Huck Finn Post 1

It is clear in the first few chapters of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain that Huck tries to come across as a rebel who does not take orders from anyone. However, after a while it is easy to see that Huck is all talk. I believe that Huck is independent, very superstitious, and although he is rough around the edges he actually has good intentions. While it might seem that Huck has no regards for the Widow Douglas and her attempts to straighten him out, it is apparent that Huck does not want to disappoint the widow. “… but the widow she didn’t scold, but only cleaned off the grease and clay, and looked so sorry that I thought I would behave a while if I could.”(Twain 8). This scene shows that Huck does have a guilty conscience and does not like to upset the widow by disobeying her. As I mentioned Huck is also very superstitious. When he knocks over a salt shaker and the widow will not let him toss some over his shoulder he spends the whole day worrying about it. He also worries about the return of his father.

Upon meeting Huck’s father I realized that Huck was not given any sort of chance at a normal life. Growing up, he did not have a mother and was forced to put up with constant abuse from is drunken father. “‘I’ll lay for you, my smarty; and if I catch you about that school I’ll tan you good’” (14). His father does not believe in any sort of education and ridicules Huck for having received one (however slight it may be). It is no surprise that Huck does not enjoy dressing nicely and acting civilized when his father beats him for it when he finds out. Huck’s lack of guidance forced him to be very independent and to have to be able to fend for himself at a very young age. Huck may seem impolite to most, but he was dealt a bad hand. Overall, despite being raised by an unreliable drunk Huck did turn out to be a decent person.