Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Huckleberry Finn Quotes

Huckleberry Finn

Quote 13

The widow she cried over me, and called me a poor lost lamb, and she called me a lot of other names, too, but she never meant no harm by it. (1.3)

We'll say she didn't mean any harm. In fact, it sounds a lot like the widow is really getting fond of Huck—like she feels like a mother to him. But Huck just can't get comfortable in the role of a son.

Huckleberry Finn

Quote 14

The judge and the widow went to law to get the court to take me away from him and let one of them be my guardian; but it was a new judge that had just come, and he didn't know the old man; so he said courts mustn't interfere and separate families if they could help it; said he'd druther not take a child away from its father. So Judge Thatcher and the widow had to quit on the business. (5.30)

Sometimes it's fairer to break the rules. Huck is learning this, but the new judge doesn't know it yet. Sure, the laws say not to separate families. But Huck is definitely better off without his dad.

Huckleberry Finn

Quote 15

Pap he hadn't been seen for more than a year, and that was comfortable for me; I didn't want to see him no more. He used to always whale me when he was sober and could get his hands on me; though I used to take to the woods most of the time when he was around. (3.3)

It's hard to tell because of Huck's casual tone, but this is pretty grim. A son who feels better off without his father? No wonder Huck doesn't feel comfortable in society. The #1 societal bond, between families, is nothing but a horrorshow for him.