American Lit Spring Final

Realism

A faithful representation of reality in literature; also know as "verisimilitude" An emphasis on the development of believable characters; characters that a reader might actually meet in the real world Written in the vernacular, or common every day speech; sometimes makes use of dialect

Theme

A poem's subject is the topic of the poem, or what the poem is about, while the theme is an idea that the poem expresses about the subject or uses the subject to explore.

Regionalism

Also called "local color" (ex. Huck Finn) Focuses on characters, dialect, topography, and other features that are specific to a particular geographic region

Naturalism

Applied the scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to the observation of human beings Involved a study of Darwinism (natural selection) and psychology as promoted by Freud Suggested that human beings are influenced and controlled not only by their genetic makeup, but also their environments Often depicted human characters in opposition to nature, society, or himself.

The Great Gatsby

CH 1: Introduced to narrator, Nick Carraway, and establishes the context and setting of the novel. Nick begins by explaining his own situation. He has moved from the Midwest to West Egg, a town on Long Island, NY. The novel is set in the years following WWI, and begins in 1922. Nick served in the army in WWI, and now that he is home has decided to move east and try to become a bond trader on Wall Street. Nick is a graduate of Yale, and grew up in a wealthy family. He is what is considered "old rich," and feels he is superior to those who have recently earned great fortunes, the "new rich." Nick has rented a small house that is nestled between many large mansions. The mansion next door to his house belongs to the title character, Jay Gatsby. There is a large bay in front of Nick's house, and across that bay live Nick's cousin, Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan. Nick is invited to Tom and Daisy's for dinner. He discovers that Daisy's husband, Tom, is still as aggressive and assertive as he was when they went to college together. He also learns that Tom is a racist, as he explains a book about white supremacy he's recently read. Nick is happy to see his cousin, Daisy, however, whom he hasn't seen since before the war, and to hear about her life. A fourth character, Jordan Baker, is introduced. Jordan is a professional golfer and she and Nick share a mutual attraction. The dinner is interrupted several times, however, by the ringing telephone. Tom's mistress calls repeatedly to speak with him, causing him to leave the table several times. At one point Daisy follows after Tom and the couple quarrel. When he gets back to his own house after dinner, Nick spies his neighbor, Gatsby, for the first time. Gatsby is standing on the lawn, looking at a small green light at the end of the dock at Daisy and Tom's house. Gatsby's arms are stretched out, as though he is reaching for the light. Ch 2: Tom and a Nick are on a train. They pass through valley of ashes. Tom forces Nick off the train to meet his girl/ side chick. The woman's name is Myrtle Wilson, married to George Wilson who has a car shop...mechanic. George and Tom are working on a car deal, George is oblivious to the affair. Tom, Nick, and Myrtle hang out in the city. Myrtle wants a puppy, Tom buys it for her. Tom takes them to his apartment where the affair usually takes place. At the apartment they have a party, they drink a lot of whisky. Nick says that that is where he gets drunk for the second time in his life. They end up talking about Gatsby parties, Nicks never been. Nick talks to Katherine, she tells him Myrtle and Tom hate their spouses, plan to run away together. Tom doesn't want to marry her, it would be a step down form Daisy, since she would be ex to a mechanic and is poor. They all have a conversation about marrying beneath self, Myrtle says she married George and he is beneath her. Myrtle brings up Daisy, Tom said to stop talking about her. Myrtle doesn't stop, Tom hits her and breaks her nose. The women are scolding Tom, but no one stands up to him. In early twentieth century it was legal for husbands to hit their wives as long as it was the size of a thumb. Also, the social rule was that you don't intrude in another persons relationship. Breaking her nose is going to far, but not illegal which is why no one says anything. (Not my business and not illegal). Nick keeps drinking, ends up in bed but doesn't know how. Ch 3: nick goes to Gatsby's party, Nick was the only person who was actually invited. People just show up and trash his home and drink alcohol. He cleans it up and has another one the next week. No one knows who Gatsby really is, there are a bunch of rumors about him. Nick wanders into the library with Jordan and come across guy, called owl eyes. The owl eyed man is shocked that books are real. Jordan is Daisy's friend, professional golfer. While in library the owl eyed guy says the books are real, but unopened. Nick talks to a mysterious man, they end up knowing each other, they were old buddies from war. Nick talks about Gatsby to mysterious man who happens to be Gatsby. Nick gets embarrassed. Gatsby and Jordan leave to have a private convo. The party becomes a mess- drunk red headed lady sings and weeps (hot mess) with piano for a reason that no one knows. Most of remaining woman were fighting as to who are their husbands- party is breaking up and no one is having fun. Jordan says she had an amazing convo with Gatsby, she won't share what it's about since she promised not to. Gatsby invites nick to ride his plane. Gatsby Leaves to take a call. Nick and Jordan leave. People drive into a ditch, drunk driving. Summer flies by, Nick gets into a routine. Nick meets up with Jordan, realizes he likes her. Tells her she's a bad driver, and tells her to be careful. Jordan is careless and Nick isn't careless. As he's cruising around with Jordan and flirting he realizes he should break things up with a girl he had in Chicago. Yet he calls himself honest... Ch 4: Nick and Gatsby go to lunch together. Nick pulls up in his yellow rolls Royce. Gatsby tells Nick his whole life story: son of wealthy people in Midwest, went to Oxford in England (prestigious) Nick remembers rumors about Gatsby lying about education. Tells nick he went to war, and shows a medal from war and pic of him and friends at Oxford. (why does he carry this everywhere he goes...suspicious) If you have to walk around with pics of your "friends" there is something shady going on. While on their way to lunch, a policeman pulls them over. Gatsby pulls out white card and police man lets them go and apologizes to Gatsby (hmmm) Meyer Wolfsheim is not a real person, fixed the world series because it was rigged (actually true in 1919- white socks paid off to loose, so people betting on other team would make money. People found out and players are banned for playing baseball for blacklisting... now called the Chicago black socks who intentionally lost the world series). Meyer Wolfsheim wears cufflinks out of human molars, man you dont want to upset or mess with (like al capon) Nick sees Tom, wants to introduce Tom to Gatsby, when he returns Gatsby disappeared. Jordan and Nick are hanging out. Jordan tells Nick that Daisy and Gatsby have a history, which explains why Gatsby left. Daisy's fan didn't approve of Gatsby since he didn't have money, he was a solider going to war. The night before Tom and Daisy's wedding she has a breakdown and says doesn't want to marry. Message didn't go through and end up getting married and have a child. On honeymoon, Tom crashes car, in car the maid is in with him. Why a maid...? hmmm because he was probably cheating on their honeymoon! Since Daisy's heard Nick lives next to Gatsby she realized that was the Gatsby she dated. She wants to meet with him; Jordan says Nick has the chance of getting them together. He agrees, they start making out. Ch 5: Chapter five is the center of the novel, focal point on which everything hinges/shift... All about setting reunion between Daisy and Gatsby. Nick asks Gatsby when to have tea Gatsby says whenever. Gatsby offers Nick to make extra money on the side, Nick says he's ok and doesn't need it. Gatsby is a hot mess the day of the tea, thinks she's not going to show up, nothing is perfect as it is in his mind. Daisy gets there, knocks on the door, Nick opens it. As nick leads Daisy to Gatsby, he realizes Gatsby is gone. Gatsby goes out in the rain (gets soaked) and knocks on door (shows how far he goes for Daisy and sympathy since he is drenched). When Daisy and Gatsby talk it is awkward, forced. Nick thinks its because he's there, so wants to leave. Gatsby says he doesn't want him to leave. Nick shoves Gatsby to Daisy and leaves them there to talk. Comes back and makes noise in kitchen so that they can hear that he is back. Goes into room and Daisy is crying of happiness and Gatsby is glowing (even weather looks better the sun comes out) Nick and Gatsby talk to one another on the lawn, look up to Gatsby's mansion. Nick notices Gatsby say something odd. Gatsby says it took him 3 years to buy that house, then Nick said, "wait i thought you said you had money from family" Then forgets he said he was from midwest and says he's from san Fran. Gatsby has done everything he has done for the benefit of Daisy- gives her a tour of his luxurious life. Odd moment in his bedroom, daisy said she has never seen such beautiful shirts (cries because they are so beautiful, but its not the shirts). Now that daisy is here in Gatsby's house, the green light looses all significance to Gatsby. That green light that he was stretching out to is at the end of Daisy's dock (on her property) this gives us a clue on what it represents. Ends with Gatsby pointing at pic and pianist plays song called love nest. Nick realizes that he is a third wheel and leaves both of them alone. Ch 6: dedicated to filling in some of the gaps of Gatsby's past that we don't know. Explains who Dam Cody is. Dam Cody is sort of Gatsby's mentor, teaches him how to be a rich guy(how to act). Gatsby's real name is James Gats and he is from North Dakota. He grew up with a family that wasn't rich, not old money. They were unsuccessful farmers. Gatsby was supposed to inherit all of Dam Codys fortune (25,000) but he didn't get it. Ella Kay got the money, cheated him out of it. The only thing he gets is knowledge and experience. Nick and Gatsby are hanging out. People from east Egg pass by (Tom, sloane, wife) on horseback. They invite him to dinner. Gatsby invites Tom, Daisy and Nick to his party. Tom doesn't want to be there, daisy isn't having a good time. Tom is suspicious about Gatsby is being a bootlegger. Gatsby says he is going to win Daisy over. Nick says you can't go back to time. Party was a disaster, and Gatsby is determined to fix that Ch 7: Things start to change. Gatsby fired all his servants and brought new staff members. Wanted people that don't gossip. Daisy comes over every afternoon when Tom isn't home. (Affair) nick and Gatsby visit Tom, Jordan, and Diasy in Toms house. Daisy's daughter(3yrs) is introduced to Gatsby and Nick. Go outside, Tom wants to show off his property. Daisy wants to go into town. Daisy says that Gatsby looks so cool and tells him that she loves him. In ny they rent a hotel, get a room and drinks. Tom accuses Gatsby of having affair with Daisy. Gatsby tells him that Daisy never loved Tom and she only loves Gatsby. Daisy said she used to live Tom, not now. Gatsby can't get over that. Gatsby's is a bootleg, selling illegal alcohol. Tom accuses Gatsby of being in deeper things. Party is over. Toms arrogance