Huck Finn - Theme

There are many themes that run through Huck Finn, but my favorite is one that we learned about earlier in the year while reading Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thereou. The theme that runs throughout both works of literature is that the majority is not always right. In Civil Disobedience, the majority was the government, in Huck Finn, its the white man in the American Society. We see this majority rule as Huck struggles to free Jim, a slave that would otherwise be sold.

Huck learns at a very young age that black men are not to be treated equal, and because the majority believes this, so does Huck. He also is brainwashed into believing that if he doesn't follow the rules of the majority he will go to Hell. We know this because towards the end he makes a famous statement that he is "willing to go to Hell" if it means freedom for Jim.

We see the majority rule in other ways besides just blacks vs. whites in this book. When the King and the Duke are posing as the brothers of the deceased man and he has convinced everyone to believe them. Finally, when only one man stands up against him and tries to show that they are frauds, nobody will believe him.

Another instance is the Sherburn/Boggs episode. It starts out with Sherburn killing Boggs, a man that has threatened Sherburn many times. After he does so, one man rallies up enough people to go after Sherburn that soon everyone joins because they think if this large group thinks Sherburn should be hung, then they must be right. I like this instance the best, because Sherburn points out that without Buck Harkness the group would have never even pressed charges. Once again, the power of numbers attracts people into believing that if so many people believe in this idea, it must be correct.

All in all, I think this theme can teach us a couple of life lessons. Obviously, not to always follow the crowd, and also to not be afraid to have your own thoughts, ideas, and feelings. It's easy to follow the crowd because there is so much power in numbers. But as Huck learned in the end, when he goes against his beliefs of slavery, the crowd isn't always right.

Huck Finn - Summary 39-40

At the beginning of chapter 39 Huck and Tom are writing a fake letter to Aunt Sally and Uncle Silas to make them think there are indians coming to take Jim. They sign the letter anonymous and slip it under the front door. They also paint pictures of skulls and crossbones and other horrific objects on the doors. These scare Aunt Sally greatly, but the boys still continue on with their plan. They say the reason for writing the letter is so that there is some level of difficulty in getting Jim out.

Next, they go and collect the gardener snakes they are going to give Jim as a pet. They gather a bunch and tie them up in a sack and place them under one of the beds until they can get them to Jim. In the mean time, all the snakes escape because they didn't tie the bag well enough. This was kind of a humorous part, because Aunt Sally absolutely hated the snakes and didn't act normal until a week after they were collected again. They also gathered an assortment of spiders and other insects and even quite a few rats. The next night they took them to Jim and let them all go free inside his room. Jim did not really like them at all, he said he could never sleep because there was so much activity in his bed now with all these things, and they never all slept at once. He also said that the spiders didn't like him, they would always stay far away.

Finally, the night of Jim's breakout was here. Huck had to go down to the cellar to get some butter he had forgot(I'm not exactly sure what the butter was for) and Aunt Sally came down and caught him. Just before she saw him though, he slipped the butter up under his hat. As he walked upstairs with her he saw the entire upstairs was filled with men holding shotguns. He knew they were there waiting for the indians to come. He tried to lie out of why he was in the cellar but he started to get so nervous and hot that the butter started melting and running down his neck and his face. Aunt Sally thought that he had some sort of illness and his brains were leaking out. Finally, Huck told her, and he wasn't mad.

When Aunt Sally released Huck back to bed, after the butter incident, Huck went to find Tom and tell him that their plan had made a serious turn for the worse, but the men had already decided to come and wait in Jim's cabin for the indians. Huck and Tom got into the dark cabin just before the men, and because it was so dark they were able to sneak out under the bed and through the hole they had dug with Jim in tail. When they were safely out of the cabin, Tom's shirt caught on a post and made a large breaking sound as he kept running. This tipped off all of the men that were waiting outside, but because they were so dark they didn't exactly know where they were. Jim, Huck, and Tom all started running along the river towards their raft as shots were being fired at them. The men then let the dogs loose, but when the dogs caught up to them, it was their dogs, so they didn't bother them and kept on going. Jim, Huck, and Tom got onto their raft and floated quietly down the river. Before long, the rest of the men were so far up the river, they could barely hear them.

At the end of the chapter, we find out that Tom had actually been shot in the leg. Tom doesn't want a doctor, but Jim and Huck insist. So they make a plan to get the doctor at the next town, and Jim will once again hide while the doctor tends to Tom.

