleep. Tom then plays a trick on Jim by putting
his hat on a tree branch over his head and surrounding him with candles that
he takes from the kitchen. When Jim awakens he capitalizes on the incident
by saying that witches had visited him during the night and he becomes the
town's celebrity within the slave quarters.
As time goes on, Huck sees more of Tom and the boys amuse themselves
with numerous make believe games. They form a band and pretend that they are
robbers and act out storybook plots.
Huck’s father finds out that Huck has some money and kidnaps
him into a shack by the river. Pap beats Huck and Huck decides that he must
escape.
Review:
The book starts with Huck introducing himself as a character
from Tom Sawyer and the son of a town drunk. He lives with Widow
Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson. However, Huck does not like the civilized
life and would rather live an easy going life. The reader is reassured that
the two books are independent of one another and that it isn't necessary
to read one in order to understand the second.
The reader meets the other boys who live in town. In particular,
Tom Sawyer is introduced as being Huck's best friend and a boy with a very
vivid imagination. The chapter also shows how Huck feels towards Jim and
how he accepts his position as a slave.
Twain uses the book and Huck’s character to voice his
own ideas about society. For example, he denounces organized religion in
the opening chapters with the raid on the Sunday school picnic.
Huck's drunk father returns to try to get Huck's money. He
is not successful and kidnaps him. It depicts him as being uncontrollable
and quite loathsome. By means of this character, the author mocks authority
and the measures of reform that society uses.
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