Mr. Cobb
Eng. Hon 1
November 1, 2012
Webster’s Dictionary defines “point of view” as “the relative position from which anything is seen or any subject is considered.” The point of view in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is like nothing else you have ever read. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has a few different points of view. Mark Twain, the author, often times takes the reader down a pathway and shows off his own ironic wit. Through these points of view, Mark Twain is able to express his own personal beliefs on the society and world around him. The point of view on slavery is one of the main affairs looked at in this book. The tone in this book is one of its key features that give it its point of view, something that never rests or stays in one place for a long period of time. Hucks point of view is key in this story but why does he tell the story this way, and what would it be like if the book were told from a different characters view? The point of view in this book is what makes this book so amazing! Throughout the book slavery is one of the key points that Twain addresses through Huck. It is one of those things that can either make a book extraordinary and a classic, like this one, or a deadbeat book. I find it very uncommon for a boy this young, in this time period, which lives in such a rich slave community to come to realize something so widespread and taught to be so natural that he realizes the right and wrong of slavery. “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger: but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterward neither. I didn’t do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn’t done that one if I’d a knowed it would make him feel that way.” Despite the racist environment they live in, Huck recognizes Jim’s human qualities and realizes that there really is no difference on the inside. He realize that Jim is really a smart man, despite being uneducated. The way mark Twain expresses his thoughts on slavery through the book really are one of the main points of view in this book. Hucks tone throughout the book is constantly changing throughout the story. The tone is frequently ironic or mocking; also contemplative as Huck seeks to decipher the world around him; sometimes boyish and exuberant. The tone at times can also indicate that he is curious and scared at times. “…We didn’t touch an oar, and we didn’t speak nor whisper, nor did we hardly breathe.” The tone in this incident is showing that they are scared for their lives. Twain creates a vivid imagery in the word selection he uses to describe feelings and the portrayal he gives to the reader.
