Assigned.) EMC Masterpiece Series. - Smoky Valley

[Pages:11]ENGLISH 1 CLASS ASSIGNMENTS (All assignments are due by 3:00pm on Friday of the week assigned.)

The following questions and assignments are from Adventures of Huckleberry Finn EMC Masterpiece Series.

Sept. 1 - 5

Words to Know: Be able to define words. These will be on quizzes and the test.

Commence Victuals Reckon Betwixt Trance Oath

Ransom Deacon Ornery Scoured Raspy Airs

Infernal Carcass Temperance

1. What is your first impression of Huck Finn, the narrator of the story? If you were living in Huck's village, whom would you prefer as a friend: Huck, Tom, or some of the other boys? Be able to explain your response.

2. In the opening lines of the novel, what important details does Huck give the reader about the end of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer? Where is Huck living when he begins his own story?

3. In what way has the widow tried to change Huck? How does Huck seem to feel about her attempts to change him?

4. What specific rules and rituals in the home of the widow and Miss Watson are most difficult for Huck to accept?

5. Why is Huck's personality at odds with life in the widow's home? In what ways does the widow's treatment of Huck differ from Miss Watson's treatment of Huck? Who is most responsible for Huck's feelings of resentment toward being "civilized"?

6. At what time of night does Tom Sawyer call Huck out of his room? What does Tom "steal" from the widow's kitchen before they leave? What practical joke does Tom play on Jim? In what way does this joke make Jim "famous" when he later tells people about it?

7. What does the fact that Tom leaves money for the candles that he is "stealing" say about his personality? Why does it seem appropriate that Miss Watson, rather than Widow Douglass, would own a slave? In what way is this fact in keeping with Miss Watson's narrow-minded, restrictive beliefs, as opposed to Widow Douglas's gentler, kinder nature?

8. When Huck and Tom meet with the other boys, where do they go? What kind of group does Tom want to organize? From where does he get most of his ideas for the group? Why is Huck almost excluded from the group?

9. Why do you think Tom is the group leader? Why do you think Huck offers Miss Watson, rather than Miss Douglas, as a person to be killed if he violates the group's oath? Even though the boys want to be outlaws, they do not want to meet on Sunday, a church day, for their meetings. What does this fact say about the seriousness of their wishes to be outlaws?

10. Huck tells readers, " The Widow Douglas, she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me." Why do you think Huck finds being "civilized" so difficult?

11. In what ways do Huck and Tom seem to be similar? In what ways to they seem to be different?

12. Huck's life changes when his father reappears. What are your feelings toward Huck's father and the way he treats Huck? What might you have done if you were in Huck's situation?

13. What signs alert Huck to the fact that his father might be back in town? What does he decide to do with his money?

14. How does Huck seem to feel about his father? What does Huck's wish to hide his money reveal about what Pap might be like as a person? What does this action show about Huck's practical nature?

15. Where do Huck and Pap finally meet? What comments does Pap make about Huck's new lifestyle? For what, primarily, does Pap want money?

16. Why do you think Pap feels so threatened by the fact that Huck is going to school and living with such material refinements as clean clothes and a rug on his bedroom floor? Does Pap seem most concerned about Huck's welfare or is he most concerned about himself? How do you know this?

17. For what purpose does Huck's father go to court to retain custody of Huck? What does he want? Whose side does the new judge take when Judge Thatcher and Widow Douglas try to take custody of Huck?

18. Do you think Pap is truly concerned about being a father to his son? What, most likely, are his reasons for fighting so strongly to be with Huck? In what ways does he show that he resents losing power over Huck almost as much as he resents the loss of Huck's money?

19. What does Pap do to lose the support of the new judge? Why does Pap kidnap Huck and keep him locked in his cabin? What incident causes Huck to decide he must escape?

20. What does Huck like about living with Pap, rather than the Widow Douglas? What is the worst part of living with Pap?

21. Why might Huck feel that his only option is escape from the only homes he has known- with the widow and with Pap? What does life with the widow represent to him? What does life with Pap represent to him?

22. What qualities does Huck show when he is held captive by his father? What kind of escape does he plan? Why, in his mind, is it necessary to plan the escape so that people will think he has been killed?

SEPT. 8 ? 12

Words to Know: Be able to define words. These will be on quizzes and the test.

Brash Abreast Bluff Shanty Solemn Rummaging

Yonder Yarn Gumption Dismal Spunk

23. "There ain't a minute to lose. They're after us!" Do you think Huck and Jim make good traveling companions? What do the two have in common? Do you agree with what they are doing? Why, or why not?

24. How does Huck know his plan to make people believe he has been killed is successful? What does he witness?

25. How does Huck feel during his first night on the island, after his successful escape? In what ways do his feelings change when the steamboat leaves and he realizes that "nobody else would come a-hunting" after him?