Huck Finn - Summary

In chapters thirty seven and thirty eight Huck and Tom continue their quest to make a "good" prisinor out of Huck. In order to do so, according to Tom, they needed many items such as: tin pans, a ladder made out of a sheet, candles to write with, and a spoon to scratch messages on the tin pans with, and even a few shingles. Once again, Huck jumps aboard with Tom's plan and helps him "borrow" these things from Aunt Sally and Uncle Silas. They both think they won't notice these few things gone, but as they sit down to supper one night, they realize they've made a bad mistake. Aunt Sally starts aggrivating Uncle Silas for not keeping track of his shirts. He says that he knows it was on the clothes-line, because he has never lost a shirt while he was wearing it. They come to the conclusion that the cow must have took it. Aunt Sally then brings up that quite a few of her candles are gone. Uncle Silas comes to the conclusion that the rats must have taken them, and he agrees to fill the rat holes the next day. Then, she notices one of her spoons is gone, but Huck and Tom play a sort of trick on her where they take the spoon and count them so it comes out to nine, and then put it back when she's not looking so when she counts it again it comes out to ten. Finally, she becomes so confused that she doesn't know if there is one missing or not. They do the same thing with the sheet that went missing off the line. The last thing they took, a shingle, falls out of the brim of Silas's hat, but he doesn't notice, so they were off the hook on that one.

Huck and Tom feel bad for the trouble they have caused between Tom's Aunt and Uncle, and to sort of make it up to them, they decide to fill the rat holes for Silas. It was a good deed, but it only confused Silas even more because he never remembers filling them.

The following night they take the sheet they stole off the line and make a ladder out of it for Jim. In order to get it to Jim they need to bake it into a pie. They tried several times and finally the pie turned out so it actually looked like a real edible pie. They took the pie, the candles, and the rest of the objects and placed them in the bottom of the basket of food that would be taken to Jim. All in all their plan worked out quite well.

At the end of the two chapters, Huck and Tom visit Jim at night. They try to explain how to use all these things and why it is necessary. It is ironic because Jim is the uneducated one, yet he is the only one who knows how rediculous all these things are. They also ask him to try to grow a flower in his room and water it with his tears. Tom then asks if he wouldn't mind having a rattle snake as a pet. Jim bawks at the idea, for he does not like rattle snakes. Instead, they both agree upon gardner snakes. Tom also asks if he would like a spider, but Jim says he hates spiders and would rather have the gardner snakes. Tom also suggests rats, but Jim says they are too much of a bother, like when they nibble on your toes when you're trying to sleep. Tom says he needs a pet like this because, once again, all the great prisinors had a weird pet that they trained to love them, keep them company, and even do tricks.

At the very end, Jim admits that his behavior was not good, and that he will try to listen to Tom and Huck more.

Huck Finn - Deformed Conscience

I agree with Twain's statement that this is a book where a "sound hear and a deformed conscience come into collision and conscience suffers defeat." There have been a couple different factors that have caused Huck to obtain this "deformed conscience". First, living with the widow has caused Huck to think things like if he saves Jim he will "go to Hell". In other words, he thinks more on the religious consequenses of going against his conscience. Society has installed in him that blacks are not equal to white man, and therefore shouldn't be treated equal. Also, the time he spent with the Grangerfords deformed Huck into thinking that it's O.K. to kill people as long as there is a "good" reason. Finally, I think Tom Sawyer has influenced Huck to believe that it's O.K. to steal or "borrow" whatever one needs. The important thing to remember, is that Huck is not the only kid that sufferes from a "deformed conscience". Almost every white boy and girl in this time suffered from the same sort of influences. I think Huck is actually one of the lucky ones who decides to go against his conscience and do what is right by rescueing Jim.

Influences like those that influenced Huck are definitely still at work today. I think they are more at work than we realize here in South Dakota, but if one travels to a bigger city, we can still see racial discrimination. We, as a country, though, are making major strides in becoming a discriminant free society. For instance, in this year's presidential race we are seeing the first African American president who is the front runner in the Democratic race.

I believe there are many forces that are working for peace between all blacks and whites. Whether it be individual people, or our government, I do believe America is trying to change. There are many groups and organization that spread the word about black and white integration, and we even dedicate a month to black history. I believe most all of American wants to see a change, but change takes time.

Huck Finn - Round or Flat?

When asked whether Huck and Jim were flat or round, I found the answer to be quite clear. Throughout the story I think Huck has changed tremendously, therefore his is a round character. Jim, on the other hand, has remained relativelythe same as a flat character.

Huck being a round character has been a central theme in the book. He's grown up to realize right from wrong and has learned that some ideas that are instilled in him are not always correct. We have seen these changes recently when he makes the decision to steal the gold back from the King and Duke and give it to the girls. In the begining of the book, Huck wouldn't of thought twice about doing the right thing. We see it again when he decides to go against the belief that has been thrust upon him since an early age and help Jim, a slave, become free. He even says he will "got to hell" if it means Jim gaining freedom. These are just two examples of how Huck has evolved since the beginning of the book. He has begun to make decisions on his own, and not let the influence of others persuade his decisions as greatly as in the beginning. As the book finishes, I expect to see even more positive changes in Huck.

