Huck Finn Character Analysis

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The novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain sets place in St. Petersburg, Missouri, near the Mississippi River. As a young boy named Huck narrates the story, the readers follow his journey where he is faced with many moral choices that lead him to question his, and societies, morality. Twain uses different characters and conflicts to show how Huck begins mature throughout the book. In the beginning of the novel, the readers are introduced to Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson. Although they both want what is best for Huck, he just wants to have his own freedoms by stating, “All I wanted was to go somewheres: all I wanted was a change, I warn’t particular” (Twain 2). Huck feels restricted because she won’t let him slouch,…show more content…
Throughout Huck’s journey with Jim he learns that Jim is no different than any other white man but his white man morals, where law says he must report any runaway slaves, makes him question his decisions. At one point his conscience says to him, “What had poor Miss Watson done to you … that you could treat her so mean?’’ (Twain 88). When Huck learns Jim intends on trying to free his family he becomes tempted to turn him in as he states, “Here was this nigger which I had as good as helped to run away… saying he would steal his children… a man that hadn’t ever done me no harm.’’ (Twain 88). Throughout Huck’s journey, Jim has been a caring friend to Huck rather than Miss Watson who mainly criticized him about everything he does. Even though this is the case, Huck’s view on the ‘right’ thing to do based on society’s views and expectations, which is turning Jim into the authorities rather than going off of his own judgement. As Huck is about to go turn Jim in, Jim states that Huck is, “de bes’ fren’ Jim’s ever had; en you’s de only fren’ ole Jim’s got now,” (Twain 89) that causes Huck to have a change of heart. This shows how Huck is starting to become more emotionally mature even though his mind might be telling him to turn Jim in, his heart is telling him not…show more content…
By this point of the book Huck’s morality have changed a little by caring for others so he decides to help them without any hesitation. Throughout their journey, the Duke and Dauphin go around scamming towns with the Royal Nonesuch shows which doesn’t seem to bother Huck. As Huck follows along with the scams, he later has another change of heart when he gets caught up in their Wilks’ brother fraud. During the Wilks’ brother fraud Huck becomes emotionally attached to Mary Jane. He felt, “so ornery and low down… I’ll hive that money for them or bust” (Twain 174). Even though Huck was made a lot of money though these scams, he sees the errors in his ways which shows a clear shifting of his morality. Another way that Huck’s matures morally is when he decides to rescue Jim from the Phelps’ farm, after the Duke and Dauphin resold him into slavery. Huck tries to decide whether to tell Miss Watson about Jim or go save him himself. Huck finally takes the letter and says, “All right, then, I’ll go to hell – and tore it up” (Twain 214). It’s ironic because in today’s society that would be considered the ‘right’ thing to do, but the morals he grew up to know told him otherwise so he thinks what he is doing is bad. At last, when the Duke and Dauphin are feathered out of town, Huck feels pity instead of pleasure. Huck states, “Well, it made me sick to see it… Human beings can be awful cruel to

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