his journey, Huck proves to be a true protagonist through small decisions like the one with the girls. Reading Huck’s adventures allowed Kuusisto to imagine himself as the protagonist who can do anything.
Huck proved that he was smart and clever enough to do anything in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. These differences are important, however, the similarities between Kuusisto and Huck create another strong emotional connection that Kuusisto would have felt for Huck. Like Kuusisto, Huck is “the juvenile pariah of the village” who is thought lower of due to circumstances outside of his control (Wexman 3). Teachers believe Huck is of a lower intelligence due to who he is related to, much like how teachers thought Kuusisto was of a lower intelligence due to his disability. Kuusisto “fail[s] tests in biology” and his chemistry teacher ridicules him (Kuusisto 52). Huck and Kuusisto are both not truly accepted by the people they live with. Huck lives with a woman who will try to convert him and control him whenever she can and Kuusisto’s parents do not mention his blindness. These similarities would create a special connection for Kuusisto and he would most likely turn to this book as a way to experience an adventure where the protagonist is similar to
Kuusisto.