Huck Finn knows more than a fourteen year old boy could possibly know. He has the maturity level of one in their twenties at least. Huck's knowledge and decisions in certain situations in the book exceed the intelligence in general fourteen year old boys. When Samuel Clemens wrote this book, he was well into his mature adult years. Huckleberry Finn represents the adventurous, free spirited life that we all would like to have led in our childhood years. Clemens wrote this book with the frame of mind of a fourteen year old. Huck Finn is Twain's dreams and childhood ambitions come to life.
On Huck's adventure he encounters alot of different views of society. He experiences the restrictions of the company in which he surrounds himself. This knowledge that Huck get's first hand ultimately ends with Huck's mature decision to oppose the views of society and risks going to hell for his friendship with Jim.
Illustration of Jim and Huckleberry Finn, by EW Ke...
Traditional raft, from 1884 edition of Adventures ...
Huck and jim on raftThis is a very mature and noble decision for a boy of Huck's age to make. It is also noticeable that Huck is unlike other boys of his age with the introduction of Tom Sawyer. Tom is always thinking of amazing plans and activities. In contrast, Huck's ideas are sensible and well thought out. This fact shows that Twain made his own character superior in a way to the others, giving him a practical edge on situations. Huck is definitely superior to other boys of his age, but it may not be just his intelligence. Also, Huck has a tendency to confide in the way things are rather than looking for a deeper meaning. This aspect of Huck's character allows him to express his own system of values which seem to give him an edge on other fourteen year old boys. Whatever the reason, Huckleberry...