Feminine Power in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example
Both immature and middle-aged, the female characters in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn played crucial roles. They were more like a part of the novel’s scenery, but their role helped determine the main character(s). The women and girls in the book were stereotyped as teachers and deemed "worse" than the males. They were characterized with stereotyped qualities, portrayed from an American man's perspective. They were seen as virtuous, innocent, helpless women who needed assistance from the male characters. The vulnerability of women can be seen in chapter 11 when Judith Loftus confesses that she needs Huck’s help: "she told me to look for the next one" (Twain 59). Women are present throughout the novel, portrayed as nagging, providing inspiration, often crying or being hysterical (Walker 139-153). This can be witnessed in chapter 28 when Huck encounters Mary
...Jane Wilks: "she had stopped now, with a folded gown in her lap, and had her face in her hands, crying" (Twain 187). Despite this portrayal, women possessed many positive traits such as honesty, compassion, a sense of responsibility, innocence, and vulnerability; however, these qualities made them appear powerless in society at that time. Women were also the educators of that era. Not only did women like Widow Douglas and Miss Watson teach Huck his lessons, they also taught him about humanity.The text emphasizes the significant role of female characters in Mark Twain's novel, particularly as influential mentors for the main character, Huck Finn. These women have a profound impact on Huck's development as he gradually adopts their characteristics. However, Huck also attempts to evade their educational influence, as depicted in the final chapter where he expresses his
aversion to Aunt Sally's attempts to "civilize" him. This education primarily encompasses academic knowledge, social etiquette, and religious teachings, exemplified by Miss Watson's instructions and her diligent efforts to teach Huck spelling. Although female characters hold less importance than males in Twain's time, they possess moral superiority over men but lack societal power. Nevertheless, both male and female characters reflect a society that disregards human dignity, with the potential for redemption if women were empowered to initiate change. While men are portrayed as loud and boisterous, women embody virtuous qualities. Therefore, it is argued, the female characters play indispensable roles contrary to their supposed insignificance in the novel.The female instructors in Huckleberry Finn were portrayed as having better morals than the male characters and were essential to the protagonist's development. Their presence was crucial in the narrative. (Works Cited: Walker, Nancy. "Reformers and Young Maidens: Women and Virtue in Huckleberry Finn." Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1990): 139-153. Print. Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Austin, Texas: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, Print.)
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