Why Does Pap Finn Give His Money To Judge Thatcher

One of the ways Twain exposes the folly of the negative attitudes toward blacks is through describing the whites' cruel and pointless acts of hatred directed toward Jim. The least severe of the cruel acts toward Jim is that whites often ridicule him. Another dehumanizing act is when Jim is made to hide his face in the daytime. The most foolish and ignorant idea of the whites, however, is when Silas Phelps locked up Jim. Another demonstration of the whites' folly is when Pap, Huck's father, violently objects to the granting of suffrage to a black man. Pap does not take into consideration that this man is an educated professor; he believes that he is superior to this black man simply because of the color of his skin. In actuality, however, Pap is an uneducated drunk. This adds to the irony of the white's actions.

Hypocrisy is apparent in this situation in that Pap is saying he would raise Huck when in reality all he wants is Huck’s money. Another example of hypocrisy is that Pap does not want Huck to attend school since Pap was not schooled. Pap is obviously just jealous of Huck because Pap would have wanted to learn, but does not want to give Huck an opportunity he did not have.

For quite some time, Huck’s father disappeared from town only to arrive later when he heard that his son had acquired a small fortune. He then threatens to beat Huck “down a peg” so that he would remind him of his status in the family only hoping to get the fortune for his booze. Things only get worse when Pa learns that Huck has become the first member of the family to learn to read, and consequently takes him away from town down the river into a small cabin. Cleverly, Pa doesn’t want to abandon Huck just yet for he continuously threatens the Father about the fortune he has hidden until Huck finally fakes his own death. Pa would be a fine example of a specimen who was unworthy of his breath by the way he treated Huck.

T.S. Elliot said, "Huck is alone: there is no more solitary figure in fiction. The fact that he has a father only emphasizes its loneliness; and he views his father with a terrifying detachment" (329). Most parents like to see their children excel in life and become productive members of society, but Pap is thinking only about himself. Instead of wishing the best for his son, he is angry because he is becoming a better person than his father. This man would be an awful influence on any child, and should be kept away from Huck.

Mark Twain satires society and portrays it as being uncivilized with drunkenness (Nyirubugara). As mentioned in the beginning of the novel, Pap is the first person introduced as being a drunk. Pap did not like the fact that Huck was becoming smarter than him and when he regained custody of Huck he made sure that Huck stopped going to school. Since Huck was no longer in school, he spent most of his days protecting himself from his drunken father’s abuse, so once he ran away it was not hard for him to shift into adulthood.

Though not technically an orphan, Huck seems to wish he were, as he provides insight to his indifference towards his father: "Pap hadn't been seen for more than a year, and that was comfortable for me; I didn't want to see him no more" (226). Upon returning, Pap inflicts such physical and mental abuse on Huck, including captivating him, that Huck resolves to not only flee the situation, but also kill his father, after being threatened with a knife. "I slipped the ramrod down it to make sure [the gun] was loaded, and then I laid it across the turnip barrel, pointing towards pap, and set down behind it to wait for him to stir" (237). Huck clearly resents the man enough to want to kill him, yet can not do so: though Twain employs weariness as the preventive factor, Huck's inaction despite his desire epitomizes his conflicted nature.

Even though Pap is Huck’s biological father, he is everything a father shouldn’t be. For example, he constantly leaves Huck home alone, confined in his cabin for a long period of time. "Every little while he locked me in and went down to the store, three miles, to the ferry, and traded fish and game for wiskey and fetched it home and got drunk and had a good time, and licked me."(Twain 35) This quote not only shows that Huck was left on his own, it also shows that Pap is not a suitable father because of his drinking problem, and also his abusive behavior. His drinking problem is not only a waste of money, but it is a dangerous addiction not only for Pap’s health, but for Huck’s. "He chased me round and round the place with a clasp knife, calling me the Angel of Death, and saying he would kill me, and then I couldent come for him no more. I begged, and told him I was only Huck; but he laughed such a screechy laugh, and roared and cussed , and kept on chasing me up." (39) This quote shows that during one of his hallucinations, he almost kills Huck. Alcohol

