Twain's Huck Finn's Use of the Tall Tale

        In Mark Twain's timeless American classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the narrator often finds himself in undesirable situations. These situations, which are far- fetched even for the nineteenth-century, provide much humor to the novel and demonstrate Huck's cunning. Huck's adept use of the tall tale becomes a survival tool on this adventure.         In the novel, Huck sees lies as more of a practical solution to problems than as a moral dilemma. He rationalizes that …

…changes his story just enough to make it believable, displaying his unique ability to adjust his tale to within the parameters of believability. Throughout the novel Huck fools many intelligent people. His youth gives him a mask of innocence, that people don't want to disbelieve.         Stretching the truth comes naturally to Huck Finn. Although his lies may seem to show a lack of good ethics, it is the lies themselves that truly show his virtue.