convinces him that Mertyle won't leave him. Mertyle is dead she got ran over by a yellow car. George blames Tom. Tom, Nick, and Jordan get home. Gatsby is hiding in bushes. Daisy ran over Mertyle. Gatsby will take blame. Ch 8: Gatsby waits all night at the night(4am) and nothing happens. Tom and Daisy have reconciled. Gatsby is clinging to a hope that deposing exist. Nick tells Gatsby to get out of town for a while, to let the heat die down. Gatsby says he can't leave her now, thinks she'll come back to him... Nick tells us that at this moment in time, Gatsby tells him the truth about his life. Daisy was the first nice girl Gatsby had ever met(proper, polite, good breeding) Gatsby starts out just wanting to Hooke up with Daisy, but ends up falling in love with her. As a results, their relationship is a bit more serious. After we find out about Daisy wealth and status. Gatsby beloved that he was destined for greatness, and when he gets a glimpse of her world he feels like he's made for that lifestyle, but he doesn't have the social status to be able to have a serious relationship with daisy. Gatsby becomes Daisy's boy toy. They continue spending tome, and eventually sleep together but he felt he wasn't worth enough for her(beneath him). After he sleeps with her, he leads her to believe that he has more wealth and stability than he actually did. His love should've been enough, but giver her status and social life it wasn't. After war he goes to oxford. Daisy gets tired of waiting, marries Tom. Gatsby is now on the verge of desperation, thought she was going to leave her husband but didn't. HEs trying to make a life with her and a happily ever after. Servant wants to drown pool, says no. Hasn't used it all summer. Nick is late for work. Leaves Gatsby's house and shouts that Gatsby's is better than the whole bunch(Daisy, tom). Once nick gets to work, Jordan calls. Nick is sick of east Egg crowd, Jordan is a part of that crowd. Jordan says she's engaged, Nick and a Jordan are broken up(done with east Egg). Wilson in his wife's death, thinks she's having an affair. Why: a few weeks ago came home with face swollen and bruised, finds an expensive dog leash. Concluded that Mertyle ran out to that car is because she thought it was her lover, and wants to knows who was cheating with her. He finds out that Gatsby owns the yellow car. Goes to Gatsby's house and shoots him while he is in a pool and shoots himself too. Nick finds Gatsby dead in his pool. Ch 9: aftermath of Gatsby's death. After he dies, brief period of paparazzi trying to see what happened. Wild series of rumors that are going around about Gatsby(bootleg, cd, fake) kind of like what happened when a celeb dies in unknown way. Nick is the one that deals with all the paparazzi and nosy people. Cleans up the mess. He learns that Tom and Daisy have left town, and haven't told anyone... Nick puts effort to track friends and family for Gatsby funeral. People that party at his party didn't show up-- Minister, unnamed servants, owl yes, and Henry Gats(father), nick are the only people that attend the funeral. Nick gets strangled phone call from Senegal, that confirms that Gatsby was involved in illegal activities (production on bonds). Funeral with Mr. Gats believes that he was the best(all about self improvement- essentially a man who would change the world... a working man could be successful like Gatsby). Mr. Gats has no clue on how he made money, didn't want to know because that he was a good person. After funeral, nick is done with New York that he can't live in west Egg anymow(gastby dead, Tom and Daisy gone) decided to move to the south, before he leaves, he runs into town. Tom window shopping in jewelry shop, and goes up to Nick. Tom wants to shake his head, nick doesn't want to. Tom let's nick know that Tom told George that the yellow car was owned by Gatsby. Tom is an accessory to this murder. Nick wants to tell Him that Daisy was the one driving the car, but there was nothing to be gained so he didn't. At the end of the day, Nick concludes that Tom and Daisy walk in the world in a bubble (wealth, status, money) they are careless people because they are never affected. (The ones that make the gold make the rules) they can do whatever they want, and face no consequences. As nick ends the novel and walks on Gatsby's lawn. Gatsby spends his whole life toward his goal, but failed to recognize that that dream was already behind him and you couldn't get it.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Chapter 1 * Huck and Tom found $12,000 in a cave. They gave it all over to the town official, Judge Thatcher, for safe-keeping. * Huck is currently living with the Widow Douglas and her sister Miss Watson near the Mississippi River. * These women are trying to "sivilize" Huck, part of this "civilizing" involves teaching Huck about religion. * Miss Watson takes this whole civilizing process seriously, she threatens that Huck will go to hell if he doesn't start behaving himself or he'll go to hell * Huck thinks this sounds just fine to him. Heaven sounds awfully boring. Plus, he's pretty sure Tom Sawyer is going straight to hell, and he wants to keep hanging out with his friend. * After dinner, Huck lights a candle in his bedroom. He can't sleep and sits awake listening to the sounds of the woods outside, imagining ghosts and all sorts of spooky things. A spider crawls up Huck's shoulder and he flips it off—straight in to the candle. This is an "awful bad sign." After performing various good-luck ceremonies to counteract the bad luck that comes from killing a spider, Huck resigns himself to his approaching fate. * In fact, he pulls out his pipe for a relaxing smoke. * Just after the clock strikes midnight, Huck hears a "me-yow! me-yow!" He meows back softly. It was Tom waiting for him. Chapter 2 * Huck and Tom traipse through the dark. They pass the kitchen and see Jim, Miss Watson's slave(JIM) sitting by the window. * Jim hears some noises and comes outside to investigate. * The boys freeze in place, and Huck gets itchy all over the place. * Jim is determined to wait the situation out, so he sits down, but he promptly falls asleep. * Huck and Tom decide to punk him.Tom sneaks into the kitchen to take a candle, and leaves five cents on the table for payment. Then he takes Jim's hat off his head (while he is sleeping)and hangs it on the branch above him. When Jim wakes up, he tells everyone that witches came and rode him all around the world. * He becomes the famous authority for all things witch-related * Tom Sawyer is starting a gang, he calls it "Tom Sawyer's Gang." the boys have to sign a blood oath, which Tom got the idea from books about pirates and robbers * They also said that they would kill the family of any boy that breaks the oath. * This creates some difficulties for Huck; we find that his father used to lie around drunk with the hogs and is nowhere to be found these days. * Why is this a problem? It would render killing him a problem, in the event that he broke the oath. * Huck, always a problem-solver, offers up Miss Watson instead, to everyone's great satisfaction. * Tom says they're all supposed to be robbers, but they can't steal—that would be burglary, and very, very wrong. Again, he speaks with authority, having gotten all his information from children's fiction. * Tom debates with one of the boys, Ben Rogers, about the proper way to ransom a person. * Women are easy. You just bring them to your cave and are "polite as pie" to them. Obviously, they then fall in love with you while you're all waiting for them to get ransomed. They dont know when to start their mischief (but for sure not Sunday) Chapter 3 * Huck is dubious about religions because when he prays fro things to happen, they dont. Miss Watson says that Huck should pray for spiritual gifts, like helping other people. Huck doesn't see any advantage in this, so he drops the subject. * we hear about "Pap," an abusive alcoholic who everyone thinks is dead. Huck isn't so sure, but he really hopes Pap doesn't show up again. * Tom Sawyer's gang gets together and plays cops n' robbers. Huck says that no one really dies or gets robbed—so its boring. * Tom gathers them all up in a hurry to report that there's a band of "A-rabs" with chests of treasure coming through town, and that they need to go attack. * But the "A-rabs" are just townspeople on a Sunday School picnic... Chapter 4 * Huck has been going to school and taking regular baths : being civilized, but when he gets too fed up with it all, he runs off to sleep in the woods. * Huck spills some salt at breakfast. But before he can throw it over his shoulder, Miss Watson stops him and tells him not to be foolish. Huck knows this means that bad luck is coming. * Huck goes to the Judge and says he wants to give him all the money (his six-thousand-dollar share of the money found in the cave). * The Judge thinks Huck is trying to sell his property over to the Judge. Huck agrees, signs a document, gets a dollar as pay for all his property, and leaves. * We find out about Jim and his magic hairball.(fortune-telling magic hairball). Huck goes to Jim to have his fortune read by the magic hairball. He says he saw his Pap's tracks in the snow and now he's scared. * the hairball needs some money, to tell Huck his fortune * the hairball tells Huck (via Jim's interpretation), that his Pap doesn't know what to do. He's got a good angel on one shoulder and a bad one on the other, and it's hard to say who he'll listen to at any given time. * Jim rather profoundly observes that sometimes Huck's life will be good and sometimes bad. For example, sometimes he'll be sick, but he'll always get better. Chapter 5 * Pap is abusive and is trying to stop his son from gaining an education, life, civilized upbringing, culture, knowledge, and basically anything that he himself doesn't have. - he's jealous * He demands that Huck stop going to school and stop learning about religion and even tears up one of his schoolbooks.He also wants his money * Huck says he doesn't have money, which is why Huck handed his money over to the Judge. * Pap takes his dollar which he uses to get drunk in town. * The next day, still drunk, Pap harasses the judge about getting Huck's money. udge Thatcher turns him down and tries to get the court to officially remove him from a position as Huck's legal guardian. * Unfortunately, there's a new judge in town who doesn't know how bad Pap is, and he refuses. * Pap threatens to beat Huck senseless if he doesn't get some money, so Huck scrapes together $3, which Pap promptly drinks. He then wanders around town causing trouble until he gets jailed. * The new judge in town believes in myths as the tooth fairy and man's inherent goodness. He thinks Pap is just reaching out for help, so the judge takes Pap in and gives him a bed and a new jacket. * Pap sells the jacket for liquor, and now the judge has had it: he says that maybe you could reform a man with a shotgun, but that's about it. Chapter 6 * Huck didn't like school or try at school, but when his dad told him not to, he's been trying more at school. * Pap has started a court case to try to get Huck's $6,000. Huck has to keep getting money for his father to avoid beatings. * Pap kidnaps Huck and takes him to live on the river in a lovely little shack. While Huck is there, he gets regular beatings. He can't run away, because Pap leaves he locks Huck inside. * But Huck is adaptable, and he gets used to life in the shack by the river. He says he's happy because he gets to live in the wild as he likes and there's no one around to scold him about manners and spitting and so forth. * He just doesn't like the beatings and that one time he was locked up for