Huck Finn Chapters 17-21

When Huck comes across the Grangerfords and learns about the feud between them and the Shepherdsons, he doesn't really know how to react. We can tell that Huck and Jim have not reached the free states yet because the Grangerfords own several slaves who work in the house and on the property. But the two families are feuding to the point where they are killing each other. No one in either family knows why or how this huge violent feud started; because of this both families can be considered slaves to their beliefs since hating each other with no rhyme or reason for it has become the way of life for them. In chapter 19 when Huck is reunited with Jim, they come across two men who are con artists. And they are not only con artists, they are also liars, just like Huck. I thought it was funny how Huck lies so much and he is so good at it that he can see right through these men's lies right away. This goes back to my previous idea that Huck is a slave to his chronic lying. The duke's and dauphin's lying continues through chapter 20. Huck and Jim become slaves to these two men because the do all of their bidding to stay out out of trouble with them.

Huck Finn Chapters 11-16

Ever since i started this book, i feel like the events that occur as the book goes on are awkwardly strung together. And the way Huck's narrating is written doesn't help my cause :P

Even though Huck has been free from the clutches of his father, he is still technically not free. The same goes for Jim, who is not free until he makes it to the free states, where he plans to make enough money to buy is wife and child out of slavery.
But a major theme that i see reoccurring as I read on in the novel is that Huck is a chronic liar. I think this can count as a form of slavery. He is constantly lying to one person or another. In these chapters specifically, he starts out by lying to Mrs. Judith Loftus about his identity and even his gender (but she sees right through his disguise; luckily for Huck she does not know who he is and she actually gives him advice on how to be a girl). Huck then proceeds to lie to the man looking for his family from the steamboat wreck, and to the robbers, AND to Jim. His constant lying makes him a slave to himself, letting him think that it will help him out in the end, but in reality, it might come back to haunt him one day.
Huck almost sells Jim out (literally) to a couple of slave owners but decides against it, after Jim tells Huck that he is his only friend, and instead decides to continue down to the Ohio river towards the free states with Jim. He feels bad that he did not tell he slave owners about Jim, but he knows inside that he would have felt bad if he did too. I feel that Huck is constantly at war with himself and his own values about his relationship with Jim while knowing that hes technically still a slave. If they make it to freedom then maybe that will change.

Huck Finn Chapters 6-10

During chapters 6-10, i noticed several themes of freedom and enslavement. One major one was how Huck was kidnapped by his father and kept in a cabin in the woods. His father would leave and lock him in while he got drunk and then he would come back every night and beat him. I think Huck was considered a slave to his father because his father controled every aspect of his life during this period of time. Huck then gained freedom when he found the canoe, faked his death, and escaped to Jackson's Island. He was free from not only his father, but all rules entirely. He mentioned how he was free to smoke as often as he liked, which he was not able to do before. When Huck meets up with Jim, i thought because the two of them are so involved in their superstitious beliefs, that they could be considered slaves to all of their superstitious beliefs. 

Huck Finn Chapters 1-5

My topic is Freedom & Enslavement while reading Huckleberry Finn. This book has many prime examples of both of these topics, starting with one of the main characters, Jim. He is the first slave that is introduced into the story, and like most slaves during this time, he believes in superstition and legend rather than religion. This contrast is a major element to the story considering how all the slaves are superstitous and the slave owners are Christian. Which brings me over to the Widow Douglas, who is a devout Christian woman, a woman who claims to be a strong follower of God. But even with her beliefs and religion, she is a slaveowner. 

A major freedom that i think is in the book is the fact that Huck lives with the Widow Douglas. Even though he complains about being clean and going to school, he is living a much better life with her than he would have with his father. His father is an old drunk who would probably be unfit to take care of him. In chapters 4 & 5 this is shown clearly when Pap finds Hufk and kidnaps him only for his 6,000 dollars which he sold to the Judge for a dollar. You can even say that Huck got temporarily "enslaved" by his father when he was kidnapped. 

The Scarlet Letter - Entry #4 - Chapters 10-12

Every time I read this book, I think of this haha! I've been watching GH with my mom for years now, and the Scarlet Letter and GH are both what? - SCANDALOUS! 

Chillingsworth is without a doubt, getting closer to discovering the connection between Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale. He is increasingly getting more involved in trying to better Dimmesdale's physical and mental state, but I'm still feeling like he doesn't know exactly why yet. He just knows that he has to get to the bottom of it. He's even pushing Dimmesdale's limits in trying to get him to tell Chillingsworth about his "buried sins". It's clear that Dimmesdale is going to hide this at all costs and he gets insulted when Chillingsworth brings it up. But I do agree with Chillingsworth that what Dimmesdale is keeping inside mentaly, is affecting him physically. The mind is a powerful thing. I also found it shocking that when Pearl sees the pair, she says that the "Black Man" (who is the devil) has already captured the minister. I think it's incredible that such a young girl can sense things like that, also contradicting the previous theory that Pearl is a "devil child".

Chapter 11 is mostly about Dimmesdale. As the book goes on, Dimmesdale becomes more and more consumed in his act of sin. I think it affects him more because he is a minister and is probably more involved in the teachings of the bible than any other person in the town. But because of his sin slowly consuming him, he delivers his most powerful sermons yet, mostly about sin. I immediately connected this to "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Johnathan Edwards.

