iPads in the Classroom

What were the benefits of having a class set of iPads in the classroom?

The iPads were very helpful during class. It allowed every student to look up anything they wanted and have a mini computer at their fingertips. It was assisted me in class because I could look up anything I wanted instantly. It personally saved me time because teachers want everything to be typed up so it allowed me to get a head start on my assignment. It allowed me to ask my teacher things that I would normally wonder at home. They were also useful in terms of having a camera and making videos. It opened up the possibilities of projects that we could do in class. The iPads also were environmentally friendly, as our papers that we would receive in class were instead put into Dropbox. I liked this concept because most of the time, the papers that we receive in class are just used once and then they started cluttering up in my binder. Having the papers online also helped me access them on any computer. I even downloaded the apps on my phone do that I could reference them quicker. The iPad's also allowed us to have eBooks. These were helpful in class because it was possible to highlight them in class. I could also leave my book at home.

What were the limitations or problems with having a class set of iPads?

Although, the iPad’s helped me, they were only beneficial to a certain extent. When having an eBook, it was confusing because I could not read the book at home. The notes that I highlighted would not be on my book at home so it did not help if I was writing an essay at home. We only got to use them for one class period so it they did not have a big effect on my classes. I still had to write notes for other classes and it did not have a big effect on my grades because they were only used for one class. I also noticed that although there were a lot of applications installed on the iPad, we used very few of them. I think that there are more apps out there that we could use that would help in the classroom. We just did not utilize them. The iPads were very useful during the class however, I don't think they were used to their full potential.

Do you think the school district should have more iPad carts for students to use or move to a 1:1 environment where all students would have access to an iPad they would be able to take home and use during the school year.

I think that iPad’s would be beneficial to the school environment. They would provide every student with an equal opportunity to succeed in school. As we transition through school, more teachers are requiring their assignments to be typed up. It would save those kids who have to go to the library to work on their projects. I don’t think the iPad’s should be provided to elementary kids or middle school kids. It’s still important to have a strong penmanship and having iPad’s at such an early age would limit how much they would write. Writing out on paper has the advantages of letting students think before they write and they don’t have auto correct fixing their spellings. The only way the iPads would be successful however, is if the WiFi connection is available all throughout school. If it is not strong, students would spend most of their time trying to connect to the server instead of working productively.

Evernote

What did you like most about using Evernote to take notes in class?

Evernote was a very helpful application. The application automatically synced my notes so that I could access them on my phone or on the computer. This made it less stressful to email things home as my inbox would get full very quickly. You could save links, pictures, and audio clips on Evernote too. I like the layout of Evernote too because you can choose how you want to organize your notes. There is the option for the date you created or when you edit it. It also divides your notes up by month. You have the option to add tags so that you can easily find a group of notes. When my class was discussing The Great Gatsby, I wrote notes on each chapter. I tagged each one with the title of the book so that I could access them all at once. We also discussed a poem in class, and it was provided in a PDF file. Evernote saved the file in my note so that I could click it and see the poem and read my notes.

What problems or limitations did you encounter while using Evernote?

Overall, the app was pretty useful, but it was hard to edit things in the note. When I would get home, I would have to copy my note to a word document and edit it in there. I could figure out how to change the font or the size of it. It would be great if I could share notes with other people. This would be extremely helpful when doing a group project. It would reduce having to go to Dropbox and back. The program was also hard to use because of my school’s limited WiFi. It was strongly accessible in our classroom so we went into the hallway, we would have to come back into the room so that it could sync.

Do you have any other feedback or suggestion on making Evernote better?

I think that having this application for other classes would be extremely beneficial. It would make studying easier because of the tag feature. This would only happen if everyone had iPad’s into school. If this were to happen, it would be nice to have a due date feature. This would help keep students even more organized. Often at times, I find myself writing dates on my phone so keep track of when assignments are due. Evernote could remind users when things are due. I’m not sure if there was a spell check feature on Evernote, but that would be helpful. I think that there are a lot more features in Evernote that I am not aware of. Having an optional tutorial in the Evernote could help let users know the potential of Evernote.

