What Does Bad Luck Symbolize In Huckleberry Finn

425 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Themes in the novel Huckleberry finn

Mark Twain was trying to get a big message about the nature of society that he’s trying to portray by using symbolism. The symbolism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, had a lot of bad luck through the novel. Back luck is an unfortunate state resulting from unfavorable outcomes. The bad luck was read when Mark Twain writes about the white fog, rattlesnakes, and Tom Sawyer being shot in the leg. Having these examples of bad luck in the novel are important because they contribute to the imagery and overall plot of the story that Mark Twain was writing.
Twain used the white fog as a symbol for bad luck. The fog caused an unfortunate event by misleading Huck and Jim. They were heading toward the Ohio river and the canoe drifted. …show more content…

Huck plays a prank on Jim by putting a dead rattlesnake by him while he is asleep. The rattlesnake is a symbol of bad luck in itself, but the event after his prank is unfortunate. This event is unfortunate because the rattlesnake’s mate comes and bites Jim in the leg. Jim’s leg swells up and doesn’t get better until three days later. Twain was trying to convey bad luck by writing this event.
Back luck appears when Mark Twain writes about Tom Sawyer being shot in the leg. Tom, Huck, and Jim were planning Jim’s escape for weeks. There were men with guns that are gathered in front of their house. Huck and Tom get Jim out by the hole they made. They were running when one of the bullets hits Tom in the leg while he is trying to get over the fence. Tom made a noise while going over the fence which attracted the men’s attention in the first place. Getting shot in the leg was bad luck for Tom.
There are a lot of examples conveying bad luck in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. For example, Jim getting bit by a rattlesnake, the white fog, and Tom getting shot in the leg. The instances always happen before or after the important message of significance. The examples that are used throughout the book to symbolize the message of bad

Show More
Related

  • Huck And Jim's Relationship

    803 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the beginning of the novel, Huck plays many practical jokes on Jim. Huck and Tom begin the novel by waking up Jim when he is sleeping under a tree. They are both very immature boys and think it will be fun to scare Jim. They act like Jim isn’t a human being and don’t seem to be bothered by the fact that he has feelings too. When Huck and Jim get separated by the fog Huck must think Jim is stupid and won’t catch onto his lie. “Aamy heart wuz mos’ broke bekase you wuz los’, en I didn’ k’yer no’ mo’ what become er me en de raf’.En when I wake up en fine you back agin,all safe en soun’,de tears come,en I could a got down on my knees en kiss yo foot.”(109) Huck makes Jim believe the whole fog storm was just a dream and gets him very worried. Huck doesn’t realize that Jim is trying to protect him and be a father figure to him, and that he only wants the best for Huck. Huck also thinks Jim isn’t knowledgeable because he is a black slave. Huck and Jim are arguing and Huck feels Jim cannot say anything intelligent so Huck changes the subject. “I never seen such a nigger .If he got a notion in his head once, there warn’t no getting it out again. He was the most down on S...

    Read More

  • Adversity In Huck Finn's Life

    483 Words  | 1 Pages

    “Make the best o’ things the way you find ‘em, says I-that’s my motto. This ain’t no bad thing that we’ve struck here-plenty grub and an easy life-come, give us your hand, duke, and let’s all be friends” (Twain 124). Although this excerpt was taken from a con man in the story, it is an important quotation that is not to be overlooked. Twain wrote characters that have all faced oppression, such as Huck growing up with a complicated family life, or Jim who isn’t even treated as a human. But they all overcame their adversity, had remarkable attitudes, and found their personal freedom within the raft. Huck has had a childhood that has been anything but ordinary. He starts out in the home of the Widow Douglas and her sister who both try to civilize

    Read More

  • Alienation of Huckleberry Finn in the Advertures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mark Twain throughout the book showed Huckleberry Finns personal growth on how he started from the bottom as a lonely, racist, immature kid who knew nothing to where he is now, by finally breaking away from society’s values he was taught in the beginning. He has alienated himself from the from that society and revealed how in fact these values were hypocritical. He realized that he can choose his own morals and that the one he chooses is the correct one.

