Adventures of Huckleberry Finn facts for kids
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a famous book written by Mark Twain, first published in 1884. It is a sequel to his earlier popular book, Tom Sawyer. This story follows the exciting journey of a young boy named Huck Finn as he travels down the Mississippi River. The book explores themes of friendship, freedom, and growing up in America.
Contents
What is the Story About?
After the events of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn is adopted by Widow Douglas. She tries to teach him good manners and help him fit into society. Huck also joins Tom Sawyer's group for adventures.
Huck's Escape and Meeting Jim
One day, Huck's father, Pap, returns to town. Pap is not a good parent and takes Huck to a cabin across the river. Huck feels trapped there. To escape, he pretends he has died and then hides on Jackson's Island. This is a small island in the river. There, Huck meets Jim, who was a servant for Miss Watson and has run away.
Journey on the Mississippi River
Huck and Jim find a raft and decide to travel down the river. They hope to reach a place where Jim can be truly free. During their journey, they find a floating house after a storm. They go inside to see what they can find. They discover a dead man inside, and Jim quickly stops Huck from seeing the man's face.
Huck disguises himself as a girl and goes back to town to gather information. A woman he meets tells him that some people believe Jim is responsible for Huck's disappearance. The woman also realizes Huck is a boy. Huck quickly returns to the island, and he and Jim continue their escape down the river.
The Grangerfords and Shepherdsons
Later, Huck and Jim get separated by a passing steamboat. Huck ends up with the Grangerfords, a wealthy family. He becomes friends with Buck Grangerford, who is about his age. The Grangerfords have been in a long-standing conflict with another family, the Shepherdsons. When a fight breaks out, many of the Grangerford men are killed. Huck manages to escape and reunites with Jim. They continue their journey down the river together.
Meeting the Con Men
Further down the river, Huck and Jim rescue two men who are tricksters. These men join Huck and Jim on their raft. The tricksters perform several scams in different towns along the river. In one town, they pretend to be the long-lost brothers of a recently deceased man. They escape just before their true identities are discovered.
Jim's Freedom and Tom's Plan
Later, one of the tricksters sells Jim. Huck finds out that Jim is now being held by the Phelps family. Huck decides he must help Jim become free. He pretends to be the Phelps' nephew, Tom Sawyer. When the real Tom Sawyer arrives, he goes along with Huck's plan.
Jim is kept in a shed. Tom creates a very risky plan to help Jim escape. As they try to carry out their plan, Tom gets shot in the leg. While Huck goes to get help, Jim stays with Tom. When they return to the farm, Jim is captured again, and Tom is unconscious.
When Tom wakes up, he reveals a big secret: Jim had actually been free for several weeks! Jim's owner had passed away two months earlier. Tom had not told Huck because he wanted to have an exciting and risky plan to "rescue" Jim. Soon after, Tom's Aunt Polly arrives and reveals Huck's and Tom's real identities. Jim then tells Huck that Pap, Huck's father, was the dead man they found in the floating house earlier in their journey. In the end, Huck decides to go West for new adventures.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Jim and Huck on their raft, by E. W. Kemble
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Tom Sawyer stealing spoons on the Phelpses' farm
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The "King" and the "Duke", by E. W. Kemble
See also
In Spanish: Las aventuras de Huckleberry Finn para niños
