Sunday, March 6, 2011
ENTRY #5: The Duke & the King (due Tuesday evening)
These two knuckleheads dominate a very large part of the middle/back end of the novel. They start out as humorous, silly con-artists who concoct crazy schemes to get a few extra bucks, and at first their actions are rather harmless. However, as the days pass and their tricks become more and more complicated, they almost transform into a pair of villains. So, the question I pose to you is this: why did Twain include them in this adventure of Huckleberry Finn's? What role are they supposed to be playing in the grand design of this novel, and do you believe Twain is suggesting anything or making any generalizations by his inclusion of these two bozos in his novel?
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I think that the Duke and the King play a very important part in the novel. For Huck, these two are an example of real life villains/thieves/liars that himself and Tom Sawyer used to dream about becoming. Like we discussed in class before, the original band of robbers that the boys tried to form in the beginning of the novel was really just a childish thought and wasn't an example of their true character. The boys liked to use their imaginations and just loved the idea of being a sneaky robber or thief. Now that Huck sees how these people act in the world, he is absolutely disgusted by it. We see that Huck has no intentions of being a "villain" in the world. Instead, we see the true character of Huck, who is a good and honest person deep down inside. I feel that Twain threw these two characters into the story for the purpose of characterizing Huck, and even Jim. It shows us the real Huck, and it also shows us the devotion Huck and Jim have to each other. Jim says that he'd rather go to Hell then turn Jim in, which is where we see the powerful connection that Jim and Huck have grown to have. The Duke and the King help to unravel all of this, serving as a crucial part to the story.
I honestly at first didn't think that Mark Twain placed the characters of the Duke and the King in the novel for any reason other than comic relief. With further thought, however, I think Twain used them to serve as a reminder to Huck of what he could become. Huck has already shown an interest in becoming a robber when he grows up, and aspires to be like Tom Sawyer. When he and Jim meet the Duke and the King, however, Huck starts to analyze their deeds and realizes that what they are doing is wrong. He even goes so far as to say they are "rapscallions" and is disgusted by them. I also think that the Duke and the King allow us to see Huck and Jim's relationship in a different way. Previous to their arrival, we were only able to see Huck and Jim's interaction/conversation towards each other. When the Duke and the King join them, we see their relationship start to truly evolve into a friendship. Through their common backgrounds and aversion to the Duke and the King Huck and Jim's bond becomes even stronger. Huck and Jim both share the belief that what the Duke and the King do is morally wrong and together try to escape from their company. This is crucial in Twain's motive of showing the equality between Huck and Jim, and proves that anybody, no matter their race, can be thieves and liers.
I think that Twain added the Duke and Dauphin into the story to add an extra component to Huck's already adventurous life. Adding them into the story makes Huck go on journeys that he most likely would not have been able to come up with by himself. I think it plays a big part in having Huck really analyze his actions as an individual. So far he has really been doing small stupid innocent things that any young boy would do. But, I think that when he sees the Duke and the Dauphin scamming such wonderful girls he really starts to think about what he is doing on this adventure. He begins to self analyze himself and realizes that if he continues scamming people he could eventually turn into full out villains like the Duke and the Dauphin. I think Twain's purpose is really just to make Huck think twice about the life he is choosing and to save Jim and get away from these lunatics. By him telling Mary Jane Wilcks about the Duke and the Dauphin being frauds the reader can really tell that Huck has changed and is not all caught up in the lifestyle he used to live. You can tell that he is sick of living this fraudulent lifestyle with the Duke and the Dauphin and I think that is the intent that Twain had hoped for. I guess Twain is generalizing that the longer you keep scamming people the more it becomes addicting and you just want to continue with it. The further you get yourself into a scam the more trouble you will have to safely get out.
While I was reading this book, when I first came across these two “knuckleheads”, I didn’t think much of them. Although I wasn’t completely positive, I figured that twain put them in the story for a little bit of comic relief. But as I continued to read further into this story, my opinion began to evolve. I think that it became apparent to me later in the story the real reason that they were put in the story. I think that the many scams that they pull to get money brings out a different side of Huck. One that proves that he really does have morals. When it said that Huck was disappointed in the things that the duke and dauphin were doing, it really said something to me. My first impression of Huck, that he was basically a delinquent, stayed with me throughout the entire story up until this point. Although he still did many things that are not exactly angelic, this statement shows me that he does have limits. So I believe that the reason that Twain included them in the story is in order to show that Huck really does have morals deep down inside of him, and that he is a good kid.
