Reflection of Huckleberry Finn

Of every novel we have read so far this year (and that is a lot of novels), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been -unquestionably- my favorite. The combination of Mark Twain's simple language, energetic plot line, subtle (yet substantial) underlying themes, and the heart-warming friendship between Huck and Jim held my interest throughout all three hundred and something pages. I immediately sympathized with Huck at the mention of his drunken, abusive father, and my love of Huck grew stronger as he went from a pitiable little narrator to a complex character with fears, quirks, playful habits, adventurous desires, and a soft spot for sweet young girls who are being fooled and betrayed. 

The first time I read through the novel, I regret to say that I did not fully grasp the underlying satire that Mark Twain encoded in the pages. However, when I went back to read key passages of the book to prepare for the essay test (this being the day we reviewed satire), Twain's stance on the issues of slavery, racism, and following societal expectations began to jump out at me. What I had originally admired as a classic tale about a young boy and his travels down the Mississippi River, I now regard as a clever and cunning tool to get a meaning full point across.