Huck Finn Post #1

Huck Finn Post #1

                                At the beginning of the novel Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, the main character, Huck, is a highly superstitious individual. Huck is a young boy, who places no stock in religion, but believes many superstitions. Huck demonstrates this when he kills a spider,

“I didn’t need anybody to tell me it was an awful bad sign and would fetch me some luck, so I was scared and shook most of the clothes off me. I got up and turned around in my tracks three times and crossed my breast every time; and then I tried to tie up a little lock of my hair with a thread to keep witches away. But I hadn’t no confidence. You do that when you’ve lost a horseshoe that you’ve found, instead of nailing it up over the door, but I hadn’t ever heard anybody say it was any way to keep off bad luck when you’d killed a spider.”  (Twain p. 13).

This passage includes a strong belief in both bad luck coming back to get you, and of witches as well. Bad luck is viewed as a mild idea today, not a strong belief, and the idea of witches would be classified as nonsensical. However, these superstitions are very real and a big factor in the life of Huck. Huck also believes that spirits will come and haunt the world, as evidenced in the quote,

 “…he said a man that wasn’t buried was more likely to go a-ha’nting than one that was planted and comfortable. That sounded pretty reasonable, so I didn’t say no more…” (Twain p. 58).

Huck believes that a soul would come back to haunt him, which would be viewed as very superstitious by modern standards. Huck is a person who is truly believes in superstitions.

               

                Huck is also adaptable. At the beginning of the novel, Huck becomes accustomed to the life he is expected to live with the widow. He learns to behave (better) and even finds going to school acceptable. Huck even says so himself, “At first I hated the school, but by and by I got so I could stand it.” (Twain p. 24). Huck shows a great ability to adapt, as he goes from being a homeless and uneducated boy to being a more respectable schoolboy who society can approve. Later on, Huck also shows his adaptability when he  is taken to the cabin in the woods by his father. He returns to a more rural state, saying,

“It was kind of lazy and jolly, laying off comfortable all day, smoking and fishing, and no books nor study. Two months or more run along, and my clothes got to be all rags and dirt, and I didn’t see how I’d ever got to like it so well at the widow’s…” (Twain p. 32).

At this point Huck has made another transition to what life has thrown at him. Huck adapts to every situation, and sees the best side possible. Even while his world is unsteady, Huck is happy to adapt.