What Draws Me In

At first glance, a novel written in the late 19th century usually doesn’t grasp the attention of modern high school students; however, this book gives a comedic and slightly childish insight to life in Mississippi before the Civil War, which is simply to say, I love this book.
The antebellum South was a place of slavery and strong ties to religion, especially in Huck’s tiny town. Huck was thrown from his life living in a barrel and freedom into one of schooling, chores, rules, curfew and religion. Perhaps it’s because of his lack of education before being adopted, but Huck’s thick southern drawl is difficult to understand. His language is tricky to comprehend if you read too much into how the words are written rather than how they sound. I have encountered several people who despised this book because of the unusual style of writing. Yet, the oxymoron that Huck’s speech is simple and complex is what draws me in. Huck’s speech pattern draws the reader into the novel, as if he/she is standing in the middle of the town listening to the inhabitants interact.
Another reason I enjoy the novel is the protagonist is a child of an unknown age. Huck attaches himself to the inner child of even the most mature adult. Huck is portrayed as a simpleton, a follower of Tom Sawyer, with a fondness for the great outdoors and adventure. Although he is a child and enjoys acting like one (like joining Tom Sawyer’s band of robbers), he is still pragmatic in many situations; for example, he never bothers to tell the widow that he doesn’t “take stock in dead people,” like Moses. By doing this, Huck can stay out of trouble with the widow. In addition, Huck is incredibly intelligent because of his knowledge of the outdoors. When Pap hid Huck in a cabin, Huck devised a plan to escape the locked room and travel down river, which succeeded. Overall, Huck’s personality combined with witty comments make the pages fly by.
posted by Kayla H.