Introduction to Huckleberry Finn
Hi, I am posting this Week Four prompt early (ordinarily I would post this on Monday, the 16th, but I am going to be gone camping.) You won’t post to this prompt until July 20th.
Follow this schedule to pace yourself through HUCKLEBERRY FINN: (Read at your own pace, but be sure to do the assignments on time.)
July 13-20: Read Chapters 1-11—do a mini research project as you have been. Respond to each others’ mini research projects.
July 21-28: Read Chapters 12- 21—do a mini research project as you have been. Respond to each others’ mini research projects.
July 29-August 3: Read Chapters 22-31—do a short essay about your concept on your own blog; post a link on my blog to yours. Respond to each others’ essays.
August 4-August 10: Read Chapters 32-43—do a short essay about your concept on your own blog; post a link on my blog to yours. Respond to each others’ essays.
Where does that short essay material come from? As you read Huckleberry Finn, I am going to ask you to notice that the four following ideas keep cropping up: freedom, religion/superstition, education and nature. Please choose one concept to pursue throughout the book. As we read through Huckleberry Finn, I would ask you to keep a list of references to one of the above mentioned concepts. Each time you come across a reference to that concept, jot down the page, and give a brief summary of the reference. By brief, I mean a sentence or two at the most. If you own the book, you could just put “stickies” on those pages. Meanwhile, keep your ear open to the news. As you get attuned to looking for that particular concept, see if any of those concepts are in the news, or if you hear them talked about. The last two weeks of reading (July 29ff and August 4ff), you will NOT have a research topic due. Instead, you will post a link on my blog to YOUR blog, where you will have posted a short essay on the concept you chose from Huckleberry Finn. To get credit for those two weeks, what you should do is post the first week about how you see the concept used in Huckleberry Finn, and the second week about how you see that same concept today. What concepts, issues, concerns crop up today in connection to these same themes? By “short,” I mean a couple of well developed paragraphs. Each week, I am going to post a little blurb about one of the concepts. I’ll start with freedom.
Okay. One of the Essential Questions that we are going to be talking a lot about this year is “What does it mean to be an American?” Do you know or think about this concept very often? Many of my students will say, very quickly, “Well, yes, to be an American means that we have freedom.” Hmmm. Well, yes, I suppose that’s true. But what is freedom? Is freedom the same to each individual? I think that you will find it demonstrated in Huckleberry Finn that there are many kinds of freedom, and that freedom means different things from one character to another, or from one person to another. Does freedom to Huck mean the same as freedom to Jim? What about in the news? Have you see that word lately? How about Operation Iraqi Freedom? Where else have you seen that term used or implied? Is freedom a quintessentially American trait? You don’t have to answer these questions now, but they may help you start thinking if “freedom” is the concept you chose to map throughout the book.
ENJOY!
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In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin, by Mark Twain, the main character, Huckleberry, is an unruly adolescent who has been taken in by a concerned widow. Huck’s father was an alcoholic who sporadically bounced in and out of his life, never really providing him with the care and necessities a child needs; this was something the widow was willing to offer the boy. However, for Huckleberry, living civilized in an actual home was quite the adjustment for him and his liberal ways got him into some trouble. Collapsing under the stress of a new home and structured life, one day Huck asked the widow if he could smoke.
“Pretty soon I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldn’t. She said it was a mean practice and wasn’t clean, and I must try to not do it anymore. That was just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they know nothing about it (Twain).”
The widow was in fact correct, smoking is not good for ones health. Tobacco is a tall, leafy plant that is used in the production of cigarettes. A stimulant found naturally with the tobacco leaf is nicotine. Nicotine, in addition to being addictive, is highly poisonous in large doses. When first inhaled smokers usually feel dizzy and sick but eventually build tolerance to the nicotine. Because of its addictiveness, many smokers don’t quit to avoid the pain of withdrawal symptoms (“Tobacco 101”).
Furthermore, the long term effects of smoking have proven to be devastating. “Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of premature death in the United States. Each year, more than 400,000 Americans die from cigarette smoking. In fact, one in every five deaths in the United States is smoking related. Every year, smoking kills more than 276,000 men and 142,000 women (Smoking & Tobacco Use).”
In conclusion, the widow truly was looking out for Huck’s wellbeing when she prohibited him from smoking. However, because of Huck’s free spirit it is unlikely that he will obey the widow and quit smoking.
