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Superstitions and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

            Superstitions and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
             Even though the Pre-Civil War classic THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN contains humorous passages, Mark Twain's main purpose in writing the novel involves criticizing mankind and society. Frequently, in the course of the novel, Twain addresses the theme of superstition.
             Twain uses Jim and Huck to show the readers of the common superstitious thoughts of the people in this time period. First, at the beginning of the novel Huck was sitting in his room and he lit a candle. He was so lonesome he wished he was dead. He tried to think of something cheerful but it was no use. As he was sitting in his room a spider crawled up his shoulder and he flicked it off into the candle flame and it shriveled up and died. "I didn't need anybody to tell me that that was an awful bad sign and would fetch me some bad luck" (Twain 5). .
             Next, Twain uses superstition through Jim. Jim was the main superstitious character in the book. One example of this would be when Jim fetched a hairball from the fourth stomach of an ox. Jim actually believed that this hairball could do magic and that it knew everything. When Huck found tracks to his fathers shoe he went straight to Jim and his hairball. "He said it would tell my whole fortune if I wanted it to" (18).
             Another superstitious moment for Jim is when he believes that the snake-skin that Huck touched brought bad luck to not only Huck, but Jim also. There are numerous instances in the novel where Jim blames the snakeskin on bad things that happened. "You said it was the worst bad luck in the world to touch a snake-skin with my hands" (51). .
             Often in Twain's literature, he uses the theme of superstition to show the reader the reality of this time period. Throughout the novel Jim shows us his superstitious side by his remarks to just about every bad thing that Huck does. Jim seems to think that every time something out of the ordinary happens, it is a bad omen or bad luck.


Essays Related to Superstitions and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

1. Racism in Huck Finn

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn can be read as a novel that illustrates the moral growth of a young and nave teenager as he desperately attempts to escape the perils of civilization. ... The portrayal of African Americans in this novel is reflective of a racist attitude manifested through the use of language, depiction of African-American characters, and the general attitude towards the African-American race in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. ... The use of the word "nigger,"" a racially charged epithet in the contemporary era, is present more than 200 times in The Adventures of Huck...

  • Word Count: 596
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Book Banning and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

While some of its material is considered offensive and crude, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," by Mark Twain, should be taught in classrooms due to its well-established, unquestionable literary merit. ... Since 1885, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has encountered a more modern wave of controversy that centers around race. ... However, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" needs to be read in the context of the time period and culture in which the novel is set. ... Jim's superstitions are yet another way that Twain depicts the irony of the south, by raising the question about how a...

  • Word Count: 1176
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3. Huckleberry Finn

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  • Word Count: 624
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  • Grade Level: High School

4. Huckleberry Finn Themes

Mark Twain tells us of the adventures young Huckleberry Finn experiences in his book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Throughout Huck's adventures, he learns to tell the moral people from the dishonest and finds where he stands on the issues of superstition, religion, slavery, and freedom. ... Superstitions are brought up many times throughout the book, and were never taken lightly. ... Usually creepy crawly arachnids would fascinate a young boy, but Huck was fearful due to a mere superstition. ... Due to the frequent mention of superstitions, we can conclude they played a rather ...

  • Word Count: 748
  • Approx Pages: 3
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5. Racial Controversy and Huckleberry Finn

This is a quote by Julius Lester, from his essay Morality and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. ... Lester continues to write a haunting take on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, where he describes the nature of the book to be quite morally bankrupt. ... In his essay "Born to Trouble: One Hundred Years of Huckleberry Finn," Justin Kaplan states, "In 1984, school officials in Waukegan, Illinois, removed Huckleberry Finn from the required reading list after an alderman, according to the Associated Press, objected to the book's use of the word "nigger." ... In conclusion, my take on "The Adv...

  • Word Count: 1132
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

6. Huckleberry Finn

Since the time of its publication in 1884, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has generated heated controversy. ... Due to Mark Twain's incredible ability to write a text realistic enough to allow younger generations, not raised in a society as racist as the 1880's, to relive life as it was when Twain was growing up, many people are quick to read the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and label Mark Twain as a racist. ... (Smith) Twain completed Huckleberry Finn in 1884, at the time when black identity in American society was undefined. ... (Smith) The themes of Huckleberry Finn portray...

  • Word Count: 1716
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7. Huck Finn Controversy

Controversy through Ignorance The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was written in 1884. ... The story begins with the introduction of the narrator, Huckleberry Finn. ... (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, 1) When introduced into an elitist community of scholars, it is no wonder that it would be considered to be rudimentary and crude. ... The aspects of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that create all the controversy are not what Twain intended for the reader to focus on. ... The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not about racism at all, but the different elements of human relationships and ...

  • Word Count: 1318
  • Approx Pages: 5
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  • Grade Level: High School

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