three days straight. * Huck finds an old wood-saw and goes to work at a slab of wood on the back wall of the cabin. He hides the saw when Pap comes home acting even less pleasant than usual because Judge Thatcher is dragging out the trial as long as possible. * Pap is also worried that the Widow will try to get custody again and win this time. Pap has made an idiot of himself about town. * Huck may not like being locked up, but he also doesn't want to go back to civilization. He decides to run away just as soon as he can. * That night, Pap gets super drunk and comes back home absolutely covered in mud from lying in the gutter. He starts cussing out everything, from the government (who won't let him have his rights) to Judge Thatcher (who won't let him have Huck's $6,000) to black men who are educated (who he thinks shouldn't be allowed to know more than he does). Pap continues to drink, fall down, hurts himself, and act the poster child for racism and bigotry. * Huck falls asleep and wakes up to see Pap screaming about snakes and the devil. * After some more sleeping, crying, and screaming, Pap jumps up and starts chasing Huck around the cabin, calling him the "Angel of Death." * When he finally passes out again, Huck picks up the rifle and sits down with it pointed at Pap. Just in case he wakes up and tries to murder him again. Chapter 7 * Huck falls asleep holding the gun and is woken by his father; he lies and says he was guarding against a robber in the night. * Huck is starting to miss town. * Huck finds a an empty canoe, so he hides it for later. * Pap gathers up some lumber and takes it to town to sell for money (whiskey). While he's gone, Huck gathers up supplies and leaves through the hole he sawed in the back of the cabin. * Huck fakes his own death: He beats down the door to the cabin and spreads pig's blood everywhere to make the cabin look like a robbery/murder-scene. * Then he goes on the canoe and out on the river in the pitch black darkness. Huck has to lie down still in his canoe as his father paddles by right next to him. * Pap is oblivious to the empty canoe less than six inches from his path. * Huck paddles out to the uninhabited Jackson's Island, i the middle of the river Chapter 8 * When Huck wakes up the next morning, everyone is out on the river searching for his body. * Huck sees the body-searching boat with everyone on it: Pap, Judge Thatcher and his family, Tom Sawyer and his Aunt Polly, etc. They're all talking about his murder. * Huck passes the next three days on Jackson Island, and says he's feeling pretty lonely. * Huck finds Jim in the island. Jim immediately assumes that Huck is a ghost and begs that he not hurt him. Huck convinces him that he's not actually dead, which is harder than it sounds. * Huck wants to know why Jim is on the island. Before he'll say, Jim makes him promise not to tell: He's run off from Watson * Huck is shocked, but knows he has to keep his word to Jim not to tell. * Jim overheard Miss Watson planning to sell him to New Orleans, which would have separated him from his family. So he ran away, on the same night that Huck died Chapter 9 * Huck and Jim head toward the middle of an island and find a cavern. * They find a makeshift house floating down the river, which was apparently flooded and dislodged in the storm. * They climb in, and Jim finds a dead body. He tells Huck not to look at the man's face, as it's "too gashly." * After taking supplies from the house, they head back to Jackson's Island. Chapter 10 * Jim doesn't really want to talk about the dead man on the grounds that it will bring back luck. * Jim had predicted bad luck the day before on account of Huck touching a snakeskin with his hand. * They got supplies (and $8) from a dead man's floating house * Three days later, Huck plays a prank on Jim; he kills a rattlesnake and puts it in Jim's bed to scare him. * Unfortunately, the rattlesnake's mate comes and lies down with its dead partner, and then bites Jim when he gets into bed. * Huck feels bad, but isn't going to say that it was his fault. Huck follows Jim's detailed instructions to ward off any more bad luck. * Jim slugs away at some leftover whiskey to help the pain, and Huck declares he'd rather be bitten by a rattlesnake than drink any of that stuff. * Jim decides that Huck should dress up like a girl and go to town to try and find some news. Huck, obviously, thinks this is a great idea. * Huck puts on a dress (part of the supplies he and Jim found in the floating house), paddles in, and comes to the door of a little shanty. Through the window he can see a middle-aged woman sitting alone and knitting—prime bait for his scheme. Chapter 11 * Huck becomes Sarah Williams, her mother is sick. * The woman talks a lot and tells "Sarah" all about the big news in town: the murder of Huck Finn. * She says, everyone thought Huck's Pap was the man responsible, but then they decided it was Jim, since he ran away on the same night of the murder. There's a reward out for both men: $200 for Pap, who ran away, afraid of getting lynched, and $300 for Jim. * The woman says that Huck's father will wait for the murder business to die down, come back after about a year, and get Huck's $6,000 * Oh, and the hunting party is going to check out Jackson's Island this very night, since she's recently seen smoke coming from that direction. * Huck gets all nervous and fidgety. The woman isn't as naïve as she seems, and she asks for the girl's name again. Huck answers: "Mary Williams." * He backtracks quickly and clarifies: Mary is his middle name, so he sometimes goes by that. * The woman goes back to talking about herself and her family and her personal problems, and the two of them have some fun throwing lead at the various rats infesting her house. * Unfortunately, Huck does an all-around awful job of acting like a girl, and the jig is up. The woman calls him out, saying she knows he is a runaway apprentice. * Huck is all, "Aw, shucks, you caught me" and spins another yarn about being mistreated. * Still, the women isn't yet satisfied. She asks Huck a series of questions about country life to test his new story. * Of course, Huck knows all about cows and horses and so on, so he passes the test * The woman, aka Mrs. Judith Loftus, tells "George Peters" (Huck's new fake name) that next time he wants to pretend to be a girl, he should thread a needle properly. * Huck tells Jim that they have to get out. Chapter 12 * Huck and Jim raft away down the river, with Missouri on one side and Illinois on the other. * They travel at night, tying the raft to the shore and covering it up during the day. * Sometimes Huck lands at a nearby town to buy food or occasionally steal a chicken. His father told him that you might as well steal a chicken whenever you can, because if you don't want it yourself, you can give it away. * Pap thinks: stealing is really "borrowing," as long as you "intended" on giving it "back" sometime...The widow correctly identifies this as "stealing." * Jim offers a compromise: they should pick three things they won't steal anymore, and everything else will be fine. * They come across a wrecked steamship in the middle of a thunderstorm. * Huck wants to land and plunder, but Jim has a bad feeling. Huck insists. Tom Sawyer wouldn't be scared of a steamboat, he says, so why should they be? * The two both get on board, only to overhear three robbers, two of them preparing to kill the third man. * Jim gets off to the raft, but Huck gets closer to the voices to see what's going on. * Jake Packard is the man with the gun; he's trying to convince his buddy Bill to kill the third man, Jim Turner. It seems Jake is afraid Jim will rat them out. * Jake has a better idea: instead of shooting Bill, they should plunder the rest of the steamboat and then wait for him to drown when the boat goes under. * Huck runs out to Jim and tells him they should hurry and get the sheriff. * Unfortunately, the raft has broken loose in the storm and gone off down the river. Chapter 13 * Huck is not too thrilled about being stuck on a sinking ship with three robbers, two of whom have no qualms about murdering their friend. * They make their way down to the far end of the ship and find the robbers' boat. As the robbers approach, they hide in the darkness and watch Jake and Bill load it up with the stolen supplies. * When the two robbers go back for more, Huck and Jim jump into the boat and start off down the river, hoping to catch up with their own raft. * Huck starts to have a moral crisis about leaving the men to die on the sinking steamship. As soon as they see lights on the shore, they'll stop and send someone back to the ship to help. * When they reach the raft, Huck heads for shore in the boat. * He soon comes upon a ferryboat at the outset of a little town and greets the watchman. Huck breaks down in tears and pretends that his family is stuck on the steamship and in mortal peril. * he watchman says he'd loved to help, but he doesn't know who's going to pay for the trouble it will take to go over and rescue these folks. * Huck pretends that one of the women stuck on the ferry is the niece of the richest man in town. * Apparently the watchman isn't as smart as Mrs. Judith Loftus, because he takes off to rescue them. * Huck knows he should leave, but he feels like he has to stay and make sure the men are okay first. * the wreck comes floating toward him on the river, it looks like no one survived. * Huck isn't too heavy-hearted over the dead robbers. If they can stand it, he says, so can he. Chapter 14 * Because of the robbers loot, Huck and Jim are sitting on some major bank. Huck is all fired up and ready for more adventures, but Jim would rather not have any more near-death experiences. * Part of the loot they got from the steamship was books. Huck reads some of them to Jim and, in doing so, gets into a conversation about dukes and kings and the like. * He tells Jim about all the circumstances surrounding these kinds of men. Jim is amazed. He says he's never heard of kings before—except for "Sollermun" (aka biblical Solomon) * Jim is skeptical that kings can get all the riches they want just by sitting around all day. * Huck agrees and says they hang around their harem, which he says is like a garage for their thousands of wives. * Jim disagrees:if Solomon really did have a thousand wives, he be smart, because he'd have to listen to the women gabbing all the time. * Surprisingly, Huck actually remembers what the Widow taught him from the Bible and tries to explain that Solomon didn't really want to cut the kid in half. * Jim can't (or won't) understand. He keeps insisting that Solomon is stupid for wanting to cut a child in half, because half a child isn't good to anybody. * Probably, he says, Solomon was so wasteful of children because he had about eight million kids himself. If he only had two kids, he wouldn't be so eager to go chopping them in half. * Huck says that a Frenchman doesn't speak the same way they do. Jim thinks this is ridiculous: all cats talk the same. All dogs talk the same. Why shouldn't all men talk the same? Huck misses the fact that Jim is actually incredibly logical and declares that, "you just can't learn a ****** to argue." Chapter 15 * Huck and Jim are headed to Cairo "at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in" where they can sell the raft and take a steamboat to Ohio-one of the free states, where Jim won't be in danger of being sold back into slavery. * They say they need three more days to get there. * When a heavy fog rolls in, Huck goes ahead in the canoe and gets separated from Jim and the raft. * Jim looks for Huck, but in the fog and confusion he still can't make his way back. So he