Fear

Fears

One crisp December morning, a married couple and their adopted son were unlocking the doors to their rented mansion. Their secluded mansion was on the edge of a snowy mountain. The drive to house was long and dreary but the view was worth it. The couple had anticipated a week of skiing and relaxing. The house was an antique and built during the 1930's. The large structure was weathered but still standing. It gave off an eerie feeling. The doors were thick, sturdy, wooden slabs. They were quite heavy and required some force to open. As the family entered, the floor creaked from their weight. They stepped inside, brushing to snow from their boots and shrugging off their coats. They noticed the aged, mahogany furniture that was the center in the room. The once top of the line furniture looked worn and tattered. As they looked up, they saw massive chandeliers. A film of dust was layered onto the golden frame that seemed to sway ever so slightly on its rusty chain. To their left, the couple saw a massive grandfather clock. It towered above them; each second vibrated though their bodies as they got closer. The house had a ghostly sensation.

The family decided to get an early nights rest. They put their 9 month baby the bed. It was very peculiar how they found him, one morning, the father of the family Ted, was opening the door to get the newspaper and Leo was in a bundle at their doorstep. They didn’t want to have children as the wife Terry, was reluctant to raise children and was discouraged by the idea of giving birth. But they decided to raise the child because they were afraid of what could happen if they didn’t. Leo frightened them sometimes. He didn't act like a normal child. He was always calm and had no facial expressions. He always fell asleep instantly and never stirred. Ted and Terry, however, were learning to love him as if he were their own. That night baby Leo stayed awake all night. But he did not cry, he simply never closed his eyes.

His parents had a rough night. They tossed and stirred throughout the night. Ted and Terry both felt as if the air was getting thinner and thinner. They gasped for air, as if spirits were in the air. But they assumed that it was because of the altitude of the house. Slowly, they slipped into a deep slumber.

In the morning, they continued to explore the house. They discovered a cabinet in the corner of the office. The cabinet was battered, with deep scratches on its exterior. It rocked slightly when they walked around. The couple assumed it was because of the uneven floor. The couple felt a strange aura around them. They felt a sunken, depressed feeling. They felt almost lifeless. The strangest part of the room, however, was the cabinet that was locked shut. The lock was rusty; its luster was long gone. The numbers were dirty and looked worn. The bottom of the lock did not even have a key hole.  Curious, Ted attempted to open the cabinet but the lock was surprisingly strong and sturdy. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't open. They wondered what could be inside the cabinet. The husband feared that it could be a dead body. The wife thought that it could be another child. But they set aside their fears and left the room, shutting the door.

To their disappointment, they realized that there had been a terrible storm through the night. Nature had kept them confined in a monstrous house. They realized that suspicious things were starting to occur. The flames of the gas stove seemed to blow to the right, instead of upwards. Doors slammed despite the fact that all the doors and windows were sealed. Different objects that rested on tables were suddenly falling, with nothing forcing them to fall. Their fear for the house was increasing.

One morning, the couple noticed that Leo was not in his crib. Confused, they looked around the house to find him. They wondered how he climbed out of his crib. His crib was in the same room as them and Leo could not crawl either. Ted and Terry searched the house, looking for their child. Their fears heightened with each empty room. As they ran into the living room, found him sitting on the couch, sleeping contently. Baffled at how their child managed to sit on the couch, they watched him very carefully. But Leo made no attempt of crawling by himself. The mystery still remained at how Leo had managed to crawl onto the couch.

The young couple panicked and decided to go back to their suburban neighborhood. But nature was too powerful for them. When they went outside, the chilly wind whipped at their faces. The continuous snow paralyzed their hands and nerves. It looked as if Mother Nature made no attempt at stopping. When they tried to start their van, they realized that the battery was dead. They were stuck and had no other option but to stay. So they rushed back into the confines of the mansion.

Ted and Terry decided to get their money’s worth and relax and spend the remaining days in the house. As they settled in, Ted heard a rattling sound in the house. He wandered around trying to find the location of the noise. Ted located the noise to be in the room with the cabinet. As he entered the room, he saw a glimmer of light in the corner of the room. Ted squinted his eyes in an attempt to discover what was standing in the room. As he got closer, he discovered that it was the ghost of his father. His father had left his family when he was just 10. It was the Ted’s fear that one day he would return and his family would suffer again. He didn’t want his mother to try and adjust to another emotional situation. He let out a scream and heard Terry rush into the room. He turned to face her; his face was white with terror. He pointed in the direction of the ghost, only to discover that there was nothing there. His wife was confused, wondering what he saw. Baffled, the husband sputtered to explain what he just saw. Suddenly, they heard a click, and saw that the lock had locked itself.