I believe Jim is a flat character because throughout the entire book he has kept to his same opinions and beliefs. He has always believed Huck was his only true friend, not matter what Huck has done to him. He has been determined to find freedom and any cost, and has trusted Huck and even the King and Duke to keep him safe while they were on shore. The only change we did see was Jim become a bit more open with his feelings, but that is mainly because him and Huck have become much better friends since the beginning.

Chapters 24-26 Huck Finn

In chapters 24-26 we really see how much Huck has changed through the course of the book. The King and the Duke pretend to be a deceased man's brothers, and therefore receive almost all of his possessions and six thousand dollars. Huck finally realizes how what they are doing is wrong, and the money should really go to the three girls, so he decides to steal it back from the King and Duke and somehow get it to the girls. This is different from the Huck in the beginning because in the beginning we saw him many times steal and lie for his own self gain. For instance, on the Walter Scott, sneaking into the circus, stealing those men's raft, and taking everything from the house his dad was killed in. This is a change that I didn't expect to see in Huck, but I think it is another good example of a life lesson Twain is trying to show.

I think Huck has definitely learned that money isn't everything. After so long, taking money from people feels worse than the happiness that is gained by it. I think he also learns that he cannot trust everyone he meets. In the beginning he had faith in almost everyone, and now he is realizing how deceitful people can be, this is perhaps showing that Huck is not only learning from his experiences, but also growing up and becoming a little less naive about the world in general.

I don't see as big of change in Huck and Jim's relationship as in just Huck himself. I do believe now, though, that Huck does really want to see Jim free. In the beginning, Huck had actually thought about telling on Jim. Perhaps they have also become better friends then, and since the arrival of the King and Duke, they have had to look out for each other more. My prediction is that in the end Huck will see Jim as an equal with himself, and every other white man. He will understand how important freedom was to Jim, and why he went to such great lengths to try to get it. He will understand that Jim has just as many feelings and thoughts and beliefs as white men, and should be treated just as equal.

Chapter 23 Huck Finn

The line that stand out most in my mind in Chapter twenty three is when Huck states that Jim is moaning and crying over his children, and Huck says that he can't beleive a black man can have the same feelings for his children as a white man can, but that it must be true. This is yet another example of how society brainwashed people, especially children, into thinking white men were superior to the rest. Also, the "play" that the King and Duke put on went very well for them. They "stole" people for over four hundred dollars, and on the last night skipped out on the performance because they knew what the people were going to do. I was actually a bit surprised at how smart they were. I knew they were crooks, but I was waiting for them to mess up and end up turning themselves in. All in all, I thinkt this was one of the better chapters, we see a side of Jim we haven't seen before, and they once again escape a near tragic event.

Huck Finn Chapter 22

Chapter twenty two of Huck Finn starts with the men of the town still chasing after Sherburn. When they arrive at his house he comes to the front porch and gives this sort of "speech" that makes them realize they never intended to kill him, because they are all cowards. I liked this part of the book because it shows that actually doing what you say is alot harder than just saying it.

The second half of the chapter is when the circus performs in town and Huck attends. It was ironic because the best part of the show was when a man from the crowd comes up to the ring pretending to be "drunk" and conivinces the ring master to let him try to ride a horse. After much enthusiasm from the crowd, the ring master gives in. It ended up being part of the show, but I find it ironic how the crowd always finds a drunk more entertaining and exciting over a sober preson.

In the end, the "King and Duke" perform their little Shakespear play, and only about twleve people attend and most of them left. They decided that their next play they would allow only men to come, and for some reason they thought that that would fix their problem of low attendance. I'm not sure why they think that, maybe they think if the sign says only men, people will think it is more important, and therefore more men will come.

The Great Gatsby - December 12, 2007 - pages 171 - end

The end of the book was pretty deep. Nothing too astonishing happened, yet a few majoy things had closure. For instance, Nick decides to move back to the mid-west. Also, Jordan and Nick's relationship ends. Jordan tells Nick that she is engaged, but I don't believe she is telling the truth.
A few years later he sees Tom, and finally confronts him about what he said to Wilson that night. Tom said he told him the truth, which he thought he did. Nick, though, told him that "the truth" that he thought he told Wilson, was not the truth at all. Tom didn't really seemed affected at all by the fact that Daisy is the one who really killed Myrtle. He made it sound like he suffered as much as anyone else in the fact that Myrtle was dead and no longer a part of his life.
The last line was different than what I expected. I read it and turned the page to keep on reading, but found nothing there. I guess I just expected somthing totally ironic or surprising that would explain everything we doubted in the book. Something that would help us distinguish between the illisions and reality in the book. Instead, we will never really know what was truth and what was fiction. The last line in the book merely tells us that when we want somthing we will do whatever, and give whatever, in attempt to get it?? Summarizing the characteristics of the people in America??
I was disappointed though that there was no mention of Daisy at all! What did she think of Gatsby's death? Did she even find out? Are her and Tom still together? There were so many things left unanswered. Everything in the book was focused around her and when Gatsby died, it was as if she did too. Maybe that was the point, without Gatsby, she wasn't a real person anyways. Therefore, her thoughts and feelings didn't really matter any more.

