StudentName

Mrs.Leisure
PAPELAPeriod3
13April2016
AnalysisofHuckleberryFinnsCharacter
InMarkTwains
TheAdventuresofTomSawyer
,thecharacterHuckleberryFinn,
nicknamedHuck,islabeledthejuvenilepariahofthevillage(36).Heroamsthesmalltownof
St.Petersburgonhisown,sincehisdrunkardofafatherisalwaysawayfromhome.Huckslack
offamilystronglyimpactsandshapeshischaracterHuckisportrayedthroughoutthenovelas
anindependentandquickwittedyoungboy.
SinceHucksfatherisalwaysabsent,hegrowsupindependent.Huckfeeds,clothes,and
findsshelterforhimself.HisindependenceisdisplayedclearlywhenTwainwrites,Hedidnot
havetogotoschoolortochurch,orcallanybeingmaster,orobeyanybody(37).Twainalso
writeslaterinthenovel,Huckclosedhiswatchandretiredtobedinanemptysugarhogshead
abouttwelve(149).

ThesequotessupporttheideathatHuckisindependentbecausetheydepict
himasaboyfreefromauthorityandshowthatheisresponsiblefortakingcareofhimself.
Huckleberryscharacterisalsocharacterizedasquickwittedorsharp.Hucksstrong
commonsenseisanoutcomeofhisconstantlylivingalone.Histraitofsharpnessispresented
whenhesays,Pleasedont[tell]Idbekilledsurebutthewidowsbeengoodfriendstome
sometimes,andIwanttotell(157).Inthisscene,HuckrunsforhelptosavetheWidow
DouglasfromtheevilschemersInjunJoeandanunknownman.ThisshowsthatwhileHuckis
quicktohelpafamiliarintrouble,heisawareofhisownsafetyandknowshowtohelpwithout

jumpingintodanger.HuckalsoexhibitshisquickreasoningwhenheandTomdiscusspotential
hidingspotsforInjunJoestreasure.HecontradictsTom,saying,No,Tom,thataintit[the
numberofahouse].Ifitis,itaintinthisonehorsetown.

Theyaintnonumbershere(147).
Huckdemonstrateshissmartsmultipletimesthroughoutthenovel.

ThereadermaynoticethatHuckscharacterdoesntseemtobelearningnewlessonsor

changingincharacteristicsinthebook.HuckleberryFinnisastaticcharacterbecausehedoesnt
drasticallydevelopinpersonality.Instead,hischaracteristicsarerevealedtoberelativelymore
obvioustothereaderoverthespanofthenovel.Takinghistraitofsharpnessforexample,he
firstappearsasuneducated,idle,..lawless,..vulgar,andbad(37).Itislatermademore
noticeable
thathischaracteralsoholdsreasonandcommonsense.Hucksays,Well,allright.
WelltacklethehantedhouseifyousaysobutIreckonitstakingchances(138).Here,he
washesitanttoventureintoahauntedhousetohuntfortreasureuntilhisclosefriend,the
persuasiveTomSawyer,convinceshimto.Thisallowsreaderstodescribehimascautiousand
reasoned.Neartheendofthenovel,thoughhewasscared,Huckdecidedthathewouldsavethe
WidowDouglas.Hedoesthismostlybecausehefeelsthatthewidowhadbeenafriendtohim,
butheuseshisreasoningtomakesurethathewouldbeabletostaysafewhilehelping.Both
timesinthespanofthenovel,heisdepictedasquickwitted,buthedoesnotchangeordevelop.
SinceTwaindoesntputthemajorfocusonHuckleberrysthoughtsandfeelingsinthe
novel,readerswontencountereventsthatpersonallyaffecthimorknowhowtheeventsinthe
noveleffecthim.Incontrast,becauseTomSawyeristhecentral,dynamiccharacter,thereader
willexperienceTomsthoughts,feelings,andknowhowhisnewexperiencesaffecthimasa
person.

Afteryearsoftakingcareofhimself,HuckleberryFinngrowsupquickwittedand
independent.ThedifferencesbetweenHuckandthedynamiccharacter,Tommakeclearinthe
novelthecontrastbetweenlivinginandontheedgeofsociety.Ultimately,hischaracter
representstheveryideaofindependence,inboththewaysoffreedomfromsocietyand
selfreliance.