Carefully read the passage on pages 265-268 (hardback) or 204-206 (paperback). Write an essay analyzing how Twain characterizes Huck and reveals his transformation in regard to Jim (discuss the style and content of the passage). Discuss Twain’s use of tone, diction, sentence structure, faulty logic, absurdity, dialect, irony, and/or point of view in order to reveal Huck’s character.
First Draft: Due Wednesday 8/28
Model Thesis
In this passage where Huck decides to sacrifice everything, even his soul, to save Jim from slavery, Twain creates the ultimate irony of his novel: as Huck becomes more and more convinced of his depravity, the reader becomes more and more convinced of his moral superiority to the rest of the characters in the novel. Twain’s use of irony, diction, and syntax reveals Huck as eloquent and principled, kind and compassionate, in sharp contrast to the hypocritical and corrupt role models he sees on the shores of the Mississippi.