Lying In Huckleberry Finn Analysis

Since the beginning of time, it has been commonly agreed on that lying is wrong. Think about the beginning of the Bible, the serpent lied to Eve about the tree of good and evil and through this lie mankind now must live with sin. The Bible itself begins with talking about lying at the literal beginning of time. Parents, teachers, friends and religious organizations state that lying is wrong and a sin. Is lying always bad? The real truth is that sometimes lying is the only answer to fix what life throws at people. The lies that Huckleberry Finn told with the intent of saving Jim are justifiable. While on the other hand, the duke and the dauphin angered the readers every time these con men opened their mouths. What makes a lie good or bad? Is

As Twain illustrates, “One of these fellows was about seventy… (Twain 91). Throughout the novel, there is a repeating theme of lying happening. It becomes part of the lives of the characters and through the situations they encounter prove that lying isn’t always wrong. Throughout the entire novel of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the theme of lying is an essential form of survival for the characters. Huckleberry Finn lies quite frequently in tough situations to save Jim and himself. Huck’s first influence was his father so that directly influenced his own decisions and was the reason that Huck learned to lie. Twain states, “Yes, he’s got a father, but you can’t never find him these days” (Twain 6). Once Huck met Widow Douglas, her Bible teachings is what possibly changed the morals behind his lies. Huck’s lies were always designed to save a life and to continue the adventures to freedom. As Twain

If Huck wouldn’t have lied, he would have still been stuck in the cabin with Pap beating him, Jim would be a slave sold off, the duke and dauphin would be stuck in that same river town and the entire novel wouldn’t have even happened without lies. Huck was forced to lie because what would others immediately suspect when they saw a child and a black man traveling alone? They would immediately think Jim was a runaway slave aided by the help of a white child and find a way to bring Jim back. There is so much lying because that is all the characters have learned and grown up with. They must lie and become someone else to receive what they want. Huck wants Jim free, Jim wants to be free with his family and the duke and the dauphin want to be rich. There are no indications that these characters had positive role models to help them navigate through life righteously. Look at Huck Finn’s father Pap for an example. When someone lies, they can be whoever they want to be whenever they want. When the lies involved saving a life of a character this made the lie seemed to be justified and encouraged. The duke and the dauphin lies involved stealing money and even willing to sell Jim (the thing Huck was risking everything to prevent). There is a division between what would be classified as a “good” and “bad” lie. Huck and Jim’s actions prove that sometimes lying is the only answer for survival; while the duke and dauphin show how terribly