The novel is seen through the eyes of Huck Finn, who has contradicting views about slavery. For example, Huck struggles between assisting his friend Jim, a runaway slave, and breaking the law. Later on, Huck risks his own freedom to find Jim; Huck goes into town to rescue Jim after the Duke sells him for a small reward. When Tom Sawyer arrives, Huck confides in him, telling him about the adventure he and Jim have experienced down the river. Huck is pleasantly surprised when Tom agrees to help free Jim.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that examines Huck's view on slavery using at least three examples from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Click on "Add / Delete Cells" to change the number of examples.
Encourage critical thinking by guiding students to analyze Huck’s internal conflicts about slavery. Ask open-ended questions and invite students to share personal reflections for deeper engagement.
List 3–5 thought-provoking questions that focus on Huck’s changing views and actions. Questions should prompt analysis, such as “Why does Huck help Jim, even when he believes it’s wrong?”
Establish a respectful classroom environment by reviewing expectations for listening and speaking. Encourage students to support their ideas with text evidence and respect differing opinions.
Remind students to reference examples from the novel when sharing their thoughts. Model this by citing a passage yourself to show how opinions are grounded in the text.
Wrap up the discussion by highlighting key insights and inviting students to reflect in writing or out loud. This reinforces learning and makes the discussion meaningful for everyone.
Huck Finn's views on slavery are complex and evolve throughout the novel. While he initially accepts society's racist norms, his friendship with Jim leads him to question the morality of slavery and ultimately risk his own safety to help Jim gain freedom.
As Huck travels down the river with Jim, he begins to see Jim as a friend and equal, rather than property. This shift causes Huck to challenge his upbringing and choose personal loyalty over society's unjust laws.
Huck grapples with slavery when he debates whether to turn Jim in, ultimately decides to rescue him after the Duke sells him, and confides in Tom Sawyer about their journey. Each moment highlights Huck's internal conflict and growth.
The best way is to select at least three key scenes from the novel that illustrate Huck's evolving perspective, paraphrase or quote the text for evidence, and use illustrations to depict each example visually.
Huck's decision to help Jim is significant because it represents his moral growth and willingness to defy societal norms for what he believes is right, highlighting the novel's critique of slavery and racism.