Huckleberry Finn Narrative Analysis

The widow, Miss Watson, takes Huck into a closet to pray, and tells him to pray every day so he will get what he wants. Huck tries to pray daily, but becomes disappointed when all he gets is a fish-line with no hooks, when he prayed extra hard for hooks. “By-and-by, one day, I asked Miss Watson to try for me, but she said I was a fool. She never told me why, and I couldn’t make it out no way” (19). When he asks Miss Watson about it, she tells him praying brings spiritual gifts. Unable to see any use for that sort of thing, Huck decides praying is probably not worth his time. Huckleberry Finn, an illiterate white trash boy who is at the bottom of society’s hierarchy, narrates Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain put the novel in the voice of Huck for his very literal thinking. His realistic views and perceptions provide much of the ironic humor of the novel. Huck simply reports what he sees, and the monotone narration allows Twain to show a realistic view of the common ignorance, slavery, and inhumanity that took place. Having Huck as the narrator gives a unique

Because the narrator is so young, he can be a rebel without being threatening. When Huck and the rest of the gang swore to Tom’s oath, it seemed as if the gang they were creating was just a game. “Everybody was willing. So Tom got out a sheet of paper that he had wrote the oath on, and read it” (15-16). However, going back to Huck’s literal thinking, the reader sees it as no joke. But because Huck is a young boy, the reader does not seem to mind, ironically. Twain is free to explore many ideas but those ideas are seen through a young boy 's eyes and are not as threatening as they would be if seen through an older narrator. Huck gets away with things an adult narrator would never even attempt. In addition, he can question society in a way no adult would and his thoughts somehow become our