26. Why is Jim on Jackson's island? When did he arrive? What circumstances prompted him to leave the village? What promise does Huck make to Jim?

27. How does Huck feel to have found a companion? How does Jim react to seeing Huck? Why does he react this way? What makes Huck uncomfortable about the promises he makes Jim?

28. How do Huck and Jim spend their first few days together on the island? What are some of the items they find floating in the river? What do they find floating in the house?

29. In what way do Huck and Jim help each other to enjoy life on the island? How does Jim show protectiveness toward Huck when they are in the house with the dead body?

30. When Huck leaves the island, where does he go? What disguise does he use? What does he learn that causes him to panic and rush back to Jim?

31. In what ways is Huck unsuccessful at fooling the woman he visits? In what ways is he successful? When Huck rushes back to Jim, he tells Jim, "They're after us!" Are people really after Huck? In what way does his reaction to news of a hunt for Jim show that Huck has begun to identify closely with Jim?

32. Why do you think Huck aggress to keep Jim's secret even though he knows people in the village would "despise" him as a "low-down Abolitionist"? Why would people regard Huck's wish to hid Jim as a bad thing? Why does Huck make this decision despite what people may say? Why might Huck feel closer to Jim than to others in the village?

33. What traits do Jim and Huck share? How do they differ? What clues in the text show that their concern for each other and the need of each other are growing?

34. "Take it all round, we lived pretty high." This is how Huck describes their first days floating down the river on the raft. Do you agree or disagree? Would you like to set out on this kind of adventure?

35. What do Huck and Jim do to prepare the raft for travel? What is unusual about the steamboat they encounter? Who takes the lead in deciding to explore the steamboat?

36. How are Jim and Huck feeling during their first few nights of rafting? When they find the steamboat, why do you think Jim wants to keep Huck from boarding it? In what way does he have the most to lose?

37. What almost hinders Huck's and Jim's escape from the steamboat? How do they finally get away?

38. Why doesn't Huck simply leave the men on the boat to their fate? Why does he fabricate an elaborate story in an attempt to help them? What does this reveal about Huck's character?

39. On a particularly foggy night, what causes Huck to lose sight of the raft and Jim? Where is the raft when he finally finds it, and what condition is it in? What prank does he try to play on Jim? When Jim catches on to the prank, what vow does Huck make?

40. What is Jim's reaction to seeing Huck? How does Jim feel about the joke Huck played on him? How does Huck feel after being scolded by Jim? How do you know, based on this incident, that Huck takes Jim's feelings and Jim's friendship seriously?

41. What does Jim plan to do when he gets his freedom? What does Huck plan to do when he takes the canoe ashore? What does Jim tell Huck as he is leaving in the canoe? What lies does Huck tell the men who are looking for runaway slaves?

42. Why does Huck begin to feel uncomfortable as Jim talks about his plans for the future? When Huck leaves the raft to go ashore, how do Jim's parting words affect him? Why does Huck decide that it's "troublesome to do right"?

43. In what way has the rafting trip taken a much more serious turn for Huck? What issue related to himself and Jim is he forced to confront? By trying to help the robbers aboard the sinking steamboat and by making the decision to lie to the men searching for slaves, what is he revealing about his individuality and his personal sense of right and wrong?

44. In this section, when does Huck show himself to be both clever and practical? When does he show himself to be compassionate and mature?

Sept. 15 ? 19

Creative Writing Activity ? See Rubric for details. ? Due Friday, Oct. 3rd.

Words to Know: Be able to define words. These will be on quizzes and the test.

Gape Outlandish Disposition Realm Pine

Mite Wilt Kinfolk Ransack Cavort

45. If you were in Huck's place, how might you feel about the Grangerford's? What is unusual and disturbing about their lifestyle? Would you prefer the luxuries of their home or a more peaceful but less comfortable existence on the raft?

46. How does Huck respond when he is asked his name by the strangers onto whose land he has wandered?

47. What might make Huck feel he is in danger? Is he really?

48. What kind of place is the Grangerfords' house? Why is the Grangerford home different from homes to which Huck is accustomed?

49. Does Huck appear to be impressed by the Grangerfords' way of life? Do you think he could live comfortably with them for long? Why, or why not?

50. Which character in the Grangerford family especially fascinates Huck? How does he learn more about her?

51. Why does Huck spend so much time studying the work and life of the dead sister Emmeline? How does he pass judgment on the somewhat peculiar inhabitants, dead or alive, of the Grangerford household?

52. What touches off the new fighting between the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons?

53. Does anyone except Huck question the violence that ensues when Sophia runs away with Harney Shepherdson? How does Huck feel about it?

