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Identity Changes In Huckleberry Finn

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Identity is a convoluted subject. It is difficult to define and to determine in a person. In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it is obvious to see that the characters’ identities change throughout the story. It is less obvious to see how they change, and what causes the changes. Identity is always developing. It is influenced by other people’s ideas and actions and relationships, and by one’s own choices and changing opinions.

A person’s choices impact their character and in turn, their identity. In the beginning of the novel, Huck’s choices were mainly made because Tom Sawyer was involved. He “chose” to go to the bad place because Tom would be there, and he “wanted him and me to be together.” At that point, he was mainly making …show more content…

The most common would be that he is a risk-taker, which is obvious from the choices he makes. He took a big risk every time he tried to escape from someone portrayed as “bad,” like Pap or the king and duke. He is also very much a thinker, as he thinks through issues thoroughly before making a decision. One example of this would be when Miss Watson and the widow told him contradicting things about praying and he thought thoroughly about the advantages and disadvantages for him before deciding that he would not worry about it. Early in the book, he refuses to learn about things that he is not interested in, representing his close mindedness; but, after his adventures, he is definitely not as close minded. Identifying these traits helps describe Huck’s identity. He takes risks, but not before thinking thoroughly about his actions. He is stubborn and sticks to his own opinions. However, he is also curious about things he is interested in, like Jim’s hairball, or the good and bad place, showing how different aspects of someone’s character can contradict each …show more content…

Huck Finn’s identity clearly changes from the beginning to the end of the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He is influenced by the people around him and his relationships with them. His choices define his character. His characteristics define his identity. His characteristics are always changing, which makes his identity change as well. Identity is constantly changing, but if a person can establish their identity, they will have a better idea of who they are and their purpose in

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