For a detailed analysis on smoking related deaths visit:
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/ Factsheets/cig_smoking_mort.htm
Sources Cited
"Smoking & Tobacco Use." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 28 Feb. 2007. CDC. 19 July 2007 http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/Factsheets/cig_smoking_mort.html
"Tobacco 101." Tobacco Truth. Act Now BC. 19 July 2007 http://www.tobaccofacts.org/tob_truth/index.html
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin. New York: Bantam, 1981. 2.
Gangs
When deciding what to write about for my mini research project, It took me a long time to think of something. In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin, written by Mark Twain, one thing I noticed was that there was a little bit of gang association. At the beginning, Tom Sawyer started a band of robbers, which included Huckleberry Fin, the main character. "Now we'll start this band of robbers and call it Tom Sawyer's Gang. Everybody that wants to join has got to take an oath, and write his name in blood," Tom said. Their plan, was robbery and murder. "We are highwaymen. We stop stages and carriages on the road, with masks on, and kill the people and take their watches and money," says Tom. This was the gangs main plan, but they also decided that under certain circumstances, they would kidnap their victims and hold ransom. Because of this aspect to the book, I decided to do my research on gangs.
First, according to The National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, a gang is, "A group of criminals that hang out together and are involved in joint, violent, illegal, or criminal activity." Sadly, gangs have been around for as long as there have been inhabitants of this world. For example, in the 1800's, people were fascinated with gangs and gangsters. The James Gang, Billy the Kid, and other outlaws ruled the Wild West as legend has it. Later in time, we had Irish gangs such as the Whyos, Dead Rabbits, and Plus Uglies battling Italian gangs such as the legendary Five Points Gang, which included the legendary gangster Al "Scarface" Capone. More recently, gangs and drug networks have launched into full swing. Unfortunately, the U.S has become known as the number one drug consumer in the world. Gangs have recently developed into drug operations so more of a profit could be made. Also, "violence is a standard operating procedure," says Lou Savelli. By the late 1980's and 1990's, super gangs such as the Latin Kings, Bloods, Crips, and Gangster Disciples had spread their influence across the nation. Fortunately, during the mid 1990's, crime rates began to be seriously enforced, reducing the rate of gang related crime. Although this problem has become better with the years, we are still dealing with a serious teen gang issue here in the United States. What's the worst, is that these teen gangs are getting their ideas from the notorious legends of the past, which were some of the dangerous gangs in history.
With gangs in the past, and gangs today, it is known that they commonly give themselves a name or symbol, and often choose to where similar clothing, or display another type of identifying item. Like in the book, the sign of the band was to hack a cross in their victims breasts. This type of marking is still popular today. Gang violence is a problem that has been around for years, as you previously noticed. Also, when last counted, there were more than 24,500 different youth gangs around the country, and more than 772,500 teens and young adults who were members. One issue leading towards so many teens joining gangs, is the increasing rate of adolescent depression. Teens feel that they need a sense of belonging, or they're looking for a way to be noticed. If depression would decrease, researchers say gangs would also.
To conclude, you can see that gangs have been a part of life for years and years. Now that we have laws against crime being heavily enforced, the problem has slightly reduced. Hopefully in the near future, crime prevention centers can really make an impact on ending the violence. That way, urban neighborhoods can be safer, drug transactions will decrease, and less innocent people will be affected.
Sources Cited--
Daily, Wes. "National Gang History." GRIPE. East Coast Gang Investigators Association . 19 Jul 2007. http://www.gripe4rkids.org/.
N.F.A.N.C, "Gangs." Gang Free Kids. National Foundation for Abused and Neglected Children. 19 Jul 2007. http://www.gangfreekids.org/index.html.
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin. 39. England: Puffin Books, 1994.
"Youth Gangs." National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center. June/11/2007. The National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center. 19 Jul 2007. http://www.safeyouth.org/scripts/teens/gangs.asp.
After reading through chapter 11 of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, I have decided to research the Abolitionist movement, first mentioned by Huck during his conversation with Jim at the conclusion of chapter 10.
The Abolitionist Movement was also known as the anti-slavery movement in the 18th and 19th centuries. The reform’s purpose was to end slavery in the Americas, Europe and Africa itself.
The first reason for resistance towards this movement was mainly because of cheap labor. Much like the illegal alien situation, much labor was done in large plantations, and slavery allowed for this labor to occur without the pricing of it. The European aspect was also that African slaves were more likely to have built immunity to some of their diseases, thus they were less likely to fall ill or die on the job (“Abolitionist Movement”).
