- Explain how the American Dream is or is not achieved by various characters in this novel. Begin by explaining what each character holds as his or her American Dream.
- A major unifying element in the novel is illusion (pretense) vs. reality. Find examples beyond the scenes in the Arkansas town, which we already talked about. Explain their significance to Twain's overall themes.
- Discuss Jim as a Christ figure.
- How does Twain use satire to expose human failings? Which qualities does he lampoon? Which does he admire?
- In some ways Huck's story is both mythical and anti-myth -- a challenge to the deceits which individuals and cultures use to disguise their true natures from themselves. (In the midst of this deceitful culture, Huck stands as a peculiarly honest individual.) Discuss this idea, referencing the novel. Start by exploring what makes it mythical?
- What's up with Twain's claim that there's no plot and no moral to this story? We kind of understand why he'd say there's no plot, but how could he possibly say there's no moral?
- John Seelye notes that the premise of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is highly unrealistic (p. xiii). Is it? If so, how might that affect one’s reading of the novel? Does it matter?
- If we assume, as Twain says, that the novel celebrates the triumph of a "sound heart" over a "deformed conscience," what are the steps in that process? Look at Huck and Jim's relationship. What incidents mark steps in Huck's moral growth?
- The ending of Huckleberry Finn, one of its most frequently discussed features, has been criticized as abrupt, shallow, and unsatisfying. James Cox, on the other hand, defends the ending by saying that we are Tom who "safely" frees the slave who is already free. Would you agree or disagree with this characterization? Why?