In response to Sophia...
I like how you said that Huck and Jim's relationship became a stronger bond once the Duke and the Dauphin came into the equation. I do agree that they really began to hate the ideas and actions that the Duke and the Dauphin participated in. It really made Huck and Jim open their ideas up to what was really going on and how they could avoid being part of it any longer.
In response to Sophia...
I could not agree more with the statements you made. I also thought that they were just for comic relief at the beginning of the story. I especially like how you pointed out that Huck realized that what they were doing was wrong. It showed that Huck, who as you pointed out "has already shown an interest in becoming a robber when he grows up, and aspires to be like Tom Sawyer" is better than that. Great job Sophie :)
Huck Finn is a novel revolving around the runaway, open lifestyle of the main character, Huck, and his "sidekick" and partner in his adventures, Jim. The novel traces the adventures of these characters as they float their raft down the Mississippi. Eventually, they come upon two characters who seem to have had a lifestyle much like their own. The Duke and the King are, according to their renditions of their stories, supposed to be figures of royalty who have fled or been removed from their homeland and found themselves planted in America. Their actual identities, however, place them as phony, wandering con-artists. Even though it may seem as if Twain has simply put them in the story for laughs in their opening pages, as the story progresses, these two begin to come up with schemes that are increasingly worse and more harmful. I think that Twain included the Duke and the King in the novel to serve as examples of what could have been. Huck and Jim, with their wandering lifestyle, could have easily become bad-natured and developed a criminal lifestyle. The Duke and the King serve as examples of the type of life that Huck and Jim could have taken on. Their presence in the story serves as a contrast between the good-natured, free-living characters that Huck and Jim actually are and the criminals, like the Duke and the King, they could have become. If Twain is trying to suggest anything by including these characters in the book, he is trying to suggest that Huck and Jim had good morals and were able to avoid turning into bad people.
In response to Alec...
I agree with all of the points you made, but I feel that one of your points in particular might be better off if worded differently. When you say that the Duke and the King's inclusion in the story brings about a different "side" of Huck, I think it might make more sense if you said that their presence helps to "enhance" the side of Huck that we already see. Through his adventures with Jim, we can tell that Huck does have some good morals, and is not necessarily a bad kid. When the Duke and the King come along and serve as examples of the bad behavior that Huck could have easily taken on, Twain is using these phonies to further support our belief that Huck does have good morals. Other than that, you did make excellent points. Good post.
In response to Tricia,
You make a great point in your statement that without the Duke and the King, there would not be as many exciting adventures for Huck and Jim to see/go on. I also agree with your point that the Duke and the King kind of prevent Huck from becoming the person that he was bound to become. Huck is able to see the outlandish acts of the Duke and the King and also is able to see the consequences of these acts on those around them. Its no longer Tom Sawyer's pretend band of child thieves, but real adults committing real crimes. I think that these characters mark a significant change in, and realization of, Huck as a character.
I believe that Twain put the duke and the dolphin into this story to give Huck and Jim experience with a truly bitter and ill-hearted person. This shows us the person that Huck truly is. At one point in this story Huck wished to be a villain, and even considered him growing up to be one. But now that he is put into a situation with an actual “villain” he is disgusted by them. I think that Huck picks up on the duke and the dolphins spiteful actions a lot more then Jim does, making this a more beneficial learning experience for Huck. Along with them being put in the story to see Huck mature out of his older beliefs, I think that Twain decided to put them in to strengthen Huck and Jim’s friendship. Like any friendship there are always going to be bumps and obstacles to overcome and I think that’s exactly what the duke and dolphin are. By Huck and Jim having to think of a way to break away or “ditch” the duke and the dolphin helps unify the twos friendship. It should be interesting to see what happens in the chapters to come.
