Preview

Huck Finn Is a Romantic Hero

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
574 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Huck Finn Is a Romantic Hero
Jose Estrada
Shulman
Honors English 11
June 11, 2013
Huck Finn is a Romantic Hero
In the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn there lies an epic journey embarked upon by a child named Huck Finn and an illiterate slave named Jim. Both characters are dynamic, so they are constantly changing in either their way of thought or accessible skills. The author, Mark Twain, depicts Huck Finn as a hero that would typically only rely on himself, follow his intuition, and generally care only for what interests him. These are the qualities of an independent self-centered, and overall immature character. These are the qualities of a romantic hero. Of course Huck Finn begins immature in nature, but he obviously encounters situations in the novel that do indeed call for a certain level of maturity. It is interesting to follow this change in his nature; this is due to the fact that it does not begin in this novel but a previously written novel by Twain entitled Tom Sawyer. In Tom Sawyer, Huck’s Character is developed as a follower and not that of a leader or sophisticated person. The interesting part of this is that the person that Huck most admires is a boy much younger than he and not only that; he chooses to idolize this boy. This, by all means, is the highest level of immaturity. This is no different in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In the beginning of the novel, Huck Finn joins a gang under the leadership of Tom Sawyer. They not only ambush children that are attending a church picnic for food, but Huck finds this fun and worth the trouble it causes. Had it not been for the separation of Huck and Tom through the near entirety of the novel, it very well could have been a novel based on Tom rather than Huck. The separation of these two allowed for Huck to undergo adventures that built his independence and maturity, which is typical for a romantic hero. Just as in other romantic works of literature, the hero retains some level of immaturity which is represented at the end of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Why Is Huck Finn Selfish

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Huckleberry Finn is a unique character, especially for considering his resourcefulness for his age. With Huck being about 13-14 years old and being able to think on the spot, make legitimate realizations, and find solutions to issues that some adults may not be able to find, prove his potential. For example, Huck is a quick thinker, when he stumbled upon the Grangerford’s property and he created the George Jackson story, it proved his ability to adapt to a difficult situation and find a solution for it even at a young age. Huck was raised under considerable circumstances, but he always finds a way to stay fed, rested, and on top of a situation, many of his peers would struggle in his position and probably would not be able to last as long as…

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn is a novel set in the rural south of the United States during a period in history when slavery and racism were part of everyday life. The novel introduces two main characters: Huck Finn, an adventurous but naïve, white boy, and Jim, a runaway slave whom is travelling with Huck down the Mississippi River. Throughout the course of the novel, both characters are faced with their individual internal struggles; Huck in particular is faced with the pressing notion of whether or not he should turn Jim in to his rightful owner and do the “right” thing, or disobey the law and help Jim obtain his freedom. Being nothing more than a foolish and naïve boy, Huck does not know the meaning of true love and friendship, until Jim opens up to him and they begin to bond no longer as white boy and black slave, but as humans.…

    • 873 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn is always ready to go on any type of adventure with his best friend Tom Sawyer. Also, the pair are extremely superstitious. Huck is discriminated against for a myriad of reasons. Some being, he is the son of the town drunk, so the adults frown upon him. Because of his father’s lifestyle he is basically an orphan, he has to find his own food, clothes, and a place to sleep. He also does not attend church or school. Opposite to that, the boys of the town envy him for his freedom and lack of discipline. The Widow Douglass who…

    • 505 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn

    • 1338 Words
    • 6 Pages

    When Reading the book, it is obvious to the readers that Huck is a very young; and has a very boyish nature. In the beginning of the book, Huck explains his childish memories and experiences, further showing his young and boyish nature. This is an important trait because this ultimately builds up excitement and climax of the story.…

    • 1338 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Mark Twain’s book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck Finn was a troubled kid who grew up and matured in several ways. Huck ran away and had to learn how to make it on his own, and as he went on that journey of going from boyhood to adulthood he learned so much about doing the right thing.…

    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn Criticism

    • 1018 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain in 1884 is a classic example of American literature. It depicts the bond of a fourteen-year old boy and a runaway slave’s as they venture up the Mississippi River with hopes of finding better lives in the free North during the pre-Civil War era. One of the common criticism of the novel is Huck Finn is too wise beyond his years. Twain purposely depicted Huck to be this mature to attempt to change the American society through his art.…

