Dialectic Journal 3

Chapter 31
P. 327: "I was trying to make my mouth say I would do the right thing and the clean thing, and go and write to that nigger's owner and tell where he was; but deep down in me I knowed it was a lie, and He knowed it. You can't pray a lie—I found that out.”

Comments and Questions
I find it interesting that Huck still believes that the right thing is to tell Jim's owner about him as if she truly had possession over him. I also am wondering how did Huck find out that you can't pray a lie. I suppose maybe he just meant its just pointless because god can see into your heart and mind and truly know what you want. One part of Huck wants to leave that note because of the society he has been brought up in, however the new him that has developed along his journey knows that it would be wrong, that's probably why he can't get himself to do it, or even ask God to have him do it.

Chapter 34
P. 356: “What a head for just a boy to have! If I had Tom Sawyer's head I wouldn't trade it off to be a duke, nor mate of a steamboat, nor clown in a circus, nor nothing I can think of.”

Comments and Questions
It kind of surprises me that after all Huck has been through he still wants to be like Tom. Huck has gone back to the person he was because Tom is there, and he doesn't give himself enough credit. I also find interesting, and a wise decision on Huck's part that he would rather have knowledge and wisdom then riches or authority. It shows how Huck has matured over time, and shows what he really values.

Chapter 35
P. 369: “Prisoners don't have geese running around the donjon-keep to pull pens out of, you muggins. They always make their pens out of the hardest, toughest, troublesomest piece of old brass candlestick or something like that they can get their hands on; and it takes them weeks and weeks and months and months to file it out, too, because they've got to do it by rubbing it on the wall. They wouldn't use a goose-quill if they had it. It ain't regular.”

Comments and Questions
This passage helps shows how Tom Sawyer works. Tom bases almost all his actions on books and how they need to be similar to the ways of the books otherwise they are wrong. Huck on the other hand doesn't read and just makes his decisions in the spur of the moment and doesn't really care how things get done as long as they do get done. So far in the book Huck's method is quite a bit more efficient while Tom's is just unnecessary.

Chapter 38
P. 401: “Yes—easy enough. Every animal is grateful for kindness and petting, and they wouldn't think of hurting a person that pets them. Any book will tell you that. You try—that's all I ask; just try for two or three days. Why, you can get him so in a little while that he'll love you; and sleep with you; and won't stay away from you a minute; and will let you wrap him round your neck and put his head in your mouth.”

Comments and Questions
This is another example on how Tom bases his actions on books, and how it's not really needed. After though I found out that Huck and Tom represent the two sides of the south. Tom represents the sophisticated and educated side that was the side who helped cause the civil war becaus they wanted to keep their slaves and continue making a bunch of money. Huck on the other hand represents the majority of the south, the ones who are broke and uneducated and were the ones who fought for the rich people of the south.

Chapter 39
P. 408: "“But Tom said all women was just so. He said they was made that way for some reason or other.”

Comments and Questions
This passages helps show the roles of women during this age. The aunt kept freaking out about animals in the house because like most women during this time they stayed and kept the house in order. Of course if creatures were in a woman's house today like a snake then she would freak out, however the aspect of a woman staying home has changed over time and isn't nearly as common as it was back then.

Chapter 42
P. 437: “Then they all agreed that Jim had acted very well, and was deserving to have some notice took of it, and reward. So every one of them promised, right out and hearty, that they wouldn't cuss him no more.”

Comments and Questions
I find this to be just horrible. Jim a slave went on and did something good in the eyes of the people and they decide to show their appreciation they would not cuss at him, but it would still be ok to treat him like a prisoner of war and cuff him and not give him a good meal.This just truly shows how horrible African Americans were treated during this time. It makes me wonder if we hacpve given enough appreciation to people. Perhaps this isn't an act of racism maybe it's just human nature to temporarily treat heroes good for a portion of time and then go back to treating them like dirt. Like the Vietnam war vets for example. When they got home we spat treated them awfull especially the hippes who thought they were monsters yet they were just following orders. We treated them bad because they were different, some were drunks and other were drifters yet they still deserved to be treated like heroes but they weren't. This is probably because its human nature to so this, and I don't think this is a habit we are going to break.