Jessie Taylor
In Chapter 17 of Mark Twain's *Adventures of Huckleberry Finn*, Huck arrives at the front door of a family's cabin in the middle of the night. The family cautiously lets him in, ensuring he is not a member of the murderous Shepherdson clan, and entrust him to their son, Buck, who is about Huck's age. Buck takes Huck upstairs to his room, gives him some clothes, and brags about some creatures he caught in the woods the previous day. Buck then asks Huck, Where was Moses when the candle went out? Huck is perplexed by the riddle, but Buck eventually answers it himself: Why, he was in the dark. This joke, which first appeared in an 1814 book of riddles, also appears in James Joyce's *Ulysses* and Tennessee Williams's *The Glass Menagerie*.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Book | Adventures of Huckleberry Finn |
| Author | Mark Twain |
| Year of Publication | 1884 |
| Chapter | 17 |
| Context | Huck appears at the front door of a family's cabin in the dead of night and is cautiously taken in |
| Riddle | Where was Moses when the candle went out? |
| Answer | In the dark |
| Theme | Dualism of Night and Day |
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What You'll Learn
The riddle's appearance in Chapter 17 of Huck Finn
In Chapter 17 of Mark Twain's *Adventures of Huckleberry Finn*, Huck arrives at the door of a family's cabin in the middle of the night. The family, who are feuding with the murderous Shepherdson clan, cautiously let him in. They entrust Huck to the care of their son, Buck, who is about the same age as Huck—thirteen or fourteen.
Buck takes Huck upstairs to his room and gives him some clothes. He talks about some small creatures he caught in the woods the day before and then asks Huck the riddle: "Where was Moses when the candle went out?" Huck is perplexed by the riddle, but Buck encourages him to guess. Finally, Buck reveals the answer: "Why, he was in the dark."
The riddle, which first appeared in a book published in 1814, is a joke with no direct connection to the biblical Moses or his death. It is a play on the phrase "someone's light/candle going out," an old euphemism for death. The humorous answer, "in the dark," also carries the dual meaning of being uninformed or ignorant.
The appearance of this riddle in Chapter 17 contributes to the nocturnal setting of *Huckleberry Finn*, which is predominantly a nighttime story. The darkness provides cover for Huck, a runaway boy, and Jim, a fugitive slave, as they travel and hide during the day. It also sets the mood for the Gothic elements of the novel, with haunted structures, graveyard scenes, and tales of mayhem and murder. Furthermore, the juxtaposition of night and day highlights the novel's exploration of good and evil and the moral constraints that Huck gradually learns to navigate.
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The joke's origin and use in literature
The joke, "Where was Moses when the candle went out?" is a riddle that first appeared in Mark Twain's novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, published in 1884. In Chapter 17, Huck arrives at the front door of a family's cabin in the middle of the night, and they cautiously let him in, ensuring he is not a member of the murderous Shepherdson clan. Their son, Buck, takes Huck upstairs to his room and gives him some clothes. Buck then asks Huck the riddle: "Where was Moses when the candle went out?" Huck is perplexed by the riddle, despite the obvious answer suggested by their candle-lit cabin, and Buck eventually answers it himself: "Why, he was in the dark."
The joke has been interpreted in various ways and is believed to have different origins. Some sources suggest that it is a nonsensical riddle with no connection to the biblical Moses or the Hebrew leader. The joke is similar to "Why did the chicken cross the road?" in that it sets up an expectation of a profound answer but delivers a banal one. The joke also appeared in James Joyce's Ulysses (1922), where Bloom, an older character, ponders the riddle for 30 years before experiencing a eureka moment and realising the answer: "in the dark." This moment highlights the absurdity of the situation and has been interpreted as having sexual resonances related to Bloom's marital situation.
The riddle also appears in Tennessee Williams's play The Glass Menagerie (premiered in 1944, set in the 1930s). In this context, the joke refers to a power outage in their St. Louis apartment, and the answer, "in the dark," is explicitly stated. Additionally, the joke or a variation of it can be found in Robert Barr's 'A Rock In The Baltic', where it is used to highlight the importance of electricity and suggest that Moses lived in a time before electric lights.
The joke has been the subject of analysis and interpretation, with some suggesting that it holds deeper meanings or sexual resonances. The joke and its variations have been used in literature to create humour, absurdity, and to explore themes of darkness, ignorance, and sexual maturity.
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The metaphor of a candle going out
In Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the riddle "Where was Moses when the candle went out?" is used as a joke with the answer being "in the dark". This joke appears in Chapter 17 of the novel, when Huck Finn, the protagonist, arrives at a family's cabin in the woods at night. The family is feuding with the murderous Shepherdson clan and they cautiously take Huck in, giving him to their son, Buck, to look after. Upstairs in Buck's room, Buck gives Huck some clothes and brags about some creatures he caught in the woods. He then asks Huck the riddle, to which Huck is flummoxed. Buck encourages him to guess and eventually supplies the answer himself: "Why, he was in the dark".