The Great Gatsby - December 5, 2007 - Pages 154 - 171

This second to last chapter is the most significant chapter in the whole book, I think. First, we learn that Daisy married Tom because she got tired of waiting for Gatsby to get back from the war, because she wanted her life to start. Then, it talks alot about Wilson and Michaelis the night of the accident. I think the writer did this to show us how "crazy" Wilson is becoming. At the end of the chapter, Wilson shoots Gatsby while he is in his pool. The end of this chapter was so astonishing. Yet, at the same time, it didn't surprise me at all. It was so ironic and so full circle, I don't think it could have ended any other way. The one thing I wonder though is how Wilson found out it was Gatsby? He had never met Gatsby, or seen him, and Tom definatly never talked about him. I think, though, that Tom tipped him off. After all, it would be the perfect way to get rid of Gatsby.
Predicting on the final chapter, I don't think anything this big will happen. I expect something big to maybe happen with Daisy though. I think we will maybe find out somthing ironic or astonishing about thier past together.
Reflecting, I expected Wilson to find out that Daisy did it and for Gatsby to some how take the blame. I didn't think that Wilson would be strong enough to actually kill someone.

The Great Gatsby - November 28, 2007 - pages 103 - 154

These two chapters were probably the most confusing so far. The first chapter told us about another man named James Gatz. It said something about how he changed his name becuase of some man that helped a sailor our on the lake. I think it maybe was trying to tell us that James Gatz is what Jay Gatsby's real name is???? It was very confusing, but that is my best guess as to what it was suppose to mean.
The second chapter was alot easier to understand. In a quick summary, Tom finds out about Gatsby and Daisy because Gatsby tells Tom that Daisy has never really loved him. Then, on the way back from New York, Daisy runs over and kills Myrtle Wilson. The bad thing is, is that Daisy doesn't stop at the accident, she just keeps going home, and Tom knows that she did it because of the car she wes driving is the same as the witnesses described. There is alot of irony in this chapter. Myrtle was leaving and ran out into the road in the first place because she thought that Jordan was Tom's wife and she had seen them together earlier, and because Mr. Wilson was going to move them to California and she wanted to go find Tom. Also, I think Tom probably thinks that Daisy may have done it on purpose if she knew is was Tom's mistress, but I don't think she really had any clue.
We learned alot about the character of the people. For instance, Gatsby and Daisy not even stopping when they killed a woman, and acting as if it was no big deal shows how cold they can be. It also gives the idea that maybe Gatsby is capable of killing someone and already has like all the rumors say. Gatsby also turns out to be quite confident in Daisy's love for him, he came right out and told Tom of the affair, which was pretty risky I think.
I predict that Daisy will move out of the Buchanan's and in with Gatsby. As far as Tom, I think we will see a big change in him. After all, he lost his wife to another man, and his mistress was killed by his wife.

The Great Gatsby - November 21- Pages 65 - 103

This week we read chapters four and five. I really like the book and I think the real plot of the story started to develop in these two chapters. Chapter four started out kind of weird. It was just telling us about a "list" that Nick kept one summer of all the people that came to Gatsby's house over the course of the summer. I'm not sure though what the first two paragraphs were even talking about at all?? It then quickly jumps to one morning in July when Gatsby showed up in Nick's driveway and asked, or more like told, Nick that they were going to have lunch. While driving into New York Gatsby suddenly opens up about his past. He first implies that he knows what people say about him and asks Nick what he thinks of him. Nick never really gives a definate answer. Gatsby goes on to tell Nick that he inherited a lot of money when all his family died. He spent most of it traveling and living in foreign cities. He did go to Oxford though, and was considered a kind of 'hero' in the war for leading his section of soldiers so far ahead that it was impossible for the other side to win, or something like that. For this great feat, he was given a medal of honor from almost every country, including Montenegro, which was significant for some reason I do not know. Also, to prove these two things, he carries that medal from Montenegro, and a picture of him at Oxford with a cricket bat in his hand. Why did he need to carry these things with him to prove it? Why wouldn't people just believe him anyways?? He then implies that Mrs. Baker is going to tell Nick something at the tea Nick and Mrs. Baker had planned. This doesn't really make sence at first, but later on in chapter five it all comes together. So, they go to New York and have lunch with another man, Mr. Wolfshiem, and nothing peculiar really happens at all. When they are leaving though, they see Tom, and go to say hello. After talking for a brief moment Nick turns to Gatsby and Gatsby has disappeared. Later on we find why he leaves so suddenly without anyone knowing why.
When Jordan and Nick has tea we find out possibly the most important bit of information in the story so far. Jordan tells Nick of a long story about the past. It pretty much ended up that at one time Gatsby and Daisy dated, Daisy broke it off, and Gatsby has never forgotten her. He deliberatly moved across the bay from her, and wants Nick to have Daisy over for tea so he can come too. I don't understand why this all had to come fro Jordan, was he just kind of embarrassed maybe?? I think Nick wondered the same thing.
In chapter five Nick has Jordan over and Gatsby is a nervous wreck before she even gets there. He wants to make sure everything is perfect. At first it is very awkward, Gatsby is so nervous he isn't even acting like himself. Daisy knows that Gatsby lives across the bay though, because she asked Jordan about him in the first chapter, when Tom was at their house and she made the connection by the description Jordan gave her. I think that if Daisy actually liked Gatsby she would have came to one of the parties, afterall they were thrown to try to attract her. The tea goes fairly well after awhile and soon Gatsby invites them to his house. Daisy is overwhelmed with the size and beauty of it. They were suppose to tour the outside too but it is raining. Therefore, they are all just standing inside looking out. I think this is kind of an awkward moment, there has to be quite a bit of tension amongst the three, because they all know the reason why there was a tea now. At the end of the chapter Nick goes home and leaves Daisy and Gatsby, who seem to be quite cozy at this point.
These two chapters were filled with alot of information. It was almost overwhelming trying to decifer between what is real and what is symbolism, and what is suppose to be drawn from every action and word. At this point I have few prediction, I think anything is possible.

