Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn

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Recommended: Role of superstition in society

Superstition dwells in the back of every human mind. In the past a person's entire exist relied on superstition. People needed an explanation for unexplainable events. Now people wonder why superstition still exists when technology and education answer every question. Superstition lives on to give people hope, courage, and something to believe in. In Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck and Jim need something to believe in. The superstition Huckleberry Finn and Jim acquired from their culture helps them to obtain more certainty, and control over their lives.
In order for someone to fully understand superstition, he must understand what superstition means. Being superstitious means the individual believes his process will change his fate. When Miss Watson stops Huck from throwing salt over his shoulder he believes his future holds misfortune. Though the future inevitably carries catastrophe, superstition allows Huck to believe he controls his own destiny. Nothing in Huck's life remains constant. "Sometimes the creation of a false certainty is better than no certainty at all..." (Stuart Vyse). Huck struggles to mentally grasp his situation and seeks certainty in his future. Huck and Jim collect a sense of security from superstition and hope that superstition will secure the desired outcome.
People gain power form believing in something. After the snake bites Jim, he performs a series of superstitious precautions. Jim does not die from the snake bite and lived due to his mental state. Jim's superstitious behavior empowered him to continue and helped him remain mentally stable during a difficult time. During Huck and Jim's journey they both use superstition to explain what they don't understand. In a situation where an indiv...

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...oid his father. Throughout Huck's life he encounters unpleasant circumstances, and he only gains hope from superstition. Huck proved his knowledge throughout the book. He knew that superstitions did not help him but he wanted to make sure they were ineffective. Huck's rough life gave him character and shaped him into a logical human being. Superstition gave Huck and Jim the little certainty and hope they needed to continue their journey and not dwell on the past.

Works Cited

Albert, Sarah. "The Psychology of Superstition." WebMD. n.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb 2014.
Hearn, Michael. Annotated Huckleberry Finn. New York: WW Norton & Company, n.d. Print.
JenniferHaun, Haun, Jennifer. “Superstition in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Blobs.seton hill.edu. TurnKey Linux. Web. 23 Feb 2014.
Twain, Mark. Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn. New York. Harper & Row, 1987. Print.

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