Huck Finn: Final Thoughts

Huckleberry Finn is a bildungsroman because although Huck doesn’t necessarily grow physically, he definitely grows spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. For one thing, his identity is solidified as he learns how to separate himself and his ideas from both Tom Sawyer with his crazy-Romantic plots, but also society in general, with its notion of Black people being inferior to White people. Huck grows mentally as he gains confidence in the logic of his plans and doing things efficiently, whether it’s conventional or not. He grows spiritually, because he chooses to do what he feels is right despite the feelings of guilt that society puts on him and his warped perceptions of God and conscience. Finally, Huck grows emotionally because in his travels with Jim, he gains the opportunity to experience a something close to the father-son relationship he has never had, and he is also exposed to the idea that Jim misses his children, loves them, and mourns for them, showing that, despite Huck’s personal experiences, it is possible for a father to care for his children.