Essay About Huckleberry Finn And Hucks Father

Huckleberry Finn – Survival
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In literature, authors have created characters that have traits
that contributes to their survival in society. The qualities of shredders,
adaptability, and basic human kindness enables the character Huckleberry
Finn, in Mark Twains novel The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn to survive
in his environment. The purpose of this paper is to depict the importance
of these traits or qualities to his survival.
Huckleberry Finn is able to confront complex situations because he
is shrewd. Nothing is more natural or more necessary than his ability to
lie. In certain situations I will discuss how he must lie because the
circumstances forced him to deception and lies and evasions are the only
weapons he has to protect himself from those who are physically stronger
than he. The creativity, common sense, and understanding of people of
different classes give him the edge he needs to survive in a rather harsh
society.
Living with Ms. Watson and Widow Douglas, Huck has adjusted his
life to that of a civilized society. Huck illustrates his shrewd thinking
when he see signs that indicates his father is back. Being afraid of his
father, he gives all of his money to Judge Thatcher to avoid being
persecuted by his father. Protecting himself was his number one priority;
he knew that if his father got the money he would get drunk and in return
would abuse him. His father drunkenness become a threat to his life later
on in the story and by stopping him from getting the money, he stopped his
father from being an abuser at that point and time.
Pap, Hucks father returns to town to get custody of his son
because he here of Hucks fortune, finally resorting to the kidnapping.
Huck is locked in the cabin when Pap is not around; once he was locked up
for three days. At this point and time Huck was being neglected and abuse;
his father had no idea what his abusive behavior was doing to Huck until he
escapes. Pap became so abusive(not realizing it because of he is always
drunk), that he almost kills his son in the cabin, thinking he was the
angel of death. This incident forces Huck to realize that his father is an
immediate threat to his life and he must escape. His plan to escape is one
of common sense combined with shrewdness and imagination. He creates a
bloody scene with the blood of a pig he shot, smashed the door, left some
his hair on a bloody ax, and left a trail of food, creating the impression
that he was killed by robbers; his plan is a success.
Huck must enter the world after his death in disguises, born as a
new person repeatedly to conceal his real identity. Dressing as a girl to
go ashore to gather information is just one of the identities he must
assume through out his whole journey. This example shows how ingenious and
innovative Huck is in creating a creditable story that will camouflage his
real identity. In the act of meeting a lady who had recently settled in
town, he dresses as a girl, makes up a name and a convincible story, ”
trusting providence to put the right words in my mouth when the time come.”
He finds out that her husband was going to Jackson Island to see if he
could find Jim. He is fortunate enough to get this information or else they
would have been caught by suprise.
The capsizing of Jim and Hucks raft, creates a situation in which
Huck must go ashore. He finds himself in the midst of barking dogs in front
of the Grangerfords home. Trusting providence again, he introduces himself
as George Jackson and that he fell overboard from a passing steamboat. He
is welcomed into the Grangerfords home because his identity and story is
convincible. After a day there, Huck forgets his new name. Understanding
Buck, the youngest of the family, desire to show off, Huck gets him to
spell his name revealing his new identity. Getting Buck to spell his name
because he understands his personality, is just one of Hucks qualities
that help him to survive on the frontier.