- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn examines the themes of hypocrisy, freedom, and the injustice of slavery through the eyes of the 12-year old protagonist Huck Finn. - Twain uses humor and satire to criticize the hypocrisy of those who claimed to be Christian but supported slavery, as well as the harsh realities of racism that freed slaves still faced. - The relationship between Huck and Jim, who is portrayed as a responsible and caring man, represents their shared desire for freedom but also their differing circumstances as a white boy and a fugitive slave.

3. The themes of hypocrisy, freedom, the injustice of slavery Before You Begin The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the greatest novels of all time. Mark Twain uses the innocent and usually humorous observations of a 12 year old boy who had lived his life on the edges of society to examine the themes of hypocrisy, freedom, and the injustices of slavery and racism.

4. The novel was published 19 years after the American Civil War freed African Americans from slavery but Mark Twain could see that in many ways, the lives of former slaves had not improved. As slaves, they had not been allowed to develop skills that would help them earn a living once they were free. But the greatest hurdle they still faced was that of racism. Mark Twain: against Slavery and Racism

5. How African-Americans were treated Slave owners had been very successful in creating the illusion that African Americans were not as intelligent as white people and that they lived their lives on the same emotional level as horses or dogs. Because of this most white people accepted the idea that black people were inferior and did not deserve to be treated with dignity or kindness. Any attempts that African-Americans made to assert their equality was met with hatred and contempt.

6. Jim as the only true adult Mark Twain had come from an abolitionist family and knew that all human beings were essentially the same and so portrayed Jim as a responsible, kind and caring adult . As you read the novel, you will come to see Jim as the only true adult character.

7. Christians bible All men were created equal? Hypocrisy of Christians The willingness of white people who were supposed to be Christians to see slavery as an acceptable part of their society is something that Twain found hypocritical and this is another theme of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . The bible that Christians claimed to believe in clearly stated that “all men were created equal” and anyone who believed that should have been capable of realizing that this included African- Americans. Twain clearly thought that anyone who believed otherwise was a hypocrite.

8. Freedom and its meaning Freedom and how it can mean different things to different people is another major theme of this novel. It is their shared desire to be free that inspired both Huckleberry and Jim to flee down the Mississippi River though the kinds of freedom they seek differ greatly.

9. Why the word ‘nigger’? Before you begin to read, you should be aware of a particular word that is used many times throughout the novel. The word “nigger” is a coarse and vulgar term that was commonly used to dehumanize and belittle African-Americans and make their enslavement seem acceptable.

10. for realistic dialogue, but not today Huckleberry uses this word frequently but when we think about when he lived we must realize that it would have been the only word the people of his time knew to describe black people and so it appears throughout the novel in order to make the dialogue seem more realistic. It should be noted that this word is still used today but only by individuals who may be most charitably characterized as ignorant. No thoughtful or intelligent person would use this word anymore. Like all racial slurs, it is intended to denigrate other human beings and as such, marks the user as despicable, uneducated and ill-mannered and demeans the user and the rest of us as well. *

12. 이 프로그램은 비영어권 청소년들의 영어소설 독해를 위해 제주영어독서 에서 제작 , 제공합니다 . * 문의 * 제주영어독서 ( 제주도 제주시 제주대학교 초등교육연구소 전호범 연구원 ) Jeju Reading Society presents Daily Novel Reading to help non-native English speaking young adults enjoy the pleasures and benefits of reading novels. Contact: Holborn Chun bookers@gmail.com jejureading.tistory.com twitter.com/jejureading © 2009 제주영어독서 Jeju Reading Society. All rights reserved