Huck Finns Journey to Morality essays

Huck Finns Journey to Morality essays Huckleberry Finns Journey to Morality In Mark Twains novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn we see through the eyes of a brilliant child, the prejudice world he lives in, and the reality that is thrown at him in his journey down the Mississippi River. He learns to see the true society he is a part of by encountering many different characters. These characters will unknowingly turn this innocent and perceptive young boy into a moral-based and caring young man. Miss Watson tries to show Huck the good of Christianity, while the King and Duke prove to him that there are always some people left in the world who are inhumane. With both of these influences, Hucks morals become as strong as they possibly can. He goes against society to save a man whom he never considered would be a friend for life. Huck is unable to grasp Miss Watsons religion. He does not care for the past and takes ...no stock in dead people(Twain 4). Miss Watson tells Huck that if he prays for something, he will get it. Huck tests the theory and is let down. He says, It warnt so. I tried it. Once I got a fish-line, but no hooks. I tried for the hooks three times, but somehow I couldnt make it work (Twain 12). The hypocrisy is that Huck prays for the hooks, does not receive them, and wonders why. What he does not realize is that he cannot pretend to act like he understands the whole concept, and expect to receive the hooks. After Huck is taken by his father and escapes down the river, he gets hungry, and bread reaches him down the river. Huck thinks the bread is sent to him because of Miss Watsons prayers. He realizes he may not understand it all but says, ...theres something in it when a body like the widow or the parson prays, but it dont work for me, and I reckon it dont work for only just the ri ght kind(Twain 37). Continuing on his way with Jim, Huck ...

A Profile of the Bonnethead Shark

A Profile of the Bonnethead Shark The bonnethead shark (Sphyrna tiburo), also known as the bonnet shark, bonnet nose shark, and shovelhead shark is one of nine species of hammerhead sharks. These sharks all have a unique hammer or shovel-shaped heads. The bonnethead has a shovel-shaped head with a smooth edge. The head shape of the bonnethead may help it more easily find prey. A 2009 study found that bonnethead sharks have a nearly 360-degree vision and excellent depth perception. These are social sharks that are most often found in groups numbering from 3 up to 15 sharks. More About the Bonnethead Shark Bonnethead sharks are about 2 feet long on average and grow to a maximum length of about 5 feet. Females typically are larger than males. Bonnetheads have a grayish-brown or gray back that often has dark spots and a white underside. These sharks need to swim continuously to supply fresh oxygen to their gills. Classifying the Bonnethead Shark The following is the scientific classification of the bonnethead shark: Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataSubphylum: GnathostomataSuperclass: PiscesClass: ElasmobranchiiSubclass: NeoselachiiInfraclass: SelachiiSuperorder: GaleomorphiOrder: CarcharhiniformesFamily: SphyrnidaeGenus: SphyrnaSpecies: tiburo Habitat and Distribution Bonnethead sharks are found in subtropical waters in the Western Atlantic Ocean from South Carolina to Brazil, in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico and in the Eastern Pacific Ocean from southern California to Ecuador. They live in shallow bays and estuaries. Bonnethead sharks prefer water temperatures over 70  F and make seasonal migrations to warmer waters during the winter months. During these trips, they may travel in large groups of thousands of sharks. As an example of their travels, in the U.S. they are found off the Carolinas and Georgia in the summer, and further south off Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico during the spring, fall and winter. How the Sharks Feed Bonnethead sharks eat primarily crustaceans (especially blue crabs), but will also eat small fish, bivalves, and cephalopods. Bonnetheads feed mostly in the daytime. They swim slowly toward their prey, and then quickly attack the prey, and crush it with their teeth. These sharks have a unique two-phase jaw closing. Instead of biting their prey and stopping once their jaw is closed, bonnetheads continue to bite their prey during their second phase of jaw closing. This increases their ability to specialize in hard prey, like crabs. After their prey is crushed, it is suctioned into the sharks esophagus. Shark Reproduction Bonnethead sharks are found in groups organized by gender as spawning season approaches. These sharks are viviparous... meaning that they give birth to live young in shallow waters after a 4- to 5-month gestation period, which is the shortest known for all sharks. The embryos are nourished by a yolk sac placenta (a yolk sac attached to the mothers uterine wall). During development inside the mother, the uterus becomes separated into compartments that house each embryo and its yolk sac. There are 4 to 16 pups born in each litter. The pups are about 1 foot long and weigh about half a pound when born. Shark Attacks Bonnethead sharks are considered harmless to humans. Conserving Sharks Bonnethead sharks are listed as least concern by the IUCN Red List, which says that they have one of highest population growth rates calculated for sharks and that despite fishing, the species is abundant. These sharks may be caught for display in aquariums and used for human consumption and for making fishmeal. References and Further Information Bester, Cathleen. Bonnethead. Florida Museum of Natural History. Accessed July 4, 2012.Cortà ©s, E. 2005. Sphyrna tiburo. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. Accessed July 3, 2012.Carpenter, K.E. Sphyrna tiburo: Bonnethead. Accessed July 4, 2012.Compagno, L., Dando, M. and S. Fowler. 2005. Sharks of the World. Princeton University Press.Krupa, D. 2002. Why the Hammerhead Sharks Head is In the Shape Its In. American Physiological Society. Accessed June 30, 2012.Viegas, J. 2009. Scalloped Hammerhead and Bonnethead Sharks have 360 Degree Vision. Accessed June 30, 2012.Wilga, C. D. and Motta, P. J. 2000. Durophagy in Sharks: Feeding Mechanics of the Hammerhead Sphyrna tiburo. The Journal of Experimental Biology 203, 2781–2796.