Key Themes in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Activity Overview

In this activity students will identify a theme and support the theme with evidence from the text.

Deceit

One theme is deceit. Throughout the novel, characters use deceit for a variety of purposes. For example, Huck uses deceit in order to escape captivity; Huck fakes his death by killing a pig and spreading its blood all over the cabin. Later on, he uses deceit to gain information; he dresses like a girl to gain information from Judith Loftus who is new to town. Lastly, the King and Duke pretend to be related to the late Peter Wilks and attempt to steal his fortune.

Friendship

Another theme in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is friendship. Huck and Jim are dedicated to helping each other and look out for one another as they move down the river and avoid capture. Jim calls Huck "a true friend". Huck and Tom Sawyer also have a close friendship. Huck and Tom develop a complex plan to free Jim. They follow through with the plan, and improve when needed, even when they are close to being caught. Jim demonstrates his friendship toward Tom as well. Instead of escaping, Jim stays to assist the doctor in saving Tom who had been shot in the calf.

Template and Class Instructions

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