Believing that it was just paranoia, Ted and Terry left the room and vowed never to enter again. They began counting down days until they could return to their home. Later that day, Terry was playing with Leo when he ball fell from his high chair and rolled towards the room with the cabinet. As Terry went to retrieve the ball, the door mysteriously opened. Terry suddenly saw a grim creature. It floated like a ghost, but instead of being white, it was an intense black. The light of the room seemed to be sucked into its body. It had a wicked look on its face and seemed to grow stronger at the sense of her terror. The figure suddenly began floating at her. Terry screamed in terror and began to back out of her room. Ted ran to room, and caught her just before she fainted. The last thing she remembered was the sound of a lock clicking shut.

Terry woke up terrified. She wanted to leave but the weather wasn’t clear enough to drive home. They decided to spend one more night and leave in the morning. Ted carefully put Leo in his crib and crawled into his bed. Terry and Ted both felt uneasy that night. They had a hard time sleeping. Hours later, they were awakened. In the middle of the night they heard a crash. Startled, Terry opened her eyes and looked around. She noticed that Leo was not in his crib. Waking up Ted, they both went to look for their missing child. He is nowhere to be found. They look in every possible spot, but there is no baby. They become very anxious to find the baby as they had become attached to him. The thought of losing Leo seemed unbearable.

Suddenly, they heard Leo wailing. Hopeful to find him, they dashed around the house looking for him. Their efforts lead them to the room with the cabinet. Inside, Ted and Terry saw Ted’s father and the grim that Terry had seemed earlier. They froze for a moment but then realized that their son was in trouble. Ted reached out and grabbed the lock, determined to open it. Surprisingly, it came off with ease. He ripped open the doors and saw that Leo was fine. As he calmed Leo down, he looked around the room. They spirits he had seen earlier had disappeared. Their fears had disappeared now that they had hope that their child was okay. Later that day, Ted and Terry packed up their belongings and left the house in a taxi. Realizing their attachment to Leo, they welcomed him into their house.

Poe's Obsession With Death

Edgar Allan Poe was best known for his writing pieces that incorporated mystery and gothic literature. The theme of death was prominently used in his stories and he used many literary devices to achieve it.  As a young man, he was an alcoholic and his loved ones died around him. Most of his stories have drawn parallelism from his life.  The idea of death is also shown though foreshadowing and irony. His obsession with death is depicted in his works “The Black Cat,” “The Red Death,” “The House of Usher,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and “The Tell Tale Heart.” Edgar Allan Poe portrays his fascination with death through the use of imagery, foreshadowing, irony, parallelism, and symbolism.

The theme of death was strongly conveyed in the story “The House of Usher.”  Powerful imagery conveyed the atmosphere of the house. The narrator described the house saying “In this there was much that reminded me of the specious totality of old wood-work which has rotted for long years in some neglected vault, with no disturbance from the breath of the external air” (Poe, The House of Usher 3). Poe’s description of the house could almost describe a dead body that has been buried. The concept of death is constructed in the readers’ mind as they read through the passage and imagine the forbidden and eerie home. The vivid details of the house exemplify Poe’s internal thoughts about what is grim and lifeless.  His depressing thoughts about death are used to describe the house. Like a dead body, the house looked as if it were forgotten and left to decay. The passage also foreshadowed the events that are to follow.

Poe successfully used foreshadowing in illustrating his obsession with death. Commonly used in “The Cask of Amontillado,” Poe used foreshadowing to create suspense in the story. At the beginning of the story, Montresor decided to take revenge on his friend Fortunado for unknown reasons and invited him to try Amontillado, a type of wine. When Montresor lured Fortunado into the crypt, Fortunado began to cough because of the nitre found on the walls. Montresor suggested that they come back another time when he is feeling better, but Fortunado could not resist the temptation of the wine and said “Enough, the cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough.” Montresor, knowing his true destiny replied, “True-true” (Poe, The Cask of Amontillado 6). Montresor knew that the cause of his death would be from leaving him in the catacombs and was telling the truth when he said that. The foreshadowing used was Poe’s way of reminding the readers that death is the only thing guaranteed in life.  It was his way of saying that no matter what the cause, a person will ultimately die. He included different hints in the story that would make death the fate of Fortunado. Irony and foreshadowing are both perceived in the quote.

The irony in the story was that Fortunado did not die from cough; instead he was murdered by Montresor. Irony was also shown when Montresor are going down to the catacombs and Montresor describes his conservation with Fortunado, “I passed down a long and winding staircase, requesting him to be cautious as he followed” (Poe, The Cask of Amontillado 5). Montresor plans on killing Fortunado, but warns him to be careful walking down the stairs. Poe used this opportunity to incorporate the idea that death would occur in the story. He made a point to exemplify the concept of death as it occurred in a variety of his publications. Poe also incorporated events from his life into his stories that communicate the theme of death.

