ipl-logo

Why Is Huck Finn Bad

702 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Huckleberry finn characters relatonship dynamics

In the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn is Tom’s companion in virtually all of his adventures. Huckleberry Finn is described as “lawless and vulgar and bad” by the adults of the village. Contrary to what the adults believe, Huckleberry Finn is loyal, fair, and unable to control his circumstances. Firstly, “bad” should not be synonym to Huckleberry Finn’s name because Huck is loyal to those who are kind to him. Huck has displayed loyalty several times throughout the novel. He exhibited loyalty to Tom by keeping his oath to stay mum about who the true murderer of Dr.Robinson is, until Tom voices his thought that confessing what they had witnessed to the sheriff was the just thing to do. Huck showed loyalty to Muff by providing …show more content…

He has a natural sense of right and wrong. For example, he understands that treating people with disrespect and unloyalty is wrong, and keeping promises and staying true to his word is right. He consistently stays true to his friends, because he believes that that’s the right thing to do. Furthermore, Huckleberry Finn felt guilty when Muff Potter would thank him, which shows that Huck is not completely lawless and has his own set of morals. Huckleberry can also sense when someone is not a good person. For example, despite not attending church or school, Huck could sense that Injun Joe was a bad person based upon his actions. Therefore, Huckleberry Finn should not be considered “lawless”. In spite of these reasons, some readers may believe that the description “lawless and vulgar and bad” fits Huck because he steals and loafs around. In reality, Huck is unable to control his circumstances, which justifies why he must act lawless occasionally. He must steal, because if he does not then he does not get to eat because he has no parents to provide food for him. He also has no choice other than to sleep on doorsteps and in hogsheads because he has no real home to go home to. Therefore, Huckleberry Finn is not truly

Show More
Related

Huckleberry Finn Morality Quotes

2304 Words | 10 Pages

When one reads The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, themes involving morality and conscience become heavily prevalent. The protagonist, Huckleberry Finn, portrays a manifest dynamic character. His actions and statements ranging from the outset of the novel through its ending show Huck’s development of a more concise sense of morality and conscience prevailing over the societal influences of “right and wrong”. In the nineteenth century American South, the inescapable system of slavery and social hierarchy would have discouraged an interracial bond. Yet Huck, while escaping his abusive father, chooses to befriend Jim, the runaway slave whom he encounters, and shares a pivotal stage in his life with his newfound companion, whereby contradicting

Read More

Why Do Huck Finn Have Good Intentions

620 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the novel by Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, there are countless characters who are filled with the best intentions but are generally not doing the best deed for Huck Finn nor Jim. For instance, Judge Thatcher, Miss Watson, and the Phelps family have “good intentions,” but their actions have a negative effect on Huck and Jim. The problem with these characters is the good intentions only serve to work against them. Judge Thatcher is a local judge who Huck trusts to safeguard the money from Pap that he and Tom found.

Read More

How Is Huck Finn A Dynamic Character

1080 Words | 5 Pages

Huckleberry Finn is only a 12 year old boy, but shows he is mature beyond his years many times throughout the story. He is a major and dynamic character who is also the main protagonist. When the story seems to show Huck is growing and developing into a young man, his best friend, Tom, is brought back and brings the child back out of Him. Tom comes up with these crazy plans and ideas, and Huck goes along with them, showing that he still has a ways to go before being a real mature person. Tom and Huck are trying to find a way to break Jim out of where he is being held, Huck tells the readers, "Tom told me what his plan was, and I see in a minute it was worth fifteen of mine for style, and would make Jim just as free a man as mine would, and maybe get us all killed besides.

Read More

Why Is Huck Finn Civilized

208 Words | 1 Pages

Huckleberry Finn was an outcast in the town of St. Petersburg that was the son of the town drunkard. He was hated by all the mothers with a passion. They hated him because he was wild, bad, and uncivilized. Huck did not have to answer to anyone and was free to do anything he choose to do. Another reason for despising him would be because all of their children wanted to be like him.

Read More

Convention In Huck Finn

1434 Words | 6 Pages

Imagine a character whose morals grow throughout the novel as well as develops into a mature and sophisticated man. This is what a bildungsroman novel is all about, however this is not Huck Finn. Throughout the entirety of the novel not once does Huck show any means of growth or change in maturity. Huck doesn’t know where he belongs in the world and never finds out in the end. He runs away to the west to avoid the convention of society and expectations of him in society.

