Reader+Responses

Cody Pierce P1 AP Lit&Comp Huck Finn Reader Response The novel “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” written by Mark Twain is an excellent piece of literature. Full of wily shenanigans, charming characters, and life lessons, this novel is crammed with exemplary writing. But there is one aspect of it that I believe warrants further discussion: Tom Sawyer and his involvement in the ending of the book. Tom Sawyer arriving at his family’s house seemed to be at first a pleasant coincidence. But when the novel switched from focusing on Huckleberry and instead on Tom, the ending was deprived of a satisfying conclusion. This novel’s central theme consisted of Huck maturing through encounters with other characters and what he learns as a result. Towards the end of the novel, Huck almost seems like a different character than when readers first met him. This difference is a result of his experience on the Mississippi River. Huck first encountered Jim in the beginning, both runaways. From Jim, Huck learns about friendship and morality. From the Grangerfords and Shephardsons, Huck learns about family and violence. From the duke and king, he learns about living an honest life and making decisions where the answer does not always seem palatable. There are also the numerous minor characters that Huck encounters that teach him odds and ends, and show him the good side of humanity. These are several of the things that Huck learns from his journey. Tom did not take part in Huck’s adventure but was still there in spirit. On multiple occasions Huck had thoughts as to what Tom would have done in a similar scenario or how to better Tom. When readers first met Tom, he seemed just like any other young kid, although maybe a bit bossy. When he arrives at the end of the book he takes over the book with his “helping” to free Jim. All Huck has learned is ignored as it seems Huck himself is. Tom did not contribute to the novel, yet was able to bully Huck into doing what he wanted to do. I do not know why Huck caved in so easily to Tom. This ending was just disheartening, made worse by how excellent the rest of the novel was. In conclusion, Tom and his appearance in this book are of importance, even if just to be rebuked. The rest of this novel, though, is held in high regard. == = = ==















[|Huck Finn Reader Response-Rick Purtha.rtf]