    Read More

  • charhf Changes in Huck Finn's Character

    669 Words  | 2 Pages

    Twain 2: This is showing the ignorance and stubbornness that all children experience throughout life. He thinks everything he does is right and everyone else is wrong. " That all comes of my being such a fool as to not remember that wherever you leave a dead snake its mate always comes there and curls around it." Twain 40: This goes one step further. This shows Huck's immature and stupidity gone one step too far when he puts the snake in Jim's bed and he ends up getting bit by it.

    Read More

  • Parallelism In Huckleberry Finn

    1353 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mark Twain is considered one of America 's most highly regarded literary icons. He upholds this status by utilizing parallelism to include bits of information about himself in the novel. Throughout the story, Twain keeps a sort of idol-influenced motivation

    Read More

  • Moral Compass Of Huckleberry Finn

    946 Words  | 2 Pages

    Growing up in civilization, Huck had recognized owning a slave as a societal norm. He slowly begins to realize the impact of society, on slaves and slaveholders. The more analyzation of the situation, the less comprehensible slavery became, and light was shown on the evils around it. Moral confusion ensues as those who seem to be kind and heaven bound, such as Miss. Watson and Sally Phelps, are oblivious to the inhumane injustice done to Jim and all of those enslaved. In this instance, Huck Finn has a more sound idea of morality than the adults in his life. During Huck’s impersonation of Tom, he is asked why he was delayed replying that a cylinder on a steamboat had blown up. When asked if anyone had been hurt, he comments that a “ni**er” has been killed. Sally then disregards this as a human life, and responds “Well

    Read More

  • What Are The Author's Craft Techniques Used In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

    465 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Jim is now believing in Huck to help and free him. With all of the author’s craft techniques used by Twain shows how the adventure between Huck and Jim is getting somewhere where he can be free. Huck is looking out for Jim and wants the best for him by going out and getting the canoe, to head to Cairo. Feeling the pressure of becoming the people that they have always wanted to be is now happening, Jim becoming free and Huck escaping his father. The author’s craft that Twain uses help express the new lives the Huck and Jim are creating on their journey. The different ways that represent the journey help depict the passion for this change, the homebound feeling of escaping all

    Read More

  • huckleberry finn

    462 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the story of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses many different types of symbols to get Twains numerous messages across. Twain signifies the Mississippi river as a symbol to get away from society for Huck and Jim. Twain also criticizes the way society runs and the things it teaches everyone to be. The river vs. land setting in Huckleberry Finn symbolizes Huck's struggle with himself versus society; Twain suggests that a person shouldn't have to conform to society and should think for themselves.Throughout the novel, Mark Twain shows the society that surrounds Huck as just a little more than a set of degraded rules and authority figures. When the new judge in town allows Pap to keep custody of Huck, adopters are things he doesn't need and doesn't care for. Twain gives Huck the power to think for himself, and come to adult conclusions, which show Twains message; think for yourself.Mark Twain's book Huckleberry Finn is for the reader to interpret for him or herself. But any reader could pick up on Huck's struggle with the freedom the Mississippi River gives him, and the society that holds him back. Huck realizes that he shouldn't have to conform, and he refuses to at the end of the book. Huck's trials and tribulations show the reader that he or she to think for themselves and not conform to societies standards from Huck's time period, or now.

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis of Huckleberry Finn

    937 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mark Twain applies humor in the various episodes throughout the book to keep the reader laughing and make the story interesting. The first humorous episode occurs when Huck Finn astonishes Jim with stories of kings. Jim had only heard of King Solomon, whom he considers a fool for wanting to chop a baby in half and adds, Yit dey say Sollermun de wises?man dat ever live? I doan?take no stock in dat (75). Next, the author introduces the Grangerfords as Huck goes ashore and unexpectedly encounters this family. Huck learns about a feud occurring between the two biggest families in town: the Grangerfords and the Sheperdsons. When Huck asks Buck about the feud, Buck replies, 搾... a feud is this way: A man has a quarrel with another man, and kills him; then that other man抯 brother kills him; then the other brothers, on both sides, goes for one another; then the cousins chip in ?and by and by everybody抯 killed off, and there ain抰 no more feud挃 (105). A duel breaks out one day between the families and Huck leaves town, heading for the river where he rejoins Jim, and they continue down the Mississippi. Another humorous episode appears n the novel on the Phelps plantation. Huck learns that the king has sold Jim to the Phelps family, relatives of Tom Sawyer. The Phelps family mistakes Huck for Tom Sawyer. When Tom meets with Aunt Sally, he ?.. [reaches] over and [kisses] Aunt Sally on the mouth?(219) This comes as a surprises to her and Tom explains that he 揫thinks] [she] [likes] it?(219) Later, Huck runs into Tom on the way into town and the two make up another story about their identities. The two then devise a plan to rescue Jim. They use Jim as a prisoner and make him go through jail escaping clich閟.