Twain was an author known for his purposeful yet fun novels, which inherently evolved into classic pieces of American literature. He would not have included two characters so dynamic as the Duke and the King without an agenda behind their participation and actions. I take away a moral from the reckless actions of the pair and their demonstrating how some things that seem like harmless fun can effortlessly grow into villainous or immoral acts. As stated, their actions gradually augment in malice, this happened so steadily that the change could have almost gone unnoticed by a naive person. Huck does see a difference and decidedly begins to despise their actions, having almost idolized the Duke and the King previously as just the type of bandits that he had ventured to be when in companionship with Tom. In the end they serve as a warning sign to Huck ,as he matures and forms a character for himself, so as to not fall into similar corruption.
There is no doubt that the role of these two characters develops as the story progresses. Initially, I had not expected for their presence to remain as prominent as it has been thus far. I was under the impression that they would simply serve as a bit of humor for readers, and then be on their way. I feel that Twain chose to develop these figures so much for the sake of accentuating particular characteristics of Huck Finn. Huck is very responsive to his surroundings and situations. The more and more the Duke and King carried our malicious acts, the more and more we as readers see of who Huck really is. In spite of his goals of becoming a villain-type figure in the beginning of the novel, we can now see that Huck is a kind-hearted, good-natured boy based on how he reacts to the actions of the Duke and King. I personally find it very impressive that Huck sticks to his heart by avoiding the cruel and uncaring route that is so easily accessible once the Duke and King enter the story. In doing so, he teaches readers a valuable lesson!
While Jim and Huck are the main characters of the novel, the duke and the dauphin definitely have a big impact on the novel. During the first few chapters that we were introduced to them, I thought that they wouldn’t stick around for so long, but then I realized how prominent their characters are in the novel. I think that at first Twain put them in for comic relief since much of the book’s tone is much more serious, but then he realized that they would help to develop Huck and Jim’s characters. The two pairs have lots of similarities and can be compared to one another. Huck and Jim were just going for harmless adventures, while the duke and dauphin were actually terrorizing the towns they visited. They also help to show Huck’s intelligence. Huck, using his quick wits, was quickly able to tell that the two were frauds. Huck is also able to discover a lot about himself through the duke and dauphin. He and Tom wanted to be robbers and villains, they even made the club, but as he saw what a villain really was and the horrible things they did to other people, he decided that he was more sensitive than that. Twain is able to show what good morals Huck and Jim had by contrasting them to the duke and dauphin.
Like many others, I believe that the role of this pair evolves throughout the story. In their introduction, they seemed to be mischievous yet mostly harmless. As two town outcasts, they took on the roles of royalty, and while Huck caught on to their scheme quite quickly, Jim stayed oblivious. While I think that in the beginning, the duke and the dauphin were for the most part a source of comic relief, it could also be argued that they were there, at least initially, to highlight Huck’s wit against Jim’s. Huck realizing the fraud shows his sharp mind, while Jim staying oblivious shows his innocent and inexperienced mind. As the story unfolds, however, the duke and the dauphin get into more serious trouble. With the increase of their mischief comes the increase of Huck’s moral standards. As a boy, he thought the criminal world looked exciting and fun, but as he realizes that the reality of it is not as appealing as he initially thought, he backs off. Huck could have easily slipped right into the pair’s malicious plans, but he stands firmly in believing that what they’re doing is wrong. This obviously shows Huck’s changing character. Without these two, Huck’s evolution would not be as apparent.
In response to Nick…
Your idea about the duke and the dauphin unifying Huck and Jim is so true. I had only thought about how the two had grown individually, but they also grew closer together. Friendships are always strengthened when people go through hard times together, and this was one of those hard times. Also I was glad that Huck’s time spent with those two men made him turn from his old dreams. At first it was funny that Huck wanted to be this big robber, but I was so relieved to find out that he had better standards than that, and it was only by seeing the two criminals that he was actually able to come to that conclusion.
In response to Jake R...
I really liked your last few sentences about how the duke and the dauphin serve as a kind of warning to Huck. Seeing their actions makes Huck realize that he doesn't actually want to be a part of the criminal world. Your wording about the evolution from Huck respecting the criminal lifestyle to being disgusted by it is really good.
In response to Chris...
I like your comment on how the two pairs (the Duke and the Dauphin and Huck and Jim) have similar lifestyles, on the surface. I also like how you said that the knuckleheads' lives serve as an example of what could have happened to Huck and Jim. I never thought about it that way. You're right though - they could have easily slipped into the criminal world, and their lives would parallel those of the Duke and the Dauphin.
