Reader Response 2: Huck Finn (7 - 13)

Huck is influenced by Tom Sawyer in a negative way because even if danger is coming their way Tom would tell Huck not to get chicken. The quote where this shows how Tom is a negative influence is “Tom Sawyer wouldn’t back out now, and so I won’t either; I’m agoing to see what’s going on here….”(ch. 12, pg.51, par.3) But if Huck never met Tom he wouldn’t even be in that situation he’s in now. He just would’ve listened to Jim, and not go one the boat. The positive affect that Tom has on Huck is that Tom told Huck that he was one of the smartest people.

The positive influence that Widow Douglas has on Huck is that she wants him to do well, and be proper and get a good education. Not to grow up and be like his father. A quote that was stated by widow was “Take your hands away, Huckleberry- what a mess you are always making.” (ch.4, pg.12 par. 1) After reading what she said to Huck she only wants the best. A negative affect is that she is always nagging at Huck and he’s tired of it. The only reason why she puts up with him is because she wants that six-thousand dollars.

The negative influence that Pap has on Huck is really bad. He doesn’t even want Huck to go to school and learn new things because he didn’t go to school. And Pap doesn’t want Huck to know more than him. And he also teaches him to steal and says its borrowing. “Pap always said it warn’t any harm in borrowing things, if you was meaning to pay them back, sometime;..” (ch.12, pg.49, par.3). The positive influence that Pap has on Huck is that he took him from Widow Douglas so that she wouldn’t harm him for the six- thousand dollars. Even though, Huck didn’t like it at first.

The negative influence that Jim had on Huck was that, he basically told him to keep running away and not tell anybody that he was dead. And to keep the lie going, because Jim was on the run too, as an escaped slave. The positive influence that Jim had on Huck is that he looked out for him in time of trouble. “I don’t want to go foolin’ ‘longer no wrack…Like as not dey’s a watchman on the rack”(ch12, pg. 50, par.3)