    Read More

  • Racism In Huck Finn

    1168 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a book that has racial attitudes towards a society. It is written in a language which is more artistic than usual. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer may be a book for young adults and children, but the Adventures of huckleberry Finn is not so much for kids. Mark twain shows the evil in his society by satirizing the institution of racism by using irony.

    Read More

  • Mark Twain, The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

    1545 Words  | 4 Pages

    Soon after joining Jim on the island, Huck begins to realize that Jim has more talents and intelligence than Huck has been aware of. Jim knows "all kinds of signs" about the future, people's personalities, and weather forecasting. Huck finds this kind of information necessary as he and Jim drift down the Mississippi on a raft. As important, Huck feels a comfort with Jim that he has not felt with the other major characters in the novel. With Jim, Huck can enjoy the best aspects of his earlier influences. Jim's meaning to Huck changes as they proceed through their adventure. He starts out as an extra person just to take on the journey, but they transform into a friend. "It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger."(chap. XV) Huck tries to squeal on Jim but can't because he remembers that Jim called him "de bes' fren' I ever had;...de on'y white genlman dat ever kep' his promise to ole Jim."(chap. XVI) Huck realizes that he can not turn Jim in since they both act as runaway outcasts on the river. The support they have for each other sprouts friendship. As does the Widow, Jim allows Huck security, but Jim is not as confining as is the Widow. Like Tom Sawyer, Jim is intelligent but his intelligence ...

    Read More

  • Huckleberry Finn Passage Analysis

    624 Words  | 2 Pages

    The imagery Mark Twain uses in the beginning of this passage helps to achieve describing the night in comparison to how Huckleberry feels. To begin with the beginning of this section of the passage, “I heard an owl, away off, who-whooing about somebody that was dead, and a whippowill and a dog crying about somebody that was going to die” (7-9). Being able to hear the owl, Huckleberry can almost feel the “who-whooing” affecting

    Read More

  • Symbols and Symbolism in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rivers flow freely, and smoothly, and people usually go to the river to escape from society and civilization. They feel free with the nature surrounding them, which allows them to rest, and relax in peace. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Twain uses symbolic importance of the Mississippi River. Throughout the story, the Mississippi River plays an important symbolic figure, and significance to the story's plot. For Huck and Jim, the river is a place for freedom and adventure. Mark Twain uses the Mississippi River to symbolize freedom, adventure, and comfort.

    Read More

  • Religion, Slavery, and Democracy in Huckleberry Finn

    765 Words  | 2 Pages

    Twain’s skeptical take on religion can be elicited because superstition is a theme that both Huck and Jim bring up several times. Although both of these characters tend to be quite rational, they quickly become irrational when anything remotely superstitious happens to them. The role of superstition in this book is two-fold: First, it shows that Huck and Jim are child-like in spite of their otherwise extremely mature characters. Second, it serves to foreshadow the plot at several key junctions. For example, spilling salt leads to Pa returning for Huck, and later Jim gets bitten by a rattlesnake after Huck touches a snakeskin with his hands.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Superstition In Huckleberry Finn

    729 Words  | 2 Pages

    Huck announces that, “Pretty soon a spider went crawling up my shoulder and I flipped it off and it lit in the candle”(3). Huck knows that it is bad luck so he does certain things to keep the bad luck off. He also states, “I got up and turned around in my tracks three times and crossed my breast every time; and then I tied up a little lock of my hair with thread to keep the witches away” (4). Huck tries to keep the bad luck off because he believes that if he doesn’t try then something bad will happen. Sure enough Huck’s father comes back to town, Huck thinks that he came back due to his ‘bad luck’. If Huck’s father had not come back to town this superstition would’ve been forgotten about and Huck would forget about the so called ‘bad luck’ that he brought into his

    Read More

More about What Does Bad Luck Symbolize In Huckleberry Finn

Open Document