Superstition in Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain

Mark Twain saturates the allegory The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with many examples of superstition and myths. These aspects of the novel help the story progress, they provide entertainment and help the story identify with the time. The most importantreason for the superstition and the rituals that come along with them be they are one ofthe main reasons for the adventure in the first place. There are many examples throughtthe story of the superstition from the spider in the candle to the rattle-snake skin and the hair- egg. genius of the first examples of superstition is a simple thing that carried some of the biggest consequences.One morning I happened to turn over the saltcellar at breakfast. I reached for some of it as quick as I could to throw over my left shoulder and keep off the insalubrious luck, but dud Watson was in ahead of me, and cut through me off. This is an example of how everything superstition has a ritual to remove the bad luck. Huck was not satisfied thought with what the widow had done for him he says The widow site in a good word for me, but that warnt going to keep off the bad luck, I knowed that well enough. This fear of bad luck was acompanied by seeing his fathers shoe prints in the snow so Huck knew he had to do something. What Huck ended up doing was going to Miss Watsons slave Jim who had a magical hair-ball. When Huck goes to find out what the hairball can put him Jim tells Huck that the hairball needs money to tell his fortune. All Huck had however is a conterfiet quarter. Jim managed to make it work though by sticking it inside a potato to fool the hair-ball. What the hair ball ended up telling them is this Yoole fathe doan know yit what hes a gwyne to do. Somtimes he spec hell go way, en den agin he spec hell stay. De bes way is tores easy enlet so ole man take his own way. Deys two angels hoverin roun bout him. One uvems light en tother one is dark.