We completed our introductory sessions on Mark Twain and the novel, Huck Finn. I provided biographical information, including how Samuel Clemens adopted the pen name,Mark Twain as well as historical information on the Fugitive Slave Act that plays an important backdrop to the novel. I further provided information on Twain's life as riverboat captain, and discussed his earlier novels,"Life on the Mississippi," and "Tom Sawyer." We then delved into Twain's writing style and the use of dialect as well as the historical context of his controversial continual use of the N- word in the novel,"Huck Finn." I further addressed how the novel, Huck Finn ,is often considered one of the first real American novels due its use of dialect, its depiction of common people and its satire of American societal foibles. Nonetheless, we see some lingering elements of Romanticism in the novel's portrayal of Nature. I noted the importance of the Mississippi River as a symbol in the novel and suggested that Nina formulate an interpretation of that symbol as she reads. We last looked at the opening chapter, and discussed Twain's satire of organized religion ,prayer, and the conventional perception of heaven.