Edgar Allan Poe’s work can be compared to his life.  The characters were parallel to Poe. In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” the main character admitted that he had an illness when he said, “The disease had sharpened my senses- not destroyed-not dulled them” (Poe, The Tell-Tale Heart 3). The narrator was captivated by the blue eyes of the old man until one day, he killed and dissembled his body and shoved it in the floor boards. The narrator admitted that he did not have a reason to kill him. He may have done it just because the old man had something that he was living without. Similar to Poe’s life, he may have known that he had an addiction; he just could not escape his dependence to alcohol. Some believe that he was drunk shortly before his death and that his illness had killed him.  As described in the “The Black Cat” the alcoholic husband clarifies “My immediate purpose is to place before the world, plainly, succinctly, and without comment, a series of mere household events. In their consequences, these events have terrified – have tortured – have destroyed me” (Poe, The Black Cat 1). In The Black Cat, the main character murdered his wife and cat because he felt his soul changing and found pleasure in abusing the ones who loved him. Parallel to Poe’s life, he also suffered from the deaths of his close family that deeply scarred him. Imitating his sorrow, Poe wrote stories that reflected his tragic life as an output. Death influenced his writing. Just like how the narrator of The Tell-Tale Heart couldn’t handle the old man’s blue eyes, Poe couldn’t endure the misfortune that he faced of losing his loved ones. His fixation with death was directly associated with the plots of his stories.

Poe frequently used symbolism in his writing. In the story “The Red Death,” many different symbols are used. The most apparent symbol is the main character Prince Prospero. His name meant prosperity. It described him as a character; rich, prosperous, thriving, and wealthy. The town that he lived in was suffering from the plague. He decided to invite all of his friends to live in his palace for company and to protect them from the disease. A few months later, he decided to throw a party.  As the guests mingled, they noticed an ill dressed man among themselves. “The figure was tall and guant, and shrouded from head to foot in the habiliment of the grave” (Poe, The Red Death 3). The man’s appearance frightened the healthy party guests. The Prince became angered by the man’s appearance and wanted to hang him. He chased him through his palace and tried to kill him. After a struggle, the Prince was ultimately killed. The prince tried to defeat Death but in the end he still lost despite what he achieved in his lifetime. Poe used symbolism to show that no one can cheat death. This was the moral of the story. Death is the final destination of all mortals. Poe was infatuated with death and represented it as an eternal being that would always win.

Poe creatively wrote death into his works. In every story, death is attached by some literary device. He grasped the fear and emotions that readers face with death and wrote them so they felt like reality to the reader. Poe used events from his life to hint that a loss of life would occur in the story. This made death was a common theme of his stories. His preoccupation with death allowed him to do this successfully. These characteristics make him one of the most respected authors of Gothic literature.

·         Fair, Verona. "Symbolism and Poe 83." Hubpages. 2010. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <http://veronafair.hubpages.com/hub/Symbolism-and-Poe>

·         G, Tyler. "Edgar Allan Poe and His Use of Literary Devices." Teen Ink. Seneca, Nov. 2009. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <http://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/all/article/48636/Edgar-Allan-Poe-and-His-Use-of-Literary-Devices/>.

·         Poe, Edgar A. "The Black Cat." By Edgar Allan Poe. Poe Stories. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <http://poestories.com/read/blackcat>.

·         Poe, Edgar A. "The Masque of the Red Death." By Edgar Allan Poe. Poe Stories. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <http://poestories.com/read/masque>.

·         Poe, Edgar A. "The Tell-Tale Heart." By Edgar Allan Poe. Poe Stories. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <http://poestories.com/read/telltaleheart>.

Fool's Gold - A Faust Legend

Fool’s Gold

One stormy April morning, on the rough seas of the Caribbean Ocean, Captain John Black was aboard on his majestic ship. That morning, the wind was sharp and chilly. It tore across the sailor’s faces until their faces were numb. The water crashed against the hull of the boat, each time with more water splashing across the deck.  The sky was a deep gray and seamlessly blended into the murky waters. The small crew dashed around on the deck, soaked to the bone. They were managed under the eyeful watch of their shrewd captain; John Black. The captain had icy blue eyes and a weathered face. His hair was tangled from the wind.  Captain John was a cunning man. He had a personality that was so persuasive that nobody could deny him what he wanted. He used that to his advantage and stole the all the cargo on every ship he encountered. No ship was too large to conquer, no crew too tough to defeat. His home was the ocean and his supplies came from other ships. His tactic was simple, he would pretend to be stranded and ill and con his way aboard the ship. Then through the night, every little possession would be taken. Nothing would be left behind. His ruthless actions left his crew members fearing him. They could turn into his victims any day.

