Logos

Blog Post #1 - Christine (pg. 1-150)

“Don’t you reckon that the people that made the books knows what’s the correct thing to do? Do you reckon you can learn ‘em anything?”

• Tom Sawyer claims authors of books know what they’re talking about. Considering Huck is considered the author of this book, he includes this conversation between Ben Rogers and Tom Sawyer to encourage readers to believe his accuracy in his story. As Huck includes this conversation, he is providing an example that other people, like Tom Sawyer believe authors are intelligent, which therefore means the audience should listen to what the author is trying to say.
• Deductive Reasoning
• Chapter 2, Page 12

“I had been to school most all the time, and could spell, and read, and write just a little, and could say the multiplication table up to six times seven is thirty-five, and I don’t reckon I could ever get any further than that if I was to live for ever.”

• It is difficult to logically trust Huck in his writing because he explicitly shows he is not very intelligent. He thinks six times seven is thirty-five (it’s actually forty-two), which makes his statement invalid, which in turn defeats the purpose of him exemplifying his logic and reasoning throughout his writing. He does not do well in persuading his audience to trust him with what he thinks are facts.
• Inductive Reasoning
• Chapter 4, Page 18

“I says: ‘Pap, and mam, and sis, and ---’ Then I broke down...Why, pap, and mam, and sis, and Miss Hooker; and if you’d take your ferry-boat and go up there ---’”

• Huck and Jim head to some robbers’ boat to prevent them from escaping; Huck came across these robbers after exploring a shipwreck. After stealing their raft, Huck’s conscience gets the best of him when he grows pitiful for stealing the robbers’ raft, leaving them unable to escape. On upon arriving on land, Huck finds a ferry watchman and convinces him to take him back to the wreck after creating an elaborate story that his family was still on the ship, which was completely untrue. Huck is proud when the watchman goes out to examine the wreck. He proves himself slightly worthy of trust in his logic and reasoning to help others after depriving them.  
• Chapter 13, Page 82-3

Blog Post #2 - Shei (pg. 150-200)
Throughout the novel, Mark Twain inserts characters that deal with alcohol abuse. By addressing this issue, Twain makes known the dangers and the repercussions of excessive drinking.

“He was a drunk... everybody yelled at him, everybody laughed at him, and sassed him, and he sassed back...” (160).

When discussing Boggs’s character, Twain states that “ He was a drunk... everybody yelled at him, everybody laughed at him, and sassed him, and he sassed back...” (160). Sherburn ultimately kills Boggs due to his stubborn demeanor and habits gained from substance abuse. By killing off Boggs’s character, Twain implies that excessive drinking will kill and individual and harm others as well.

“...the drunk man hanging on his neck, and his heels flying in the air every jump...” (166).

A drunken man at the circus who wanted to ride the horse got into the ring and almost died. He “was a drunk... everybody yelled at him, everybody laughed at him, and sassed him, and he sassed back...”(166). By describing the man’s position on the horse, Twain suggests that the drunken man is out of control. This further extends his argument that alcohol abuse is risky and should be dealt with carefully rather than carelessly.

The most important example of alcohol abuse in Huckleberry Finn is Pap’s character. Despite having a more lenient son, Pap is narrow-minded and due to his alcohol problem, Pap cannot form a real relationship/connection with his son.

Blog Post #3 - Christine (pg. 200-250)

Throughout these chapters, Huck greatly matures with his morals and conscience. Huck is on his debating whether he should continue to let Jim live as a slave and agree with societal beliefs, or trust his instincts and conscience to find Jim to grant him his freedom again.

“It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was trembling, because I’d got to decide, for ever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studies a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: ‘All right, then, I’ll go to hell’ - and tore it up.” (239)

• This scene really perfectly depicts what Huck experiences when his brain and heart are caught in a battle. Huck finally chooses to reason with his conscience and allows himself to flourish in his own identity. Huck was never one to stick to the status quo, and he finally understands the logic of what he finds right versus what he finds wrong. The strict principles of validity that were originally forced on him before his journey with Jim, prevented him from accessing and flourishing in discovering his identity and purpose.

Blog Post #4 - Allison (pg. 250-300)

“SO Tom he thanked them very hearty and handsome, and let himself be persuaded, and come in; and when he was in, he said he was a stranger from Hicksville, Ohio, and his name was William Thompson - and he made another bow.” (253)

• In ‘certain’ circumstances, lying can solve life’s problems. Even though lying isn’t the best medicine, it totally repaired this situation. When Huck ran into Tom, he agrees to help set Jim free. So in doing so, he changes his identity and introduces himself as William Thompson at Aunt Sally’s home even though logically he is actually her nephew. Tom’s new found identity convinces his aunt on his new character along with persuading the audience of his new persona and his loyalty to help Huck. It also makes us feel relieved that Huck has found another companion and friend to help him on his journey.  Totally #friendshipgoals!

“...Tom said we got to have some light to see how to dig by, and a lantern makes too much, and might get us into trouble.” (265)

• Let's say for instance, if a person wants to sneak food from the kitchen at 2:00 in the morning, they obviously don’t want to draw attention and get away with their action. Okay, since we gotten that in mind, how does this apply to this quote? In the novel, Huck and Tom are sneaking out at night attempting to invent obstacles to get Jim out. To avoid trouble, they have is “fox-fire” to make a “soft” (265) glow that doesn’t draw people like Aunt Sally to the situation. Logically, if people perform a secretive action they want to keep it a secret. So going back to the analogy, let’s say the person had the kitchen lights on and made noise, their parents would wake up and that person would end up getting in trouble. This convinces the audience of the strategic moves the characters are making. Thank God their plan is going swell.

Blog Post #5 - Laura (pg. 300-350)
In the sitting room of Aunt Sally’s house, Huck notices several farmers with guns who he uses logic to deduce are nervous because “they was always taking off their hats, and putting them on, and scratching their heads, and changing their seats, and fumbling with their buttons” (301). Further, when the doctor describes Jim as “not a bad nigger at all” (317), the townspeople alter their perspective on Jim’s imprisonment to be a more proportional response, prior to it being revealed he was a free man all along, the realization upon which he is at last set free.