Ch. 1 Discussion Questions
1. Summarize briefly Huck’s review of the end of Tom Sawyer’s story.
2. Who is actually more irritating to Huck than the widow?
3. Why does Huck not like living at the widow’s house?
4. Why does Huck not care about “Moses and the Bulrushers”?
5. How is the widow hypocritical with her attitude towards smoking?
6. Why does Huck decide he wants to go to the bad place? What is ironic about her description of
the good place?
7. What type of boy does Huck seem to be? What is HIS opinion of himself?
8. What is Mark Twain implying about religion and prayer? What is he saying about Christians?
9. In what ways is Huck Finn superstitious? Why is this significant?
10. Why do you think the book includes the term “nigger”? What is the effect of Huck using that
word?
11. What does Huck’s attitude seem to be at the very end of the chapter?
Ch. 2 Discussion Questions
1. How does Jim account for his hat being hung on a tree limb and the nickel being left on the
table?
2. What does Jim’s story reveal about the psychological conditions of slaves?
3. Where does Tom take Huck and their friends?
4. Who does Huck offer as his “family” that may be killed if he should ever reveal the secrets of the
gang? What does this tell you about Huck’s attitude towards Ms. Watson?
5. What do we learn about Huck when he says “I made my mark upon the paper”?
6. What does it mean to “ransom” the captives?
7. What does this passage portray about young boys?
Ch. 3 Discussion Questions
1. How does Mark Twain mock the idea of prayer in this chapter?
2. Why do you think the widow and Miss Watson give Huck two different accounts of
“Providence”? Whose idea of Providence does Huck prefer?
3. How does this passage portray Huck as sensitive and thoughtful?
4. Why do you think Huck calls himself “low-down and ornery”? Do you think those are apt
descriptions of him? Why/why not?
5. What point is Twain making about how people see themselves? What factors contribute to
personal self-image?
6. What do we learn about Huck’s father in this chapter?
7. How are Huck and Tom alike? How are they different?
Ch. 4 Discussion Questions
1. Whose track does Huck recognize in the snow?
2. Why does Huck want Judge Thatcher to take all his money? Does Judge Thatcher understand the
situation?
3. What can the reader infer about Huck’s father from this passage? How do Huck’s actions show
he is scared of his father?
4. What resources were available for children with abusive parents in the 1840s? What resources
are available to children today? What do you think is society’s role in assisting abused children?
5. Why does Huck go see Jim with his hairball?
6. What does Jim say that the hairball tells him?
7. What does Huck find when he returns to his room? What do we think will happen next?
Ch. 5 Discussion Questions
1. What has Huck’s father come for?
2. What kind of man is Huck’s father? How does Huck react to him?
3. Describe Old Finn from this section. What is important to him? What isn’t important to him?
What can the reader infer about Old Finn’s character and his priorities from this section?
4. How does Old Finn view his son? How does Old Finn’s treatment of Huck show this?
5. Why do you think Old Finn is unimpressed with Huck’s clothes? Why does Old Finn dislike Huck
learning to read?
6. Why do you think Old Finn is overly concerned with both his and Huck’s social status? How is
this ironic?
7. Why do you think Old Finn wants to abuse Huck and assert authority over him?
8. What is the new judge’s plan for Old Finn? Why does the new judge think he will be able to
reform Old Finn?
9. How long does Pap’s “new reformed life” last?
10. How does Old Finn take advantage of the judge? Do you think Old Finn actually means what he
says with his “Look at it gentlemen…hand of a hog…don’t be afeard” speech? Why would he say
these things?
11. Look at the judge’s reaction at the very end of this section. Do you think the judge has the
correct attitude that the only way to reform Old Finn is “with a shotgun”? What do you think is
the correct way to handle someone like Old Finn?
12. Do you think it’s wise to try to continue to help people who have spurned your efforts? Do you
think some people are beyond help? Explain.
Ch. 6 Discussion Questions
1. What makes Huck begin to want to go to school?
2. What does Pap do with Huck in this chapter?
3. When Pap got drunk, what was his favorite subject to cuss about?
4. Why do you think Old Finn locks up Huck in the cabin? Why wouldn’t he want Huck to escape?
5. Do you think Old Finn has any true affection for Huck? Why or why not?
6. If Huck keeps trying to escape, why do you think he uses the words “jolly” and “pretty good
times”? Do you think Huck enjoys being in the woods with his father? Why or why not?
7. What do you think are Huck’s priorities in life? What is important to him?
8. What are some of Old Finn’s objections to the government? How does this passage reflect Old
Finn’s prejudices?
9. Do you think Old Finn’s sentiments were shared by a majority of people during this time? Do
you think Huck feels the same way as his father? Why or why not?