As the storm got worse, the captain decided to take refuge on the closest island.  The island was called the “Dead Man’s Crescent.” No one was known to leave the island alive. The crew laboriously worked to get the ship onto the island. Once they reached closer,  the crew tossed a steel anchor onto the shore and returned to their cabins and fell into a slumber.  As dawn slowly appeared John and his crew left the ship to explore the island. They climbed off of the ship onto the rocky shore. Jagged rocks and massive boulders lined the beach front. As John walked onto the beach, he scanned the landscape and something glimmered into his eyes. Lodged between two rocks was a silver ring. Inscribed on it is a language that he could not decipher. He put the ring onto his finger and continued walking. The beach yielded no food so John instructed his crew to go into the forest. The forest was over grown with vegetation. Ivy scaled the trunks of trees that extending high into the sky. As the crew traveled to the deeper into the interior of the forest, they heard the howling and calls strange of animals. They continued into the forest, stopping to collect berries and other tropical fruit. The forest became darker and darker and the trees became denser.

While searching for food, John noticed a wooden hut in the corner of his eye. Inside, he saw the outline of woman. Not wanting his crew to know, he ordered them to go back to the ship. John hiked his way through the forest toward the shack.  After stumbling through the bushes he walked to the door. As he opened the creaky door, he realized that there was not a woman inside.  In fact, the outline did not even look human.

 “I want your soul,” whispered the devil.

Shivers went through John’s spine. Floating in the air, the devil was the darkest black John had ever seen. He had an aura around him that made John feel drowsy, like something was weighing him down.  The devil had a long, fluid, body that oddly glistened when he moved. Circular rings danced inside of him when his body expanded and contracted. John froze, his thoughts racing, but he could not utter a word. He stared into his eyes and felt his chest tighten, a great pressure was building and he felt as if something was trying to escape his body.

Mustering up the courage, John muttered “What will you give me?”    

“Control of the weather. Use it to your benefit and take from the people who have cheated me” replied the devil.

“What will I get out of this?” questioned John.

“All the treasures your heart desires.” boasted the devil.

“Alright, give me this power.”  John said.

The Devil reached out to hold his hand when he noticed the ring on his hand.

“Where did you find this?” examined the devil

“It was washed onto the shore.” John replied.

The Devil took the ring off of his finger and exchanged it for a golden ring. A look of annoyance flashed on John’s face.

“A golden ring shows wealth, I’ll take this silver one.” declared the devil.

As they shook hands, John felt a burning feeling rush through his body. It came with such intensity that his knees became weak and he collapsed onto the floor. When he opened his he was on the beach. Dazed, he looked around, trying to remember what had just happened. His hand was throbbing, the ring gleaming brighter than when he found it. John slowly got up and returned to his ship, eager to use his new gifts. When he arrived on board, John announced to his crew that they were leaving the island.  His crew was reluctant but followed his orders. As they sailed away, John saw a ship in the horizon. He felt urge to control the waters around it. He found that his thoughts translated into actions and the ship quickly started rocking. The sailors on the ship struggled to stay aboard. John laughed at their helplessness, the ship was falling apart. John pushed his mind further and created bigger waves.  The waves engulfed the remaining sailors on the boat. They disappeared into the water. The sea became calm again.  John used this opportunity to have his crew storm the ship and grab all of the valuables.

Months and months passed and John’s crew relentlessly took the lives of many and emptied their ships of their riches. One day, in the pursuit of another ship, John observes a little boy crying because his father had just fallen off of his ship. The boy is so distressed that John begins to feel remorseful that he stopped the attack on the ship. He sailed to the ship so that he can climb aboard. Bringing a chest of gold, he offered it to the boy so that he can use it to start his life. The boy opened the chest. He became furious with John. Confused, John looked at the chest and sees that the solid gold that he happily collected from a ship magically was counterfeit. He rushed back to his ship with the boy, and everything that he had collected was fake.  

