The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain

Huck has only ever known his father as the uneducated drunk that he was in the book. Therefore, when he is out with Jim for such a long period of time, he begins to look up to Jim and his outlook on life. In Document E, in the letter Huck wants to write to Miss. Watson, we see him explain somewhat the adventure him and Jim went on. Specifically, when they were traveling down the river, “...and would always call me honey, and pet me, and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was;” (Document E). To me, this not only shows how Huck saw Jim as a father figure, but how Jim treated Huck as his own flesh and blood. Also in Document E, we see Huck decide to help Jim rather than telling Miss. Watson where he is. This exhibits how Huck is okay with the fact that this will always be on his conscience, “‘All right then, I’ll go to hell’--and tore it up,” (Document E). Huck deciding this on his own shows us how he didn’t want anyone to know where Jim was because he wanted him to stay in his life. He also wanted to save Jim so he would still have that father figure in his life. In spite of the fact that Jim has no rights, Huck is able to learn valuable things from this man on their adventure down the

Huck is also stuck in the situation of turning Jim in or not. He knows that turning Jim in would be honest, but he also doesn't want to let his friend down. Huck did choose the lying side of it, but once again it was to protect Jim. He cares about Jim and doesn't want to see anything happen to him, so he would rather just tell little lies to keep Jim out of trouble. Not only does Huck lie for unselfish reasons, but he also feels very bad when he does lie.

Originally, Huck believes that he should turn in Jim, a slave running away from being sold by Widow Douglas and Miss Watson. He does not see it as following the law, he just believes that it would be immoral for him not to turn in Jim to the cops. Huck Finn was raised to accept the idea of slavery which has been shaped by a society who accepted slavery. The pranks that Huck Finn pulled on Jim reflects Huck Finns attitude towards Jim 's intelligence. In the scene after Huck Finn and Jim get separated in the fog, Huck thinks Jim is stupid enough to believe that none of it

The first adventure Huck and Jim take part in while searching for freedom is the steamboat situation. Huck shows development of character in tricking the watchman into going back to the boat to save the criminals. Even though they are thieves, and plan to murder another man, Huck still feels that they deserve a chance to live. Some may see Huck's reaction to the event as crooked but, unlike most of society, Huck Finn sees good in people and attempts to help them as much as he can. Getting lost in the fog while floating down the Mississippi River leads to a major turning point in the development of Huck Finn's character. Up to this event, he has seen Jim as a lesser person than himself. After trying to deny the fog event to Jim, he says, "It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a [slave]; but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterward, neither"(74). He continues by explaining how he could never do such a thing again. Huck has clearly gained respect for Jim here and shows it by feeling so horrible over what he did.

In the middle of the book, Huck starts to distinguish what is the right thing to do. He starts to think if all the things he was doing before with Jim and Tom were too mean and stupid to do. One specific example is when he decides to steal the money that the king and duke have, “I got to steal that money somehow; and I got to steal it some way that they wont suspicion I done it." (Twain 133) After Huck stole the money Huck and Jim didn’t feel bad at all, and knew that they did the right thing after all. He learns that not everyone can be scammed on, that the real life is important and that you can’t do anything stupid like that. He sees eye to eye with Jim and realizes that he cant have someone taken advantage of just because of their

He also does not doubt tom?s judgment when he says ?But go ahead, I ain?t got nothing to say? because he does not know any better. On the other hand, Huck gains knowledge while experiencing the journey to free Jim and suddenly Huck encounters a decision that requires much more consideration than anything he has ever thought about. As Huck decides whether or not to turn Jim in to Miss Watson, he says, ?I studied a minute, a sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: ?All right, then, I?ll go to hell?? (Twain 228). Huck now has the ability to think for himself. This important decision goes against what he has always been taught. He thinks his decision thoroughly, unlike before. With his new standards of morality, Huck decides not to turn Jim in. It is apparent that he improves in his aptitude of making choices. Huck?s capability of making decisions alone shows that he is maturing into an independent young man.

Throughout the novel both Huck and

He refers to such a situation as “...so kind of strange and unregular” (141). What this highlights is one of the essential elements of the book, what Twain called a battle between “A good heart and a deformed conscience.” The “good heart” side of the argument is Huck’s desire to alleviate Mary Jane’s misery, and protect her and her family from the machinations of the duke and the king. The “deformed conscience,” or the way his experiences and upbringing have affected his character, is the side of him that wants to lie just to avoid any trouble that telling her the truth might cause him. Recognizing and exploring the interaction between these two sides of Huck, both of which are demonstrated in this passage, is essential in understanding his character. Finally, Huck comes to the conclusion that he will tell Mary Jane the truth, “...though it does seem most like setting down on a kag of powder and touching it off just to see where you’ll go”

In addition, Twain uses Huck’s attempt at reform to show how easy it is to say empty words. Toward the end of the novel, when Jim is captured and held in a shed, Huck stands by as Tom Sawyer plans to put Jim through many unnecessary tribulations for the sake of adventure. When responding to Huck’s simple plan of freeing Jim, Sawyer states “Certainly it’ll succeed. But your plan is too simple. We have to think of a plan that will give people something to talk about for years to come.”

Huck exemplifies responsibility whenever he follows his conscience because he takes the the feelings of others into consideration. When Huck and Jim

At the same time, Huck’s experiences with Jim, and his own personal instincts tell him that he is doing

We see this become an example when they help each other out by doing what they can do while the other can not, and one for such is Huck dressing as a girl to hear what is happening in their former town. Huck is the one doing this because he is white, not because he is more skilled in remembering or any of the sorts. Though Jim is someone for Huck to look for guidance, and deciding what they should do. He uses Jim’s superstitions many times. One for instance was when they decided where to stash their canoe and supplies. “Jim says if we had the canoe hid in a good place, and had all the traps in the cavern, we could rush there is anybody was to come to the island, and they would never find us without dogs. And besides, he said them little birds had said it was going to rain, and I didn’t want the things to get wet?” (50). This became a turning point, as Huck seeks advice from Jim. This common goal of not getting caught helped this change undergo, as they see that hiding the canoe would make the searchers believe the place was

The book introduces Huck as the first person narrator which is important because it establishes clearly that this book is written from the point of view of a young, less than civilized character. His character emerges as a very literal and logical thinker who only believes what he can see with his own eyes. In this section Huck’s life with the Widow Douglas and her attempts to raise him as a civilized child sets up the main theme of this book which is the struggle or quest for freedom. Huck’s struggle for freedom from civilized society is paralleled by Jim’s struggle to escape from slavery. Irony as a key literary

Huck often cannot understand Tom’s Romantic ideals due to his practical nature, but Huck complacently follows him because he sees Tom as an authoritative figure. When Tom Sawyer starts his gang, Huck questions Tom’s made up adventures, noting

In the beginning Huck never really knew what a true friend was, and then he went on a journey with Jim, a runaway slave. For a while, Huck has thoughts about turning in Jim and having him sent back to Miss Watson. However, he always remembers how nice Jim is to him. Huck said that he would not tell anyone that Jim had runaway and in return Jim was willing to protect and help Huck. Jim would even give up his sleep just because he wanted to let Huck continue to sleep. That was not the only thing Jim did for Huck either. When the house floated by and the two saw a body laying inside it dead, Jim went in to see what was in the house and found that it was Huck's father that was dead. Jim covered the body so Huck did not realize that his father had been killed. Through just these two actions made by Jim, Huck learns one of the most valuable life lessons: true friendship.