10. Why does Twain include the story about the free black man from Ohio? What does Old Finn’s
description of the man tell you about the way some people viewed free blacks at this time?
11. Why does Old Finn say he’ll “never vote again”? Do you think he means it?
12. Do you think racism still exists today the way it did in the 1840s? Why do you think some people
are prejudiced against other groups? What should be done to combat racist thinking?
Ch. 7 Discussion Questions
1. What does the “June rise” of the river float down to Huck?
2. What does he do with it?
3. Why does Huck wish Tom Sawyer was with him?
4. What is the purpose of killing the pig and leaving the bloody ax?
5. How does Huck plan his escape? Why does Huck want to escape in the first place?
6. How does this passage characterize Huck as both intelligent and resourceful?
7. What details does Huck include to make his scene seem more realistic? What is Huck hoping his
father will assume?
8. Is this passage realistic? Do you think a 13-yr-old boy is capable of orchestrating such a scene? If
it’s not realistic, why would Mark Twain have written it?
Ch. 8 Discussion Questions
1. Where does Huck go when he escapes from his father? How does he get there?
2. Why are the loaves of bread floated out over the water? What is Twain’s purpose in including
this anecdote?
3. How long is Huck on the island before he realizes that somebody else is there too?
4. Who does Huck find on the island?
5. Why has Jim run away?
6. Why is Jim afraid of Huck at first?
7. What does Jim’s account of his escape tell you about how slaves were treated during this time?
8. Why do you think Huck agrees to keep Jim’s secret? What does this tell you about Huck as a
person?
9. What are some superstitions mentioned in this chapter? Why do you think Twain included
these?
10. What is significant about Jim’s last line in this chapter?
Ch. 9 Discussion Questions
1. What superior home do Huck and Jim find on the island?
2. Does Huck enjoy hiding out on the island in the newly found abode? Why do you think so?
3. What two important things does the river float down to Huck and Jim?
4. Why does Jim tell Huck not to look at the face of the dead man?
5. How does Huck help to protect Jim in this chapter when they are scouting around the river?
6. What aspects of this chapter are realistic to you? Which parts seem to fantastic to be real?
Ch. 10 Discussion Questions
1. What does the title of the chapter indicate to the reader?
2. At the beginning of the chapter, what is Huck overly concerned with? Why do you think he
wants to know?
3. What is, “one of the carlessest and foolishest things a body can do”?
4. What is the logical explanation for the superstition that handling a snake skin will bring bad
luck?
5. How does Jim solve his problem?
6. What is Huck and Jim’s plan at the end of this chapter? What precautions do they take? Why do
they do this?
Ch. 11 Discussion Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What are the rumors in town about Huck’s disappearance?
What information do we learn about Old Finn?
What important piece of information does Huck find out about the woman’s husband?
Why does the woman ask Huck to throw a lead bar at the rats and to thread a needle?
How does this passage characterize Huck as quick-thinking or resourceful?
What do Jim and Huck do at the end of this chapter?
Ch. 12 Discussion Questions
1. What does the title of this chapter mean?
2. How do Huck and Jim spruce up their raft?
3. How are Huck and Jim able to survive on the river? What do they do?
4. Explain the setting for the 2nd half of this chapter.
5. Who do Huck and Jim encounter on the wreck?
6. Why do Bill and Jake want Jim Turner dead?
7. Why does Huck feel guilty after leaving the boat?
8. What does Jim tell Huck at the end of this chapter?
Ch. 13 Discussion Questions
1. Why does Huck make up the story he tells the ferryboat man?
2. Why does Huck want the robbers rescued?
3. Ironically, how is Huck responsible for the implied death of the robbers?
4. What does Huck mean when he says, “rapscallions and dead-beats is the kind the widow and
good people takes the most interest in”?
Ch. 14 Discussion Questions
1. What is the purpose of the chapter?
2. How is Jim portrayed as both sensible and senseless in this chapter?
3. Why might this be a controversial chapter from this novel?
Ch. 15 Discussion Questions
1. What is a towhead?
2. How do Huck and Jim become separated?
3. What trick does Huck play on Jim? Why do you think Huck does this?
4. What is the result of the trick?
5. This chapter is one of the most contested in the novel by people who feel the book should be
banned. Why do you think they identify this chapter?
Ch. 16 Discussion Questions
1. What plan do Huck and Jim have?
2. What bothers Huck as they near the point where Jim will be free?
3. What is Jim’s dream/plan?
4. What trick does Huck play on the two men?
5. Why does Huck do this trick?
6. What do Huck and Jim plan to do with the money they get from the two men?
7. Is Jim bitter towards Huck for causing him bad luck? Why?
8. How does Huck know they have missed Cairo?
9. What happens to separate Jim and Huck again?
10. What is the irony in Huck’s amazement about Jim saying he would steal his children?