The Great Gatsby - November 17,2007 - Pages 43-65

In the third chapter of The Great Gatsby a few important things happen. First off, Nick is actually invited by an invitation from Mr. Gatsby to one of his elaborate parties. He has these huge parties and only a handful of the people who actually come are invited, the rest just show up. At first Nick is kind of alone, but he soon runs into Jordan Baker, and remains pretty close to her for the rest of the evening. The second important event is is when Nick is talking to a man at his table. The man recognizes Nick from the war, and they start up a conversation. Nick tells the man that this is an unusual party for him, becaue he doesn't even know the host, and that "this man Gatsby sent over his chauffeur with an invitation." To Nick's surprise the man suddenly responds - "I'm Gatsby." I was completely shocked at the quick turn in the book. I wasn't sure if they would ever actually meet in the book and then BAM! Nick was talking to him and he didn't even know it. It was a great element of surprise that completely catches you off guard.
I think there were two more points made in this chapter and they both have to do with Jordan Baker. As the party is getting close to the end, Mr. Gatsby asks to speak to Jordan alone. After about an hour she comes back out and tells Nick that she was told something amazing. She then gives Nick a name in the phonebook , which is her aunts, where he can meet with her and she will tell him what she found out, even though she isn't suppose to. The book never tells whether or not Nick does go to meet her, or what exactly Gatsby and Jordan talked about. I think that it will probably come up in the story later. Finally, we learn that Jordan is not very honest. Nick discovers this when she lies about whether or not she left the top down to a rental car when it was raining. Nick connects this lie to another that he had heard about while she was golfing. There was a scandal about whether or not she had improved her lie in the semi-finals of a golf championship. It ended up to never be proven, but I think that Nick thinks she did, because he states in the final sentence, " I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known."
I think this chapter was a kind of turning point in the story. We finally meet the elusive Mr. Gatsby, and we find out a few more characteristics about Jordan and Mr. Gatsby. Everyone thinks that Mr. Gatsby is this no good criminal who killed a man. I personally don't think this is true at all, I think the poeple just like something good to gossip about. I also wondered why the Bucchanans weren't there??
At the end of the chapter Nick states that these three evenings that have consumed the book so far actually absorb much less of his time than his personal affairs, so why does he only write of these evenings so far then? Also, at the very end, when he is talking about whether or not he loves Jordan, he says he has been writing letters back home and signing then "love Nick". Does this mean that he is still sort of involved with that woman he supposedly proposed to before he came out East??

The Great Gatsby - November 7,2007 - Chapter 2

In Chapter two Nick sees Tom's other life. Nick and Tom were coming back from New York one day and Tom demanded that Nick meet his mistress. She lived with her husband, Mr. Wilson, above his car garage. It was located in the part of town where ashes covered everything. I think the ashes definately symbolize something, I'm not completely sure what though. Maybe something like, how just like in life, things are always covered up, like Tom's relationship with Myrtle. Daisy tries to cover it up, even though everyone knows about it.
Tom, Nick, and Myrtle then go up to Tom and Myrtle's apartment in New York and they host a sort of party. I think Nick feels kind of like an outsider, there are all these couples there or at least people that know Tom and Myrtle, and Nick is just drug along. He does meet Myrtle's sister, and they talk for quite some time. At the end of the night, Tom and Myrtle are arguing about whether or not it was appropriate for Myrtle to bring up Daisy's name. It didn't seem to be that big of deal, but all of the sudden Tom hit Myrtle and broke her nose!! This made me wonder how any woman could over love Tom. He cheats on his wife, is abusive, and seems to be kind of a control freak. So far it seems that Nick is the one with the only normal life. Everyone else in this book has some sort of secret, or double life.
I predict that in the coming chapters Nick will continue to find out more little details about Mr. Gatsby, becaues everyone else seems to know him and something about him. I also think that he will see a lot more of Tom. Tom seems to like being friends with Nick, whether he is at home with Daisy, or with Myrtle in New York.

