Huckleberry Finn – Complex Character
Huckleberry Finn is a complex character. As this book progresses, so does Huck. Huck is about thirteen years old, from the low end of the white middle class. His father is a ruffian who disappears for months on end. This book starts off with Huck being `reformed' by the widow Douglas and therefore remains a marginalized member of society. He has not been brought up with the same social values as an average middle-class boy might be, but this helps to create Huck's unique personality. The way he has been brought up affects his traits, values, and relationships throughout the book.
Although Huck's character progresses in this story his traits that he portrays at the end are very similar to those at the beginning. His ingenuity, morality, and intelligence are consistent throughout the story. Huck's ingenuity is shown throughout his clever actions. His decision to make his escape on the canoe look like a murder to hide his tracks is just one example, "And they'll follow that meal track to the lake and go browsing down the creek that leads out of it to find the robbers that killed me and took the things. They won't ever hunt the river for anything but my dead carcass. They'll soon get tired of that, and won't bother no more about me." This idea continues as he decides to dress up as a girl to gain information. Although this idea doesn't fully succeed because he is found out, it is an excellent plan, which also reviles his ingenuity. Another time we see this unique cleverness is when he pretends to be `George Jackson' to live with the Wilkes family.
Also throughout this story, Huck develops his own morality, however it has a different turn from the accepted norm for that society at that time. An example of his morality coming through is how he didn't tell on Jim when he ran away. Although the society would see this as wrong, Huck took Jim's point of view and concluded to help him. Huck also showed his morality when he tried to return the stolen money to the girls and escape from the Duke and King after the burial. This is another trait that continues to show throughout the book.
Another repeating trait that Huck shows is his intelligence. When Huck is compared to an average boy at his age, like Tom, in the school education view he is a bit behind. School is not that important to Huck, "At first I hated the school, but by and by I got so I could stand it. Whenever I got uncommon tired I played hookey, and the hiding I got next day done me good and cheered me up. So the longer I went to school the easier it got to be." Also in comparison to Tom, Huck is less intelligent in the reading aspect; Tom has read much more books than Huck will ever want to read. However, when they are compared in a worldly view, he is much more intelligent and mature. Huck has been beaten, out-casted, and alone at the age of thirteen more that most people are their whole lives. His intelligence, although not exactly what people at that time were looking for, is much more advanced than other children at thirteen years of age. Huck's different traits that are shown throughout the story all contribute to his very unique character.
Another major independent character note on Huck are his views on situations and society. Huck sees situations from a much different point of view that most people would for his age and time. "I was most ready to cry; but all at once I thought of a way, and so I offered them Miss Watson-they could kill her." At the beginning of this novel he shares his first thoughts about his family situation or lack there of. In society's view he should be sad and upset because he is alone; but in the reality of Huck's view he is upset because he has no one to kill. This is the first time Huck shares his views about being out-casted. On the other hand, where is Huck is wishing for a family at the beginning (although it is only to kill them) at the end Aunt Sally offers to adopt him, however, he sees this as a negative situation and plans to go out on his own.
Huck's view on society is a unique quality about him. Another different view that Huck has are his views on society. There are many people that Huck run into that cause him to act differently because of his views. An example of this is when he finds out that the King and Duke are liars. He knows that what they are doing is wrong; but he views them as a part of society and lets it go, "If I never learnt nothing else out of pap, I learnt that the best way to get along with his kind of people is to let them have their own way." Huck is constantly patronizing different members of society and creates a `You see it your way; I'll see it mine point of view.' He doesn't really care how they see things and has no desire to find out. Huck also shows at more than one event his little suppositions, this adds some fun to Huck's character, "One morning I happened to turn over the salt-cellar at breakfast. I reached for some of it as quick as I could to throw over my left shoulder and keep off the bad luck, but Miss Watson was in ahead of me, and crossed me off." Huck's views are very different from every other character in this novel.
