Ian Chaffin

Huck’s Reasoning in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Huck’s mind is most often preoccupied with the telling of his adventures, but in a

few sections the novel switches from this narrative to a process of reasoning that takes

the form of an inner dialogue. Most of what we see as the identity of Huck stems from his

use of reason to interpret the rationales of people around him: prayer, morality, and

hypocrisy. Often alone and in the woods, Huck literally has a conversation in his own

mind as he strives to understand these concepts and find their value as well. He seldom

makes any personal reference to what happens in the story, which makes pinning down

his opinion a difficult task. When Huck reveals his own view, however, it materializes as

this inner dialogue, questioning the validity of other’s views. These moments are out of

context for Huck’s usually expressionless disposition, creating a subtle intimation that

these views are not his own. Twain’s voice enters as Huck converses with himself about

prayer, morality, and hypocrisy, leaving a residue in the text. A close reading of Huck’s

analysis of these ideas will lay bare the ulterior opinions of Mark Twain.

To start we will look to Huck’s reasoning on prayer. This inner dialogue begins

at the start of Chapter 3, when Huck is first confronted with the concept, and continues

later on page 36. The first comment made by Huck regarding prayer characterizes his

view throughout the novel as a whole: “Then Miss Watson she took me in the closet and

prayed, but nothing come of it.” At first Huck is confused by this failure, and starts to

explore the idea through a simplistic effort of praying for fishing gear. When he finds

himself with a fish-line and no hooks, his mind begins to struggle intensely over the idea,
but to no avail. His honest plea to Miss Watson for her to pray in his stead backfires: “I

asked Miss Watson to try for me, but she said I was a fool. She never told me why, and I

couldn't make it out no way” (page 12). This dire situation in Huck’s mind calls for some

serious thinking. Going out, alone, and finding a spot where he feels comfortable, Huck

begins his logical progression on what prayer can be used for. Up until this point in

Chapter 3 Huck seems to sound ignorant in his narration of his inability to understand

prayer, but in paragraph 2 the tone turns critical as Huck analyzes prayer through a series

of questions that represent his form of reasoning: “I says to myself, if a body can get

anything they pray for, why don't Deacon Winn get back the money he lost on pork?

Why can't the widow get back her silver snuffbox that was stole? Why can't Miss Watson

fat up? No, says I to myself, there ain’t nothing in it” (page 12). Twice in this paragraph

the phrase “I says to myself” occurs just before Huck makes his most striking statements.

This series of argumentative questions is the first time, and it gives a sense of what

Huck’s inner dialogue looks like; a coarse examination. Huck’s conclusion is identical to

the beginning of his argument, in that, he starts with the exact same phrase. This

repetition circumscribes his entire process of reasoning in the idea of inner dialogue, not

only in theory but on the page itself the phrase literally surrounds the argument Huck

makes. As Huck answers the questions he posed for himself on prayer, his method of

achieving a consensus in his own mind through inner dialogue leaves an imprint in the

text. “No, says I to myself, there ain’t nothing in it.”

On the surface we see Huck’s mental evaluation of prayer, but below lies a deeply

satirical voice poking fun at the obvious discontinuities in the logical basis for prayer.
Huck isn’t usually irreverent; even when he claims to curse we never see him do so.

Furthermore, his jokes are not purposeful in this section, but what makes them funny is

how ridiculous his statements are. “Why can’t Miss Watson fat up?” is a terribly ruthless

insult, which Huck would never usually say. Not only is this discontinuous with Huck’s

character throughout the novel, but the transition of form from narration to inner dialogue

shows that Huck is not the one at the heart of these slurs. This contrivance is Twain’s

doing, causing Huck to use reason as a way of humorously battering prayer by mocking

those who believe in its usefulness. Twain plays down the power of prayer through

Huck’s reasoning by creating a powerfully sarcastic undertone.

As Huck reveals his view once again, this time on morality, a similar result arises.

Terribly uncomfortable and unhappy with the process of being “sivilized” by Miss

Watson, Huck misbehaves and longs for some sort of change. The repetition of the

annoying commands made by Miss Watson touch a chord everyone knows the sound of:

“’Don't put your feet up there, Huckleberry;’ and ‘Don't scrunch up like that, Huckleberry

— set up straight;’ and pretty soon she would say, ‘Don't gap and stretch like that,

Huckleberry — why don't you try to behave?’”(p. 4). The frustrating emotion that boils

up in Huck as he is constantly told what he is doing is wrong can be felt by the reader in

the repetition of these lines. As a reader one commiserates with Huck’s experience,

because of the reality that everyone has experienced this emotion. Miss Watson then tells

Huck all about the bad place. This is placed directly after his disobedience, implying that

if he continues to behave badly he will end up in hell. Huck retorts, “I wished I was

there,” making Miss Watson livid: “She got mad then, but I didn't mean no harm. All I
wanted was to go somewheres; all I wanted was a change, I warn't particular.” Huck is

legitimately stating his emotions here, in contrast to making a specific argument.