The Great Gatsby - October, 31 - Pages - 5 - 27

In only the first few pages of The Great Gatsby we are introduced to quite a few characters. Nick, the main character, who is also narrarating the story. The Buchanan's, Tom and Daisy, a married couple that lives across the bay from Nick. Daisy is also Nick's second cousin, but they don't know each other very well. We are also introduced to Jordan Baker, whom at this time is just the girl who lives with the Buchanans, and Mr. Gatsby, Nick's neighbor.
At the beginning of the story Nick tells us that he has moved east, to New York, to work with bonds, because that's what everyone else is doing. He is renting a very cheap house that sits unnoticed between two very large mansions on Long Island Sound. Nick goes across the bay to have dinner with the Buchanans. At first the two women, Jordan and Daisy, don't seem very friendly. As the evening goes on, the conversation picks up though, and it doesn't seem too bad. Tom, a once great football player, gives the impression that he is better than everyone else though, and therefore makes every conversation a little uneasy. During dinner Tom gets a phone call, and Jordan informs Nick that it his probably his "other woman", in New York. Daisy also mentions something about Nick being engaged, but Nick denies it, and then says something about that's why he moved east. I don't know if I interpreted that right though??? It seems weird to move a long ways away just because of some rumor.
After dinner Nick goes back to his house, and for the first time, sees Mr. Gatsby. He is just standing outside staring at the stars. Nick thinks about calling him, but as soon as he turns back around, Mr. Gatsby is gone. This gives me the feeling that Mr. Gatsby is going to be that interesting/mysterious character that will play a big part in this book.

The Grapes of Wrath - Chapters 29 - 30

Chapters 29 and 30 is the end of The Grapes of Wrath. Chapter 29 tells of the rain storm that is beginning to ruin the land. So much rain has fell it has ruined the cars and the people fear that it is going to come up into thier rail cars and ruin all of their belonings, too. Some people are trying to find higher ground to stay dry, and some have tried to get relief from t he government, but the government won't help them. People are stealing or begging for food, but still there is not enough to feed everyone. Disease starts to spread, and there are not enough doctors to see everyone. Finally, the rain stops. The people can finally look out and see how much damage has been done. They also realize that there will be no more work until spring.
In chapter 30 Rose of Sharon goes into labor. While she is trying to have her baby, the men of the camp try to build a sort of damn to stop the water from rushing into the rail cars. They build a high damn, but a cottonwood tree falls and and is too much for the damn to hold. The damn breaks and the water begins to rise under the rail cars. Meanwhile, Rose of Sharon has her baby, but it never even took a single breath.
Since the damn didn't work, the Joads, and most others, try to take the siding from their trucks and build high platforms in their rail cars to put their stuff on and keep it dry.
The next day, Ma decides that they have to get out and find a dry spot or Rose of Sharon is not going to make it. The adults carry Rose of Sharon and the kids through the chest high water until they reach the road. They walk for a short while before spotting a big barn. They decide to check it out, but as they start to head for the barn it begins to rain again. Once they reach the barn they find a man and his son that are also being sheltered by the barn, but the man is going to die because he has been giving all of the food to his son. The story ends with the rest of the family leaving Rose of Sharon and the boy alone in the barn.

