I had never read Huckleberry Finn in high school and I was not sure if I would like reading it in this class. When I began reading Huckleberry Finn I was so drawn by Tom and Huck that I did not want to put the book down. I felt that I could see who they were while I was reading. Tom enjoyed being adventurous while reading prison and pirate books. He was a typical boy who wanted an adventure and Huck was along for it.
Huck is fourteen and torn between what he is taught by the upright townspeople that he should do and what he wants to do. Huck’s father coming back took his life in a different direction and I could not help but want to help Huck and save him from his abusive father. Huck faking his own death and escaping the chains of his father pulled me even more into the book.
I kept reading to see what was going to happen next to Huck now that he was on his own. Huck become free in a sense and the only place he finds serenity is on the river with Jim. Huck continues to stay with Jim as they travel, despite his belief that he is breaking all of society and religion's beliefs. Huck's struggle with the concept of slavery and Jim's freedom continued throughout the novel. I enjoyed reading this book and discussing each character and their struggles helped me understand the book even more. I began to learn more about Huck as a character and the type of person he was to Jim.
I agree that the characters that Twain creates are especially compelling and truly make The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn a great book. It is interesting to watch Huck, in particular, wrestle with moral questions as he tries to figure out the world he lives in. Huck is able to easily move between situations, but he is still trying to figure how he should act and who he wants to be. It is the times when Huck is attempting to understand society and himself that make this book a true coming-of-age novel. At many times Huck reminds me of the later Holden Caulfield in J.D Salinger's Catcher in the Rye.
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