Rethinking Huck

The cover of the first edition of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," published in 1885 in the United States. Photo:

Wikimedia Commons. BOTTOM: Mark Twain in 1907. Photo from Library of Congress.

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is a book by Mark Twain. It takes place over 150

years ago. The book is the story of Huck Finn. He is a teenage boy who goes on many

adventures. He rides a raft down the Mississippi River. He also helps a man escape from

slavery. The man is named Jim.

"Huckleberry Finn" is a complicated book. It is an adventure story and a coming-of-age

story. It is also a book about life in America. The book shows how history continues to

shape the present.

An American journey

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" came out in 1884. The story is told through Huck's

eyes. Huck does not speak in fancy language. Instead, he talks like a regular person. At

this time, this was rare for books.

By Steven Mintz, The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, adapted by Newsela

staff on 03.02.17

Word Count 415

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1

Today, the book is considered one of the great American stories. It was not always

considered so great, though. When the book first came out, many people did not like it.

Some thought it was inappropriate. In later years, others were upset that it included racist

language. In the book, Huck uses disrespectful words to talk about African-Americans.

But the book is more complicated than it seems. In fact, the story has many layers to it.

Twain begins the book with a warning. He tells his readers not to expect a simple story.

The book has no lessons about right and wrong, he says. Instead, it offers a complicated

picture of American life. It leaves readers to make up their own minds.

A historical view

The book shows how people are not always good or bad. Huck is a complicated character.

Sometimes he does the right thing, and sometimes he does not. Often he is racist and

disrespectful toward African-Americans. But at other times, he is kind to them. In the end,

Huck helps Jim escape to freedom. The book shows how people's ideas and actions do

not always agree.

A literary view

The book is about Huck's inner struggles. Some readers think the book is the story of him

becoming a good person. By the end, Huck seems to respect Jim as an equal. But the

ending is actually more complicated than that. At the end of their journey, Huck goes back

to his old ways. He plays jokes on Jim. He is not always nice. So the book is not a simple

story of becoming a better person. Instead, it is a story of the complicated struggle

between right and wrong.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2

Quiz

1 Which selection from the the section "An American journey" BEST explains how "Huckleberry

Finn" was different from earlier books?

(A) Huck does not speak in fancy language. Instead, he talks like a regular

person.

(B) Today, the book is considered one of the great American stories. It was not

always considered so great, though.

(C) In the book, Huck uses disrespectful words to talk about African-Americans.

(D) But the book is more complicated than it seems. In fact, the story has many

layers to it.

2 Read the section "A literary view." Why does the author think "Huckleberry Finn" is

complicated?

(A) because Huck struggles to get his own freedom throughout the story

(B) because Huck becomes a better and nicer person at the end of the story

(C) because Huck does not always do the right thing at the end of the story

(D) because Huck does not show respect for Jim throughout the story

3 What is the MAIN reason why some people did not like "Huckleberry Finn" when it came out?

(A) They thought the story was way too complicated.

(B) They did not think it showed what life was like in the 1800s.

(C) They thought the book was not interesting to readers.

(D) They did not think it used appropriate language.

4 Based on the section "A historical view," which of the following statements is TRUE?

(A) The book shows that people are not as racist as they used to be.

(B) The book shows that people do not usually change their ideas.

(C) The book shows that people do both good and bad things.

(D) The book shows that people do not usually agree with each other.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3