How To Bildungsroman In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

Bildungsroman, an interesting word that describes what the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is about. This word describes a type of novel that involves looking at a main character’s growth and development through an adventure. Mark Twain uses Huck Finn for this purpose. Surprisingly Twain shows Huck’s growth as explained by Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It is surprising as Maslow developed this theory many years after this book was written. In the book Huck is a runway boy from the South. Huck fits with Maslow's hierarchy of needs leading to self-actualization.
Maslow’s first level is physiological and the second level is safety. Physiological is the base of the hierarchy. If these needs aren’t meet you will die. Some examples are
To be loved by others and to feel important creates how we react to others in a social setting. Love also refers to friendship and the need to belong in a social group of people. “I reckoned it was going to be grand surprise to him to see me again. He nearly cried, he was so glad”(Mark Twain, pg. 131). Jim was glad to see Huck after being away from him for so long. Jim provided the love that Huck needed. ”Children need to know they are loved and they need to feel loved by us and connected to us.”(Children Who Feel Loved Are More Loving, Pam Leo). This quote, by Pam Leo, reinforces Maslow’s point of view regarding the importance of love in the journey to self acceptance. Esteem is the feeling of importance, being successful, and having self-confidence. “Jim said that bees won’t sting idiots, but I didn’t believe that, because I tried them lots of times myself and they wouldn’t sting me.”(Mark Twain, pg.34). Huck is showing he is self-confident by saying he isn’t an idiot. “Children who have high self-esteem come to value themselves and think of themselves as worthy partners and capable problem solvers.”(Benefits of Healthy High Self-Esteem, Angela Oswalt). Huck shows these qualities through out the