Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 2002. Vol. 8. Eger Journal of American Studies.(Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 28)

Studies - Gabriella Varró: The Adventures of the Minstrel Sign in Mark Twain 's Huckleberry Finn

'I wouldn't think nuff'n; I'd take en bust him over de head. Dat is, if he warn't white. I wouldn't 'low no nigger to call me dat.' 'Sucks, il ain't calling you anything. It's only saying do you know how to talk French. 'Well, den, why couldn't he say it?' 'Why, he is a-saying it. That's a Frenchman's way of saying do you know how to talk French.' 'Well, it's a blame' ridicklous way, en I doan' want to hear no mo' 'bout it. Dey ain' no sense in it.' 'Looky here, Jim; does a cat talk like we do?' 'No, a cat don't.' 'Well, does a cow?' 'No, a cow don't, nuther.' 'Does a cat talk like a cow, or a cow talk like a cat?' 'No, dey don't.' 'It's natural and right for 'em to talk different from each other, ain't it?' "Course.' 'And ain't it natural and right for a cat and a cow to talk different from ms?' [...] Well, then, why ain't it natural and right for a Frenchman to talk different from us? You answer me that.' 'Is a cat a man, Huck?' 'No.' 'Well, den, dey ain't no sense in a cat talkin' like a man. Is a cow a man?—

er is a cow a cat?' 'No, she ain't either of them' [...] 'Is a Frenchman a man?' 'Yes.' 'Well, den! Dad blame it, why doan he talk like a man? You answer me dat. (87-88) According to Berret the section of the novel that matches the minstrel first part or overture are chapters 1 to 19. As can be seen from the examples cited above, Jim plays the role of the minstrel endman here, while in the dialogues between Huck and Jim, Huck is acting as the Master of Ceremony, or the minstrel Interlocutor.

2 Befitting the minstrel tradition Jim is the comic end-man, who is characterized by his uneducated speech, he is inexperienced in the matters of life, and therefore can easily be cheated or tricked. In contrast to him, Huck attempts to speak in a more polished language, " In the conversations with others, however, like Miss Watson or the widow, Huck appears as the minstrel end-man (Berret 41). 269