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Thea De Guzman
M. Martino
A.P Language and Composition
21 December 2011
The Eyes of Huckleberry Finn
In the “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” Mark Twain allows the reader to acknowledge
the heartbreaking actions that humans still do today. Twain uses the greed and violence in his
story to show how low people can be and how unrighteous they are. Greed is shown throughout
Huck’s life; he encounters a few people who show him the wrong way to live. Twain presents
this young boy who begins to grow up trying to understand from right and wrong. In his
adventure, Huck goes through several violent actions that allow the reader to understand that
there are still people today that take violence as the answer to every problem. Twain has
accomplished in analyzing these problems in the “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”
Greed is a form of selfishness and it can ruin a person’s reputation and others as well. In
the “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” Huck encounters the two most selfish human beings
which are duke and king. Twain uses this encounter to show Huck that these men cannot be
trusted nor given any respect which leads him to take his own way out of their problem. He takes
this opportunity to realize that this action will only cause harm to others. He begins to feel bad
towards the girls and even says to himself: “this is a girl that I’m letting that old reptle rob her of
her money” (Twain 176). In our society today there are still people who use greed to get by in
life just like duke and king. Even though Twain uses slavery in the book which is an important
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history in America and it is essential for Americans to acknowledge how cruel the society was
before, greed and violence are far effective and as important because it is still ongoing till today
which makes it even horrifying.
Violence in “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” shows how easy it is to ruin a person’s
life. The Grangerfords feud with the Shepardsons shows a brutal conflict between two families
even after generations have already passed by. These families do not present any normality or
morals except cruelty. They live to kill their enemy for the sake of their ancestors. This violence
crushed the hope of Huck wanting to have a family after feeling security with his friend Buck.
After all the violence, it opens Huck’s eyes and ruins his hope of having a family so he says: “It
made me so sick again if I was to do that. I wished I hadn’t ever come ashore that night, to see
such things. I ain’t ever going to get shut of them—lots of times I dream about them” (116).
Twain not only open Huck’s eyes but presents the world the understanding of the after effects of
what people can do when it involves violence.
The “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is read for several reasons because Twain analyzes
the actions of people which can relate to the people till now. The book gives an understanding
and can allow the reader to reflect upon the lessons and morale that is provided. Greed and
violence causes harm and can only lead someone to do the wrong or right. As for Huck, it
allows him to realize the more important reasons to be an independent person and to look
forward without the help of others who will only affect his character. Twain has successfully
provided evidence to how cruel, self-centered, and greedy people can be through the eyes of
Huckleberry Finn.