Chapter Summaries
Chapter 17:
This chapter begins by Huck getting surrounded by a pack of dogs. Fortunately, Huck gets saved my a man who stops the dogs from attacking Huck. At first, the man is suspicious of Huck, and thinks he might come from the Shepherdson family. If he was, he would've been killed. The man's son, Buck, spends time with Huck and he convinces Buck that he was an orphan named George Jackson. Buck's family, the Grangerfords, are kind people to Huck and tell him he can stay as long as he would like, which pleases Huck.
Chapter 18:
In chapter 18, we learn a bit more about the Grangerford family. Colonel Grangerford, the man that saved Huck, is a kind man who owns over 100 slaves on his plantation. The Grangerford son, Buck, tries to shoot one of his neighbors, a Shepherdson. The Grangerfords and the Shephersons have had a conflict with each other ever since a Grangerford and one other died in the previous year. One day, one of the Grangerford's slaves leads Huck down to the river to show him some water moccasins, and instead finds Jim. Jim followed Huck to the island and has been hiding in the woods ever since. At church, Sophia Grangerford finds a note in a bible that has says "half past two." Huck finds out later that it was a meeting time for her to run off with Harney Shepherdson, the boy Buck tried to shoot earlier. Huck explores the woods and finds the Shephersons and the Grangerfords in a gun fight with each other, which results in Buck and his older brother getting shot. Huck decides to leave, so he and Jim take their raft and go back to sailing down the river.
Discussion Questions:
What theme was Emmeline Grangerford most interested in?
Emmeline Grangerford was very interested in the theme of death. She wrote sentimental poems and created artwork about the deceased. It is slightly ironic since she is one of the Grangerford's children who died.
How does Huck rediscover Jim?
One of the Grangerford's slaves takes Huck down to the river to show him some water moccasins, and they find Jim. He says he followed Huck to shore and has been hiding in the woods ever since, careful not to get caught. The Grangerford's slaves found him and tried to take away his raft, but he threatened that it belonged to his white master, which scared the slaves away.
Why does Huck feel responsible for the carnage following Sophia's elopement?
In the church, Sophia asks Huck to get the bible for her that has the note of what time she and Harney Shepherdon should meet. The meeting results in them running off together, and Buck Grangerford and his brother getting shot in a gun battle by the Shepherdsons. If it wasn't for Huck getting the bible for Sophia, they never would have met up, and ran away, sparking the gun battle killing Buck.
Reflections:
I think it's interesting how people such as the Grangerfords can have two separate personalities. When Huck shows up, they care for him and give him clothes and food. They also tell him he is free to stay as long as he wants. Even though they are kind people to him, they have a feud with the Shepherdsons. Neither family really remembers what the fighting is about, but they continue it. If there is no reason to fight, there shouldn't be fighting. It's amazing how people's actions can change so drastically regarding who the action is towards.