The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain first introduces the character of Huckleberry Finn to the reader as a boy. He is playful, ignorant, and like most kids worried about how he is viewed by those around him. However, there are distinctions between Huck and St. Petersburg's other young boys, mainly in the way that they have been raised. He demonstrates a kind of world-weariness, and an understanding of the character of others that can only come from experience. For example, he adjusts to life with his new guardians, Miss Watson and the Widow Douglass, and generally does like them as people, but has the ability to see through to their hypocracy and the unnecessary rigidity of their lifestyles, especially when it comes to their presentation of Christianity. He states, "This is just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they don't know nothing about it. Here she was a-bothering about Moses, which was no kin to her and no use to anybody, being gone, you see, yet finding a power of fault in me for doing a thing that had some good in it" (Twain, 4). Based on her own experience, Miss Watson presents what she thinks is best for "poor lost lamb" Huck, while at the same time unknowingly demonstrating how l
If he got a notion in his head once, there warn't no getting it out again. This shows a moral system which places him above the supposed ritiousness of people like Miss Watson and Tom Sawyer, who are not willing to live outside of their set patterns to better accommodate someone else. His morals have adjusted once again. In dealing with the King and Duke as well he is able to get the better of them, while selflessly helping others, another lesson learned on his journey. He says to himself, "S'pose you'd 'a' done right and give Jim up, would you felt better than what you do now? No, says I, I'd feel bad-I'd feel just the same way I do now. He was the most down on Solomon of any nigger I ever see. He begins during the course of his stay with the Wilkes' to sympathize with the daughters and decides very quickly that he is not going to allow them to be taken advantage of. He decides that he could not have survived the trip down the river if it had not been for Jim's companionship and comes to the conclusion that he'd rather go to hell. after this I always do whichever come handiest at the time. (Twain, 89)" Huck rationalizes this breach of conscience to himself by deciding that the benefits to both keeping and giving Jim up would be the same, and that he was benefited more by keeping him on the raft at this point. The shows and revivals they put on are all for fun, until they craft a plan to impersonate a dead man's relatives. I didn't do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn't done that one if I'd 'a' knowed it would make him feel that way" (Twain, 84). Many experiences along the way change Huck's sense of morality regarding his treatment of Jim as he becomes closer to him. He does show some level of morals at this point, as he is concerned for Jim's safety, but allows Tom to control the situation, showing that he has learned little in light of his previous unpleasant experiences with Tom.
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