Huck Finn Character Analysis

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Set in the early 1800s, The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn depicts the hero’s journey of a teenage boy Huck Finn. He ventures out into unknown lands to escape the binding chains of society. Over the course of his journey, Huck faces many external and internal conflicts which propel his character growth rapidly. Even though many readers criticize him for his nonexistent character growth, Huck Finn is a hero who develops over the course of his journey from an innocent child to a mature adolescent.
Initially, Huck Finn’s life is that of a typical white boy during the early 19th century. His childhood primarily consists of two influential figures: his best friend, Tom Sawyer, and his guardian, Miss Watson. During the day, Miss Watson would educate and ‘sivilize’ Huck; while at night, he would furtively escape to enjoy his childish games with Tom. Both of these figures aid in presenting Huck as an innocent teenage male- his daily routine adheres society’s opinion of a standard child. On the other hand, Huck’s father is a violent alcoholic who strongly believes in his patriarchal authority over his son. Huck’s normal life is abruptly interrupted when he reunites with his father, who decides to confine Huck to a cabin away from society. He reprimands Huck for learning how to …show more content…

His journey can be summarized by Plato’s philosophy of perception vs reality. In the Myth of the Cave analogy, the shadows is Huck’s normal world and he has now obtained access to the outside world. Huck has become cognizant of the world beyond his initial perceptions, and his reality has expanded beyond that of Missouri to the southern region of the Mississippi River. Every inch he travels further south is a step towards reaching adulthood. Finally, Huck receives the opportunity to return to his previous ‘sivilized’ lifestyle but refuses revealing his desires to distance himself from

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