The Grapes of Wrath - Chapters 26 - 28

At the start of chapter 26 Ma takes control of the family and decides that they must leave the gov't camp because they only have food left for one more day, and there is no work to be found anywhere near. They leave the next morning without a clear destination. After driving for a while the Joads truck runs over a nail and they must stop to patch the tire. While stopped along the edge of the road a man in a suit stops and tells them they are looking for people to pick peaches about forty miles away at the Hooper Ranch. The Joads are pretty happy that there is finally some work so they decide to go. A little ways outside the ranch they are stopped by a police man and told to follow the cars through. The Joads assume there was some sort of accident or something because there are so many policemen. As they are led through they seem a crowd of people in the ditch yelling at them, but the Joads can't make out what they are saying. When they arrive at the gate of the ranch they are asked how many can pick peaches and are assigned a house. The house they are assigned is not more than a shack but it has a roof and a floor and that is all that Ma wanted. They begin picking peaches that afternoon and make one dollar in store credit which Ma eagerly spends at the store. After supper Tom decides he wants to go see what all the people and police were doing at the entrance of the ranch. He doesn't tell anyone besides Al. He makes his way out of the ranch by slipping under barb wire. He comes up to a tent where a few men are sitting around talking and before he realizes it he is face to face with Casey. Casey tells Tom that they are all on stike because they were promised 5 cents a crate, but when more workers showed up they dropped it to 2.5 cents per crate. As they talk some policemen begin to move in on their little group and oen of them has a board and strikes Casey along side the head and kills him. Tom is also hit, but it only breaks his nose. In anger, Tom picks up another board and swings at the man that killed Casey. After that, Tom has to run, and he makes his way back to the house before he is caught, but he knows that they wil be after him now. In the morning he tells the family what happened and they decide if it is best if he just hides out in the house and pretends to be sick because everyone will know it was him in the fight because of his face.
They pick peaches for a few more days, but they drop the price to 2.5 cents per crate. Also, everyone is on the lookout for Tom, because he killed the policeman, so they decide they should get out while they can. They put Tom between two mattresses and they get out without any problems. Once again they do not know where they are going so they decide to head North on the back roads as to avoud the most cops. After driving for a while they come across a bunch of rail cars and a sign that says "cotton pickers wanted". They pickers stay live in the old cars and pick cotton during the days. They Joads decide to try this, but Tom can't stay with them because his face is still very beat up. He decides then to stay and hide out in the brush not far from the rail cars and Ma will just bring him food and leave it in a culvert everyday. They do this for quite a few days and it is working quite well. Al also meets a girl and they are going to get married.
One day, Ruthie is eating Cracker Jacks that Ma had bought her and she gets in a fight with another girl. She accidentally tells the girl that Tom has already killed two people. Ma gets worried and runs and tells Tom. They decide that it would be best if he takes off and tries to go far away where nobody will look for him.
At the end of the chapter they pick cotton in a a new cotton field about a mile up the road. So many people show up that they can only pick until about noon though. On their way back to their rail car it starts to rain and Rose of Sharon gets the chills. The chapter ends with the rest of the family gathering sticks for a fire in the rain, while Ma tries to keep Rose of Sharon warm.

The Grapes of Wrath - Chapters 23 - 25

In these chapters the Saturday night dance takes place. Everyone in the camp gets dressed up and puts on their best clothes. In the previous chapters, they found out that there were going to be men that tried to start a riot so the cops could come in and break up the camp, but the camp officers were going to be ready. They set people all around the gates to watch, and then Tom and another man near the entrance to watch for suspicious people. A little way into the night Tom and his partner noticed three men that came in and looked suspicious. The three men told the guard that Mr. Johnson had invited him, but he hadn't. As soon as one of these men asked a girl to dance, the group of men closed in on all three of them. One of them let out a high whistle that indicated there would be a riot so the deputies came to the gate. The only problem with their little plan was that all three of the men were taken to the edge of the camp with their hands tied and mouths covered, therefore, they couldn't start a riot and the deputies had no reason to be allowed in. They threatened the three men and threw them back on the other side of the fence.
The last section doesn't really talk about the Joads, but intead about how the farmers are beginning to go broke. They can't make enough money to even harvest and sell their fruit so instead they must dump the fruit in the river, or burn it. They do this because if they just allow the people to come get the fruit for free nobody would ever buy any. The people are starting to get angry, their children are dieing from malnutrion as they watch them burn piles of oranges and guard them from fishing the potatoes out of the river.
I predict that in the coming chapters the government camp is going to be broken up by the deputies because whenever they want to push the Okies around they always find a way. I also think that the people are going to start getting together and figuring out ways to get to all of this food that is being burned our dumped into the rivers.

