Lies in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Early in Mark Twain's (1972, p. 452) novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck makes it clear that he is prone to lying, telling Judge Thatcher that if he isn't asked a question, "then I won't have to tell no lies." Lying, for purposes both good and evil, is one of the more significant themes in this story of how the son of the town drunk becomes a respectable citizen. This brief report will discuss the theme of lying and how it shapes many of Huck's adventures.

According to Lionel Trilling (1985), much of Huck's adventure consists of the moral testing and development which a character so morally sensitive as Huck must inevitably undergo. The lies that Huck tells include the normal lies that young boys invent to get themselves out of trouble with adults, to avoid punishment, and to cover up acts that they know are not acceptable. For example, in his relationship with his alcoholic father, Twain (1972) positions Huck as lying, literally in self-defense. In his relationship with Jim, the former slave, Huck often lies simply because he does not feel the n

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Approximate Word count = 764
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page)

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