Chapters 12-14 Summary
In the beginning of chapter twelve, Huck and Jim set up a small house on the raft that they are living on. Huck and Jim spend some time just floating on the raft down the river. Huck and Jim float down past St. Louis, and they restock their food and supplies by stealing things. On one of the days they are floating the two friends find a huge wrecked steamboat. Huck wants to go explore it, but Jim thinks it is too dangerous. Huck hears the robbers threatening to kill another one of the robbers if he told their secret. Huck and Jim decide they have to take the robbers boat while the robbers are inside trying to steal more stuff. Huck and Jim go into the robber's boat and try to sneak away from the ship. Huck feels bad for what they did to the murderers, so he and Jim find their own raft. Huck goes to land to see if he can help the robbers in any way. Huck finds a boat captain and tells him that his family is stuck on the wrecked ship. The boat captain sets off to help the robbers and although Huck is proud of himself, the robbers end up dying anyways. During the last chapter, Huck and Jim look through the loot of stuff they got from the robbers. Huck and Jim have a clash of interests, because Huck finds their adventures to be exciting, but Jim dislikes adventures. Then Huck tells Jim stories about kings. Jim dislikes the one king he had heard of before, King Solomon, because he considers him a fool for chopping a baby in half. Then Huck tells jim about King Louis XVI's son who is rumored to be hiding in America.
Reflections
I think that Huck is a little bit stupid for going against Jim. Jim is older and wiser than Huck, and it is inconsiderate for Huck to disregard Jim's judgement about going on the ship. Huck doesn't understand the situation Jim is in with him being a runaway slave. I do commend Huck on his thoughts of saving the robbers, even if he was too late. I think that his empathy in the situation was amazing especially considering how young he was. I didn't quite understand the point of chapter 14. All Huck did was read a story, and I don't know why it had to be included