Abolitionist attitudes were noticed during the American Revolution, though no action was taken upon these feelings until the 1830’s. New York was the first to rid of slavery, shortly before this in the 1830’s. It was close to these times that a newspaper called The Liberator published works expressing clear feelings against slavery. These attitudes were made more popular by this use of the press, a very powerful way to sway the opinion of the public.
Though many opposed slavery and were fighting for the emancipation of worldwide slaves, slavery was never completely halted even in the United States until 1865. Though this was the technical ending of slavery for the United States, recent efforts have been made to end background slave-driving in the agricultural fields, mainly through the United States Department of Justice. As you can see, the Abolitionist Movement was a movement to abolish slavery, and it is currently taking place in the setting of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. As we read on, we will learn the fate of Jim and Huck.
Abolitionist Movement," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2007
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2007 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Stewart, James Brewer. "Abolitionist Movement." Abolitionist Home Page. 19 Jul 2007 http://afgen.com/abmovement.html.
"Timeline of the Abolitionist Movement." History Now. 19 Jul 2007 http://www.historynow.org/09_2005/pdf/Abolition_Timeline.pdf
"Abolitionism." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia. 19 Jul 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abolitionism.
In response to:
ALEX FAITH (whom i miss)
Your researched paper was actually really good. Your thesis statement that tobacco is not good for your health led me to believe that your topic may have been poorly researched, but your facts and assertive information proved me wrong [: good job.
ALLEY EVANS (whom i miss as well.)
Your paper was also really well written and researched. The prompt had good style and clear formation, and I really liked how you incorporated recent gang violence, which has been a large issue recently. Good job to you, too. [:
Alex-
I like the terminology that you use. I feel that it enhances your paper. Your introduction was attention grabbing and descriptive. Your quote was also good; it fit right into your paper. Wow, nice statistics, and you did a good job incorporating your research with the book.
KJMelanson09-
I like how you got right to the point. I also liked how you mentioned the "newspaper called The Liberator, and New York was the first to rid of slavery, shortly before this in the 1830’s." You did a good job researching your topic. It answered many of my personal questions. Nice Job.
Alley-
i like how you quoted what a gang was and talked about the history of different gangs. I also liked how you talked about the sign of the gang. I did not even consider that a big idea and for it to still be used today is interesting. Nice job. Also, when last counted, there were more than 24,500 different youth gangs around the country, and more than 772,500 teens and young adults who were members. This quote helps the reader to understand how many people are involved in gangs.
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck escapes his father's "prison" and travels to a remote island, where he stays alone for more than three days, surviving on fish, berries and other foods he can catch and pick. Huck finds "plenty strawberries, ripe and prime, and greensummer grapes, and green razberries; and the green blackberries was just beginning to show. They would all come handy by and by, I judged" (Twain, 39). While exploring the island Huck meets "Miss Watson's Jim." Jim mentioned that he had stayed on the island for over three days, surviving on "strawberries and such truck."
In Mississippi, strawberries are harvested in April. According to Mississippi strawberry grower David Courtney "Strawberries are a very expensive crop to grow. It costs me about $4,000 per acre," Courtney said. "This is the first year we've decreased our strawberry acreage from as much as 6 or 8 acres down to 1.5 acres this year" (Breazeale). It's interesting that this expensive crop can grow wild and produce enough fruit to support a grown man for over three days. Furthermore, to the Native Americans, strawberries were sacred valued for their size, abundance, and flavor. "The Native American Strawberry was immediately harvested and cultivated by European colonists" (Ark of Taste).
In addition, without this fruit Jim would not have been able to survive away from civilization. "According to the Romans, wild strawberries were prized for their medicinal properties. Ounce for ounce, strawberries have more Vitamin C than citrus fruit. According to the American Cancer Society, foods rich in Vitamin C may lower the risk of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract" (Nutrition).
"Strawberries grow on small, low growing perennials (plants that survive more than one growing season) that prefer well-drained, sandy soil. To produce the best crop the plants need plenty of water, warm days and cool nights" (Fun Facts/ Strawberries). The island, seems to be a perfect location to produce a large quantity of strawberries and other fruit. By researching where strawberries grow the reader can learn more about the habitat of the island that Huck and Jim are living on.
Works Cited:
"Ark of Taste; Native American Strawberry." Slow Food USA. 20 Jul 2007 http://www.slowfoodusa.org/ark/native_strawberry.html.