panics for a bit and then just goes to sleep. * The next day the fog has lifted and Huck finds Jim, who has also been sleeping. He lies down on the raft and wakes Jim, pretending that he's been there asleep the whole night and that the fog incident was all a dream. * Jim is all, "Argh, I had the strangest dream!" and Huck is all, "Really? * Then he sees the leaves and smashed up oar on the raft, and realizes that in fact the incident was not a dream. * Huck is still in stitches, but Jim is genuinely hurt. He says he thought Huck had died in the fog and was just miserable over the whole thing. He sulks off. * Huck realizes his trick was a mean one. He works himself up to go apologize, which is hard because Jim is black. Chapter 16 * Huck and Jim continue toward Cairo, but they miss it in the fog * Jim talks about freeing his family- even by stealing them * Huck considered turning Jim in again; he decides not to * Huck is stopped by a raft several yards later, he can't bring himself to turn in his friend—even though the guys on the raft are actually looking for runaway slaves themselves. they want to inspect the raft that Huck has left behind. * Huck pretends it's his Pap back there with the smallpox, so the men take off but leave Huck with two twenty-dollar gold pieces to help out. * Someone steals their canoe and a steamboat wrecks their raft: Jim and Huck are now separated and trying not to drown. * Huck makes it to shore, and is attacked by dogs Chapter 17 * Huck is rescued by the Grangerfords, who are in a feud with the Shepherdons * Huck enjoys the comfort and food * He's also completely forgotten about Jim Chapter 18 * Meet Colonel Grangerford - an allegorical character * The feud has been going on for 30 years - and no one remembers why * Miss Sophia runs off with Harney Shepherdson * A lot of people die, and Huck feels guilty for his role in it Chapter 19 * Jim and Huck enjoy the freedom of the river * They meet the Duke and the Demphin (king) * Huck plays along, since it's easier than arguing Chapter 20 * The Duke and King come up with plans to con people: a show * They pull some small jobs to make some money * Jim suspects these guys might be fakes * In the meantime, they "protect" Jim with a fake reward poster Chapter 21 * The King and the Duke produce really bad Shakespeare, but it's okay because this town is not very cultured * A man named Boggs insults another man named Sherburn, who kills him * The townspeople are shocked, and decide to lynch Sherburn Chapter 22 * The townspeople confront Sherburn, who * call them all cowards * Everyone goes to the circus and has a good time * The King and Duke's show flop, so they decide to switch to comedy Chapter 23 * The King and Duke trick * the crowd into seeing their show * Jim reveals his feelings of * Guilt about his daughter Chapter 24 * The King and Duke decide to put on another show in the next town * The King learns that Peter Wilks, a rich man, has died and left behind money, two brothers, and three nieces * The King and Duke decide to * Pose as the Dead Man's * Brothers Chapter 25 * The King and Duke lean that, if they pull off the con, they'll get away with $10,000, so they make a big show a grief * One problem: some of the gold is missing, and they worry that the townspeople will think they stole it, so they replace the missing money with their own * They make a big show of giving all the money to the three girls, but the girls give it back as a show of faith when the town doctor calls them frauds Chapter 31 * King sells Jim for $40 * The Duke accidentally tells Huck where Jim is * Huck goes looking for Jim Chapter 26 * Huck has become the king's valet which he thinks is called a "valley." * They set up to stay in Peter's old house, where all the nieces still live. * Everyone has dinner together that night, and Joanna, whom Huck undiplomatically calls "hare-lip" in his narrative, pumps him for information about England, where supposedly they've all come from. * Huck digs himself into a hole making up contradictory stories about famous dead kings that go to his church in two different places in England. * He ends up having to swear he's telling the truth over a book. He does it only because it's a dictionary and not the Bible. * Meanwhile, Mary Jane overhears her sister giving their guest a hard time and lights into her about her lack of manners. Huck feel guilty about letting the duke and king rob such a nice girl of her money, and he decides that he just can't allow such low-down thievery to take place right under his nose. Huck is going to steal the money, hide it, escape, and tell Mary Jane the whole thing by letter once everything has quieted down and the duke and king are out of the picture. * So Huck is hanging out behind Mary Jane's dresses in the back of the closet and listening in while the duke and the king (owners of aforementioned footsteps) talk about their plan. * The duke is nervous, particularly since the doctor spoke out against them in public. He wants to take the cash and split. * But the king has bigger dreams. He's not satisfied with taking the cash when there's almost $10,000 in property to be sold off first. * The duke isn't too comfortable with this idea, either, since he doesn't want to leave these poor orphans without a cent and without a house. * Of course, the king has an answer for this: after they've left, when everyone figures out they're not the real brothers, any sale of property will be invalidated. In other words, the girls will get their stuff back, and they'll actually be stiffing the buyers. * The duke likes the sound of that, and the two men proceed to move the gold to a new hiding spot in the room. * When the conmen leave, Huck darts out of his hiding place and takes the gold. Chapter 27 * Huck is all tiptoeing around downstairs when... he hears more footsteps. * He darts into the parlor where the deceased Peter Wilks is laid out in his coffin. He shoves the bag of gold in under the dead man's hands and then hides behind the door (of the parlor, not the coffin) while Mary Jane comes in and cries over Peter's body. * Huck tiptoes out again, and worries about what he's going to do now that the money is tucked in with the stiff . * As the Reverend begins the service, there's a big hullabaloo coming from the basement.A dog is barking its head off. * The undertaker surfaces from the cellar with a rat—that's why the dog was barking. * Huck wisely comments that this was a good call on the undertaker's part, and that really he's the most popular man in town. * Huck sweats like a madman while the undertaker... slowly... nails the coffin closed without even looking inside. * Huck isn't sure whether the money is still in the coffin or whether someone's taken it out. he king declares that, really, he must be going, since his church back in England is in desperate need of their preacher.(He's pretending to be a preacher ) * he starts selling off the property right away, including the girls' house, since according to the plan, they're coming with their two uncles back to England. * The king sells off the girls' slaves without consideration for keeping the black families together.This puts everyone off, since it's an inhumane thing to do—even in this culture that sees black people as property. * The duke is a bit uneasy about this whole thing, but what with playing a deaf-mute and all, he doesn't really say anything. * the day of the planned property auction, the king and the duke wake Huck up and interrogate him. It seems they're missing their gold, and they're trying to figure out if he's the one that stole it. * Huck is all, "Not me," but he does say that he saw the black slaves (the ones that have just been sold and aren't around anymore) go into the king's room. Chapter 28 * Mary Jane is upset about the slaves being sold (families were broken up). * Huck, overcome by her misery and her beauty, breaks down and confesses everything to her. * Huck devises a plan and Mary Jane goes along with it. * Plan: Mary Jane goes for the night to stay with Mr. Lothrop, because the girl's got the poker face of a five-year-old with a sugar high. (In other words, she wouldn't be able to hide her emotions from the duke and king.) * Huck says someone else's life hangs in the balance here (Jim), so he needs time to escape before the situation plays out. * Later that night, Mary is going to sneak back to the house and shine a candle in the window. If Huck doesn't show up, he's escaped, and she can blow the whistle all she wants on the two frauds. * Huck then takes a piece of paper and writes down "Royal Nonesuch, Bricksville," so the duke and king can pay their dues for that little scam as well. * He also writes a note about the money being buried in the coffin, and tells her not to look at the paper until she's already on the road to Mr. Lothrop's. * So, Mary Jane is off—and Huck runs into the other sister, Susan. * He doesn't want to trust someone else with the details, so he just makes up a story about the mumps * in the end, he makes sure Susan isn't going to say anything to the duke and king about her sister's absence, since she doesn't want to delay their trip to England with their uncles while everyone sticks around to see if Mary Jane contracted mumps. * And then two men show up: the real brothers of the dead Peter Wilks Chapter 29 * The duke and the king insist the newcomers are the frauds. The townspeople can't tell who to trust. * Lawyer Levi Bell and a big hulking man with no name grill the newly arrived brothers for a while, but they aren't satisfied either way. * In the meantime, they say, why don't the duke and king hand over the bag of money until they can figure things out? there is no money. See, the slaves stole it just before they were sold. no one believes the king and duke. They start questioning Huck, who tries to tell them stories about England and this time fails miserably in his lying. * They take out some old letters that Peter Wilks had saved; letters from his brother Harvey. * handwriting test. Unfortunately, neither the king nor the real Harvey can match the writing. * The real Harvey explains that the letters were written by William and therefore not in his own hand. Rather inconveniently, the real William has a broken hand and can't supply a writing sample. * The real Harvey then has a brilliant idea—he knows what was tattooed on his brother's chest; does the king know? * Although it is clearly time to fold the hand and leave the table, the king won't give up. He responds that it is a thin, blue arrow. * The real Harvey says that no, it was actually Peter's initials (P-B-W). * The guys who buried the body don't recall noticing any ink job, so clearly the only thing to do is dig up the body. Everyone marches to the graveyard. * Of course, the first thing they find when they open the coffin is the bag of gold. * Huck is all, "Later!" and runs away as fast as he can. While he's sprinting by the house, he sees the light in the window, which means Mary Jane is home and can soon clear up matters. * He makes it to the raft, where apparently Jim has been hanging out all this time, still dressed as a King-Lear-era Arab. * They push off. Free at last! the duke and king show up moments later in a skiff and join the raft. Chapter 30 * Huck makes up a story to explain his running away so the duke and king won't think he was trying to betray them. * Naturally, the duke and the king turn on each other, each thinking that his partner was trying to make off with the cash. * The duke starts strangling the king, so the king "confesses" to stealing and hiding the cash. * Then they get drunk together and pass out in the raft's wigwam, with all forgotten and forgiven in a haze of