In response to Emma…
While I completely agree with what you said about the duke and the dauphin helping to show the difference between Huck and Jim’s intelligence, I found Twain to be kind of contradictory to what he had been trying to show previously. Twain was reveling signs of Huck and Jim becoming more of equals, but then suddenly he, once again, plays off of Jim’s ignorance. I was slightly confused as to what Twain wanted the reader to think, in terms of whether or not Huck and Jim had become equals. But I agree with your post!
In response to Alec…
I think your right, bringing the duke and the dauphin into the story really helped to reveal Huck’s big revelation and change. Before this we had seen him grow, but he never made the complete change, but once he saw how the two frauds treated other people, he realized that that was not who he wanted to be. Without them, Huck may not have had such a major moral change.
The Duke and the King are involved in a large chunk of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Because of this, I believe Twain deliberately chose to include them in the novel. The main reason why I thought Twain threw them into the mix was because of how pivotal they were in showing the reader Huck’s true character. Like the prompt says, the Duke and King at first were harmless hooligans trying to get a few extra bucks. However, the seriousness of their criminal schemes progressed significantly and quickly. Although he is still only a young boy, Huck realizes that the tricks are harmful and immoral. Huck no longer wishes to be a thief and despises the idea of being that robber who he so vehemently wished to become at the beginning of this book. When Huck chose to no longer participate in the Duke and Kings schemes, his true character starts to shine through. A less significant reason why I believe that Twain includes them is to remind readers to be like Huck and make the choice and not lead fraudulent lifestyles.
in response to Paige...
I COMPLETELY agree with what you said about how the main reason they were included was to help truly characterize Huck. We were shown occasional glimpses of Huck's true character earlier in the novel, but the Duke and King are what really brought it out.
I think that Twain's including the Duke and King is very important. Through the Duke and the King, he was able to introduce very important topics into the plot of the novel. At first, it's not very obvious that they have been added for any reason other than comic relief. Their plots and schemes are somewhat harmless. But they soon showed a darker side to their schemes. I think that it was at this point that Twain wanted the reader to notice the connection between the Duke and King and Huck. If Huck were to continue on his current path he could very easily fall into the life of a crook much like the Duke and King. Huck also realizes that they are not a good influence and that they are not the kind of people that he and Jim should be with. Also, this point may also jogg the reader's memory that when Huck, Tom, and their friends started their "gang", they had no real intentions of causing any harm to anyone. Their idea to congure up a gang was merely the boys using their imaginations to have fun. Therefore, these two "rapscallions" serve an important part in the characterization of Huck. They help to reveal the truth about Huck's morals and feelings that the reader might not see it this test was presented to him.
On a side note: I think that the word rapscallions is a deriviative of the word rapacious; an adjective that describes someone who is greedy.
In response to Emily...
I really liked how you mentioned that the duke and dauphin brought out the intelligence of Huck. Huck had to do some quick thinking during this novel, and much of his thinking is in response to the prediciments that he and Jim get into because of the duke and dauphin. I also liked that you said that they brought out the good morals that Huck and Jim have. I completely agree with you. Great job!
In response to Sophie...
I really like that you pointed out that this was the first time that we were able to see Huck and Jim interact with someone other than themselves. I also really like that you were able to identify another thing that Huck and Jim were able to have in common, the aversion to the Duke and the King. This helps strengthen their friendship even more. After reading your post and other classmates I have come to the conclusion that Twain put these two into the story to strengthen Huck and Jim's relationship. You were able to word that well. Good job.
In response to Joe...
I liked the last part of your post. I never thought of Twain trying to communicate to his readers about the topic of being a crook; good point! I guess that reading this would make the reader realize not only for Huck, but also for themselves that this type of lifestyle is not morally right.
In response to Sophia...
Excellent post!!! Your thoughts about Huck and Jim's friendship strengthening through their experiece were great! When Huck escaped from his sticky situation with the Wilcks, he and Jim took off. I thought that it was great that Huck finally decided to ditch the duke and king. Twain was really able to sway the reader and pull them further into the novel by showing Huck's emotions and feelings about the duke and king. I for one, was really rooting for Huck and Jim, especially after their attempted escape from the presence of the two rapscallions.