Breazeale, Linda. "Mouth-watering berry season." Mississippi State University. Nov 29, 2006. Mississippi State University. 20 Jul 2007 http://msucares.com/news/print/cropreport/crop04/040423.html.
"Fun Facts/ Strawberries." Dole 5 A Day. 2004. Dole Food Company, Inc.. 20 Jul 2007 http://www.dole5aday.com/FoodService/Fun/Characters/F_Strawbs.jsp?topmenu=2.
"Nutrition." Universtity of Illinois Extension Strawberries and More. 2007. Universtity of Illinois Extension. 20 Jul 2007 http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/strawberries/nutrition.html.
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. U.S.A.: Tom Doherty Associates, 1985.
Autumn-
I liked your research topic. Your introduction into the research was well done and I liked how you began with a short summary of how it incorporated into the book. You used your sources well and found useful information. Good job =)
Katelyn Jo* [whom I miss much more ;]-
As usual, your research is very well done. Because of your writing style I enjoy reading your pieces; they're always well researched and get right to the point.
I liked your topic also. I disliked the parts of the book that discussed slavery, especially the language.
In the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, I decided to first research rattlesnakes. I chose this topic because in chapter 10 Huck has a run in with rattlesnakes. He enters the cavern to discover a rattlesnake and kills it. Thinking that he will play a trick on Jim, he coils the snake back up and places the snake near where Jim sleeps. Later that night the snake's mate locates the dead snake and bites Jim. Huck states "His foot swelled up pretty big, and so did his leg...Jim was laid up for four days and nights" (Twain 53).
After reading about Jim's condition I thought that I would further research the nature of rattlesnakes and the severity of their bites.
A rattlesnake has one distinct characteristic, the rattle which is on their tail. Other than this a rattlesnake is hard to identify. Using the snake's color or pattern is not a reliable way to determine whether the snake is a rattlesnake or not. Rattlesnakes have a very powerful body, a thin neck and a triangular or arrow shaped head.
When a rattlesnake strikes, the snake may not inject venom and this bite is then called a dry bite. This bite is still painful and can become infected even though no poison was injected. "If a rattlesnake injects venom into the wound, a variety of symptoms develop: swelling, pain, bleeding at the site, nausea, vomiting, sweating, chills, dizziness, weakness, numbness or tingling of the mouth or tongue, and changes in the heart rate and blood pressure. Other symptoms can include excessive salivation, thirst, swollen eyelids, blurred vision, muscle spasms and unconsciousness. Rattlesnake venom also interferes with the ability of the blood to clot properly" (CPCS: Rattlesnake Bites). If you are bitten by a rattlesnake, severe symptoms will be treated with anivenin which is a prescription medication given usually as a liquid. Antivenin is made from antibodies created in a horse's blood serum when the animal is injected with snake venom. Many lab tests may be performed and other antibiotics will be distributed if needed. If the patient is unable to reach medical treatment within half an hour, the following steps should be taken:
* Apply a bandage, wrapped two to four inches above the bite, to help slow the venom. This should not cut off the flow of blood from a vein or artery - the band should be loose enough to slip a finger under it.
*A suction device can be placed over the bite to help draw venom out of the wound without making cuts. These devices are often included in commercial snake bite kits.
In the United States there are aproximately 23 different species of rattlesnakes. However many other different snakes are being brought into the states illegally or exotic pet snakes are being released when the owner no longer wants the snake, causing more and more snakes to be around. Only about 12 people die in the United States per year due to the aftermath of a snake bite, but around 8,000 people report a poisonous snake bite. Also the estimated chances of dying from a snake bite is one out of ten million.
Sources Cited:
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin. New York, New York: Bantam Dell, 1981.
"CPCS: Rattlesnake Bites." California Poison Control System. 2006. California Poison Control System. 20 Jul 2007 http://www.calpoison.org/public/snakebite.html.'
"Snake Bites." Survive Outdoors Inc.. 2006. Survive Outdoors Inc.. 20 Jul 2007 http://www.surviveoutdoors.com/reference/snakes/snake-bites.asp.
"Snake Bites." University of Maryland Medical Center. 2007. University of Maryland Medical Center. 20 Jul 2007 http://www.umm.edu/non_trauma/snake.htm.
