This is the second time I've read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain so I already knew this story.
This classic story continues the story of Huckleberry Finn who I first met in Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer. Huckleberry's home life is a difficult one. His father is a violent, angry, alcoholic and he finds Huck to try and get some of the money that Huck found with Tom Sawyer. People in the town try to help Huck but it does no good because eventually Huck's father kidnaps him and locks him in a cabin where he beats him.
Huck eventually escapes and people think that he has drowned in the Mississippi river. That's when Huck comes across Jim who is a slave. Jim is trying to get away because he has overheard that he is going to be sold to another plantation. This begins Huck and Jim's adventures as they go down the river on a raft. As they encounter different people they continue to help one another survive as well as help others along the way.
Some main topics in this book are adventure, racism and slavery and Huck's character is also used to show the hypocrisy of civilized society. I was surprised at how often the "n" word is used in this book. I have read that some editions have changed some of the words so perhaps when I first read it, it was a different edition. Hearing this word, was difficult. I acknowledge that it has more to do with the time it was written and that it would not have had the same impact on the readers as it does (or should) today. A heads up that it is said at least a couple hundred times.
This book is a classic because it has a story that still resonates with people. An adventurous, coming of age story about friendship, racism, slavery, abuse and freedom. These are topics that we can still relate to today.
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