Transcript Slide 1

Symbolis
m
Group Four:
Maya, Cassie, Eunace,
Brandon, Sam
Symbol :
“A person, place or object which has
a meaning in itself but suggests other
meanings as well. Things, characters
and actions can be symbols. Anything
that suggests a meaning beyond the
obvious” (Bokesch).
Mississippi River
“Soon as it was night, out we shoved; when we got her out to
about the middle, we let her alone, and let her float wherever
the current wanted her to; then we lit the pipes, and dangled
our legs in the water and talked about all kinds of things– we
was always naked, day and night, whenever the mosquitos
would let us” (Twain 121)
Freedom
“…We was always naked,
day and night…”
•Escape from “sivilization”
•Do whatever they want with no
regard to social rules or
customs
Direction of the journey
•South- they made a mistake
and are headed toward MORE
slavery and abuse
•Temporary comfort- their fun is
coming to an end soon
Theme- Society Vs. Freedom
The Raft
“It’s lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky up there,
all speckled with starts, and we used to lay on
our backs and look up at them, and discuss
about whether they was made or only just
happened” (Twain 64)
Jim and Huck’s Friendship
Brings them closer together
Safe Haven
•Huck looks beyond Jim’s color
•The two have a lot of fun being
independent on the raft
•Sees him as a real person and eventually
a fatherly figure
•Leaves behind society’s views on slavery
Theme- Society vs. Huck’s view on slavery
Sadie’s Knife
“They know that. That’s why one of the take my knife. I pretends
not to notice. Acts like that knife ain’t nothing to me. But
when I goes in my pocket I can’t feels my mama’s hand and
head hurt” (Rawles 70).
Security and Her Mother
Belonged to her mother
•Piece of her
•Felt her mother’s strength through
the knife
Connection to Jim
Protection
•Cut the umbilical cord
•Literary meaning
•First meeting
•Has no family, so helped her feel
like she does
Theme- The importance of family and strength for
slaves
The Bowl
“See this mark. you can feel it with your fingers. For this bowl
broke that’s the Congo cross. Not a Christian cross. A Congo
cross. One line up to the gods one line down to the ancestors
in the spirit world. One line over for this life right now and
this death too. A circle tying it all together. My mamas mama
a healer. She the first doctor in the family this side the water.
When my grandmamma give my mama this bowl she know
the power in it” (Rawles 101).
African roots/heritage
Her family
•Passed down through generations
•Very sentimental
•African roots
Healing
•More literal meaning
Theme- Heritage is important to preserve
The Quilt
“You take that quilt wherever you go. When you old
and wore you think on me and all the others you
love. You close your eyes and feel our love coming up
behind you. That’s all you got in this world” (Rawles
161).
Connection Past to Present
Granddaughter's future
•Importance of family
bowl, hat, button,
Tobacco, knife, tooth,
different colors,
scarf, pipe
Theme- Past generation’s memories helps
present generation’s struggles
Jim
“It raining heavy but I knows in my bones Jim coming to
me” (Rawles 94).
“I had the middle watch, you know, but I was pretty
sleepy by that time, so Jim he said he would stand
the first half of it for me; he was always mighty good,
that way, Jim was” (Twain 117)
Father-figure/Slave
•Took care of Huck/protection/sidekick
•Represents all of the slaves at this time
Hope/Love
•Sadie sees being with him
as being free
•Her goal throughout the
Slavery whole book
Theme- (Huck) Society vs.
(Jim) Slavery vs. love/family
Literary Criticism
“He has been recognized by critics
as a complex character, at once
a superstitious and ignorant
minstrel-show stereotype but
also an intelligent human being
who conveys more depth than
the narrator, Huck Finn, is
aware of” (Telgen 5).
Miss Watson
“Well, I got a good going-over, from old Miss Watson,
on account of my clothes; but the widow she didn’t
scold, but only cleaned off the grease and clay and
looked so sorry that I thought I would behave a while
if I could” (Twain 13).
Civilization
Huck’s feelings toward this?
What does she represent?
•Teenage kid
•Propriety
•Adventure
•“Sivilization”
Theme- Captivity vs. freedom
Literary Criticism
“She represents a view of
Christianity that is severe
and unforgiving. It is her
attempts to ‘sivilize.’ Huck
that he finds most
annoying… (Hacht 7)”
Jim’s Hat
“White man’s hat. Hat like a bowl. Brown with a
yellow sash. No hat for a nigger. Not a free colored
either. I wants to say take off that hat fore they catch
you boy” (Rawles 60).
Pride
Hat for Jim ?
Hat for Sadie?
•Pride
•Equality
•Independence
•Fear for safety
•A “dreamer”
Theme- Slavery vs. Freedom
Essential Questions
What does the language allow and encourage?
Twain and Rawles use symbols to make the readers
read between the lines. They can interpret the
hidden meanings behind different objects and
characters to give them more meaning in the story.
Symbols give more depth to the plot to effectively
express the overall message that the authors are
trying to covey.
Essential Questions
• Quilt, Knife, Bowl- Family Tale
• Raft and Mississippi River, Jim’s hate, Jim,
Miss Watson- Boy’s tale and Abolitionist’s
tale
Bibliography
• Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Literary
Themes for Students: The American
Dream. Ed. Anne Hacht. Vol. 1. Detroit:
Thomson Gale, 2007. p41-55. 2 vols.
• Bokesch, Laura. "Literary Terms." OUSD Online. OUSD. Web. 4
Nov. 2009.
<http://www.orangeusd.k12.ca.us/yorba/literary_elemen
ts.htm#SYMBOLISM>.
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Novels
for Students. Ed. Diane Telgen. Vol. 1.
Detroit: Gale. 1997. p1-21.