What is the basic story line of Huck Finn?


Quick Answer

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," by Mark Twain, is the story of a young boy, Huck, and a runaway slave, Jim. The story picks up after the end of Twain's previous novel, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," at the end of which Huck found a large sum of money.

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What is the basic story line of Huck Finn?
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Full Answer

Huck's absentee abusive father shows up and kidnaps Huck in an attempt to claim Huck's money. Huck fakes his own death to escape and meets up with Jim. Together, the two set off north toward freedom; Huck from his father and Jim from slavery. They get into all kinds of adventures on their journey up the Mississippi River until, unfortunately, Jim is recaptured and forced back where he came from. Huck and Tom come up with a plan to rescue Jim, but the plan fails. Jim is about to be executed when Tom finally reveals that Jim is actually a free man. His owner, Miss Watson, had freed him in her will when she died two months previously. After all the excitement dies down, Huck worries that his father might return again, but Jim had found his dead body along the journey. Knowing that he is now safe, Huck sets off to the west for more adventures.

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