booze. * Huck tells Jim the whole story. Chapter 31 * The duke and king gripe about being dead broke, since they made up the inheritance deficit out of their own pockets that one time. * They decide to run another con. Since that worked so well for them last time. * The king goes ashore to some little town to see if the people there have gotten wind of The Royal Nonesuch (assuming that news of the con has been traveling along the river). * When the king doesn't come back, Huck and the duke go looking for him. He's in a bar. * They start in with another typical quarrel, and Huck takes this opportunity to...run away. He gets back to the raft ready to run off with Jim, but Jim isn't there. * Huck puts two and two together and realizes that the king sold Jim for a measly $40 to get his drunk on. * Huck can't write home to Miss Watson, since she'll be upset that he helped steal her slave—but he also wants to fix the situation. * Now that he thinks about it, this is really God slapping him in the face for stealing someone else's property. * So he gets down on his knees to pray, determined to write a letter home explaining everything. * But Huck then concludes, quite insightfully, that "you can't pray a lie." See, he doesn't want to send Jim back home. He wants to help set him free. * So he concludes that, FINE, he'll just GO to hell. * After hiding the canoe underwater by loading it with rocks, Huck sets out to the farm of Silas Phelps, the man to whom the king sold Jim. * On the way, Huck runs into the duke nailing up a poster for The Royal Nonesuch. * Huck plays dumb ("Where's Jim gone to?") and the duke confesses that (1) the king sold him, and (2) he drank up all the money already. * Huck cries. See, Jim was his property and it wasn't their right to sell him. * The duke feels bad and tells Huck to just go to Silas Ph- But then he cuts himself off, thinking better of telling the truth. Instead, he tells Huck that Jim is on a farm forty miles in the wrong direction. * Huck, who knows better, thanks him and heads for Silas Phelps' place. Chapter 32 * Aunt Sally thinks Huck is Tom * Huck plays along and pretends to be Tom, then goes to interrupt Tom Sawyer Chapter 33 * Tom thinks Huck is a ghost * Tom agrees to help free Jim * Huck wonders if Tom is such a moral/good person Chapter 34 Tom & Huck find out Jim is at a hut, near the farmhouse Huck's plan: steal Jim, leave on the raft Tom's plan: dig Jim out of the hut They head to the hut & they meet Nat (1 of Phelps's slaves). Nat is very superstitious because he's scared of witches The boys tell Jim to be hopeful bc they are going to dig him out Chapter 35 As evidenced by his disdain for doors, Tom is one of those people who likes to make life a little harder than it should be. Because of this tendency, Tom devises lots of weird, literary-based strategies to help Jim escape. First he wants a saw to take off the leg from Jim's bed (that's where he's chained up). Huck cleverly remarks that you could simply lift up the bed, but like doors, such actions are for suckers. Then he wants to actually saw Jim's leg off. And make a moat around the cabin. And bake Jim a pie with a rope ladder hidden inside. All of this is necessary, he insists, since that's how they do it in adventure books. Huck steals some supplies (shirt, sheet) from the Phelpses. He tries to call it "borrowing," but Tom, who apparently is now all morals, tells him that, in fact, it's stealing, so let's just call a horse a horse. However, he also says that the stealing is okay, since everyone knows prisoners get a free pass to steal what they need Chapter 36 Apparently, digging thirty-foot tunnels is tough work, especially when you don't want to use a shovel. He concedes to practicality, as long as they can pretend they dug him out with a knife and not a pickaxe. Huck takes this as a sign that Tom is just full of principles. The boys include Jim in plotting their various machinations, many of which include hiding things like brass candlesticks in his food. When Nat (the superstitious slave) starts getting suspicious, the boys blame all the mysterious happenings on witches. Not to worry. They'll bake a witch's pie to placate the spirits. Chapter 37 Because plotting day-by-day to help a man escape from imprisonment isn't enough to keep these boys occupied, they also play some pranks on Silas and Sally. In an oh-so-comical scene that follows, they continuously steal and replace a spoon while Aunt Sally tries to count how many there are. It's a knee-slappin' good time. While Aunt Sally goes quietly insane, the boys finally get around to baking that witch's pie. They hide a rope ladder in it to give to Jim and pretend the endeavor took nine months. Chapter 38 Tom makes Jim carve various inscriptions into the wall before his escape, because that's how it's done in books and history and all that jazz. He then makes up a coat of arms for Jim to draw, along with several "mournful inscriptions" such as: "Here a captive heart busted" (38.18). Pure poetry. In order to make the last few days of Jim's stay as pleasant as possible, they decide they need some rats, snakes, spiders, and everything else they can think of that bites, itches, scratches, or otherwise impedes a man's sleep. Chapter 39 They set out to capture spiders, etc., but accidentally let the creatures loose in the house, which of course results in much screaming and jumping up on tables on the part of Aunt Sally. Jim is all, "Hey, stop putting live animals in bed with me," but Tom is having none of it. Three weeks later, they have finally sawed the leg (unnecessarily) off the bed (which was a better alternative than sawing off Jim's leg), and nearly gotten sick from eating all the sawdust in order to hide the evidence. Don't try this at home. Meanwhile, Silas has been writing letters to the supposed owners of Jim (based on false information from the king). Because he hasn't gotten any responses, he starts advertising around to stir up some interest. Huck realizes that they have limited time before the news reaches Miss Watson back home. Tom, ever helpful, writes a "nonnamous" letter to the Phelps family that reads, "Beware. Trouble is brewing. Keep a sharp lookout." Sure, that should help things. Then they draw a skull and crossbones on the door in blood, which understandably freaks the family out to no end. On the night the boys are planning to steal Jim, Tom writes a detailed letter identifying himself as a thief and declaring that his fellow-thieves are getting ready to steal the slave who is tied up in Silas' hut—all so that his escape will be more thrilling. Chapter 40 They set out to capture spiders, etc., but accidentally let the creatures loose in the house, which of course results in much screaming and jumping up on tables on the part of Aunt Sally. Jim is all, "Hey, stop putting live animals in bed with me," but Tom is having none of it. Three weeks later, they have finally sawed the leg (unnecessarily) off the bed (which was a better alternative than sawing off Jim's leg), and nearly gotten sick from eating all the sawdust in order to hide the evidence. Don't try this at home. Meanwhile, Silas has been writing letters to the supposed owners of Jim (based on false information from the king). Because he hasn't gotten any responses, he starts advertising around to stir up some interest. Huck realizes that they have limited time before the news reaches Miss Watson back home. Tom, ever helpful, writes a "nonnamous" letter to the Phelps family that reads, "Beware. Trouble is brewing. Keep a sharp lookout." Sure, that should help things. Then they draw a skull and crossbones on the door in blood, which understandably freaks the family out to no end. On the night the boys are planning to steal Jim, Tom writes a detailed letter identifying himself as a thief and declaring that his fellow-thieves are getting ready to steal the slave who is tied up in Silas' hut—all so that his escape will be more thrilling. Chapter 41 Huck takes the canoe and finds the doctor and makes up a story: Tom got shot by his dream. The doctor, skeptical to say the least, agrees to go. Since there's only room for one person in the canoe, Huck has to stay behind and fret about things. He frets so much that he falls asleep. When he wakes up the next morning, he hightails it home and runs smack into Uncle Silas. Of course, he and Sally have been up all night scared about him and "Sid." He makes up a story that he and Sid were out hunting for the runaway slave. He goes home to find a group of women with Aunt Sally, all speculating about how crazy the runaway slave was, an opinion based on all the crazy stuff they found in his cabin (the work of Tom Sawyer, of course). Aunt Sally then remembers that she locked the boys in their room. But, in that case, how did they get out? Huck explains sheepishly that they went out the window, and Aunt Sally starts worrying all over again about where Sid could be. He feels guilty about making the poor woman sick with worry. He swears (to himself) to be good. Chapter 42 The next morning, Tom/Sid has yet to return. Silas suddenly remembers to give Sally a letter from her sister (Polly, who usually takes care of Tom), but before she can open it, they all spot several figures approaching the farm. And the figures are: Jim, wearing the stolen dress (!?) and tied up; Tom Sawyer, lying on a mattress; the doctor; and a mob of curious folks. Everyone wants to hang Jim as an example, but the doctor stops them and tells his story: when he found "Sid" to fix his leg, he couldn't do anything without a second pair of hands. Sid was clearly getting worse and worse, and finally Jim stepped out of hiding—even though he knew it would mean his own recapture—to save the boy's life. Everyone's super-grateful, so they decide not to kill Jim. But they do lock him back up in the shed. They put Tom to bed and wait for him to wake up and feel chirpy, which he does the next morning. He then explains everything to his aunt, about how they set Jim free and sent the anonymous notes, etc. He's quite proud of himself, but his aunt is none too pleased. When Tom hears that Jim has been thrown back in captivity, he flips out. Jim is free, he says, so they ought to let him go. Everyone essentially says, "What!?' He explains that Miss Watson died two months ago and, feeling guilty and likely fearing hell, set Jim free in her will. Everyone is happy, although Silas is probably wondering if he'll get his $40 back, and no one seems too choked up about the fact that Miss Watson is dead. Adding to the fun times, Aunt Polly shows up, which blows everyone's fake identities. Huck declares that now he can respect Tom's morality again since he knows he wasn't trying to free someone else's property. Also, we find out that Tom's been hiding all the letters that Aunt Polly had sent to her sister. CH 43 Tom gives Jim $40 to compensate him for every atrocity he suffered, including: being a prisoner; living with spiders, snakes, and other creepy critters; being threatened with amputation; eating minimal amounts of food for a month. Jim is stoked about his good fortune, which he chalks up to his having a hairy chest. Finally, remember that dead guy near Jackson's Island way back when this crazy adventure started? Turns out that was Huck's father, so Huck doesn't have to worry about him showing up and being drunk and abusive anymore. Judge Thatcher, unlike Miss Watson and Pap, hasn't died. He still has Huck's $6,000 back home, which, at the going rate for prisoners, is enough to fund about 150 more mock rescues. Pack up the raft, Tom. So, is it back to "sivilization" for Huck? Not a chance. He's headed out west, to "Injun" country, to have lots more adventures

