Huck's Hiatus

People are crazy. I can't get over how many illogical, ignorant and violent tendencies people in large groups can have. Groups of people are an intriguing animal. Twain holds up a critical mirror to society in that respect several times throughout the novel, especially after the Duke and King show up. People in groups get weird.

Examples of these Occurrences:

• Jim's Hat
• when a couple people believe Jim's superstitious tales, the word spreads quickly and several people follow lead, despite the fact that he truly makes it up
• Tom Sawyer's Gang
• innocent boys plan to become murderers and robbers... for no other reason then to be doing it together
• Sheperdsons vs. Grangerfords
• families murder each other for reasons no one can remember
• Col. Sherbern's Lynch Mob
• people decide to lynch a man in broad daylight and HE convinces them to scatter
• The Royal Nonesuch
• audience members decide to lie to their friends so they aren't singled out as stupid

Perhaps that's where Twain decided to take the novel after his three year hiatus--to give a social commentary on man's lack of ability to think for himself. I also think humans have a tendency to feel entitled and to look for reasons to prove their entitlements. And they might find that opportunity anywhere, whether its by lynching a man to honking their horns in traffic. This illustrative mirror of human tendencies is an example of how this novel is realist.

Twain pulls an "Alice and Mad Hatter" tactic in his story telling. For you can't tell how crazy society can be unless there is a character who the reader can sharply contrast it with. From the outside of "civilization" and on his raft, Huck observes how messed up people are on land. He tries to shed their ways like he sheds his clothes. This is also apparent in the way Huck makes moral decisions. They are never based on societal rules, but rather spiritual questions of right and wrong (another reason why I love him). And because he is not man but rather a boy on a raft in a river, he thinks for himself.