Suddenly, the sky turned dark and thunder pounded through the sky. Lightening rhythmically struck through the sky. The rain was pouring hard, making it difficult for Captain Jack and his crew to see.  He found himself in the same situation that he put all of his victims in. He grasped the edge of the ship in an attempt to hold on. His crew members had the same struggle and one by one, they all slip off. The boy decided to accept his death and jump over the edge. The storm became stronger. The wind was howling and the water splashing through the air choked the captain. Gasping for air, he drained his last ounce of energy. It was too much for him and he slipped over the edge of the boat, drowning.

            Both of the ships are destroyed by the storm. Their cargo was spilled onto the sea. The next morning, the devil went to the shore to collect his golden ring.

Mock Trial Reaction

Throughout the week, the prosecution and defense argued to passionately about Mark Twain's intent when he wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The case revolved around the question, "Was Mark Twain Racist?" Both sides crafted arguements to convince the jury of the right verdict. They had to write a opening and closing statement, rehearse with the witnesses and create questions for the cross examination. All this preparation was in hopes that their desired verdict would be achieved.  

As the literary expert, my role was to know the various opinions on Huck Finn and find publications that supported that Mark Twain was racist. This was not an easy task as most believed that he was innocent. I had to resort to using essays and exerpts from various novels. During my questioning, we used a lot of passages and examples from these publications. I feel if we had explained what the texts meant a little better, it would be easier for the jury to understand the matter that we were discussing. Many of the passages were difficult to understand and some need to be read a couple of times to get the full meaning of it. I found myself researching and almost agreeing with the defense. It could get difficult because I knew that my job was to convict Mark Twain of being racist.

The verdict was definetly a surprise to me. I knew that the defense had a strong case too but I felt that the prosecution carried the trial through very professionally. I feel as if some of the jury members may have been a little biased in the book. They had prior knowledge about the book and their opinions may have be formed before the trial even occured. I thought that we had done a good job attempting to convince that jury that Mark Twain was racist. Listening to the lawyers questioning the defenses' witnesses, they sounded very knownledgeable and knew when to push a point and when to leave it. As I listened to the jury deliberate, I noticed that they had captured some of the imporant points discussed but they had a hard time using that evidence to form an opinion. The reason for this could be that they did not have enough time or that they didn't fully understand the trial, and their decision was reflected this.

Huck Finn Post #3

During Huck Finn's adventures, he temporarily becomes separated from Jim. He finds himself at gunpoint by men questioning if he was a Shepherdson. After failing a riddle produced by a boy named Buck, they decide that he is harmless and invite Huck to live with them. Huck learns that the family that he is staying with, the Grangerfords have had an enmity with the Shepherdson family for decades. When he asks what the feud was over, they replied, "Laws, how do I know? It was so long ago" (Twain 151). Huck further questioned if anyone knew and Buck replied, "Oh, yes, pa knows, I reckon, and some of the other old people; but they don't know now what the row was about in the first place" (Twain 151). This quote shows the humor in the situation. These families are killing each other off for a cause they do not know off. Common sense is thrown away resulting in the families fighting.

A sense of sadness also comes through in the story. Huck is hiding up in the trees to avoid the gun fight occurring below him. When he climbs down, he comes across a situation which he describes as "When I got down out of the tree I crept along down the riverbank on a piece, and found the two bodies laying in the edge of the water, and tugged at them till I got them ashore; then I covered up their faces, and got away as quick as I could. I cried a little when I was covering up Buck's face for he was mighty good to me" (Twain 161). At such a young age, Huck as come across a lot of death. Buck was a person who Huck truly knew well and liked. Even though Huck is perceived to be strong, he couldn't help but cry at the death of his friend.

Mark Twain creates an allusion to the play Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet revolves around the love story of two people who's families have had a row for years. Similarly, the Shepherdsons' and Grangerfords' also share a connection which they both do not know off. Sophia Grangerford and Harney Shephardson both liked each other, but had to hide the affair from their families. Huck wakes up one morning and notices that Buck is not in the room. He discovers that Sophia and Harney have ran away. He asks someone what happened and receives the reply, "Well, den, Miss Sophia's run off! 'deed she has. She run off in de night some time -- nobody don't know jis' when; run off to get married to dat young Harney Shepherdson, you know -- leastways, so dey 'spec" (Twain 158). Both couples had to take the drastic decision of running away. The families in the book and play both suffered tragedies when their children got involved in the battle. Although one set of lover's stories ended tragically, Sophia and Harvey managed to run away.