Huck Finn Post #1

In the first 10 chapters of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" Huck reveals himself to be a lonely person. He has grown up without a mother, and an alcoholic father who is rarely there. Huck one time says that he "tried to think of something cheerful, but it warn't no use. I felt so lonesome I most wished I was dead" (Twain 13). This loneliness leads Huck to be heavily influenced by people, especially Tom Sawyer. Huck would do anything for Tom, even if it was stealing. I think that Huck is fearful of loosing Tom, like he has lost so many others, so he would do anything to keep him around. This loneliness also leads Huck to rebel against the widow and her sister. Huck does not know what a normal family life would be like, and he does not understand what the widow and her sister are trying to do for him. He has been so lonely in the past he does not know what a real family would be like. 

In addition to being a lonely person, Huck is also very superstitious. Huck has many superstitions, and acts on most of them. "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" (13). Huck believed that this would keep him safe, and he believed that there were witches that could do harm to him. While Huck is very superstitious, he does not understand organized religion. He did not know why the Widow Douglas would "grumble" over her food before she ate it, and he just wanted to eat it. Also, he did not like reading the bible. At first when the widow was reading it to him he quite liked it, but when he found out that the people in it were all dead, he did not see the point of reading it. This contrast of dislike and lack of understanding for organized religion and a very superstitious person makes Huck a very diverse character.