I think chapter 12 is a big jump in the plot in the sense that there is wayyyyyy too much going on. Between the minister having visions and him meeting Hester and Pearl at Governor Winthrop's deathbed and Dimmesdale seeing a red "A" in the sky after a meteor shoots across it...it's all too much. But the one thing I noticed was Pearl's intuitive mind. She is obviously intelligent beyond her years. She really understands more than children at her age generally do. I'm pretty sure that Pearl is completely aware that Dimmesdale is her father. She is completely in touch with something beyond this Earth. I can relate with that. I am a very spiritual person and immediately connected with her in this part of the book.

Anyway, Chillingsworth is now 100% sure that Dimmesdale is Pearl's father, and he is planning his revenge. The end of this book is going to be insane!!

The Scarlet Letter - Entry #3 - Chapters 7-9

I am starting to feel as though the book is starting to get more engaging as it goes on. I'm starting to like the dramaaa! Ha ha!

 

In chapter seven, Hester hears rumors that the town may take Pearl away from her because she may be a "demon-child", and that they will do it for Hester's safety. I perceived this as yet another hypocritical event in this story. Pearl is supposed to be a form of punishment for Hester, a symbol of shame, and the town wants to take away this punishment that was declared for her by the very people who want to take her away. But even though Pearl may be considered a symbol of shame for Hester, I also see her as a guardian angel for Hester. I thought this when a group of kids tried to fling mud at the pair and Pearl, who is three at the time, scares them away. I think that's incredible because how scary could a three year old possibly be?  

 

In chapter eight, Hester and Pearl see Governor Bellingham to determine if Hester will keep her daughter. Minister Dimmesdale speaks up for them saying that Pearl serves as both a blessing and a curse, which wins over the governor. Mysteriously, Pearl takes a liking to Dimmesdale and he also seems to be very fond of her. I think that he is Pearl's father! I actually find this rather obvious, considering the continuing theme of hypocrisy. Adultery is considered a sin in the bible and the town's minister is the most likely identity of Pearl's father in my eyes, only considering how they naturally feel towards one another. At the end of the chapter, the governor's sister invites Hester to a witch's gathering, which she refuses because she has Pearl. This further supports the theory that Pearl is a form of a guardian angel for Hester, keeping her out of harms way. Witchcraft is also considered work of the devil in these times, and since Pearl keeps Hester away from these events, it contradicts the idea that she is a "devil-child".

 

In chapter nine, Chillingsworth is incorporated into the town as the official doctor. Right around this time, Minister Dimmesdale is getting ill complaining of chest pain. Chillingsworth takes Dimmesdale to his home as a patient. I found this funny; predictable even. Of course the undercover husband of the adulterer would take the adulterer's lover into his home not knowing who he is! This book is beginning to sound just like a soap opera! Also even further supporting the theory of Dimmesdale being Pearl's father, his room is adorned with biblical symbols of adultery and their punishments. This makes it seem like Dimmesdale feels guilty that he sinned, but he truly loves Hester. It shocks me that just these symbols don't bring this theory to Chillingworth's attention. He seems like a smart man, but sometimes the author just can't resist creating more suspense and "mystery". I like the drama, I just don't appreciate how it's being told to the reader.

The Scarlet Letter - Entry #2 - Chapters 4-6

In chapters four through six, I found the pace to be faster and the content more interesting, but I can already tell that this book is going to be a hard read for me. I feel like so far this book contains a lot of fluff, and it’s almost difficult to pick out the important bits of each chapter.

In chapter four, I felt how overwhelmed Hester was feeling after going into public with the scarlet letter on her bust and her baby. This is when I fully realized how severe this punishment was in this society of people. I was also shocked to find that the doctor, Roger Chillingworth, is Hester’s husband. Because of the way she acts towards him; for example, the way she acts like the medicine he gave her was poison; makes me wonder how their marriage was to begin with. Were they not involved with each other, or was he possibly even abusive? There are so many possibilities. Hester even refers to Chillingworth as the “Black Man”, which is another name for the Devil. Considering the way he acts with her, with an attitude that is almost forceful due to his anger, I don’t blame her for thinking this. He even says he will find Hester’s lover and get his revenge, but I can’t shake the feeling that he wants revenge on Hester as well…

In chapter five, Hester is released from jail and goes to live in a vacant cottage outside of town. The author mentions that the soil is “sterile” which is why no one lives there. I took this as Hawthorne almost mocking Hester’s character, with Hester being a young fertile woman with a new baby. The author also tells us that Hester is hated by the town, but she makes a living with her outstanding sewing and embroidery skills. I like how Hester’s character is outcast and appears almost ugly through the eyes of the town’s people, but she still manages to make beautiful clothes. This also makes the people of the town more hypocritical because they are accepting her work even though they all hate her. Hester is fully aware of how everyone feels about her, and her shame never fades because of it.

In chapter six, the book goes forward in time a few years and Pearl (Hester’s daughter) is now around the age of three. I feel bad for Pearl because everyone in the town knows how she came into this world, and they view her almost as a walking embodiment of sin. Pearl also becomes Hester’s constant companion, which subjects her to the mockery of all of the town’s people just as much as her mother. I felt sympathetic towards Pearl because she is truly alone in the world all because of her mother’s one mistake. The people of the town refer to her as a “devil child” only because of how she came to be. She even makes up a world of her own with its own characters which are her “friends”, and I think it’s good that she’s learning to cope but it makes me wonder how it may affect her when she’s older.