The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Huck Finn’s Illustration of Kind Behavior
Within Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer novel, Huckleberry Finn illustrates kind behavior. To this end, Finn treats Uncle Jake like he would treat a fellow White individual. Moreover, Finn is sorry for Muff Potter who is wrongly accused of murdering Dr. Robinson. Further, upon learning of Injun Joe’s planned attack against Mrs. Douglas, Finn seeks help from the Welshman. This essay highlights Finn’s kindness within The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by analyzing the following behaviors: Finn treats Uncle Jake like he would treat a fellow White individual; Finn is sorry for Potter who is wrongly accused of murdering Dr. Robinson; and Finn seeks the help of the Welshman after discovering that Joe plans to attack Mrs. Douglas.
To illustrate his kind personality, Finn treats an African American man named Uncle Jake like he would treat a fellow White individual. In this regard, Finn refrains from acting as though he is superior to Uncle Jake. This is crucial because Finn is a White American young man and thus enjoys the high social status ascribed to White people. Finn nevertheless disregards this ideology of entitlement and treats Uncle Jake like he would treat a fellow White American individual. For instance, Finn at one time shares a meal with Uncle Jake (Twain, n.d.). Through his indiscriminating stance while interacting with Uncle Jake, Finn illustrates his (Finn’s) kindness. Such kindness prompts Finn to desist from treating Uncle Jake as an inferior individual. In Finn’s understanding, if he is treated as an inferior individual, Uncle Jake would be hurt. Given that Finn avoids hurting Uncle Jake and thus treats him (Uncle Jake) as an equal individual, it is clear that Finn is kind.
Considering that Finn is sorry for Potter who is wrongly accused of murdering Dr. Robinson, Finn is further a kind character. On this note, Finn secretly watches as Injun Joe murders Dr. Robinson. Finn also watches as Joe shrewdly blames Potter for this murder. When Potter is arrested, detained, and prosecuted for this murder, Finn is sorry for Potter. To illustrate his regretful status, Finn offers various types of assistance to the detained Potter (Ibid.). Through this conduct, Finn illustrates his kind personality. Thanks to his kindness, Finn is pitiful about Potter’s wrongful accusation, detention, and prosecution. If he were not kind, Finn would not feel sorry for Potter.
Finn further illustrates his kindness by seeking the help of the Welshman after discovering that Joe plans to attack Mrs. Douglas. In this regard, Finn secretly overhears Joe explaining his plans of attacking Mrs. Douglas’ house. Fearing for Mrs. Douglas, Finn rushes to the house of the Welshman and reports Joe’s evil plan. This way, Finn causes the Welshman to come to Mrs. Douglas’ rescue. The Welshman thus helps in repulsing Joe, thus foiling Joe’s planned attack (Ibid.). While appraising this scenario, it is instructive to bear in mind that Finn helps to protect Mrs. Douglas from harm. It is also possible that Finn’s intervention saves Mrs. Douglas from being killed by Joe. In this regard, Finn highlights his kindness. Such kindness propels Finn to take action and save Mrs. Douglas. If he were not kind, Finn would not intervene to ensure Mrs. Douglas is not harmed by Joe.
In conclusion, within The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Finn illustrates kindness in several ways. For instance, Finn treats Uncle Jake like he would treat a fellow White individual. In addition, Finn is sorry for Potter who is wrongly accused of murdering Dr. Robinson. Further, Finn seeks the help of the Welshman after discovering that Joe plans to attack Mrs. Douglas. It would be insightful to find out why Twain uses Finn to explore the theme of kindness.
