Coming of Age Theme in the Adventures of Huck Finn Essay Sample

Although in the novel Huckleberry Finn faces multiple hardships, he also grows as a person. The theme of “coming of age” is shown repeatedly through Twain’s use of multiple literary devices. Huck Finn grows to be more accepting of people which can be shown through Twain’s use of personification and foreshadowing. 

andWhen Huck  faces his conscience and changes his principles he learns to accept everyone as equal Twain expresses this through the use of personification. On page 115 of the novel, Huck states, “My conscience got to stirring me up hotter than ever, until at last I says to it, 'Let up on me – it ain't too late, yet – I'll paddle ashore at the first light, and tell” (Twain, 115). In this statement, Huck is debating whether he should turn  Jim in or not. He thinks he would be relieved if he gave in to his conscience. So he says that he will  tell someone about Jim, but he never  does. He accepts that Jim is a person too. A person who deserves to be free just like he is. In this situation, Huck is  facing his conscience about helping Jim escape. Hes facing  a internal battle as to whether or not he’s going to change his morals and everything he was taught in order to  accept all people as equal. The use of personification is helpful here because someone can't physically talk to their conscience, it just isn’t possible. One’s conscience speaks in the mind, so the personification almost makes another character in the story that Finn is arguing with about his morals, so in this case, giving Huck’s conscience human attributes.

andListening tot Jim  was one of the greatest lessons Huck got. By listening to Jim, Huck accepted that he has and  always will make mistakes. According to Jim, “Sometimes you gwyne to git hurt, en sometimes you gwyne to git sick; but every time you’s gwyne to git well agin” (Twain 27). For some background information, foreshadowing is a writer giving a hint of what is to come later in the story. It’s often found at the beginning of a text . In  the beginning of the novel, Jim gives Huck  advice about how many times he will get hurt, and how he will make  mistakes but thateverything will be okay, and thats it's not the end of the world. This really comes into play when Huck  makes a mistake. In chapter 15 Huck plays a prank on Jim. After being gone for a while, Huck see’s  Jim sleeping on the raft.  Huck then tries to trick Jim by pretending that he  dreamed Huck being gone and that Huck had been sleeping with Jim the whole time. However, Jim  notices all of the trash, dirt, and tree branches that have piled on the raft. He is upset that Huck tried to trick him. Huck later apologizes and he feels bad for hurting Jim. Jim’s advice  gave Huck comfort knowing Jim would forgive Huck and that everything would be okay. Jim’s advice foreshadows that Huck will face problems and that he will make mistakes but that everything will work itself out. 

Through Twain's use of personification and foreshadowing, Huckleberry Finn grows to be more accepting of others. Using literary devices Twain proves how Huck learned to accept others and himself, therefore “coming of age” throughout the novel. This shows how people can change and grow when put through different situations with different people.