The Growth of Huck in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Abstract Mark Twain is one of the greatest American writers in the 19th century and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is his representative work。 Hemingway speaks highly of it and says that all modern American literature comes from it。 Many works of study about The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn have interpreted it from different perspectives。 Nevertheless, there are not enough studies analyzing Huck’s growth from his own aspect。 The thesis proposes that as a classic initiation story, it is necessary to discuss Huck’s growth by the inner aspect and give the youth some help and enlightenment。90460

After briefly introducing Mark Tain and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the thesis first discusses the definition and origin of the initiation story and American initiation story。 In this novel, Huck’s growth mainly includes two aspects: his understanding of human rights and his understanding of the civilized society。 And his growth is pided into three stages: dilemma, confusion and epiphany。

His father’s ill-treatment lets Huck lose his own human rights and Widow Douglas’s discipline makes Huck feel the constraint of the civilized society。 Falling into such a dilemma, Huck decides to run away from the civilized society。 In the raft journey along the Mississippi River, Huck meets all kinds of accidents and people。 As for Jim, he feels confusion of slavery and freedom and confusion of ownership and human rights。 As for the civilized society, he feels confusion of fraud and sincerity and confusion of civilization and barbarism。 Huck finally has a better understanding of human rights and the civilized society by going through such experiences。

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic American initiation story and Huck’s initiation is the development of both his physiology and psychology through various conflicts。 It is also a process of realizing society and human nature better。 The writer hopes that Huck’s growth will have a positive influence on the teenagers as well。

Keywords: Mark Twain; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; initiation stories; growth

论《哈克贝利·费恩历险记》中哈克的成长之路

摘  要 马克·吐温是19世纪美国最为伟大的作家之一，而他的代表作《哈克贝利·费恩历险记》更是被海明威高度赞扬，誉为“一切美国现代文学之始”。己经有许多相关文献从各个角度对这部作品进行了解读，然而还没有足够的文献从主人公哈克的角度来分析他的成长经历。作为一部经典的成长小说，从哈克的内心角度来探讨他的成长历程，给当今青少年一些启迪是很有意义的。

简单介绍马克·吐温和这部作品后，本文首先讨论了成长小说的起源与定义，尤其是美国成长小说。

而在这部小说中，哈克的成长主要体现为关于人权的理解和文明社会的理解的逐步深入。他的成长历程分为陷入困境、遭遇疑惑和获得顿悟三个阶段。

父亲的虐待使哈克丧失了自己基本的人权，而寡妇道格拉斯的管教又让哈克受到了来自于文明社会的束缚。这样的困境迫使哈克决定逃离这个上流社会，开始他的旅行。在沿着密西西比河流域的旅程中，哈克遭遇了很多意外，也遇到了好坏不一的人们。在与黑奴吉姆的相处过程中，他对于奴隶制与自由和所有权与人权产生了困惑。而对于所谓的文明社会，哈克也对欺骗与真诚，文明与野蛮有所思考。也正是通过这些经历，哈克对于人权和文明社会有了更为深入的理解。

    《哈克贝利·费恩历险记》是一部经典的美国成长小说。哈克的成长是在不断的冲突中思考，在生理和心理上发生改变，逐渐成熟的过程。这也是他对于社会和人性不断有新的认识的一个过程。笔者也希望这部小说能对当今青少年的成长起到积极的教育作用。