The "two knuckleheads" definitely show the dark side of humanity. They're harmless cons quickly become hurtful and horrible! I believe that they play multiple roles in the novel. Their first few jokes start out as a type of comic relief from all the thrill and suspense of Huck and Jim's earlier adventures. Later on, they are used to show the deep down goodness of Huck. He is deeply disturbed by their relentless cons and hates to realize that such people exist in society. It really woke him up and indirectly helped him realize that he didn't want to become a robber/murderer as he had previously wished. In the beginning of the novel Huck and Tom imagined that they were robbers and villains, but the duke and the king are actual villains! You know you're a bad person when you swindle money from a group of church-goers during the service! I was glad to see that they did not end up getting away with the $6,000 from Peter Wilk's inheritance. Also, I think that the novel would have started to become drone and boring had the two swindlers not come into play. Seriously, how much of two guys floating by themselves down a river can you read? In all seriousness though, the two characters were included for many reasons that change throughout the novel.
In response to Nick...
I really like one of your reasons for the two characters to be involved; the fact that it brought Huck and Jim closer together. It's no secret that friends become much closer when faced with an obstacle to overcome or a problem to solve. The duke and the king seem to be doing the trick! The two friends already had that base connection (both being runaways), so this whole situation has only brought them closer together. Good thoughts, Nick!!
In reply to Abi,
It's neat how you pointed out that these two characters add a level of excitement to the novel. I agree with this. The change in their role is also quite evident as you mentioned. Huck and Jim never really change, so by encountering these two dynamic characters, readers are likely to be highly entertained. I find it incredibly interesting and impressive how Mark Twain can use the addition of more minor characters to the story can bring out traits in the main character (Huck and even Jim in this case). It's VERY effective.
At first glance, the presence of these two lumbering frauds seem to be very superficial and nearly meaningless. Their actions seemed mischievous, yet overall spontaneous and unimportant. However, as Huck and Jim became further integrated with the two criminals, revealing characteristics surface. The criminals move on from simple petty rip-offs, to truly malicious and immoral wrongdoings (such as the Peter Wilks scam). Huck and Jim had gladly tagged along at first, but as the intensity of the two teamsters actions increased, Huck and Jim were forced to separate. Huck had always dreamed of being a marauding adventurer, but he soon realized that this life style was too immoral for him.
I do believe Twain specifically added these two dynamic characters in order to portray a few specific points. Not only did Huck realize (and then make Jim realize) that this lifestyle was not the one meant for moral adventurers such as themselves, but the interactions with The Duke and The Dauphin greatly strengthened the bond between Huck and the aspiring freeman. Previously, the relationship between Jim and Huck would be hard stressed to be considered a true friendship, but now the strong friendship between these two companions could not be questioned.
In response to Joe...
I like how you pointed out thats "Huck's true character" shined through after her realized the true essence of the two frauds. I think Huck truly realized that wasn't the life he was destined to live, and that he had a truly battle tested underlying morality that wouldn't allow such dealings. Also, saying his true character was only revealed at that point of the book brings up another point. Throughout the beginning of the book the true characteristics of Huck were layered underneath his undying thirst for adventure and life on the edge. This series of events with the two frauds just shows that Huck must settle down sooner or later and find a point where his mischievous doings are going a little too far.
I believe that the Duke and the Dauphin serve a vital purpose in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. While they begin as mere comic relief, they quickly escalate into figures that we automatically associate with “the bad guys”. They’re pranks become more sinister and have the potential to harm more and more people as they go along. By doing this, Twain gives Huck an opportunity to see the harm that a simple scam, like the ones he used to pull, can do to the people that it affects. Throughout this novel we have seen Huck evolve from a person that does not care about anyone but himself, to a person that has learned to show compassion for others and look out for the needs of someone other than himself. When Huck sees what the Duke and the Dauphin are doing to people, he says that he is “disgusted by the human race”, and is ashamed that someone could hurt someone else simply to obtain money.
