Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Do Huck's purposes for lying change throughout the story?

I think that, throughout, the story, Huck's purposes to lie to others change from enjoyment to only when absolutely needed, like when he lies to the Phelps' to save Jim's life and freedom. Towards the beginning of the novel, Huck states, "Next morning I said it was getting slow and dull, and I wanted to get a stirring-up some way. I said I reckoned I would slip over the river and find out what was going on." (Twain 54). Here, Huck lies to a women in St. Petersburg by pretending to be a girl so he can get some gossip about the town and their thoughts about the murder that he faked. This lie has no other purpose rather than to bring some interest to Jim and his life, which has become monotonous on the island. By sheer luck, he finds out some information that saves Jim's life, but which was not the maint intent of Huck travelling to a strangers house. This also shows Huck's immaturity and close attachment to society in the beginning. By lying without thinking of the consequences(like him almost getting caught because he wanted a little adventure) and trying to remain a part of society and it's beliefs, he demonstrates that he has not yet learned his lesson about society's corruption.

I think the major turning point for Huck away from society and his lying habits is after the duke and the king lie to the town about being dead Peter's brothers to steal money from orphan girls, whom he feels badly about. Says Huck, "...and the king, he told it all over again on his hands to the duke, and both of them took on about that dead tanner like they'd lost twelve disciples. Well, if ever I struck anything like it, I'm a n-word. It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race." (Twain 162). Before this time, Huck went along with anything anyone told him to, even for the enjoyment and stealing reasons that the duke and the king displayed. Up until this point, Huck has gradually been growing farther away from society, no longer needing to know the going-ons like he did previously and was perfectly content living on the river with Jim. After the duke and king try to destroy an innocent family for their money, Huck becomes ashamed of what society(represented by the king and duke) and ultimately, what he has become. The next time Mary Jane questions him about something, he decides to tell her the truth, an important step for Huck, demonstrating his maturity growth and his complete break from society's ways. "...though I can't say for certain; but it looks so to me, anyway; and yet here's a case where I'm blest if it don't look to me like the truth is better and actuly safer than a lie." (Twain 186). By telling Mary Jane the truth, he shows a realization of lying and it's effects, also showing is want to change and become a better person, away from the rest of the "human race". He eventually uses lying only when trying to save Jim's life, like lying to the Phelp's to get Jim back, and tries to tell the truth more often than habitually lying to everyone, which usually gets him into trouble. Huck's use of lying shows Huck's growth throughout the story as he changes the purposes in which he uses it.

No comments: