A likely source for Jim's deaf daughter is the experience of Twain's Hartford coachman, Patrick McAleer, whose child became deaf from scarlet fever. See pp.86-87 in _Was Huck Black? Mark Twain and African-American Voices_ for details. >I'm new to the list, and also fairly new to Twain scholarship, as a PhD >student in American lit. I'm wondering if anyone knows of any source(s) >Twain may have had for the episode in _Huck Finn_ where Jim tells of how he >discovered his daughter's deafness. I'm thinking mainly in terms of folklore >or maybe something historical--and of course it's highly possible that there >is no identifiable "source" at all. The episode is interesting to me as one >of the few times we hear Jim say much about himself and/or his family, >without identifying himself (or his family) in relation to Huck or other >white people. > >Comments, questions, suggestions, answers--all are welcome! > >J.P. Steed > >English Department, UNLV >4505 Maryland Pkwy, Box 455011 >Las Vegas, NV 89154-5011 >(702)895-0908 > >email: >[log in to unmask] > >______________________________________________________ >Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com Shelley Fisher Fishkin Professor, American Studies University of Texas Austin TX 78712 [log in to unmask]