Alex,
I like how you gave an insight about Huck and the background details about his life and the events which led up to him asking if he could smoke. Than you gave the direct quote of the words that were spoken. You found some great research and put it all together very well. Also I really liked how you inserted the web address for readers to do some further research. Great job.
Katelyn,
You chose a very interesting topic. In fact I didn't actually pay that close attention to Huck and Jim's conversation about the abolitionist movement. You found great facts which explained everything to me and made me understand what was going on a little bit better. You really put a lot of work into your research. Awesome job :)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic American novel. Huck Finn is an unruly adolescent boy. Huck is forced to live with a widow who is trying to civilize him. When Huck is finally adjusting to his new way of life his father shows up. Huck’s father is a mean drunk who beats Huck and is trying to get a hold of his money. One night Huck’s father takes his son and is forcing his son to live with him. He didn’t like his son attending school and his new way of life that the widow was forcing on Huck. When Huck’s father went in to town to get drunk every night, Huck was locked in the camp and left all alone. Huck began working on a way out of the camp so he would be able to run away. On the evening Huck made his escape he ensured that no one would follow him. Huck faked his own death and moved to Jackson’s island. One evening on the island Huck found a familiar face, the widows slave Jim. Now Huck and Jim are trying to survive on the island trying not to get caught.
Jim is the runaway slave from the widow’s home. Jim is now living with Huck and the two are trying to stay out of trouble and trying to find a way to survive. Jim ran away because the widow was going to sell him. Jim is now free.
“Slavery is a social economic system under which certain persons are deprived of personal freedom and compelled to perform labor or services.”(Wikipedia) Slaves are kept after they have been bought, inherited, born or captured and are treated as property of a person or household. Slaves are not allowed to leave or refuse to work. Slaves perform labor and are not paid wages for their service. The first slaves were introduced into the English- American colonies by a Dutch trader. In 1619 twenty slaves were sold to the settlers in Jamestown.
House slaves were generally treated better than field slaves. They usually received decent food and were provided a place to live and good food to eat. House slaves were not always treated this way. Harriet Jacobs stated that her mistress “would station herself in the kitchen, and wait till it was dished, and then spit in all the kettles and pans to ensure that the slaves didn’t eat what was left over."(House Slaves) In some households the slaves and the house owners developed close relationships. Trusted house slaves were some times promised their freedom after the owner’s death. Slaves would sometimes be educated by the women of the house, even though it was illegal. The possession of slaves has become illegal and very rare in modern times. Slavery is no longer acceptable and looked down upon by many people and many countries.
"History of Slavery." 20 July 2007 http://www.sonofthesouth.net/slavery/history-slavery.htm.
"House Slaves." 20 July 2007 http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASdomestic.htm.
"Slavery." Wikipedia. 20 July 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery.
Alex: I thought your summary was very concise and to the point. You summed up the plot easily and effectivly. I liked that you did your mini research topic on smoking. You have a lot of facts and it makes your post interesting. Good Job!
Autumn: I really liked your research topic. I liked how you searched the food that the boys had to survive on. You have a lot of interesting facts about the strawberrys and I liked reading your research.
The difference between burglary and robbery
In chapter 2 Tom Sawyer started his band of robbers, "Tom Sawyers Gang". When questioned by the other members of the group, Tom stated that they were robbers, not burglars. He said it's a clear difference, and meant to keep it that way (thats what he had learned in the book don't ya know).
Burglary: The act of breaking and entering a dwelling at night to commit a felony (theft).
Robbery: The art or practice of robbing.
Rob: To take something away from by force
(Merriam-Webster)
It turns out that Tom was correct, burglary is quite different than robbery. Burglary is that of entering someones house, apartment, or business and stealing something, without harming the tenants. While robbery is a violent way of stealing something from someone by force, possibly ending in death.
Tom made it quite clear that he had wanted to keep his gang in the violent side of things, emphasizing murder and looting.
"Now," says Ben Rogers, "what's the line of business of this Gang?"
"Nothing only robbery and murder," Tom said.
"But who are we going to rob? --houses or cattle, or--"
"Stuff! stealing cattle and such things ain't robbery; it's burglary," says Tom Sawyer. "We ain't burglars. That ain't no sort of style. We are highwaymen. We stop stages and carriages on the road, with masks on, and kill the people and take their watches and money."
(The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn, pg. 8)
Sources
"Burglary." Merriam Webster Online. 2007. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. 20 July 2007 http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/Burglary.