White Dresses

Daisy and Jordan are wearing white flowy dress: white represents innocence and purity -> ch 1 ch 7: Daisy and Jordan: dressed in white, new in a darkened room, not that innocent and there is approaching danger in the shadows

Nick Carraway

Detached Unreliable (ex: says he's not judgmental but says judgmental things) (maybe not be self aware or lies to himself, therefore making him unreliable) from Midwest, comes from old money, went to Yale (new haven) works in bonds observer passive loyal observer bystandard

this course makes an effort to present works of literature that are quintessentially "American". in a well organized essay, choose 2 or more works that define what it means to be "american" in this context and explain how your selected work reflects those "American" qualities

EX: GATSBY & MUCH MADNESS DIVINEST SENSE qualities that make something truly "American": quality, speed, quantity, money, success, advanced Discuss each authors work in terms of those qualities Gats: Gastby's theme Dickinson: madness theme - explain which qualities each work possesses: Gats: consumption, pressure, things someone does to gain success, friends, luxury, parties Dickinson: majority, societal pressures, - explain how the work reflects those particular qualities: gats: gatsbys goal, actions, friends Dickinson: nonconformity - identify those qualities fit into the definition of what it means to be "American" Money, success, quantity - discuss how what we've read this year reflect the american experience in a holistic manner all the works we read this year were centralized in the USA, they talked about the things that have happened (slavery, prohibition,gilded age) and the authors were mostly American. The themes also either had american qualities or the idea of the American dream.

Choose 2 or more works that we've read this year, and compare and contrast their treatment of the American Dream, either explicitly or implicitly, in the works that they've created? What do they seem to think the secret to happiness and satisfaction in life?

EXAMPLE Dick & Gatsby def of the american dream: the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. interpretations of the american dream: sucess, money, love, materialism, pride works that this is seen in: Gatsby & Emily's poem: I hear America singing what the authors see the american dream as: Gatsby: illustrate american dream as materialistic Dickinson: illustrate American dream as amazing, united, happy, prideful how the authors illustrate their views of the american dream in their work: Gatsby's: both eggs, consumption, materialism, adultery, Dickinson: compares to a song: different people harmonizing to make a song (different people working making us the land of the free) what the american dream might mean in the future, or how it might continue to change: hope to a joke, losing its meaning, negative connotation

Exact Rhyme

Exact rhyme is the repetition of the same stressed vowel sound as well as any consonant sounds that follow the vowel. For example, look at the word pair 'now' and 'cow'. The exact same vowel sound is repeated with no change in consonant sounds after the vowel sound.

Choose 2 or more works that we've read this year, and explain how they reflect a common theme or central message. Include literary techniques and strategies that the authors use in order to convey their messages

Example: Huck & Gatsby common theme shared: Choosing what is right and wrong, moral crisis specific example from 2 different works (no quotes unless you want): Gatsby's moral crisis: what he will do in order to keep his status and image Huck's moral crisis: what he will deem as good or bd on his journey with Jim to he free land how the author creates a particular message using a literary device or strategy: diction, imagry, repitition, perspective : huck symbols, diction, relationship with others, perspective: gatsby explain what message the author is trying to communicate about the theme: Each person has a different perspective on what is right and wrong, some people may got to extremes in order to get what they want while others will not how those messages can be applied in real life, why we read books, and how the messages are relevant to our experiences: We will always have to make decisions, some may be easy while others may be hard. As we grow, our sense of ethical reasoning changes and develops in order for us to make those decisions.

The Garden

Garden of Eden, paradise

Blue

Gatsby's Lawn: melancholy hope desire tranquility, sadness or melancholy, loneliness, dreams and fantasy

Imagery

Imagery is the name given to the elements in a poem that spark off the senses. Despite "image" being a synonym for "picture", images need not be only visual; any of the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell) can respond to what a poet writes.

The Corruption of the American Dream

In the early 1920s, the American Dream was essentially to get rich quick, no matter the cost. Fitzgerald is warning us away from this.

Because I Could Not Stop for Death- Emily Dickinson

In this poem, Dickinson's speaker is communicating from beyond the grave, describing her journey with Death, personified, from life to afterlife. In the opening stanza, the speaker is too busy for Death ("Because I could not stop for Death—"), so Death—"kindly"—takes the time to do what she cannot, and stops for her. This "civility" that Death exhibits in taking time out for her leads her to give up on those things that had made her so busy—"And I had put away/My labor and my leisure too"—so they can just enjoy this carriage ride ("We slowly drove - He knew no haste"). In the third stanza we see reminders of the world that the speaker is passing from, with children playing and fields of grain. Her place in the world shifts between this stanza and the next; in the third stanza, "We passed the Setting Sun—," but at the opening of the fourth stanza, she corrects this—"Or rather - He passed Us -"—because she has stopped being an active agent, and is only now a part of the landscape. In this stanza, after the realization of her new place in the world, her death also becomes suddenly very physical, as "The Dews drew quivering and chill—," and she explains that her dress is only gossamer, and her "Tippet," a kind of cape usually made out of fur, is "only Tulle." After this moment of seeing the coldness of her death, the carriage pauses at her new "House." The description of the house—"A Swelling of the Ground—"—makes it clear that this is no cottage, but instead a grave. Yet they only "pause" at this house, because although it is ostensibly her home, it is really only a resting place as she travels to eternity. The final stanza shows a glimpse of this immortality, made most clear in the first two lines, where she says that although it has been centuries since she has died, it feels no longer than a day. It is not just any day that she compares it to, however—it is the very day of her death, when she saw "the Horses' Heads" that were pulling her towards this eternity. Analysis Dickinson's poems deal with death again and again, and it is never quite the same in any poem. In "Because I could not stop for Death—," we see death personified. He is no frightening, or even intimidating, reaper, but rather a courteous and gentle guide, leading her to eternity. The speaker feels no fear when Death picks her up in his carriage, she just sees it as an act of kindness, as she was too busy to find time for him. It is this kindness, this individual attention to her—it is emphasized in the first stanza that the carriage holds just the two of them, doubly so because of the internal rhyme in "held" and "ourselves"—that leads the speaker to so easily give up on her life and what it contained. This is explicitly stated, as it is "For His Civility" that she puts away her "labor" and her "leisure," which is Dickinson using metonymy to represent another alliterative word—her life. Indeed, the next stanza shows the life is not so great, as this quiet, slow carriage ride is contrasted with what she sees as they go. A school scene of children playing, which could be emotional, is instead only an example of the difficulty of life—although the children are playing "At Recess," the verb she uses is "strove," emphasizing the labors of existence. The use of anaphora with "We passed" also emphasizes the tiring repetitiveness of mundane routine.The next stanza moves to present a more conventional vision of death—things become cold and more sinister, the speaker's dress is not thick enough to warm or protect her. Yet it quickly becomes clear that though this part of death—the coldness, and the next stanza's image of the grave as home—may not be ideal, it is worth it, for it leads to the final stanza, which ends with immortality. Additionally, the use of alliteration in this stanza that emphasizes the material trappings—"gossamer" "gown" and "tippet" "tulle"—makes the stanza as a whole less sinister. That immorality is the goal is hinted at in the first stanza, where "Immortality" is the only other occupant of the carriage, yet it is only in the final stanza that we see that the speaker has obtained it. Time suddenly loses its meaning; hundreds of years feel no different than a day. Because time is gone, the speaker can still feel with relish that moment of realization, that death was not just death, but immortality, for she "surmised the Horses' Heads/Were toward Eternity -." By ending with "Eternity -," the poem itself enacts this eternity, trailing out into the infinite.

