Also Read
SUMMARY
The first chapter begins with a cursory reference to an earlier novel by Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, in which Huck is introduced at the end. Huck, the narrator of Huckleberry Finn, is quick enough to add that if readers have not read the previous novel, it would not hamper their comprehension of this one. He gives an account of 12,000 dollars that he and Tom get from the robbers' hidden treasure. They divide the booty among themselves and invest the money with Judge Thatcher who gives them a 6% rate of interest, amounting to one dollar a day.
 |
| The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Chapter 1 |
Widow Douglas adopts Huck and takes it upon herself to reform the crude lad. She tries to teach him good department that is becoming of a cultivated and fine person. But, owing to his churlish ways, Huck finds it extremely difficult to imbibe them and wants to break free. Tom tells him that he can join the former's gang of robbers once he becomes more respectable". Tempted at the prospect of having a brush with adventure, Huck agrees to go back to widow Douglas' house. Far from emulating the teachings of the "regular and decent" lady, he longs to go back to his old rags and sugar-hogshead" again. Anything that helps him relate to his carefree lifestyle attracts him.
In an attempt to make him more literate, the widow tries to educate him on the Bible. Although initially Huck is quite intrigued with Moses, he loses all interest as soon as he is told that Moses has long been dead.
The chapter also introduces Miss Watson, widow Douglas' sister. She makes an endeavour to teach him spellings, but to no avail. She makes a mention of Heaven and Hell saying that, if Huck doesn't mend his ways, he will go to Hell. When Huck voices his preference for Hell over Heaven, she is appalled. Nothing can be more pleasing than the promise of Tom's company even if it amounts to being in Hell. Moreover Huck cannot relate to Miss Watson's description of the "good place" with everybody "going around all day with a harp and sing, forever and ever." That night, in his room, Huck feels extremely lonely. He hears mysterious and eerie sounds, signalling a premonition of death. He tries to look for ways to negate the bad omen when a spider falls in the candle flame and gets burnt. The chapter ends with the meowing of a cat. Discerning it to be Tom's call, Huck climbs up the window and joins his friend.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In the first chapter, it is interesting to note the various dialects used by the novelist. A modern reader would, undeniably, find it challenging to follow these heavy dialects, especially that of Jim. But, on giving the text a loud reading, one can overcome these barriers and be in syne with colloquial speech. "Aint", "Sivilize", "I couldn't stood it much longer" are expressions that, according to critics, hold the danger of "corrupting our youth and teach them improper English." While these remarks are true, it cannot be refuted that the details, lent by the dialects, add realism - an honest and candid attempt to depict the world without all the frills and fancies.
Widow Douglas and Miss Watson's efforts to reform. Huck, which come to naught, speak volumes of the omnipresent conflict between the "civilized" and "uncivilized" societies.
Civilization is equated to education, regularity, decency and, for Huck, being cramped up in a fairly undesirable situation. What is more intriguing is the fact that women are the icons of this "civilized" society those who uphold its values. Isn't it, therefore, ironical that widow Douglas, the epitome of this society, takes Snuff (a form of tobacco) herself while she denies Huck the pleasures of smoking? But of course, according to Huck, "that was all right, because she done it herself.
Huck's inclination to go to Hell explains his childlike innocence Why would a fourteen years old hanker after a place "all its harp and sing" when the "bad place" promises prospects that he can relate to, more closely? Huck exposes the shallowness of the so-called religiosity of the cultured lot. Though members of this society say their prayers dutifully and adhere to the code of conduct, they find nothing wrong in enslaving people. Is this true humanity? Isn't Huck, despite his crudity and lack of finesse, more human?