"Robbery." Merriam Webster Online. 2007. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. 20 July 2007 http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/Robbery.
"Rob." Merriam Webster Online. 2007. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. 20 July 2007 http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/Rob.
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Bantam Classic, 2003. 1-293.
Comments
Anna: I liked how you out actual dates and facts into your response. It was really informative especially considering we've studied slaves so much in school, you really added things that were different from what we normally learn.
Alex: I always enjoy your responses, you really pick some interesting topics. You also used transitions which is nice to see. Good job!
Katelyn: I really liked how you took a new look at the research projects and went really deep into researching your topic. You really seemed to show interest in what you were talking about. Nice job!
Katelyn (Whom I love and miss more)-
Your responses are always interesting to read. I love the way you write. You incorporate interesting ideas and information that go further than just getting to the point, which is also something you do well. Overall, your writing style is great, and your work always sounds well researched. Good job =)Also, I noticed that usually your pieces are much longer, but even though this response was shorter, the information gave the response all the justice it needed.
Autumn-
First, I really liked how you used quotes. It adds a lot more to a piece, and makes it far more interesting. Also, I really liked your topic too. I love strawberries =). Great use of information as well.
As I was reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn I noticed there was a lot of talk about a good and bad luck. I decided to research a few of the superstitions that were mentioned in Huckleberry Fin.
One of the superstitions mentioned in Huck Finn is that when you spill salt you need to throw some over your left shoulder for good luck. On page 26 Huck says "One morning I happened to turn over the saltcellar at breakfest. I reached for some of it as quick as I could to throw over my left shoulder and keep off the bad luck."
When I researched this the most sources said it dated backed to Roman times when if you accidentally spilled salt you must throw it over your left (or sinstra) shoulder to keep the devil away.
Another old wives tale is mentioned in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn when Huck touches a rattlesnakes skin and Jim says it is very bad luck. This superstition most likely started because rattlesnakes are likely to hang around their dead mate, and when people tried to touch their dead mate's skin they would attack. People seeing this began to assume it was bad luck to touch a dead rattlesnakes' skin.
Another superstition mentioned in Huck Finn is the belief that hanging a horseshoe on the doorway of a house will bring good luckand keep the house safe. One reason this practice may have started is because of an old legend that tells how St. Dustan once captured the devil and only let him go after the devil promised to never enter a house with a horseshoe on it.
In conclusion most of the myths and superstitions are not grounded in any facts at all, but a few such as the rattlesnake skin myth might have a tiny bit of truth to them.
Big Questions." The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 Aug. 2006. 20 July 2007 http://www.smh.com.au/news/big-questions/what-is-the-origin-off-throwing-salt-over-your-shoulder-for-goodluck/2006/08/24/1156012662267.html.
"Hoodoo Folklore and Superstitions." 20 July 2007 http://www.mojomoon.net/hoosuper.html.
Just Added:
"Horse Superstitions and Wive's Tales." 20 July 2007 http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/info/superstitions.html.
Miss Vigue, I am going to be at a camp in Kingfield all next week and I am pretty sure there is not going to be an internet connection there so I will not be able to post that week.
“Git up! What you ‘bout?
I opened my eyes and looked around, trying to make out where I was. It was after sun-up, and I had been sound asleep. Pap was standing over me looking sour and sick, too. He says:
What you doin’ with this gun?
I judged he didn’t know nothing about what he had been doing [the night before]”
(Mark Twain, 29)
The pain of alcoholism not only affects the one who drinks, but also affects the people that they encounter. Huckleberry Finn had to endure the pain of Pap’s drinking. Alcohol seems harmless because of so many people that use it, but really it’s a crisis that needs to be changed.
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant (Washington Neuroscience). Massive amounts of alcohol effects more than just the central nervous system.
Initially, consuming a few drinks of alcohol is not deadly and life changing, but as you continue to drink you start to increase the amount of alcohol that is in your system (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse).
