Huck Finn

Have you all struck out to the Territories on your raft?
I am finally done and have actually done some "chicken scratching"  on all three levels.

Here are a few random thoughts:

1) The whole idea of living on a raft in peace and joy on the Mississippi River seems a little unrealistic. We all know that this is before DDT was invented , so where are the mosquitos? Storms, Spiders, Snakes, Snarky people, these are all big enough things to avoid, but the tiny pesky mosquito in swampy warm humid areas is as real and annoying to ruin any adventure.

2) On a more serious tone: the word death seemed to pop up everywhere. It was real, faked, feared and used incessantly as a metaphor, almost to the point of redundant. Jim and Huck's freedom was expedited with death. Any thoughts on that?

3) I struggled a bit with "what does the author want" or what was his message. As much as Samuel Clemens did not want his book analyzed, it seems there must be some message or purpose. As I contemplated the last question in the third level of inquiry the song from John Lennon popped into my head:
Imagine there's no heaven [Huck' view of the after life mentioned in the beginning, as he responds to the widow]
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...[ the feuding family]
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions [Huck giving up his fortune, bed, shelter, clothes]
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

  Jim's literal chains and Huck's metaphorical chains were those that were made from society's "good deeds" greed, religion, possessions, inequity. [not my view, but one that has been propagated through out history]

Looking forward to hearing from you all. . .
Connie