Overview: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

1997 Words4 Pages

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been viewed as one of the best novels ever written. Matt Berman, a book review writer says “many consider The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to be one of the great -- if not the greatest -- American novel." The meaning of the story is a controversial topic with many different opinions. Some say it is merely Twain’s way of showing his views upon slavery. Though parts of the story may be linked to that idea, the story alludes itself to the Old Testament story of Moses and Egypt. Throughout history the Bible has proven itself to be a key document, and relevant in many parts of life whether one realizes it or not. The Bible was a religious book that told stories about how the world came to be, Jesus Christ's life, and what we should do with our lives. The Bible or more specifically; the Old Testament has found its way into our government, our lives, and our literature. Indeed, it is evident that Mark Twain, the author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, attempted to create a parallel to the biblical story of Moses. Huckleberry Finn exhibits strong parallels to the story of Moses; these parallels include the important role that the rivers played in the start of the protagonists’ respective origins and escape from their respective father-figures, their being plucked from the river and adopted by foreign families, the role that adversity and tests have in forming their character, their strong faith in the supernatural, and their roles in freeing slaves.
The beginning of Moses’ and Huck’s respective journeys begin near or on large, powerful rives. The Mississippi and the Nile river are the greatest river in their respective continent and billions of gallons of water flow through these rivers dail...

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... loyalties and addressing major challenges suggests a strong influence on Twain’s classic novel.

Works Cited

Collins, Billy G. "Full Text of "Huckleberry Finn: A Mississippi Moses"" Full Text of "Huckleberry Finn: A Mississippi Moses" Journal of Narrative Theory, May 1975. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
"Bible Gateway." King James Version (KJV Bible). N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
Berman, Matt. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." - Book Review. Common Sence Media, n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.
Major Robert E. Cheesman, British Consul for Northwest Ethiopia 1924-1934
"Dangers." Weblog post. Colours of the Nile. Nile Trip.com, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
"Chapter 18." Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain:. The Literature Network, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014.
"Full Text of "Huckleberry Finn : A Mississippi Moses"" Full Text of "Huckleberry Finn : A Mississippi Moses" N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2014.

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