Huckleberry Finn Chapters 7-11

In chapters seven through eleven Mark Twain shows the reader Huckleberry's impressive survival skills, cleverness, and tolerance that is generally unheard of at that time in that particular area. Twain shows the reader these qualities of Huckleberry for several reasons; one of them is so that the reader understands that while Huck may be lacking in a proper education, he is still capable of completing various tasks that would require some level of intellectual. One example of this is when Huck fakes his murder, this would require some forethought and clever thinking to be pulled off successfully. Twain also reveals Huck's level of cleverness and wit, one example of this would be when Huck leaves the island and goes ashore and must lie to a woman he meets in a shack. While this deceit may hurt Huck's character, it shows his ability to think quickly in tricky situations. Huck's acceptance of Jim displays the tolerance that Huck has towards black people. This is very significant in the novel when considering the time that is being portrayed. Huck's tolerance may be showing that he is naïve, or it could be showing that Huck is mature enough to not discriminate due to color. Huck probably obtained these skills, especially survival and cleverness, due to being left on his own frequently by his father.