According to Craig C. Freudenrich, Ph.D., after a few drinks you will notice that the one who is drinking will experience something called “Euphoria.” Euphoria is a metal state where one is more self-confident and more daring. The first affect is within the brain in which changes the neurochemicals. For instance, the neurotransmitters, Norepinephrine and Dopamine, release more chemicals into the system. These chemicals cause the person to forget about their stress and feel more relaxed about what is going on. They start to lose some short term memory and their reactions are slower. This is because the person’s neurotransmitter acetylcholine has slowed which causes the person to not be able to move their muscles as fast. Next, the person has vast amounts of gamma-aminobutyric acid or “GABA”, which causes the neurons in the brain not to fire. Thus, the person is less likely to respond. Lastly, the hypothalamus generates more beta-endorphins which causes the person’s temperature to drop and make them more tired. This is what happens in the brain when alcohol is consumed. The more alcohol that is consumed means the stronger the effect on the neurochemicals. The following is the stages of alcohol consumption that was taken from Dr. Freudenrich’s page on How It Works:
I. Euphoria (BAC = 0.03 to 0.12 percent)
1. They become more self-confident or daring.
2. Their attention span shortens.
3. They may look flushed.
4. Their judgement is not as good -- they may say the first thought that comes to mind, rather than an appropriate comment for the given situation.
5. They have trouble with fine movements, such as writing or signing their name.
II. Excitement (BAC = 0.09 to 0.25 percent)
0. They become sleepy.
1. They have trouble understanding or remembering things (even recent events).
2. They do not react to situations as quickly (if they spill a drink they may just stare at it).
3. Their body movements are uncoordinated.
4. They begin to lose their balance easily.
5. Their vision becomes blurry.
6. They may have trouble sensing things (hearing, tasting, feeling, etc.).
III. Confusion (BAC = 0.18 to 0.30 percent)
0. They are confused -- might not know where they are or what they are doing.
1. They are dizzy and may stagger.
2. They may be highly emotional -- aggressive, withdrawn or overly affectionate.
3. They cannot see clearly.
4. They are sleepy.
5. They have slurred speech.
6. They have uncoordinated movements (trouble catching an object thrown to them).
7. They may not feel pain as readily as a sober person.
IV. Stupor (BAC = 0.25 to 0.4 percent)
0. They can barely move at all.
1. They cannot respond to stimuli.
2. They cannot stand or walk.
3. They may vomit.
4. They may lapse in and out of consciousness.
V. Coma (BAC = 0.35 to 0.50 percent)
0. They are unconscious.
1. Their reflexes are depressed (i.e. their pupils do not respond appropriately to changes in light).
2. They feel cool (lower-than-normal body temperature).
3. Their breathing is slower and more shallow.
4. Their heart rate may slow.
5. They may die.
VI. Death (BAC more than 0.50 percent) - The person usually stops breathing and dies.
At the following Website there is the Alcohol Impairment Chart:
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/gif/bacf.gif
In summary of the information above, drinking affects the mind and by chemical reactions and cause people to be uncontrollable. People can drink themselves literally out of their own mind which allows them to take out heir anger on others without even knowing what they are doing. When Huck finds himself being attacked by Pap he can’t fight back because Pap is much bigger, until the Dopamine and the beta-endorphins from his hypothalamus causes Pap to fall asleep. Huck could have gotten very hurt that night but he was lucky. I believe that soon Pap’s drinking will either lead him to his own grave or Huck’s.
Sources:
"Acetylcholine." Highbeam Encyclopedia. 2007. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 20 July 2007
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-acetylch.html.
"Alcohol." Drug Free America. 2006. Drug Free America. 20 July 2007 http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/drug_guide/Alcohol.
"Alcohol Research & Health." National Institute of Alcohol Abuse. USA.gov. 20 July 2007 http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/.
Chudler, Eric H. "Neuroscience for Kids." Washington Education. 2007. 20 July 2007 http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/alco.html.
"Effects of Alcohol on the Body." Wikipedia. 16 July 2007. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. 20 July 2007
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_alcohol_on_the_body.
Freudenrich, Craig C. "How Alcohol Works." How Stuff Works. 2007. How Stuff Works, Inc. 20 July 2007
http://home.howstuffworks.com/alcohol5.htm.
"Hypothalamus." Highbeam Encyclopedia. 2007. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. 20 July 2007 http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1B1-367696.html.
"Norepinephrine." Highbeam Encyclopedia. 2007. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 20 July 2007
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-norepine.html.
Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Ann Arbor: Edward Brothers Incorporated, 2006. 1-261.
Alex- Great job with adding in the “detailed Analysis” thing on the end… It makes it so you don’t have to say everything in your paper.
Alley- The newest gang is called MS13… it is a small based organized crime organization.
Lindsey- Nice Bold! I can’t get it to work for me. Also, wow… that’s a lot of info… good job
Caleb- You and your history… you went back to the Roman Times! Can’t believe you but it worked well with your paper…
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