HuckFinn Essay, Research Paper

onathan Spano

English 3 CP1

1/6/96

Huck Finn

Huck has a grim attitude toward people he disagrees with or

doesnt get along with. Huck tends to alienate himself from those people. He

doesnt let it bother him. Unlike most people Huck doesnt try to make his

point. When Huck has a certain outlook on things he keep his view. He will

not change it for anyone. For instance in Chapter Three when Miss Watson

tells Huck that if he prayed he would get everything he wished for. Huck just

shook his head yes and walked away telling Tom that it doesnt work because

he has tried it before with fishing line and fishing hooks. this tell us that Huck

is an independent person who doesnt need to rely on other people.

This is a book of social criticism. Twain has his ways of

criticizing people of their actions and the things they do. Twain does a good

job expressing the characters social behaivors. Instead of upfront making fun

of Hulks actions he hints towards them or tries to glorify them when he does

something that is socially wrong or unintelligent. Huck stages his death. This

is not a real bright thing to do even though Huck?s father is real mean and is a

threat to his life and Huck?s life. Huck wants to get away from him so bad

that the first thing that comes into his mind is to stage his death so Pap will

think he?s dead and won?t be looking for him ever again. Twain feels that by

making Huck do this Twain is poking fun a Huck?s intelligence. Not his

nature intelligence but his book intelligence. In other words Twain is making

fun of Huck. Twain also portrays Huck and Jim as stupid when Huck dresses

up like a girl. Everyone knows Huck will not pass as a girl

Jim is very much like a father to Huck. He looks out for Huck

and he is respected and looked upon by Huck. This is also more significant

because Huckleberry Finn never had a father and he never really had a role

model. Jim serves this purpose perfectly. On one occasion Huck and Jim

were exploring an old house that had floated down stream. While they were

looking in it Jim discovered a dead body. Jim then covered up the corpse so

Huck wouldn?t see it. Jim felt that seeing a dead body at such a young age

could corrupt a boy for life. Huck then wanted to talk about the dead body

but Jim suggested that they dont talk about it because it might bring bad luck.

Huck then tried to play a practical joke on Jim by putting a dead snake near

him. Jim was scared. Later the snakes mate came back and bit Huck. Jim

was not at the site and didn?t know about it.