The character that Huck portrays is greatly affected by the relationships he is in. His three main relationships in this book are with Pap, Tom, and Jim. Huck's relationships with Pap although short is very intense. Pap looks downward towards Huck with jealousy and frustration. Huck has gotten away from his destructive father at the beginning but not fully, although living with Miss Watson; Pap still comes around when he is drunk, needs money, or is frustrated with Huck for one reason or another. Ironically through all this Huck still speaks favorably about his father. He puts him down very little and doesn't describe him as a bad father. While Hick describes the situation of Miss Watson trying to get sole custody, he never chooses a side, of which he would rather live with. Huck has an understanding of his father and has adjusted his living to work with and at times around his father.
Another important relationship that affects Huck's Character is with Tom Sawyer. Huck and Tom have the classic best friend relationship in many ways. In their friendship Tom is the leader and Huck tries to stay out of his way and just does what he is told. This is evident in the beginning when Tom comes to get Huck as they sneak out of the house. Huck lets Tom steal the candle even though money is left to pay for them. As they pass Jim and Tom plays the trick on him, Huck knows that it's mean to play a trick on Jim but he does nothing to stop it. In Huck's mind, Tom is better than him, more knowledgeable and creative. This friendship remains the same when we get to the end of the novel. When Tom comes and pretends to be Sid, their old friendship picks back up. The two of them plan to help Jim escape, or in their minds to set him free, and through all the planning of how to get Jim out instead of doing it the easy way like Huck wants to at first, Huck lets Tom convince him that it has to be done the `right way.' What is even more ironic than Huck letting Tom have control is that Tom knows all along that Jim is really already free, "Old Miss Watson died two months ago, and she was ashamed she ever was going to sell him down the river, and SAID so; and she set him free in her will." Huck has been traveling down the river with Jim, on their own without anyone to depend on, they have faced liars, murders, and scammers; and Huck just lets Tom stroll back into his life going back to the same type of relationship they had in the beginning. Huck is more of Tom's lackey than friend.
Another major relationship in this novel is Huck's relationship with Jim. As it starts out Huck has some respect for Jim and all the slaves. When Huck encounters Jim on the island he faces a moral dilemma. He decides to help Jim get to freedom and this starts their adventure and friendship. Through their journey Jim and Huck become very close. Jim needs to depend on someone, that is how he has lived all his life with someone telling him what to do, where to go, and what to say. Luckily for Jim, Huck can be this person and still be his friend. Huck has a respect for Jim and treats him as an equal whenever he can. Uniquely with their friendship through their adventures Jim plays the surragate father role to Huck, "It's a dead man. Yes, indeedy; naked, too. He's ben shot in de back. I reck'n he's ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan' look at his face -- it's too gashly." Protecting him when he can, scolding him at times and teaching him some of life's little lessons. As they travel the path towards `freedom' and continue on their adventure they become closer and closer. Then their relationship takes a backward step. As soon as Tom is back in the picture, Huck completely abandons Jim and their relationship in Huck's point-of-view is back to square one. Huck treats him as a slave having him do whatever Tom says, not questioning Tom and how he is treating his friend. Jim still depends on Huck because there is no one else to depend upon. He does everything Huck says and soon doesn't question what Tom says either because Huck doesn't. Their relationship is rare and unique their relationship is continually growing through the novel and then goes back as though they had never traveled down the Mississippi River together. Huck's different relationships throughout this novel help to shape Huck's character.
Huck is a very unique character shaped by his traits, values, and relationships. Huck is a character different from every other one in this novel. He is alone, no one around him has had the same experiences he has and none of them view things the way he does. Huck must have lived a hard life being all alone and envying those who weren't. Although he portrayed a strong character he at times was also very weak. He was very independent and at times would leave everyone to just be by himself. Huck's character is not a straightforward one. There are a ton of different things throughout this book that affect and show different parts of his character. However, this character is the hero of our story making us smile to ourselves as we follow along on his incredible journey.
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