Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Chapter 20 summary
Chapter 20 of 43 · 15 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 20, Huck invents a family story to protect Jim, while the king and duke take control aboard the raft and devise money-making schemes. The king collects donations through a false pirate confession, and the duke prints a reward notice that offers cover for daytime travel by presenting Jim as a captured runaway.
What happens
- Huck explains their nighttime travel with an invented account of family deaths and attempts to seize Jim.
- The king claims the better bed, and Huck and Jim manage the raft through a violent nighttime storm.
- The duke proposes theatrical performances and assigns the king Juliet’s part before they visit a nearby town.
- At a camp-meeting, the king pretends to be a repentant pirate and collects a sum of money from the crowd.
- The duke earns a sum of money through printing-office dealings and produces a false reward notice describing Jim.
- They leave after dark, planning to pose as Jim’s captors; Jim complains about their drunken royal passengers.
Free for 3 months
Get the full summary of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
In this chapter
What to notice
The duke treats Jim’s proposed restraint as a detail in a convincing performance. His theatrical language connects acting with the practical deception meant to permit daytime travel.
Quick check
How does the duke propose explaining Jim’s presence during daytime travel?
Free for 3 months
Get the full summary of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
15-minute summaries today, eBooks and audiobooks as each book opens, and printed books, large print included, at cost.
Try 3 months free