Read More

Quotes On Race In Huckleberry Finn

1266 Words | 6 Pages

Huck decides to act on his morals rather than be held captive by society; Huck believes that he has to act in the best interest of Jim and does not consider what society believes is acceptable behavior. By stating that he will “go to hell,” Huck reiterates what he promises Jim in the beginning- that he rather be a “low down abolitionist”; these statements combined supports his feelings to protect Jim from society. When Huck and Tom get back to the house, Huck states, “...it don’t make no difference whether you do right or wrong, a person’s conscience ain’t got no

Read More

Why Is Huck Finn Dehumanized

417 Words | 2 Pages

The novel Huckleberry Finn has been a classic but controversial piece of history. Huck is a young racist boy. The society as a whole was racist. The lack of consequence for treating Jim badly because of his color is all about the time period. The limited knowledge can lead an individual into being a racist, but a strong minded young adult like Huck should be able to know the humanity of black people.

Read More

How Does Huck Finn Conflict With Society

440 Words | 2 Pages

Twain does his best to deal with the conflict between society and the individual. Huck does not want to abide by society’s laws and does not want to conform in Mark Twain’s, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Huck is forced to be civilized in the beginning, so he leaves society for freedom and lives by his own rules but even that does not make Huck’s life easy. Huck has trouble obeying society’s rules from the start of the book. The Widow Douglas takes Huck in to try to sivilize him says Huck in the quote, “The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me”(Twain 2).

Read More

Theme Of Justice In Huck Finn

738 Words | 3 Pages

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic novel that takes the reader on a series of thrilling adventures full of life threatening situations, racism, and slavery. The author Mark Twain, uses the novel to highlight the flaws in society by creating a character like Huck, whose personal sense of morals and justice are more noble than those of the very people trying to civilize him. Throughout this captivating novel Huck endures his fair share of trouble and morally challenging decision but he always comes out on top by following his heart and doing what he feels to be right.

Read More

Maturity In Mark Twain's The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

821 Words | 4 Pages

Huckleberry Finn is a story about a rambunctious young boy who adventures off down the Mississippi River. “The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain demonstrates a situation where a Huck tries to find the balance between what is right and what is wrong. Huck faces many challenges in which his maturity will play a part in making the correct decision for himself and his friend Jim. Huck becomes more mature by the end of the novel by showing that he can make the correct decisions to lead Jim to the freedom he deserves. One major factor where Huck matures throughout the novel is through his experience.

Read More

What Is The Corrupt Influence Of Society In Huck Finn

884 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout their journey, Huck is aware that Jim has escaped but does not know whether or not to turn him into the authorities. Huck’s mentality about society matures and he realizes his need to protect Jim from dangers. As the novel progresses, Huck begins to realize the flaws in society. Huck ultimately chooses to follow his own

Read More

Mark Twain's Use Of Satire In Huckleberry Finn

939 Words | 4 Pages

To begin, Twain targets Huckleberry Finn's innocence and uses it as a way to show that anyone being raised in a racist, pro-slavery America was conflicted between morals and laws. At first, Huck is a "rebel" in his own mind, so to say, and tries to avoid becoming "sivilized" from the Widow Douglas. He sticks to what he knows, and uses his experience with people and his own judgment to make decisions like an adult, something quite

Read More

Huck Finn's Moral Development In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

1141 Words | 5 Pages

Although there are numerous instances where Huck’s moral growth can be seen, the individuals around such as Jim, will influence his moral growth greatly. Jim, a runaway slave, is the most influential individual when it comes to Huck’s moral development. During the beginning of the novel, Huck’s morals are primarily based on what he has learned from Miss Watson. Huck begins to become wary of such ideals that Miss Watson has imposed on him, and decided all he wanted “…was a change” (Twain 10).

Read More

Theme Of Morality In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

1083 Words | 5 Pages

In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the reader gauges morality through the misadventures of Huck and Jim. Notably, Huck morally matures as his perspective on society evolves into a spectrum of right and wrong. Though he is still a child, his growth yields the previous notions of immaturity and innocence. Likewise, Mark Twain emphasizes compelling matters and issues in society, such as religion, racism, and greed. During the span of Huck’s journey, he evolves morally and ethically through his critique of societal normalities.

Read More

Character Development In Huckleberry Finn

1420 Words | 6 Pages

trying to run away from all of his problems and in the process runs into an escaped slave, Jim. Instead of turning Jim in, Huck helps him on his journey to the north. During the book Huck grows from a immature boy to a more respectable young man. Huck begins to see how different people can be. Throughout the story Huck grows as a character and that is because of the people he meets along the way.

Read More

More about Why Is Huck Finn Bad

Related Topics

Open Document