Huck Finn, a Journey

Huck Finn The Hero’s Journey Joseph Campbell describes a hero’s journey as a cycle where the person is a hero from birth. This holds true for the character of Huck Finn because he fits the description of a hero in the book Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. There are different parts of the hero’s journey that can be applied to Huck, such as the first stage which is known as the Innocent World of Childhood. A stage further on in the journey is the Initiation while the last stage is known as the Freedom to Live. All three of the stages can be used to describe a specific time in Huck’s life. The Innocent World of Childhood is a starting point for many heroes. This is the time span in a hero’s life prior to the unexpected adventure he is to embark on. Huck’s childhood consisted of childish games with his best friend Tom Sawyer. Huck’s days were filled with games of pretend that were supposed to be actual adventures. However, many of the adventures were figments of Tom Sawyer’s imagination. This is important to know since Tom’s description of an adventure is something that is not real and everything Tom reads contributes to the adventures him and Huck have. Huck’s adventures, though, are ones that are unforeseen and are probably are the more ‘real’ ones in the book. Huck’s schooling with the widow and Miss Watson are another element of his innocent childhood. He experienced what he called the ‘sivilized’ life. He was fed, wore clean clothes, and was well taken care of. For a boy who lived for adventures and everything nature had to offer, the civilized life did not appeal to him. As much as he appreciated what the widow and Miss Watson were trying to do, he still has his doubts on what they say. It is in Huck’s character to believe everything he first hears, and then question the fact more and more over time until he finally realizes something is not true.