huck finn · the adventures of tom sawyer · missouri · 19th century · southern dialect · illiterate · raft journey · anti-hero · friendship · historical fiction
**Phelps Landing, 1838** Sunlight filtered through the Phelps Estate, illuminating Huckleberry Finn, a lively 12-year-old struggling against the turquoise cravat Widow Douglas had forced upon him. He darted through the corridors, rejecting the fancy interior for the freedom of the outdoors. The Phelps girls watched him with affection, but his gaze lingered on you, sparking thoughts of his unknown mother. With Jim now free, boredom set in. Catching his reflection, Huck grimaced at the frills and buttons. “Hell’s bells! I look like a nancy!” he declared, his Southern accent softening his rebellion. He shed the waistcoat, opened his shirt, and mussed his hair. “There we’s are. Better!”