Huck Finn Research Paper

Jacob Domete Ms. Gabrijelcic ENG4U1 13 May 2024 The Lies of Huckleberry Finn Lying is generally a concept that comes with a negative connotation. Lying is also a concept that is forever forged in connection with immoral and unpleasant people. However, in Mark Twain's classic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the protagonist, Huckleberry Finn, frequently employs lying to navigate his tumultuous environment. Huck Finn is not a bad person, but simply a person who uses lying positively. Huck's use of deception extends beyond mere survival. It becomes a mechanism for his moral growth and a tool to question the hypocrisy of his society. The instances where Huck lies or deceives others are crucial in revealing his evolving character and in

However, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck’s uncanny ability to lie, at times, is a good thing. Prosocial lies are lies intended to benefit others, and antisocial lies are lies intended to benefit oneself. In the article, What’s Good About Lying?, the topic of lies is prevalent, and article writer Jeremy Adam Smith states: “Older children who have a stronger theory of mind start telling fewer antisocial lies and more prosocial ones” (Smith). As Huck is an older child, approximately thirteen or fourteen years of age, he does display the ability to tell both prosocial lies and antisocial lies. Huck exhibits the ability to tell antisocial lies, such as when he lies to the Grangerfords or his Pap. By telling antisocial lies, Huck can protect and benefit himself because he can escape outside factors that appear daunting or scary to him. He exhibits the ability to tell prosocial lies at times when he needs to protect others such as his friend, the runaway slave, Jim. Telling prosocial lies to protect Jim from factors like racism proves that Huck’s ability to lie is a good thing, especially at a time when racism towards African Americans in the United States of America is elevated. In addition, as Huck encounters another group of threatening men on his journey with Jim down the river, he displays another case of telling lies. As the men appear dangerous to Huck, he keeps them away by claiming he has smallpox, a

This displays Huck’s growth as it contradicts what he was originally taught about slaves. After Huck lies to Jim about how they got separated from the raft, saying it was all a dream in Jim’s sleep, Huck apologizes to Jim, and he is not sorry for apologizing either. Not only does lying serve as a vehicle for the moral development of Huck, but it also helps Huck understand, and analyze the society around him. People around Huck are often hypocritical, and unethical. Huck recognizes this and manipulates this fact to understand the society around him. Huck is a liar, but the people he encounters are also liars and this is proven when Huck converses with the Duke and the King. Since Huck’s morals develop as the novel goes on, his understanding of society also develops. During one of the conversations with the Duke and the King, Huck thinks to himself, “It didn’t take me long to make up my mind that these liars weren’t kings nor dukes at all, but just low-down humbugs and frauds” (Twain, 102). Huck knows that the ideas of hypocrisy and injustice are