Greed in Huckleberry Finn

Greed in Huckleberry Finn Greed motivates the characters' actions in Mark Twain's, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Three examples of how greed is a motive for the characters actions are Pap's desire to take Huck's money, the King and Duke's lifestyle as con-artists, and Tom's desire to have an adventure. Mark Twain's depiction of these three characters also portrays Twain's view on humanity. Huck is rewarded with 6,000 dollars but soon trades the money to Judge Thatcher for one dollar because Huck has suspicion that Pap is in the area. Huck believes Pap will come back to take his money. Huck's suspicion proves true, Pap has come back. "He went to Judge Thatcher's and bullyragged him, and tried to make him give up the money,"(Twain 21). Pap's actions show how greed affects what he does because without Pap's desire for money he would have never come back to town. He also would never have gone to Judge Thatcher and irritated him by his drunken rants, or torturing the town with his binge drinking. Pap is unsuccessful at getting the money from Judge Thatcher so he turns back toward Huck. "He watched out for me one day in the spring, and catched me, and took me up the river about three mile in a skiff,"( 23). Pap's greed also motivates him to kidnap Huck. Huck's life is now also affected by Pap's greed because Pap took Huck away from Miss Watson and Widow Douglas, causing him to be taken out of school. Pap's desire for money, in combination with his drinking, causes him to act cruelly. Mark Twain's description of Pap shows what Twain thinks about humanity. Twains outlook on humanity in this situation is that greed for money can cause people do things that they wouldn't do otherwise. Huck and Jim meet the Duke and King, they find that the Duke and Kings' life style is as con-artists, doing whatever it takes to get money. The Duke and King go to a town and thinks of another plan to make money. They decide they will put on a play of Romeo and Juliet.