Huck Finn Parental Figures

Throughout the novel, Huck is maturing. For the most part, he does this by himself as he had done throughout most of his life. With the exception of Jim, Huck lacks strong parental influence throughout the novel. Pap failed as a parent. Miss Watson also failed. Widow Douglas was a good person but did not influence Huck’s decisions. Jim was one of the few positive influences and the closest thing to father figure Huck …

…concerned about his feelings before Huck’s. Jim, however, was the opposite of Pap in the novel. He is very loving and affectionate to Pap. Unlike Pap, he cared more about Huck than he did about himself. Jim is a better person than Pap. He was a true family man and was there for Huck when he needed him. Jim and Huck share a very special relationship that is very close to a father-son relationship.