Twain’s placement of these characters in the novel suggests to me that he believes that people can truly change who they are. He is able to show that in Huck, who went from a selfish runaway, to a caring individual who looks out for others. Without the Duke and the Dauphin, Twain would be hard pressed to show how Huck had changed in such a convincing way. Their presence forces Huck to confront the nature of people and decide what kind of person he wants to become.
In response to Emma....
I had not thought that the Duke and the Dauphin had helped to show the slow-wittedness of Jim but it makes sense when examined. However, could it have instead showed not how Huck was sharp and Jim wasnt, but how Huck's mind was very devious and Jim was much more innocent and carefree?
Personally, I thought as Twain composed this novel he mainly wanted to put some emphasis on a comical basis in the novel. Twain may or may not have realized that this novel is a very large novel to sink your teeth into when focusing on the issues of slavery and misdemeanors. I believe the comical standpoint let's the reader relax in a way to the point where he/she can say, "this novel is a grand challenger of my opinions, while at the same time I can laugh at all of the plans and tricks the duke and the dolphin get into." I also think that the two almost mirror Huck and Jim. Now Jim is not much of a trickster, but Huck is. I believe the two are posed in the book for Huck to realize that all of his trickery should come to and end soon and start developing into a better well rounded individual. If anything, on a really low standard view, the two were just thrown into the novel for filler or just an addition side plot to the overall adventures for Huck and Jim.
In response to Abigail's post on March 8, 2011 at 5:47 PM...
I agree with this idea almost one hundred percent! Comic relief was definitely Twain's goal at the beginning. Then all oftbe swindling shows Huck that all of these misdoings threaten his chance at becoming a better person in society. Bringing up the idea of "how boring it could get," that's the one thing about all writings: there is going to be the idea that the overall theme gets out to the public about the book and hopefully people are still interested. In this case, people would ave thought the same, but what the author hopes is that they think of the possibilities of the mass of all the other adventures the main characters could get into.
Twain featured the Duke and the King in his novel for mainly simple reasons that should not be overlooked. The humor the Duke and the King bring to the plot is definitely a factor. They seem to lighten up the mood of the current story but at the same time they still serve a purpose. The Duke and the King have almost similar lifestyles to Huck and Jim. The only real difference is that they perform many more stupid actions and Twain puts a humorous spin on the pair, whereas Huck and Jim are taken more seriously by the author. The Duke and the King may be seen as a reflection of what Huck’s long forgotten band of robbers lead by Tom Sawyer could have become. If that were the case, it would be a very discrete warning sign disguised by humor. Regardless of what their purpose really was to Huck, I believe the primary reason Twain included the Duke and the King was to provide a much-needed sense of humor along with another outside influence that better characterizes the protagonist, Huck.
First off, I want to apologize for the lateness of my post. I got unexpectedly called into work last night and did not get home until 10:30, and after I had a chance to eat dinner it was way after 11. Now on to my actual post. I believe the whole reason why Twain added these two hooligans was to bring in actual villains into the story. Tom and Huck always talked about becoming villains but they were just imagining things as most children do. But the Duke and the King are real life villains that truly pose a threat to society. I believe that their main purpose was to show the good in the rest of the characters, such as Huck. Huck was depicted as a trouble-maker from the very start of the book, but with the addition of these two people, Huck can be seen in a new light. I could now see that Huck was just trying to be cool and acting like an adult, instead of being a rapscallion. When these two scoundrels entered into the story, I could now see Huck's morals begin to rise to the surface. He chose to tell Mary Jane about the whole plot to steal the gold even though he knew it could be the end for him if the Duke and the King ever found out it was him who ratted them out. I also believe that they were used to squeeze a moral into the story, especially when they were tarred and feathered for the Royal Nonesuch. The moral that I gained from these two was that you shouldn't attempt to swindle people, even if you can get away with it because it will always come back to bite you in the butt.
I think that Twain included the Duke and the King to help Huck grow as a person. After hanging out with the Duke and the King, Huck does not care for their antics. He realizes that if he continues to act poorly he may end up like them. Huck and Tom were in a “gang” of thieves and robbers that “killed” the people they robbed. Even though Huck wasn’t particularly fond of the idea originally, he didn’t want to be left out, so, he went along. Huck witnesses the cruelty of the Duke and King first hand and becomes more and more disgusted by their actions. For example, when the Duke and the King pose as the Wilcks brothers Huck is disturbed that two people could hurt other people that are already hurting due to the loss of a friend, neighbor, brother, and uncle. The Duke and the King help Huck realize that that ways of life is a bad one and that Huck has potential to be something greater.
