Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Lies and Deceit Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

"What did you say your name was, honey?"

"M—Mary Williams."

"Honey, I thought you said it was Sarah when you first come in?"

"Oh, yes'm, I did. Sarah Mary Williams. Sarah's my first name. Some calls me Sarah, some calls me Mary." (11.30, 11.31, 11.33, 11.34)

Another one of those don't-try-this-at-home things: caught in a lie, Huck just tells another lie. In the real world, that's a pretty good way to get grounded for three weeks. But on the Mississippi, it just gets Huck a warning.

Quote #5

"They're in an awful peck of trouble, and—"

"WHO is?"

"Why, pap and mam and sis and Miss Hooker; and if you'd take your ferryboat and go up there—"

"Up where? Where are they?"

"On the wreck." (13.29-33)

Actually, this is a pretty good technique. Huck starts off with something vague—"they're" in "trouble"—and only fills in the details when other people ask. Not that we're giving advice, or anything.

Quote #6

"Well, this is too many for me, Jim. I hain't seen no fog, nor no islands, nor no troubles, nor nothing. I been setting here talking with you all night till you went to sleep about ten minutes ago, and I reckon I done the same. You couldn't a got drunk in that time, so of course you've been dreaming." (15.34)

Huck won't lie to his dad, but he has not problem lying to and deceiving Jim. He may not want to send Jim back to slavery, but it doesn't seem like Jim rates quite as highly as a white man in Huck's moral scale.