Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Chapter 12 summary

What happens

1. The narrator and Jim conceal their raft beside a wooded sandbar, then build a shelter and prepare equipment for river travel.
2. They drift at night, pass St. Louis, and gather food while debating whether taking produce counts as stealing.
3. During a storm, the narrator persuades Jim to board a wrecked steamboat despite Jim’s objections.
4. Jim retreats toward the raft while the narrator spies on two men threatening the bound Jim Turner.
5. Hidden in a berth, the narrator hears Jake Packard persuade Bill to leave Turner aboard the wreck to drown.
6. The narrator proposes taking the men’s boat, but Jim reveals that their raft has drifted away.

In this chapter

What to notice

The narrator treats imagined bravery as a reason to ignore danger. His curiosity keeps him aboard after Jim withdraws.

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