Huckleberry Finn

1
Huckleberry Finn

• Characterization

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Characterization

• The process of conveying information about
  characters in narrative or dramatic works.
• Presented by means of description, through their
  actions, speech or thoughts.

3
Characterization

• Huck
• She (Widow Douglas) put me in them
• new clothes again and I couldnt do
• nothing but sweat and sweat, and feel all
• cramped up (2).
• Then she (Miss Watson) told me all about the bad
  place, and I said I wished I was there (2).
• I got up and turned around in my tracks three
  times and crossed my breast every time and then
  I tied up a little lock of my hair with a thread
  to keep witches away (3).

4
Characterization

• Miss Watson
• Dont put your feet up there, Huckleberry (2).
• Dont scrunch up like that, Huckleberry set up
  straight (2).
• Huck says, Miss Watson is a tolerable slim old
  maid, with goggles on (2).
• Huck says, Miss Watson kept pecking at me, and
  it got tiresome and lonesome (3).

5
Characterization

• Jim
• Say, who is you? Whar is you? Dog my cats ef I
  didn hear sumfn. Well, I know what Is gwyne
  to do. Is gwyne to set down here and listen tell
  I hears it agin (5).
• Jim always kept that five-center piece around
  his neck with a string, and said it was a charm
  the devil give him with his own hands (6).
• Jim was most ruined for a servant, because he
  got all stuck up an account of having seen the
  devil and been rode by witches (6).

6
Characterization

• Tom Sawyer
• Tom made everybody swear to keep the secret
  (7).
• Tom says Now, well start this band of robbers
  and call it Tom Sawyers Gang (7).
• Stuff! Stealing cattle and such things aint
  robbery its burglary (8).
• Well, Ben Rogers, if I was as ignorant as you, I
  wouldnt let on. Kill the women? No nobody
  ever saw anything in the books like that. You
  fetch them to the cave and youre always as
  polite as pie to them and by and by they fall in
  love with you, and never want to go home any
  more (9).

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Direct Characterization

• Telling (directly) what the character is like
  explicitly.
• Used most often in 3rd person narration
• Josh hates ferrets. Ever since he was attacked by
  a ferret when he was 4 years old, he has deplored
  the animal.

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Indirect Characterization

• Showing (indirectly) what the character is like
  through thoughts, descriptions and actions
• Used most often in 1st person narration
• Josh said, Ferrets are ugly with their pointy
  little noses and beady eyes. They smell, too.
  Why would anyone want them as a pet?

9
Characterization

• The main purpose of the first three chapters of
  Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is to begin to
  characterize Huck Finn. How does Twain establish
  Huck Finn as a mischievous rascal? Give at least
  one direct and indirect example. In what ways is
  Huck different from the other boys in the gang?
• Present your argument and evidence to your
  teacher to receive credit for this lecture.