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SUMMARY
Huck describes his and Tom's ordeal when they are trying to escape into the woods. Despite utmost care, they invite Jim's suspicion who refuses to budge unless his curiosity is satiated. Jim tries to discover the source of the sound that he has heard. Huck, then goes on to give a droll account of the tough time he has because his body starts itching at different places and he has a hard time trying to suppress his urge to scratch. It is not until Jim dozes off to sleep that they finally heave a sigh of relief.
Tom and Huck climb back into the kitchen and steal three candles for which they leave five cents as payment, Tom, against the wishes of Huck, wants to play a practical joke on Jim. He slides oft his cap from his head and hangs it on one of the branches right overhead. When Jim wakes up, he imagines it to be the witches' work and keeps the five-cent piece as a souvenir from the devil. Niggers from far and wide, come to listen to Jim's exaggerated account of how the witches hypnotized him and rode him all over the world.
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| The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Chapter 2 |
We are introduced to Joe Harper and Ben Rogers, in this chapter. As they travel down the "old tanyard", all the boys decide to start a band of robbers, with Tom as their leader. They lay down the rules of membership. It is a gory oath that they must sign. According to it, they must swear their loyalty towards one another and towards the mission of the gang, or else, be ready to have their family killed in case of betrayal. Following this, they decide upon the modus operandi. It is decided that the captives must be held for 'ransom - a concept which nobody is clear about. They equate it to keeping their captives until they are dead. Tom tells the group that women are not to be killed but should be kept at the hideout where the boys' manners will charm the women into falling in love with the boys. When one boy begins to cry out of homesickness and threatens to tell the group's secrets, Tom bribes him with five cents. Once they are through with their argument over what 'ransom' means, they decided to disperse, with the promise of meeting again but not on a Sunday because it would be blasphemous, and carrying out their plans.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
It is in this chapter that the adventurous streak, in the boys, is revealed. Mark Twain seems to be poking fun at the Romanticism pervading the novels of Sir Walter Scott. Both boys share a rambunctious boyishness and they delight in the dirty language and pranks. The boys find it a "real beautiful oath" when they decide to punish the traitor by killing his family. It is amusing how they misconstrue "ransom" to be the act of keeping their captives until they are dead. After all, the people "who have made the books know whats the correct thing to do". Tom and the other boys, enamoured by the tales of Romanticism, do not really understand the implications of robbery and murder. Far from being portrayed in a negative light, their resolve to kill for 'ransom' reflects the juvenile notions of adolescents, always in an insatiable quest for adventure. They are, nevertheless, not seasoned criminals and chivalrous young men who, in the hope of falling in love with the women captives, gear up to be "as polite as a pie to them."
Huck's reflection of the so-called civilized society is evident from his description of the village as a place "where there was sick folks, maybe." Despite their outward glamour, he doesn't hold them in high esteem. He can, probably, see through the surface polish that is nothing more than a farce, and which chains him. It is amusing to note that he doesn't mind offering Miss Watson's life (and not that of widow Douglas, since she is kinder to him) in case he decides to turn hostile.
The boys decision against beginning their campaign on Sunday (Sabbath Day) betrays their fundamental goodness, despite gruesome plans. One cannot overlook the fact that they are primarily, God-fearing young boys, who still have the essential humanity.
While Huck's feelings about society and the adult world are based on his negative experiences-most notably with his abusive father-and ring with a seriousness and weight that Tom's fancies lack. We get the sense that Tom can afford to accept the nonsense of society and romantic literature, but Huck can not.