In response to Jake L....
I agree with the aspect that the Duke and the King were comical relief, but only in the first few chapters that they were in. After that, they became horrible people that caused more suspense than comedy. And I totally disagree that they mirror Huck and Jim. Sure Huck likes to trick people, but he doesn't try and swindle orphans of their fortune that their deceased father left for them. That's just awful. Huck would never do anything that heinous, he has higher morals than that. I truly believe that the Duke and the King were meant to push the plot along and add some suspense into the story, because up until this point, I thought the book was dragging along very slowly because there wasn't a lot of interesting stuff happening.
In response to Nick...
I didn't even think that Twain put the Duke and the King into the novel to strengthen Jim and Huck's relationship, good point. Huck works hard to protect Jim against the Duke and the King and they stay united. Jim and Huck tend not to fight as much and look out for each other more when they are with the swindlers. Good post!!
In response to Nick...
You brought up as a probable purpose for the inclusion of the Duke and the King, their use in strengthening Huck and Jim's friendship. This seems to be a recurring theme throughout the book as various events test the friendship and more importantly the loyalty of Huck and Jim to one another. We are aware of the "catch 22" that the pair is in as they are both runaways, but it has taken more than this for the two to defy stereotypes and cultural stigmas.
In response to Jacob L…
I agree with everything. You had some excellent points: that the Duke and Dauphin mirror Huck and Jim, that Huck can realize that he should stop playing tricks, etc. You’re best point I think was that this side plot with the Duke and Dauphin enter humor into an otherwise serious-oriented novel. It absolutely helps the reader relax. Good comment!
In response to Mitchell…
Excellent comment!! Everything you said was absolutely brilliant. You should be a world-famous critic or something. How are you not famous yet?! You humbled me with your excellent diction and direct citation from the story.
In response to Kelsey,
I like how you clearly pointed out what moral you believed the duke and king to be teaching. Although Huck still felt badly for them when they were tarred and feathered, they kind of deserved it. Also, I agree with the much-needed contrast between Huck and the villains. Their swindling made Huck's offenses seem so minor. Good thoughts, Kelsey!!
In response to Abi...
I agree with the point that the book was becoming very repetitive, and that Twain inserted these two cons in order to add a bit of flavor to the story. There are only so many interesting things that can be portrayed while two people float down a river, and occurrences such as the one with the Grangerfords and the two frauds add much needed variety. I think this can be a legitimate reason for the addition of the two cons, along with the idea of comic relief and the strengthening of Huck and Tom's relationship.
In response to Theodorable...
I agree with your idea that you believed the duke and the king would only be a part of the novel temporarily. P.s. You're talking about your Catcher in the Rye connection right now, good job. Anyway, I like how you said that Huck could teach us a valuable lesson. He is only supposed to be 12 or 13 years old, so it is amazing that he could mature so much! Good thoughts!!
I feel that the Duke and King are what Huck could become if he uses he gifts in the wrong way. I feel that Huck might have admired the Duke and the King had he not met Jim. I do not see them as the ultimate villains of the book, but they do play an important part in Huck growth. Just as Huck is forgetting the differences between Jim and him, the Duke and the King come around a remind him of how stupid he is. They put Huck in situation were he is forced to examine his morals and the morals of others. I also think that the Duke and the King give Huck an insight into how “being a robber” actually makes you feel. The pair are bitter, cantankerous , unhappy people, where Huck had always thought that that kind of life was filled with glory and honor.
In response to Abigail…
I agree that the Duke and the King do show a dark side of humanity and that they were a much needed break form the endless floating down the river, if only they had been in the Old Man and the Sea!!
In response to Kelsey...
**Sorry I forgot to respond until now.
I really like your approach on this topic, we have a lot of the same thoughts about this. I agree that the duke and the king both show us Huck's true character and a moral. I love the moral that you pinned on these too, it makes complete sense. Their swindling sure bit them in the butt alright! Good job!
check 3/11/11
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