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Youth
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Huck Finn’s youthful naiveté is part of the charm of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Because of his young age, he is able to approach conflict with an innocence and curiosity that an older protagonist might lack. Too young to be fully indoctrinated with the values of antebellum (pre-Civil War) South, Huck gets to examine issues in light of his own still-evolving moral compass. Tom Sawyer’s runaway imagination adds another layer of adventurousness to the plot, and Huck’s contentment with the simple things in life remind us we’re not dealing with somebody who’s got a ton of personal baggage. Lastly, the playful tone of Huck’s narration strikes an interesting balance with the weightier topics of the novel, such as slavery, morality, and racism.
Huck’s friendship with Jim is made possible only by the naiveté and malleability of Huck’s youth.
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