In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain the character Huck learns about survival and growing up. Huck Finn has had a trauma filled childhood, from living with his drunk father and living with a widow in the lap of luxury.

The story of Huck Finn is much like the novel The Catcher in the Rye. Both Holden and Huck are lost in their society. It is amazing to see that both Huck and Holden have so much in common. Huck is as lost as Holden. Both of them are struggling to find their place in the world. Neither boy "fits in," in their society. Both Holden and Huck are very unsure of themselves, they seem to start running to some unknown destination. They start and don't really know where they are going or what they are going to do when they get there. It is so amazing to see how these two characters live in totally different worlds, yet have the same problem. Both Huck and Holden don't really want to grow up. They don't want to face reality and have major responsibilities.

Although, this story takes place in the slavery era, I am still able to relate it to my own personal experiences. Like Huck, I do not know what I am going to be when I grow up. I often wonder what I am going to do or when I am actually "grown up." I too, am very unsure of myself and often feel as if I do not fit in. However, I am sure as the story goes on and as my life goes on, Huck will learn to fit in and belong in his society and I will learn to compromise with my society.

The role of superstition plays a huge roll in the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Superstition is used to be a reason for things that go wrong. If any thing bad happens to Huck or Jim, they blame it on superstition. I did not know that superstition was that important back then. I know it today's society superstition has a little if any role. Today, when things go wrong we don't blame them on things such as touching a snake skin. We make a common hypothesis as to why it might have happened or that we are just having a bad day.

The topic of Huck being a "bad kid" or a "good kid" arose in our group discussion. A major thing that could lead to Huck having some trouble growing up is that he has not had a father around to help bring him up. I know if my father was never around I would think that I was a pretty unwanted person. Maybe Huck acts so "unruly" because he has not had the proper discipline growing up and he has not had family around to help bring him up. Huck does not have a role model. His only role model is Tom and having Tom for a role model, could also effect why Huck acts like a bad child.

In my opinion, Huck is not a bad child. To me he has had a very trauma filled childhood that has effected his actions and his discipline. Also, his father was not a great role model. His father does not want him to be able to read or write. His father is a drunkard and his a poor excuse of a role model. Therefore, with Huck growing up with a father like this it is very hard for Huck to know what is wrong or right. Huck does not know how to be a well behaved child. It is his instinct that has caused him to speak his mind and act out.

The novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, so far has been a very down to earth story of a bond that is growing between a grown African American slave and a young boy. In this story I think that Huck Finn will not only find that life is not always fair, but he will also find himself and who he is inside.