Knowing nothing of heaven or hell, he makes a statement completely based on the way

he feels. Since Huck is relatively unfeeling for most of the novel, this section really

stands out and makes the reader feel for Huck. It represents a section that actually counts

as a true manifestation of what Huck’s opinion. But this emotional response quickly

changes, however, right back to the typical approach. The phrase “I couldn’t see no

advantage” epitomizes the sort of inner dialogue that we see as Huck’s reasoning. As he

wonders whether it would be disadvantageous to end up in heaven with Miss Watson, it

appears as though he is trying to convince himself that it would be worse to be in heaven

with her than to be in hell. Solidifying his stance, Miss Watson declares that Tom Sawyer

will go to hell. To Huck, there are only advantages in going to hell, at least as far as he

can see through his thought process.

In this section we see a competition: Huck is sincerely opening up and telling the

reader that he wants change; while at the same time Twain’s voice is intermingled,

pulling down the prestige of morality. Phrases like “I didn't mean no harm” show that

Huck’s offending remarks are not purposeful in that he doesn’t really understand the

gravity of what he meant by “I wished I was there.” We see Twain’s satire surface with

the unpleasant yet hilarious jibe: “Well, I couldn't see no advantage in going where she

was going, so I made up my mind I wouldn't try for it.” The contrast between these lines

clearly delineates Huck’s voice from Twains. Under the surface of this statement Twain’s

understanding of hell screams: “What a hell of a heaven it will be when they get all these
hypocrites assembled there” (Letter from Twain to J. H. Twichell). Huck would never say

this to Miss Watson, but Twain makes it known by having Huck point to the idea while

leaving it unsaid. Through Huck’s reasoning on morals, Twain creates this belittling

picture of the afterlife, and thereby causes a moral lifestyle to look foolish.

An important theme throughout the novel is hypocrisy; it determines the reader’s

acceptance, trust, and love for a character. Since Huck is narrating, we don’t ever see him

displayed as hypocritical, but we do see his use of reason pointing out contradictions

between the laws that other characters purport to live by and their de facto actions. We

love characters like Jim in the novel who, from Huck’s view, seem to be an accurate

representation of who they claim to be. The Widow, on the other hand, is not a beloved

character; even with her powerful talk on providence that “makes a body’s mouth water,”

the hypocrisy that she exhibits disqualifies her in the reader’s eyes. Huck’s father is

shown to be a hypocrite as well, deepening the disdain surrounding him. Huck’s

reasoning is a powerful tool in shaping the reader’s view of other characters in the novel.

Twain takes advantage of Huck’s ability to analyze and starts criticizing hypocrites. In

Chapter 1, we see Huck’s encounter with the Widow Douglas, and his first notice of false

virtue. “Pretty soon I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldn't.

She said it was a mean practice and wasn't clean, and I must try to not do it any more.

That is just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they don't know

nothing about it. Here she was a-bothering about Moses, which was no kin to her, and no

use to anybody, being gone, you see, yet finding a power of fault with me for doing a

thing that had some good in it. And she took snuff, too; of course that was all right,
because she done it herself.” The statement made here is rather blatant and it is easy to

see the point. Huck is evaluating the validity of the Widow’s command on the basis that

she “don’t know nothing about it,” and that she cares more about worthless things than

useful ones. But at the end he adds an ad-hominem attack that is typical of Twain’s voice.

It is simply a blow to the character of the Widow, and while it may be true it doesn’t in

any way prove that Huck should be allowed to smoke, it simply shows that the Widow is

just as guilty as he is. This is an extra step taken by Twain at the end of Huck’s

reasoning; it has an intensified bitterness in it, and delivers the final blow to the integrity

of the Widow.

Huck sees a contradiction in his own father through his proverb on taking

chickens: "Pap always said, take a chicken when you get a chance, because if you don't

want him yourself you can easy find somebody that does, and a good deed ain't ever

forgot. I never see pap when he didn't want the chicken himself, but that is what he used

to say, anyway” (page 60). The maxim itself is perfectly true, that good deeds are not

forgotten, but a close look at the second portion reveals a change from narration to

personal comments by Huck. “I never see pap…” is dialogue that Huck is making with

himself, and when this happens Twain’s voice creeps in. He creates a complete disdain

for pap in the novel, to the point where Huck, who is far away from his father on the

Mississippi, remembers only this foolish motto that vilifies his father even further.

Huck’s conversation that he makes with himself is employed by Twain for the

condemnation of hypocrisy.

Huck’s conclusions on the ethics surrounding him actually represent Twain’s

views on these important topics in the novel. We have seen the push and pull that takes

place as Huck’s narration is halted by Twain’s voice and then switched back to Huck; the

mark of Twain’s voice being an interior dialogue in the mind of Huck. Twain’s ulterior

motive is evident as he directs Huck to think through prayer, morality and hypocrisy. His

satirical and critical view of these ways of life, seep through Huck’s analysis and leave

these customs belittled and tainted.