The First Trick In Huck Finn

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Pages: 5

In the “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain, the young waif Huck Finn embarks on both physical and emotional adventures. The book primarily follows Huck and Jim, an escaped slave, as they float down the Mississippi river. During this time, Huck, the immature boy he is, decides to play a few tricks on Jim. The first trick, which predominantly shows the boyish nature of Huck, occurs in St. Petersburg before the two set off down the river. The second trick happens shortly after the two have set out and presents a slightly more contemplative Huck. The third trick on Jima appears after the two are separated during a storm, and shows a new side of Huck, one that is not only more mature, but also empathetic. This pattern of growing empathy …show more content…
In fact, Huck does not want to play any trick on Jim for very simple reasons that “they’d find out I warn’t in” (15). In this quotation Huck explains that he does not want the Widow Douglas or Miss Watson to see that he has run off, thus showing his childish mindset and boyish personality in the eyes of society. As an extension of his puerile mindset, Huck only cares about the practical ramifications of his actions as they relate back to him. Apparently, Huck has no concern for Tom or even Jim and how Jim might feel about this prank, instead thinking solely about the effects towards himself. This lack of concern indicates that Huck feels that in his perspective he himself is always most important. Huck notes how he was “in a sweat to get away” and wants nothing to do with the prank, once again showing his initial state of unwillingness to engage in trickery, something which will change shortly (16). This quotation further exemplifies Huck’s self-interest, as he feels completely comfortable leaving Tom alone in playing this trick so that he himself can be free from blame. This first trick defines Huck’s initial state, one of childish self-interest, and self-identity, the most important person around, whereas the second trick builds upon this base and shows the beginning of growth in Huck’s