The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Essays on the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

1) Jim is without a doubt, the noblest character in the book, due to his innocence, subtle intelligence and compassion. Jim, and to an extent, Huck are superstitious, so much so that it seems humorous. This is exactly what Mark Twain wanted, but he also wanted the reader to notice that Jim's superstitions conceal a deeper knowledge, and symbolize a type of wisdom. Jim ran away from Miss Watson, but he ran away from that family and in order to his own, and unintentionally, his other family, being Huck. Although he was separated from his own family, he missed them, and always kept his hope that he would free them. On the river, Jim looks after Huck, taking care of him without being a real father figure. He cooked for Huck, protected him, and just looked after Huck as a big brother, more than a father. That alone is probably his most noble trait. Jim also is the only long term character who sets a positive example for Huck to follow.

2) "Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own"--Johathan Swift

Satire - Irony, sarcasm, or caustic wit used to attack or expose folly, vice, or stupidity.

-The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company

The humor used by Twain is meant to be funny, but it is also meant to make a point. Things like the vocabulary of Jim, superstitions, and the aspect that some people in the family feud don't know what they are fighting over, and Huck's lies are all funny, but they all represent something deeper.

3) With all of the adventures coming to an end, and Aunt Sally having offered to adopt Huck, a new problem arose for Huck. Although Huck at that point liked Sally and Silas, he knew they are still a part of the society he despises, fears, and wants nothing to do with. He also knew Aunt Sally wanted his life to have the upbringing that that particular society at that time thought every boy needed. The key elements were a strong sense of religion, clean and "proper" clothes, a formal education, and a deeply rooted sense of morality, although what was thought to be right and wrong back then is nowhere near what it is now. Huck realized that the first two examples were useless and the third, he thought he could provide a much better version for him than any society could. Huck saw the moderately unsettled western United States as an opportunity for him to just be himself in a community not yet completely civilized. Because he was clearly tired of his old life, Huck thought