    • 1018 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn is a static character. Throughout the realistic, historical fiction novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the main character Huck travels with a fugitive slave, Jim. Constantly, Huck’s internal conflict between helping a fugitive slave, and turning him in, divides him. Huck ultimately ends up helping Jim, but treating him as subhuman, and taking advantage of his companionship. Huckleberry Finn wavers in his moral ideas, but undergoes no development. He starts to challenge and change his views on his stance of racism, but the book ends with him reverting to his old racist views as he had in the beginning. Furthermore, he does not show development in the sense that he constantly does what society expects of him, as shown in his treatment of Jim.…

    • 1093 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ap Penny Essay

    • 680 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Mark Twain wrote about a boy, Huck Finn a young boy with a dream of freedom and adventure. Huck is under the care of Mrs. Watson who wants to teach him how life would be lived. She wants him to be modern like her but Huck is nothing like that but then he was taken from her by his father, an old drunk man that can’t live without beer in his system. Huck is so badly treated by his father that he fakes his own death to get away from his father and runs off to Jackson Island. Once on Jackson Island he meets a man, Jim a runaway slave from him town. Then they began a wonderful friendship. Mark Twain uses many different…

    • 680 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tom Sawyer Adventurous

    • 1015 Words
    • 5 Pages

    A character in a novel has a way of helping to move the plot forward. They provide whatever the plot needs whether it be comedic relief, drama, anger, or a push of action to get the plot moving forward. The novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain is set in the American South in the 1850s. In the novel, Huck Finn fakes his death and runs away with Jim, a runaway slave. They encounter many obstacles while both on the river and on land. By the end of the novel, Huck and Jim learn many things and grow closer to each other. Tom Sawyer is Huck’s best friend who influences what Huck does frequently throughout the novel. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer is portrayed as selfish, adventurous, and dramatic.…

    • 1015 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huck Finn

    • 653 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the beginning of this novel Huck starts off as an immature little boy. There is much evidence in this novel that shows how Huck is immature. For example, Huck is not pleased with using manners and just wants to live his way. This shows immaturity because he doesn’t care about what will help him in the future. Also, he hates Miss Watson for teaching him how to be civilized. He doesn’t realize that this will only benefit him later in life which makes him immature. Another example of Huck’s immaturity is that he thinks Miss. Watson is nagging him about doing the proper things. “Miss Watson she kept pecking at me, and it got tiresome and lonesome.” This quote shows that Huck doesn’t appreciate what is being offered to him. “I felt so lonesome I most wished I was dead.” From this it is proven that he would rather die than live by rules and principals which make him immature. When Huck is around Tom Sawyer he is not willing to stand up for what he believes in and is persuaded into listening to Tom.…

    • 653 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huck Maturity

    • 527 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Huck also matures because he learns to figure out the difference between bad and the good. He makes many immature decisions at first but he change at last and knows what is good and what is bad for him and makes right decisions to go on his adventure. Huck says to himself, “But I reckon I got to light out for the territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and civilize me, and I cant stand it. I was there before.”(Page 56).he would be able to know what is good and bad for him and be who he is so he run away and go on his adventure.…

    • 527 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Maturity is knowing when to do the right thing and following up on one's commitment even when he or she is tempted to do wrong. Huck Finn, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, is faced with such temptations and situations where he is able to make the right choice and mature physically, mentally, and spiritually. He is able to avoid bad decisions, which leads him to become a more mature, established young man. Although Huck Finn finds himself acting immature at times, he still fully demonstrates maturity by the end of the novel.…

    • 885 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck, a young thirteen-year-old boy, meets a runaway slave named, Jim. The two create such a unique friendship in the literary world. As these two characters build their relationship they learn much about respect, selflessness, and family, Huck most of all.…

    • 367 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Is Huck Finn Too Mature?

    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages

    to oppose the views of society and risks going to hell for his friendship with…

    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, two characters are portrayed, revealing themselves as heroic figures. Huck and Jim, two opposites traveling down the Mississippi River searching for freedom, land into predicaments were they must use their wits to overcome. Huck and Jim's strengths and weaknesses determine the outcome of their escape from "sivilization".…

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays