Free Response Question 7- The Duality of First-Person Narration by Huck Finn

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn enthralls readers with its style and wit. Mark Twain removes himself from the story at the beginning, seeking to convince the reader that Huck is the one telling the tale. This beginning, starting in first-person, continues throughout the book, and we can see that this adds much meaning and personality to the book.

The ability of first-person writing to have a duality of persona greatly adds to the book. Huck narrates both in the moment and as a more mature, omnipotent narrator. These two presentations add a dynamic character to the work as a whole. Huck, as the older, wiser narrator, proves to us that somehow he has learned from the happenings in his life, and grown as a result. This is exemplified in Chapter 28, when Huck is speaking with Mary Jane. There is dialogue and narration, and finally, Huck (as the knowing, older narrator right at first, and then when he thinks as the in the moment Huck),says, "Well, I says to myself at last, I'm agoing to chance it; I'll up and tell the truth this time, though it does seem most like setting down on a dag of powder and touching it off just to see where you'll go to." The wiser Huck clues us in to the trouble he goes through in making this moral decision, and the in the moment Huck tells the reader what happens. It's a very clever way of adding personality and explanation of true feeling into the story. Most of the time the book is told in the present, and the reader can clearly see Huck as he is in the story, trying to get down the Mississippi and have a few adventures along the way.

This duality adds an element of suspense which could not be replicated without the two forms of first-person. The older Huck knows what will happen, and so can narrate in a style worthy of the story, creating suspense. Then through dialogue and interaction with other characters in the present, the story fleshes out. It is not a one-dimensional story; there is the added dimension of wisdom which adds suspense and a sense of expectancy in the telling of the story.

This first-person telling also contributes to the relationship the reader develops with Huck. This method of storytelling almost makes Huck seem like he is right in the room telling the story to you. It is much like a raconteur, spinning a grand tale, and less like a dry account of Huck’s journey down the river. Twain makes it as if Huck is really telling you just what happened, without author or editor intervention. This endears Huck to the reader, and helps add Huck’s true personality to the writing. The writing itself conveys Huck’s personality since it is first-person, and this colors the book in a way millions have come to love.

Finally, this duality grants a sense of growth in light of the narrator’s former naivety. We can see how Huck has developed through his older narrations, and in juxtaposition with his dialogue and present actions, we can see that he grows. Huck’s trip down the Mississippi matures him in many ways, including helping him see himself without the domineering leadership of Tom, letting him see that Jim is much more than some slave, but a true man and father figure, and just overall growth and wisdom through interactions with the likes of the Grangerfords and the King and the Duke. He has certainly changed, and we see this more mature narrator throughout finally become the narrator at the end, though it is still the same uncivilized and rambunctious Huckleberry Finn readers have come to love.