Why does huck enjoy the circus

Why does Huck say there is no home like a raft? Huck Finn feels most comfortable and loved with Jim on the raft; therefore, Jim is more like family to him than anyone else. When two more men claiming to be the Wilks brothers arrive on a steamboat just as the auction is ending, the crowd brings them in with much laughter and shouting, believing the whole thing is one big joke. The people are no doubt laughing because they will now get to discover for themselves who the real brothers are.

Huck enjoys the circus because it is pleasant relief from the king and the duke and the problems helping Jim escape. He loves seeing the costumes, acrobats and clowns. A crowd gathers around the dying man and then goes off to lynch Sherburn. The crowd quickly backs away, however, as Sherburn greets them from the roof of his front porch, rifle in hand. After a chilling silence, Sherburn delivers a haughty speech on human nature in which he attacks the cowardice and mob mentality of the average person.

Sherburn tells the crowd that no one will lynch him in the daytime. The mob, chastened, disperses. A performer, pretending to be a drunk, forces himself into the ring and tries to ride a horse, apparently hanging on for dear life.

The crowd roars in amusement, except for Huck, who cannot bear to watch the poor man in danger. Although these chapters involving the duke and the dauphin appear purely comic on the surface, a dark commentary undercuts the comedy in virtually every episode.

On the surface, the duke and the dauphin seem to be just two bumbling con artists, but they present an immediate threat to Huck and Jim. Moreover, the fact that the duke and the dauphin run their first scam at a sacred event—a religious meeting—demonstrates their incredible malice.

Continuing the pattern that we have seen throughout Huckleberry Finn , nearly everyone Huck and Jim encounter on the river is an unsavory character or a fake in one way or another. Furthermore, much of what he has to say about cowardice applies directly to the townspeople's deplorable behavior, which has put Huck and Jim in peril in the first place.

All the while, however, we are aware that this thoughtful speech comes from the mouth of a man who has just shot a defenseless drunk. Like Huck, we are confused and disoriented. In a world like the one Twain depicts in the novel, one can no longer distinguish between reality and fakery, doom and deliverance. She is beautiful and Huck is so moved by her goodness that he resolves to expose the duke and king as the con men they are.

Huck wants Mary Jane to leave the house before anyone sees her because she has an innocent face that will give away any lies. Huck grows especially fond of Mary Jane, the oldest of the group. Pap is an abusive drunkard who channels his anger at the world into violence against his son. His main motivations in the book are jealousy, greed, and alcoholism.

He feels intensely jealous of Huck for his fortune, and he wants access to that money so that he can fuel his drinking problem. Pap—Pap gets killed in a poker game, probably for cheating. His body is found when Huck and Jim board the house floating down the river. After Boggs dies, a mob gathers and decides to hang Colonel Sherburn. Boggs claims that Sherburn has swindled him.

Sherburn tells Boggs that if he continues to taunt him, Sherburn will kill him. Jim is kind to Huck for being his protector and companion. Jim mourns and longs to see his wife and kids once again. Huck enjoys the circus because it is pleasant relief from the king and the duke and the problems helping Jim escape. He loves seeing the costumes, acrobats and clowns.

The town is Bricksville, Arkansas. This is satirical because none of the buildings are made of brick. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Sociology What insight does this comment reveal about the character of Huck?