Huck Finn Reader Response 2 (7-13)

Pap has influenced Huck by him drinking. This influences Huck because when Pap drinks he gets out of control and Huck realizes that he doesn’t want to be like that when he gets older. I believe that Pap has the most negative influence on Huck because Pap is always drinking and swearing and stumbling around Huck which could lead Huck into thinking that all of that is cool and that that is the way he needs to be when he grows up. A quote that can support this is when Huck says, “Every little while he locked me in and went down to the store, three miles, to the ferry, and traded fish and game for whisky.”, and that shows that Pap is willing to give up anything and even the necessities in order to get what he needs. (Ch. 6, Pg.18, Par. 2)

Jim has had a positive and negative influence on Huck. The positive influence that Jim has had on Huck is that Jim helps say what the right thing to do is and what the wrong think to do is. The negative influence that Jim has had on Huck is that Jim ran away which is telling Huck that it is okay to do that. A quote that supports the negative influence is when Jim tells Huck, “Huck. I –I run off.” This is telling Huck that it is okay to run away because an adult did it so it should be fine for you to do it. (Ch. 8, Pg. 32, Par. 18)

The Widow Douglas has had a positive influence on Huck. I believe that because she was always telling him not to smoke because it will kill you and she was always getting him to clean his clothes. A quote that can support this is when the widow tells Huck "Don't put your feet up there, Huckleberry;" and "Don't scrunch up like that, Huckleberry-set up straight;" and "Don't gap and stretch like that, Huckleberry-why don'tyou try and behave?" I think this is a good influence on huck because she is trying to help him shape up so he becomes a very nice young man and get a good job when he is older.