The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? by Mark Twain is, on the surface, a rather childlike book. It explains the adventures of a young man; all the things he does, all thedangerous? situations he is in, all the things he sees. The book is not usually taken for more than an adventure novel. Not many people, especially teenagers, take the time to really understand the meaning behind the book. Mark Twain not only entertained the reader, but he also emphasized some key points in a boy's life. Those key points, or themes, are what will be discussed throughout the course of this paper.
             The main theme inThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? is the theme of passage. At a certain point in every boy's life, he goes through a rite of passage into adulthood. In this novel, Huck went through a rite of passage. Widow Douglass tried her best to 'sivilize? Huck. She was unsuccessful and couldn't figure what to do. The boy just would not listen. The problem was that Huck was not quite finished being a child yet. A child will often do the opposite of what his guardian tells him to do. Widow Douglass told Huck to go to school, and tried to teach him manners. Huck defied. Huck wasn't going to become an adult until he was good and ready, and by the end of the novel, he is still not quite ready, however, he is a few steps closer.
             Huck begins to mature the day his father returned to town. He asked the judge to hold his money for him, and he began going to school all the time. That the first sign that he is growing up. After his Pap kidnaps him, he resorts back to his childish ways for a little while, but realizes soon enough that he is in an unsafe environment and that he must escape. Huck's rite of passage really begins when his journey down the river begins. The river symbolizes his journey very clearly, showing that becoming an adult is not always easy, but nonetheless, an essential part in a boy's life. The water is especially sym...