Huckleberry Finn Reading Analysis – Core Topic PassageAnalysis of topic – Honesty “But Tom wanted to resk it; so we slid in there and got three candles, and Tom laid five cents on the table for pay. ”(7)Both Tom and Huck are doing wrong on sneaking around yet Tom gives the impression of being an honest person since he takes the candles without anyone noticing but he leaves money on the table for pay instead of just leaving with the candles. Jim always kept that five-centered piece around his neck with a string and said it was a charm the devil give to him with his own hands…”(7)Jim seems to like attention and uses dishonesty to get the attention. He goes around telling others that he has encountered the devil and he has bin given charms and powers by the devil to cure people and other things that don’t seem honest. Jim’s honesty is out in doubt. “”Ain’t you a sweet-scented dandy, though? A bed; and bedclothes; … You ask Judge Thatcher; he’ll tell you the same. (20)Although he has no problem lying later in the text, Huck goes to great lengths to avoid having to lie to his father. Why is this so? After all, Pap is not too concerned with his own honesty. “…but now he was agoing to turn over a new leaf and be a man nobody wouldn’t be ashamed of, and hoped the judge would help him and not look down on him. ”(21)From the beginning of the book one can tell that Pap is not an honest person. It seems that he just wants for others to feel pity for him and that way he can seem like a good person though we know Pap just wants the money. Money can cause for people to lose the value of honesty. ’What did you say your name was, honey? ’ M– … calls me Sarah, some calls me Mary. “(54)Huck is not one to give up on a lie. He spins new tales as old ones are discovered to be false. Even when he knows he’s caught, he doesn’t budge. Huck is good at coming up with another spur-of-the-moment lie in attempt to keep the real truth hidden. “Jim won’t ever forgit you, Huck; you’s de bes’ fren’ Jim’s ever had; en you’s de only fren’ olde Jim got now. ”(83)Huck’s conscience troubles him deeply about helping Jim escape from his “rightful owner,” Miss Watson, especially after all she has done for Huck.
Jim talks on and on about going to the free states, especially about his plan to earn money to buy the freedom of his wife and children. Jim might be saying this to Huck because he is thankful or because he really means it. In past passages Jim’s honesty has been put in jeopardy. “They went off, and I got aboard the raft, feeling bad and low, because I knowed very well I had done wrong, and I see it warn’t no use for me to try to learn to do right…”(85)Huck seems to lie a lot. It’s very easy for him to be deceptive with others yet he is honest with himself.
He is aware of when he is doing wrong and knows that he can’t change the fact that he is a fallacious person. “”Mars Jawge, if you’ll come down into de swamp I’ll show you a whole stack o’ water-moccasins. “(102)There’s something playful about some kinds of deception in this novel. It doesn’t seem manipulative so much as beneficial in cases like this. The deception in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn often points out how almost everyone is gullible to some extent, or at least trusts in the honest or well-intentioned nature of others. It wouldn’t a done no good; and besides, it was just as I said; you couldn’t tell them from the real kind. ”(141)The reason why can’t tell a real majesty from an imposter is because they are both dishonest with their people. The imposter lies in order to get what he/she wants. A real majesty also lies for one reason or another. Once a lie is told many more are to follow in order to sustain the first lie. “You can’t pray a lie-I found that out. ”(192)Huck wants to do the right thing but he has gotten used to always doing the dishonest thing. He has now realized that he can’t be a different person even if he wants to.
