Huck Finn Characterization

All people have different characteristics and develop their unique selves as they are influenced by society, other people, and the situations presented in their lives. This is even reflected in simpler times like Huck’s society, where conventional wisdom was the true dictator that influenced who you are. Although conventional wisdom surrounded Huck, as the story continues he slowly begins to develop his own personal characteristics that are based upon his past experiences, personal judgments, and other people. Using these principles, Mark Twain represents Huck as a caring and compassionate, adventurous, and morally sound young boy, who is gradually learning what life in the real world is like.
Huck has led a harsh life for such a young boy, yet he can still find it in himself to show care and compassion to others, even though others might not have shown that same sense of care to him. This lack of care in Huck’s life might have even influenced his kindness towards others, as he understands how bad it feels when no one seems to care for him. This can be seen in people like his Pa, and how even though he is the only living relative who can show Huck what it is liked to be loved and cared for in a family, he rather chooses to be greedy and plague Huck’s life with misery rather than joy. Huck on the other hand is far different from his incorrigible father’s personality, as he not only can show compassion to the people he is close to, but strangers as well. This is shown in the event where Huck’s curiosity leads him onto a shipwrecked boat and discovers a gang of robbers who are planning to kill somebody. From here, Huck’s trait of compassion can be seen in the following quotation, “The first light we see we’ll land a hundred yards below it or above it, in a place where it’s a good hiding-place for you and the skiff, and then I’ll go and fix up some kind of a yarn, and get somebody to go for that gang and get them out of their scrape, so they can be hung when their...