The Good Place (Analysis of the role of the Mississippi river in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn)

The Good Place (Analysis of the role of the Mississippi river in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn) In Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" the Mississippi river serves as a constant in an otherwise scattered narrative. As Huck recounts his adventures, the story moves us, literally, down the river through the heart of the American continent, and through the heart of Huck himself, as he develops in life. The first mention of the river comes in Chapter 2, when Huck calls the river "grand" (252). This characterization of the river as a larger than life figure is indicative of things to come. The river is central in the physical journey of course, but also becomes indicative of Huck's spiritual journey as well.As the book begins, the widow Douglas and Miss Watson are teaching Huck about Christianity. Miss Watson deplores Huck's behavior, asking him, "...why don't you try to behave?" (249). She then tells him about heaven and hell, warning Huck, that within the context of her faith his behavior will lead him to eternal damnation.Huck and jim on raft