54. How does the Shepherdson-Grangerford feud compare with games that Tom Sawyer and his gang of robbers have played? In what way do the two scenarios differ?

55. Why is Huck so relieved to be back on the river with Jim? What does Huck learn about home as he considers life with the Grangerfords and living on the raft?

Sept. 22-26

Words to Know: Be able to define words. These will be on quizzes and the test.

Degraded Forlorn Huffy Mire Haughty Hoist

Contrite Bellow Lanky Gaudy Hanker Make allowance

56. "It's lovely to live on a raft," Huck observes. What makes it lovely, in his opinion?

57. With what do Huck and Jim fill their time as they travel on their raft before they encounter the king and the duke?

58. Do Huck and Jim seem content? Why do you think Huck says "we would watch the lonesomeness of the river." What does he mean?

59. Why does Huck cross over the land when they find a canoe? When he sees two running men, what does he assume? When they beg Huck to save them, what does he do?

60. Why doesn't Huck want them to jump into the canoe immediately? Why is it not in Huck's character to question the men about who they are or what they are trying to escape before he helps them?

61. From whom are the two men escaping? Why? How do they present themselves to Huck and Jim?

62. What kind of things do the self-styled duke and king do to make a living? Why do you think they decide to call themselves a duke and king? How would you describe the

duke and king? Why does Huck decide not to question their stories, even though he doesn't believe them? In what way might challenging these men put Jim at risk?

63. With whom does the character Boggs have a quarrel? What comes of it? 64. What are some of the ways the townspeople react to Boggs's death? Is anyone outraged? Is their attempt to lynch Col Sherburn done in the name of justice or to feed their appetite for more violence?

65. Despite their lack of shame, in what ways are the duke and the king clever and knowledgeable about human nature? Why do their scams succeed so well?

66. At the end of chapter 23, Jim reveals some of his feelings toward his daughter. Why is he feeling guilt? What does his guilt reveal about Jim as a person and a father? What does Huck learn about Jim in listening to his story? What important thing does Huck recognize? In what way is Jim different from many of the other adults in Huck's life?

Sept. 29 ? Oct. 3

Words to Know: Be able to define words. These will be on quizzes and the test.

Pious

Quivery

Lingo

Brute

Scoundrel

Candid

Loll

Frank

Spry

Ingenious

Shirk

Mum

Bogus

Humble

Droning

Lunatic

Hub

Impudent

Amputate

Cavorting

Meek

Contrive

Addled

Principle

Alter

Dote on

Keel

Swarm

Remiss

Evade

67. Of all the characters Huck has encountered, what makes the duke and king the most outrageous? Explain what you think of people who will do anything to make a dollar.

68. What story do the travelers on the raft hear from the innocent young man they encounter? How does this information change their plans?

69. How have the duke and the king taken over the river trip? Why do you think Huck and Jim lose control of the situation?

70. What do the duke and king intend to do about the inheritance left by Peter Wilks? 71. Does anyone question the two men when they turn up to claim the inheritance? Is anything about them suspicious? What does Huck think of their plans?

72. Why doe Huck decide to take the money the duke and king have stolen? What does he plan to do with it? What happens to prevent him?

73. What inspires Huck to risk telling the truth to Mary Jane? What qualities about her impress him?

74. At what point do the townspeople begin to doubt the king and duke's claims? What increases their suspicions? How do they decide to resolve the question of the identity of the genuine relatives? When do the duke and king finally give up?

75. In what ways does the greed of the duke and king get them into trouble even before the arrival of the other claimants? What could they have done differently that might have allowed them to pull off their scam? Why do you think it takes so long for them to give up and run?

76. In what ways are the duke and king using Huck and Jim? At what point does Huck realize how dangerous they are to him and to Jim? Had the townspeople caught the duke and king with them, do you think they would have spared Huck or considered him just as guilty? What might have saved Huck?

77. "I wilted right down on to the planks then, and give up; and it was all I could do to keep from crying." This is what Huck says when the king and duke reappear just as Jim and Huck are about to get away without them. Why has Huck stayed with the king and duke for so long?

78. Describe your feelings toward the king and the duke when you learn that the king has betrayed Jim for forty dollars. How does Huck feel? Do you understand why Huck has trouble deciding what he should do about Jim? Have you ever had to decide against popular opinion in favor of what you believed to be right?

79. When the king goes ashore and doesn't return, what makes Huck think "something is a-brewing"? He also thinks maybe it is "a chance for the chance." What chance does Huck have in mind? What is actually happening while the others wait for the king to return?

80. Why do you think Huck has such a difficult time getting rid of the king and the duke? Have the king and the duke helped Jim and Huck at all, or was their presence on the raft completely unnecessary?

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