Free Essays - Superstitutions in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Superstitutions in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Jim and Huck use and believe

in many superstitions. There are many examples from the book, that show

this in the characters. Most of the superstitions are very ridiculous, but

some actually make a little sense.

Huck seen a spider was crawling on his shoulder and he flipped it

off and it landed in a lit candle. It shriveled up and died. Huck said it

would fetch him some awful bad luck. He got up and turned around three

times and crossed his breast every time. Then he tied up a little lock of

his hair with a thread to keep witches away. He says that the ritual he

did was for losing a found horseshoe and did not know if it would work.

These superstitions and remedies seem pretty far fetched and it is hard to

say where they originated, but I would have to say they originated down

South. I think it originated down south because I am from up North and I

have never heard any one speak of those superstitions. Huck believes in

these probably because he grew up with them and they were always taught to

him and he is so ignorant he does not know better.

One morning Huck turned over the salt-cellar at breakfast. He went

to throw the salt- cellar over his left shoulder to cancel the bad luck,

but Miss Watson stopped him. All day he wondered when something would fall

on him and what it would be. This all implies that Huck thinks something

is going to fall on him, because of his accident. I have heard about bad

luck from spilling salt so I think this Superstition started in the North

or maybe it was just popular and spread quickly. I do not believe there is

hardly any fact at all to this. Huck believes in this probably because of

the way he grew up.

Jim said when young chickens flew a yard or two at a time and

lighting it was a sign that it was going to rain. He thought if birds did

it, it would be the same. Also Jim said if you caught one of them you