Feminine Power in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay

Whether young or middle-aged, the effeminate characters in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn played critical roles. They were more(prenominal) a dower of the novels scenic book bindingdrop, precisely their function served in shaping the main character(s). The women and girls of the book were stereotypical, teachers, and worse than the anthropoids. The female characters were given stereotypical qualities, being depicted from an American mans point of view. They were perceived as virtuous, innocent, helpless women, needing aid from the male characters.Womens vulnerability can be made out in chapter 11 of the novel, where Judith Loftus confesses to wanting the assistance of Huck, she told me to try for the next whiz (Twain 59). Females occupy the back of the novel, seen as nagging, providing inspiration, often weeping or hysterical (Walker 139-153). You can protest this in chapter twenty-eight of the novel, where Huck stumbles upon Mary Jane Wilks, she had stopped now, with a folded garment in her lap, and had her face in her hands, crying (Twain 187).They possessed many assets, including honesty, compassion, a sense of duty, innocence, and limitation making them look powerless, as they were in the smart set of those days. Women were also the teachers of those days. Not only is Huck taught his education by women, exactly learns the ways of humanity from them as well. Some women, such as the leave behind Douglas and Miss Watson, are principal female mentors (Walker 139-153). Huck Finn begins developing more and more traits from the females you see him interacting with.Often he tries to run from the civilizing presence of women (Walker 139-153). This is shown in the final chapter of the novel, Aunt Sally shes going to adopt me and sivilize me and I cant stand it (Twain 293). He is educated in prepare books, societal etiquette, and the Christian faith. You can find these teachings from Miss Watson in chapter one of the novel, took a set at me now, wit h a spelling-book. She worked me middling hard for astir(predicate) an hour (Twain 3).Lastly, the female characters were of far less import to Twain than the male characters, just as you wouldve seen in the typical culture of his day. Morally, they were better gain than men, scarce they were powerless to society. Both the men and the women in the novel ornament the values of a society that has little regard for human dignity, but the female characters also embody virtues that could redeem that society if the women were empowered to do so (Walker 139-153). The men tend to be unruly characters, while the women render high merit.My scrutiny, like Nancy Walkers, is that the women, though supposed to have been piddling to the novel, held essential roles. They were stereotyped teachers who had better ethics than the male characters. The book wouldnt have been complete without them, seeing as they were a large part of Huckleberry Finns growth. Works Cited Walker, Nancy. Reformers and Young Maidens Women and Virtue in Huckleberry Finn. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. (1990) 139-153. Print. Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Austin, TX Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. Print.