A true father does whatever he can to assure stability to his family, and to ensure the well being and safety of his children. Due to his drunkenness Pap is unable to provide these attributes to his son, he endangers his sons life as he repeatedly beats him with no remorse, and is consistently in and out of Huck's life causing instability and uncertainty in his life and even though "...he's got a father, but you can't never find him these days. He used to lay drunk with the hogs in the tanyard, but he hain't been seen in these parts for a year or more.” Pap disappears for months on end leaving Huck to fend for himself with the little support from Miss Watson. Pap proves to be unsuitable to care for his son, as he cannot compose himself, but rather spend his time drinking. Pap also disapproves of Huck receiving an education and even accuses him of having a pompous attitude because of this. He tells him, "You're educated, too, they say- can read and write. You think you're better'n your father, now, don't you, because he can't? I'll take it out of you...and if I catch you about that school I’ll tan you good” (Twain 19-20). Pap does not seem to care for his son as he even tries to minimize Huck for wanting to have a proper education. Pap is no father to Huck for he wishes nothing but the worst for his son's life. If Pap were a real father to Huck he would encourage him to stay in school so he can become a

When Pap was finally reunited with Huck, he was extremely jealous of what was taught to Huck all these years. Huck was civilized and Pap was not and Pap did not like that at all. This is very ironic because you would think Pap would be the one who is more civilized, since he is older, but he is not and it goes to show how backwards times were and how different they are now. Civilization from then is very different than it is

The first contrast between Jim and Pap is the initial reaction Huck has when encountering them. When Huck is on Jackson’s Island, presumably alone, but then comes across a smoldering fire, he is at first frightened, but once he sees that the other refugee is Jim, he pops right out of the bushes and greets him. He is glad for his company. However, when signs of Pap being around are apparent, Huck is seen to panic, and rushes off to rid himself of his fortune. He knows that Pap is greedy enough to steal from anyone, even his own son. When they come face to face, it becomes clear that Huck is afraid of his father, who used to beat him while in a drunken state. During this confrontation, it becomes clear that Pap resents that Huck is being educated, and feels threatened by it. On the contrary, Jim teaches Huck what he knows, and is proud of him for thinking up schemes, such as faking his death to escape his father’s grasp. As Jim and Huck travel together, Jim shows more consideration and a protective nature for Huck, and he tries to act, as much as he can, as a shield between Huck and the corrupt world, which is something Huck’s father never did. On the contrary, Pap exposed Huck to more corruption than most others his age, such as Tom Sawyer, were expected to have been exposed to.

Huck has had enough with their failed relationship, deciding he can handle such an atrocity, he decides he will run away from his monster of an alcoholic father. Pap will never be able to have a relationship with his father, because he was probably drunk, got into an argument and was shot and killed. Alcoholic parents’ actions often hinder the child’s ability to tell what is right from wrong.

Weather Huck likes it or not Pap is his dad. Widow Douglas on the other hand is someone Huck doesn't mind. She fills in as a mother to him. Lastly Jim is a father to Huck more than Pap.

Huck's father is absent until he finds out that Huck has found some money.  Pap is an outcast full of hate for blacks and pretty much for all of society.  Huck, as a product of his society, speaks the language of his society.  By choosing as his point-of-view a young boy from the slave south, Twain is able to present and challenge the values and assumptions of this time.  Among the assumptions and values of the time that the reader encounters in the book are the strict definitions pertaining to Huck's world and the people who inhabit it:

Child abuse had a great on effect Huck’s whether if it had to do with where he is living or a decision he has made. Huck has been abused for most if not all of his life by his father, Pap. Huck stated, “I used to be scared of him all the time, he tanned me so much” (17). This quote shows how Huck had to deal with Pap’s abuse before and could not help himself. It shows that Pap has poor ethics shown by beating his child simply because he can. This is an immoral act on Pap’s part because he believes he can control Huck’s life including his life choices and his possessions. Pap says, “I’ll take you down a peg, before I'm done with you” (17). Pap continues to torment and threaten Huck even though he has not been around of the most recent parts of Huck’s life. Pap’s ideologies have not changed since Huck was younger. Pap’s ideals consist of being able to do what he wants when he wants. This was apparent when he tries to threaten Huck and put himself above Huck. In the 1800s community leaders felt responsible for helping orphaned or abandoned

While Pap may have been Huck’s father by blood, he did none of the things that would even remotely make him a “real” father. From Pap, Huck learned nothing but about how immoral and vicious humans can be. Every time Pap is drunk, he terrorizes Huck, so much to the point that Pap’s drunkenness