Song of Myself, Section 1 - Walt Whitman

In this poem, Walt Whitman is celebrating himself (individualism: uniquness). He tells us that he loves himself, and tells us that we should also love and celebrate ourselves as well. He also says that he is connected to nature (transcendentalism) and he says he is trying to live his life to the fullest until death. When he says to celebrate yourself he means by : 1. living life to the fullest 2. trying new things 3. Growing as a person 4. Discovering/being your true self 5. Remembering where you came from Extended metaphor : from him, he is connected to nature and his family, his family and nature are both connected to God, they are all connected in a way, of the same stuff Parallel structure: last two stanzas, in the first halves he speaks of his past, in the second, the present

Wealth, Materialism, and Class

It's nice to have things. But when someone centers their entire life around things, it seems empty and shallow. Also, it's important to consider that wealth and class are social constructs; they have no meaning on their own, and in fact, only mean what we decide that they mean.

Appearances vs. Reality

Many things are not what they appear in The Great Gatsby. Gatsby is not what he seems, nor are Daisy, or Jordan. But what is also important is how the characters impose those illusions upon themselves. They CHOOSE to ignore that which is painful to them. Characters like Nick, and Owl Eyes, see things for how they are, and that gives them a strength and perception beyond the others. We need to accept the truth of things if we are to move forward.

Dan COdy

One day, he saw a yacht owned by Dan Cody, a wealthy copper mogul, and rowed out to warn him about an impending storm. The grateful Cody took young Gatz, who gave his name as Jay Gatsby, on board his yacht as his personal assistant.- his inspirational goal

Parallel Structure

Parallel structure is repetition of the same pattern of words or phrases within a sentence or passage to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance.

Personification

Personification in poetry can show inanimate objects taking on human characteristics. Personification occurs in many forms of literature, especially where figurative language is used.

Success is Counted Sweetest - Emily Dickinson

Slant Rhyme Translation: success is most valued by those who have never achieved it. To understand something's sweetness, you must have a need for it. A victorious army does not really understand the importance of its victories. The dying soldiers hear the songs of victory, and better understand the importance because of what he has lost, so imagine you're a rebel and you've risked your life and you're dying but in vain, it's different than dying and your team wins, the soldier on the loosing side that's dying sees victory clearer and more apparent because he wants it so bad while the royal soldier with a gun and a nice uniform (btw the rebel probs has like a pitchfork maybe) meaning of success is the person who fail, you won't truly appreciate succes unless you experience failure

Symbolism

Symbolism is the practice or art of using an object or a word to represent an abstract idea. An action, person, place, word, or object can all have a symbolic meaning. When an author wants to suggest a certain mood or emotion, he can also use symbolism to hint at it, rather than just blatantly saying it.

Themes

The immorality and superficiality of the upper class The corruption/ decay of te american dream Disillusionment and dissatisfaction in a corrupt society The insurmountabikity of class differences A longing for drems and/or the past

The Soul Selects Her Own Society - Emily Dickinson

The poem describes choosing a friend (or lover), and rejecting (excluding) all others. "The Soul" of line 1, not merely "a soul" or a person, shuts her door not only to people at large but also to the majority, even those who bear the stamp of divine sanction. The poem also indicates the poet's decision not to join the society of the Elect, this even though "an emperor be kneeling" on her doormat. The conduit of grace, an analogy favored in the sermons of Jonathan Edwards, becomes "the Valves" of the soul's discrimination. Though she remains "unmoved," the soul is neither nihilistic (rejecting all religious and moral principles in the belief that life is meaningless.) nor solipsistic(the view or theory that the self is all that can be known to exist.). Even as the capitalized letter implies zero, the soul chooses "One" then becomes deaf to all entreaties "Like Stone." To insist that this necessarily indicates preference for a Unitarian rather than a Trinitarian view carries the interpretation to a theological level that the poem's language will not sustain. Nevertheless, selectivity in all matters, including religion, is something the poet clearly favors.On a complementary level, one notices the carefully crafted description of the woman not at home to any callers, except one or at most a few. Read this way, which merely supplements the other possible alternatives, the poem states the preference to live in a way unlike that of most nineteenth century women, spurning the conventions of social obligation and what society expects, even though an emperor might attempt to persuade her to join the larger group.

When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer - Walt Whitman

The speaker of this poem describes listening to a learned astronomer lecture. He sees proofs and figures in columns before him, as well as charts and diagrams that he is supposed to analyze mathematically. At the end of the the lecture, everyone else applauds the astronomer. Meanwhile, the speaker sits in the lecture room, feeling sick and tired. When he wanders away, he looks up into the sky and finally recognizes the magic. Whitman wrote this poem in free verse, like most of his other poems. It consists of one single stanza with eight lines. The lines vary in length and have different stressed and unstressed syllables, which gives the poem an anecdotal feel. The first four lines of the poem all begin with "When" as the speaker recalls sitting and listening to the astronomer lecture. These first four lines function as a setup; and the final four lines describe the speaker's reaction to the experience well as the lesson from the poem. In this poem, Whitman uses the example of the astronomer to show the difference between academic learning and experiential learning. The speaker finds the astronomer's lectures stars and mathematical formulas to be boring. He does not feel any sort of connection to the subject matter until he goes outside and sees the stars for himself. Looking up at the night sky is not an experience that one can experience in a classroom, no matter how "learn'd" the teacher might be Whitman felt very strongly that experiencing life's marvels was the only real way to learn. Whitman shows the contrast between the speaker and the educated astronomer. Whitman writes the speaker's voice to emphasize the fact that he is not an academic. For example, he shortens "learned" to "learn'd" when describing the sophisticated professor. The speaker quickly grows bored while listening to the astronomer talk about theories and mathematical equations. The astronomer, however, represents a highly educated and refined class that has a more structured approach to learning. The speaker and the astronomer serve as foils to each other - characters who have opposite beliefs. The writer uses this disparity to highlight each individual's distinct characteristics. Whitman establishes a clear and vivid setting. First, he describes the classroom and lecture hall, where the astronomer is using charts to illustrate his theories and the audience's polite applause. Whitman's skill in creating evocative imagery is most powerful in the second half of the poem. The speaker is clearly inspired as he "glides" out into the "mystical moist night air" and admires the dazzling stars above him. Whitman paints pictures with these words. Ultimately, this poem serves to highlight the difference between wisdom and knowledge. In the context of this poem, wisdom is the process of learning through experience and exploration (the speaker appreciates the wonders of the night sky only when he sees it for himself). Knowledge, on the other hand, comes from research, reading, and established theories. Academic knowledge is a more tangible form of intelligence; while wisdom, on the other hand, is intuitive. The astronomer attempts to relay his academic knowledge in his lecture, but the speaker does not connect to the subject matter from such a distance.