The Grapes of Wrate - Chapters 20 - 22

At the start of chapter 20 the Joads have just left Grandma with the coroner. Ma is sad because Grandma always wanted a nice funeral but they didn't have the money to give her one. They then move into a Hooverville and set up camp for the night. Tom makes friends with another man in the camp and this man tells Tom that he has heard there is work up north. Meanwhile nobody has seen Connie for awhile, and while Rose of Sharon thinks he will come back, everyone else knows that he won't. Once the family has ate and has begun to settle in a car pulls into the camp with two men inside. The man that was driving steps out and asks a group of men if they want any work. Of course the men say they need work, but Floyd, the man that Tom has made friends with, asks the contractor how much he is going to pay. The man says he's not sure, and Floyd starts to get angry. He starts to get angry because he knows that the man isn't a real contractor. He knows that he is just going to get as many guys as he can to come and show up for work so that he can pay them hardly anything. Floyd then asks him to show his liscence if he is a contractor, and the man starts to get angry and calls for the other man in the car. The other man steps out of the car, and everyone can see he is a deputy. The contractor asks the deputy if he has every seen Floyd before and the deputy says that he is the same guy that robbed a used-car lot last week, which isn't true. When the deputy orders Floyd to get in the car Tom steps in and says that the deputy has nothing on Floyd, which only aggrivated the deputy enough to tell the rest of the camp that they all better go work for this contractor because they are going to have to burn down the camp the next day anyways. As they turn to leave the deputy grabs Floyds arm to escort him into the car, but instead Floyd punches him and as he staggers around Tom trips him and Floyd takes off. As the deputy lies on the ground he starts shooting at Floyd running between the tents, but instead shoots a ladie's fingers right off her hand. As the deputy attempts to get up Reverand Casey steps up and kicks him in the neck. Casey tells Tom to run, he will take the blame for it. Tom hesistates, and then realizes that he has to, considering that he is on parole. When more deputies arrive they take Casey away and probably to jail.
After this whole incident, the Joads decide that they should get out before they come to burn the camp down. They decide to try to go north to where they heard there was some work. They don't get far before they are stopped by a handful of men who won't let them enter their town because they don't wan't "Okies" taking over. So instead of giving up, they decide to go around the towns and find the government camp that they have heard so many good things about. They arrive at the camp in the middle of the night to find that there is a spot that has just opened. They don't even unpack, they set up their tent, and they all fall asleep.
In the morning Tom is the first one up and he meets the Wallaces. They say they have had work for 12 days straight and tell Tom that they can probably get him work too. Tom agrees to go with them to work. They have to walk about a mile and when they get there the boss agrees to let Tom work for 25 cents an hour. This man, the boss, also tells them though that there is going to be a fight at the next Saturday night dance at the camp. He continues to tell them that the reason for this fight is because then the cops can come in and shut down the camp. I think this bit of information will come into play in the next few chapters.
While Tom is working the rest of the family is trying to get used to their new home. The government camp is the nicest place they have stayed at since they left Oklahoma. It has wash tubs, toilets, and even showers. They also start to learn how this camp is run. The people in the camp elect officers to run the camp. There are even seperate officers for the women and the men. Ma is given a tour of the camp by the women officers and ma thinks that this is the greatest camp ever. Rose of Sharon is starting to go a little crazy though. She believes that she is going to lose her baby if she sins just because this one crazy lady told her so. Meanwhile, the rest of the men go looking for work and find none. Ma doesn't seem to care though, she seems so happy to be in such a nice place with people that are just like her. At the end of the chapter she tells Tom and Al to go to the store and get something good to eat. I think she wants to have a celebration, even if they don't have any money, because they have found such a nice place.

The Grapes of Wrath - Chapters 17 - 19

In Chapter seventeen the book describes how all these people that are moving to California form a sort of "community" every night. It tells how there are certain rules that everyone know they must follow, even though nobody has ever actually said them. It also shows that these people are very helpful to each other. Whever someone dies or needs some extra money all the people in the camp spare a few coins and leave them at their tent.
Chapter eighteen was very long, but quite eventful. It stars out with the Joads traveling across New Mexico, and then they finally cross into California! Before they can get into the good part of California they must cross about three hundred miles of desert. They decide that the best time to do this would be at night so they decide to rest during the day alongside a big river where others had also chosen to stop. The men bathe in the water and finally have a little time to relax when they start talking to another man and his son who are on their way back from California. He says that they are on their way back to the pan handle because he couldnt make enough money in California and if he is going to die he wants to die with people who actually like him. After talking with this man for awhile I think the Joads kind of start to wonder if this may be true, since they have heard this same kind of story serveral tims now. But like Uncle John said, "We're going there ain't we? None of this talk can keep us from going. This talk ain't gonna do us no good."
While the men are relaxing Ma and Rose of Sharon are in a tent trying to get grandma to rest when a sheriff comes by and threatens that if they aren't gone by tomorrow he will have them run off. In this chapter Noah also decides that he wants to stay behind and live off this river. He only tells Tom though, and before Tom can stop him he is already making his way down the river. As Grandma comes to tell Tom about the sheriff, Tom tells Grandma about Noah and they decide that it is best for the family if they just take off across the desert now, instead of waiting for night.
The journey goes pretty well, the car doesnt break down, and they make it across the desert in good time. But as they are all standing on the side of the road admiring the beautiful valley full of orchards and fields of crops, Ma tells the rest of the family that Grandma died last night while they were crossing the desert. Nobody says much, but you can tell it affects them all greatly.
In Chapter nineteen it talks about the general population moving toward California. It describes these towns called Hoovervilles that are set up at the edge of every town and are a place that the Oakies can live. They are mainly camps that people set up by building houses out of tents or even paper they find in nearby landfills, but before long the sheriffs come and tell them they must go because they are a health hazard and they are going to burn them down. The chapter ends and the Joads are moving around through different Hoovervilles as they make their way towards what they think will be job opportunities and a better life.