The joke in Huck Finn serves multiple purposes. Firstly, it highlights Huck's ignorance and his inability to answer the riddle, despite his presence in a candle-lit cabin in the woods. Secondly, it reinforces the novel's nocturnal setting, which is vital to the book's prevailing mood of comic apprehension and provides a key to Mark Twain's view of its chief moral. The darkness in the novel is associated with the unknown, the forbidden, and the irrational, which helps to define Twain's metaphysics and sociology of evil. It also serves as a backdrop for the racial conflicts in the novel and allows characters to act out their repressed desires or wicked schemes under the cover of night.
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The nighttime world of Huck Finn
In Chapter 17 of Mark Twain's novel, *The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn*, Huck arrives at the front door of a family's cabin in the middle of the night. The family cautiously lets him in, ensuring he is not a member of the murderous Shepherdson clan, with whom they are feuding. They then entrust Huck to the care of their son, Buck, who is about Huck's age—thirteen or fourteen.
Buck and Huck go upstairs to his room, where Buck gives Huck some clothes. Buck talks about some small creatures he caught in the woods the previous day and then asks Huck, "Where was Moses when the candle went out?" Huck is perplexed by the riddle, and Buck encourages him to guess. Finally, Buck answers the riddle himself: "Why, he was in the dark."
This riddle, which first appeared in a book published in 1814, is a joke with no connection to the biblical Moses or his death. The answer, "in the dark," is a banal solution to a question that seems to require a profound answer. The joke is similar to "Why did the chicken cross the road?" in this respect.
The nighttime setting in *Huckleberry Finn* serves multiple purposes. Firstly, it is plot-appropriate and historically accurate for a runaway boy and a fugitive slave to travel under the cover of darkness and hide during the day. Secondly, the night is essential for the novel's Gothic moods, with its haunted structures, graveyard scenes, tales of mayhem and murder, and hairbreadth escapes. Thirdly, darkness, with its associations with the unknown, the forbidden, and the irrational, helps define Mark Twain's metaphysics and sociology of evil. Lastly, the juxtaposition of night and day conveys the fundamental doubleness of Twain's mind and illuminates his ambivalence on various issues, especially the novel's ending.
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The significance of the candle-lit cabin
The candle-lit cabin in Huck Finn is significant for several reasons. Firstly, it represents a nighttime setting, which is prevalent throughout the novel. The darkness provides a backdrop for the racial conflicts in the novel and highlights the dualism of night and day, river and shore. The night-time setting also allows for the exploration of repressed desires, wicked schemes, and mysteries, which adds to the Gothic and mock-Gothic moods of the novel.
Secondly, the candle-lit cabin scene introduces the character of Buck, who is described as being around the same age as Huck, and they form a connection. Buck takes Huck under his wing, giving him clothes and sharing stories about his recent adventures in the woods. This scene also showcases Huck's naivety and innocence, as he is unable to answer Buck's riddle about Moses and the candle.
The candle-lit cabin also serves as a physical space where Huck finds temporary refuge and safety. He is cautiously welcomed into the family's home, despite the ongoing feud with the Shepherdson clan. The candlelight illuminates Huck's presence in their home, making him visible to the family, who are initially unsure of his identity and intentions.
Furthermore, the candlelight and subsequent darkness when the candle goes out can be seen as a metaphor for ignorance and enlightenment. Huck's inability to answer the riddle places him in a position of awkward ignorance, similar to Bloom in Ulysses. The riddle itself is nonsensical and sets up the listener for jokey answers, highlighting the playful nature of the exchange between Huck and Buck.
Lastly, the candle-lit cabin can be interpreted as a symbolic representation of Huck's journey towards maturity. The candlelight provides a sense of warmth and comfort within the cabin, and Huck's presence in this space allows him to reflect on his past and make judgments about his future actions. The cabin becomes a space where Huck can momentarily escape the dangers and uncertainties of the outside world and find solace in the company of Buck and his family.
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Frequently asked questions
In Chapter 17 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck arrives at the front door of a family's cabin at night. They take him in and ask him questions to ascertain if he is a member of the murderous Shepherdson clan. Their son Buck takes Huck upstairs to his room and gives him some clothes. Buck then asks Huck the riddle: "Where was Moses when the candle went out?" Huck is confused by the riddle, and Buck eventually supplies the A: "Why, he was in the dark."
"Someone's light/candle going out" is an old euphemism for death. Moses died on Mount Nebo in the land of Moab. The riddle "where was Moses when the candle went out" is a joke with a literal A: Moses was in the dark.
The presence of night or darkness in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been remarked upon by critics. The novel's nocturnal setting helps to convey the book's prevailing mood of comic apprehension and provides a key to Mark Twain's view of its chief moral. Darkness also helps to define Twain's metaphysics of evil and his concern for the "deeper psychology".
The riddle appears in James Joyce's Ulysses (1922), where the character Bloom realises the answer after 30 years of pondering. It also appears in Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie (premiered in 1944, set in the 1930s).