Motifs

The weather : often serves to enhance mood of the scene Colors: influence of color

Much Madness is Divinest Sense - Emily Dickinson

This poem states that what is often declared madness is actually the most profound kind of sanity ("Much Madness is divinest Sense -"), when viewed by someone with "a discerning Eye." What is often called sense or sanity is in fact not just "Madness," but profound madness ("the starkest Madness"). It is only called "Sense" because it is not defined by reason, but by what the majority thinks ("'Tis the Majority / In this, as All, prevail -"). Since the majority rules, the act of agreeing, no matter to what, means that you are, in the public mind, sane ("Assent - and you are sane -"). If you disagree, or even hesitate in your assent, you are not only declared crazy, but dangerously so ("Demur - you're straightway dangerous -"). The act of disagreeing with the majority leads to a loss of freedom ("And handled with a Chain -"), thus one can either be physically free, but ruled by the majority, or imprisoned with their own beliefs what is called madness is often actually the truest sanity, but as long as it differs from the perspective of the majority who defines what is right and wrong, it will be called madness. Knowledge of Dickinson's life, however, can add layers to the poem, especially as she was often called mad, both in her lifetime and after her death. This poem, then, can be seen as a defense of her reclusion from society. Dickinson had participated in a fairly full social life into her twenties; her seclusion was a conscious choice to remove herself from this, and so she fully knew what she was missing out on, and could thus judge it—what society defined as "Sense"—in her poetry. Thus although many have presented this reclusion as a symptom of her insanity, it was actually just a decision not to live the way the majority did, just because the majority said it was the way that she should live. In her seclusion, she wrote incredibly prolifically, freed from the constraints of societal responsibilities. She chose her art over society, and while she may not claim this was "divinest Sense," it was certainly not an insane choice just because it was different, and many more have profited from it, in reading her poetry, than would have profited from her presence in society in her lifetime. This poem is not just concerned with the judgments of "Madness" or "Sense," however, but with the prospect of any judgments that have important ramifications, and with who has the power to make them. In this poem, the judgment of a person's insanity is made "straightway," and only because this person chooses to "Demur" from the majority. The diction here, especially in the contrast between the extremes of these two words—"straightway" is as fast as a decision can be made, while "Demur" is a rather weak form of objection, as opposed to, say, a rebellion. There is no slow, steady, rational process of judgment before this person is labeled insane and "handled with a Chain," it is instead simply a kneejerk reaction, yet one that takes away the "insane" person's freedom. The use of the word "Chain," too, has a hint of violence to it, so it is not just a loss of freedom, but potentially a violent one. Dickinson is, throughout her poems, very concerned with the issue of truth, and the fact that it is almost impossible to ever really find it. If this is the case, then passing judgment in any fair way is inherently impossible, and to do so quickly is a horrifying crime

jordan baker

a professional golfer. Already, we know she's different from Daisy. Where Daisy is always fluttering and babbling and giggling and basically acting like a dumb girl (her words, not ours), Jordan is hard, direct, and cynical. cheated in a game

Tom Buchanan

big strong aggressive (former football player) egotistical old money snobby racist suspicious superior jealous aggressive cheats on a Daisy with another woman in NY and Daisy knows, Daisy doesn't leave him because it would ruin her reputation Tom gave Daisy a bruise, she ignores what he is capable of since in rosy colored porch Tom isn't discrete with his affair, since the woman he has an affair with calls to the home phone when Daisy is at home Tom at Gatsby's party: Tom is super snobby("I don't know anybody here"), and doubts the quality of Gatsby's guests

East egg

community in Long Island, NY East Egg: Old money(rich for generations) rich Daisy & Tom live on East Egg the east Egg people keep to themselves, they dont socialize with everyone, they are on guard with mixing with west Egg only socialize with east Egg people - elitism old money; the elite; the superficial upper class

West Egg

community in Long Island, NY Nick & Gatsby live on West Egg, less fashionable than east Egg west Egg: New money (1st to make money for family) rich old money looked down upon new money because didn't have "class" or weren't of breeding west egg socializes with everyone to establish connections new money; self-made men; social climbers

Owl eyes

could see through the illusion that Gatsby created, but if he could see the real person he was he attended the funeral because he was a good guy and didn't deserve what happened to him. He was a bootlegger and involved in shady things, but he wasn't a bad guy.

The valley of ashes

degradation and decay; the poor/lower class; those who are consumed and discarded by the wealthy. Gray: depression, poor, dirty, manual labor (valley of ashes are poor, depressed, struggling to live their day to survive, working class compared to those that were born into money) literally means a dumping ground (burned ashes of waste that come from wealthier parts of NY) Myrtle lives in valley of ashes and one day Tom will drop her she is garbage. In sociology, economic meaning it represents the poor working class of society (cast offs, ignored, and the abused)

The books in Gatsby's library

display of wealth just for show an illusion of education and wealth

Gray

dreariness, no hope, no future, bleakness, corruption, emptiness, and death

The Hollowness/Superficiality of the Upper Class

fitzgerald uses the upper class in this novel to reinforce the first theme of this study guide. The characters pursue wealth and status above all else, and seem to disdain anyone who was not born into their way of life. Gatsby, the one wealthy character who seems to have any heart at all, is lead to his death. Yet, even following Myrtle's death, Tom and Daisy are unaffected, and their hollowness allows them to simply leave the mess behind for someone else to deal with.

The green light

gatsby's desires for Daisy, and hopes of reuniting with her (so once they reunite the significance of the green light have diminished since he has her)

green "sound"

green water, looking across from Tom's house to Gatsby's. green water is symbolic of Gatsby's jealousy

Klipspringer

guy who lived at Gatsby's house for a while and didn't attend his funeral, wanted his tennis shoes back.

Jay Gatsby/James Gatz

has a blue lawn is Nicks neighbor, depicted as mysterious showy "popular" isolated vibrant lonely romantic ambitious pretender tries too hard dreamer stubborn determined delusional self-centered

Following the Past

here's nothing wrong with remembering the past; it's what makes us who we are. But attempting to build a future on the past, that's a different story. Instead, we should look to the future for possibilities, and new dreams to follow.

Green

hope, dreams, aspirations; also wealth and prosperity

George Wilson

ignorant spiritless hopeless tired

weather

incredibly hot and oppressive (symbolizes the building tension between Tom and Gatsby)

white

innocence, (false) purity or goodness, nobility; also emptiness, superficiality

Meyer Wolfshiem

intimidating manipulative mysterious sketchy Meyer Wolfsheim's cufflinks - fear, power, dominance

Sloane's invitation

it's polite but not sincere(drunk); Gatsby should have declined but he doesn't because he wants to be like them

Daisy Fay Buchanan

jealous superficial flaky frivolous spritely figure who seems to be always excited and gets everyone's attention, hopes her daughter grows to be (fool)ignorant/oblivious so she can't get hurt , and beautiful to get what she wants - Daisy is not a fool

Myrtle Wilson

materialistic bossy arrogant entitled careless lively pretends to be rich, fools herself into thinking that she has class. No matter how hard she tries to pretend to be like Daisy, she will never get there. Kidding that Tom will make a life with her

Metaphor/ Simile

metaphor is a comparison between two things that replaces the word or name for one object with that of another. a metaphor does not use "like" or "as" similes are comparisons between two things, they use "like" or "as"

My Life Closed Twice before its close - Emily Dickinson

metaphor: my life closed twice before its close Interpretation: I have expirenced two events that felt like death in my life, and Im not sure if fate will bring a 3rd one that will be as horrible She thinks life is full of unhappy and unexpected events separation is the only thing that the living understand, and separation is the only thing necessary for suffering

Gatsby's keepsakes

mixes up that he lives in SF and not Midwest, slips that it took him 3 years to buy house and not inherited, carries medal and pic, his perfect image is being corrupted, crumbling

Rosy Colored space/porch

optimistic ignorant oblivious/choose to ignore problems

the City

place of secrets and corruption

Daisy's daughter

proof of Tom and Daisy and there is no going back for Daisy and Gatsby, shattering of Gatsby's illusions

Gardens and flowers

room filled with green plants, represent hope and new life with color green

Gatsby's silk shirts

show Gatsby's wealth and ego

Yellow

similar to gold: wealth similar to yellow teeth: decay Gatsby's made money, but through sketchy ways corruption, fading, rot (like yellow leaves, etc.), materialism and wealth

slant rhyme

slant rhyme is when either the vowels or the consonants of stressed syllables are identical EX: eyes, light; years, yours. Also called half rhyme, imperfect rhyme, near rhyme, oblique rhyme, off rhyme.

The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg

the eyes of God; he can see everything perfectly in the valley of ashes

I Hear America Singing - Walt Whitman

this is a free verse poem this was a "song" Walt Whitman wrote to unite with the workers (they're all singing songs) He's saying that although we all have different jobs, together we build/make up a nation Themes: Celebrate the hardworking, lower/middle class that makes up most of society. Without the lower/middle class, society wouldn't function correctly. The laborers of America is what makes America America We should celebrate those who aren't acknowledged Harmony/Harmonizing: different vocal parts to a song - each vocal show a different job and worker in America Repition: singing, what belongs to him, deeper, richer

A Noiseless, Patient Spider - Walt Whitman

this poem is a free versel Extended metaphor: spider - soul repetition: filament metaphor: ductile anchor, gossamer thread, bridge, oceans of space imagery: isolation, solitude, vacancy Basically, there is a spider standing on a promontory (a point of high land that juts out into a large body of water) and is throwing out filaments repeatedly (spider webs) to connect to something for a foundation, but its in a vacant space Meaning: His soul is isolated like the spider and is trying to find a connection in the world by finding a foundation Message: People should communicate and find/seek their purpose in life There are connections everywhere that we might not see typically as a connection. We have to put in work in order to make connections stay strong We don't want to be lonely, trying to form relationships is hard, don't give up, be patient like the little apider

The mantle clock

trying to stop time, and failing to stop it because you cant go back you can only move forward

Red

violence and danger; blood and death, as in Myrtle's case

Gold

wealth, and the illusion of wealth

Gatsby's car

wealth, ego cream colored (just like Meryl's creme colored dress) he is pretending to be "east egg" and will never be Tom, so he'll never have Daisy; green interior: greed, wealth, and desire

Daisy's face

whiteness: Purity and Anglicanism