The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Samuel L. Clemens, whose pen name was Mark
Twain, presents the evils of southern societies during the pre-Civil War period in America. Clemens
, a well-respected author, "...began writing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1876 and, after s
everal stops and starts, completed it in 1883" (19). This novel revolves around the theme of slaver
y versus freedom, and was published at a time when most southern landowners still "owned" slaves. H
uck Finn is a novel that incorporates the struggles of a young boy, Huck Finn, with that of a cruel,
careless world, on his travel down the Mississippi River in attempt at finding his own identity. I
n this essay, I will present textual evidence that proves that the Seven Deadly Sins are directly as
sociated with the types of evil in the novel, making Huck's world one of violence, terror, and death
. The Seven Deadly Sins will be discussed according to their significance throughout the novel, beg
inning with: 1.) Pride; 2.) Avarice and Sloth; 3.) Gluttony and Wrath; and 4.) Envy and Lust. C
lemens' main character, Huck Finn, experiences a great deal of violence throughout the novel as a di
rect result of the most significant Deadly Sin, Pride. Huck's father, Pap, is a drunkard who contin
uously exemplifies the sin of Pride. Pap finds extreme Pride in the "white man" with the legality o
f slavery. An example of his Pride is seen when an inebriated Pap verbally attacks free blacks in t
he States. He states, "It was 'lection day, and I was just about to go and vote myself, if I war'nt
too drunk to get there; but when they told me there was a State in this country where they'd let a
nigger vote, I drawed out. I says I'll never vote again" (44). This statement relates Pap to the D
eadly Sin of Pride because he is constantly comparing his life to that of the lives of others. Pap'
s vanity and Pride in this novel lead Huck to abandon his physically abusive father and start his li
fe anew. The Grangerford episode is another relation to the sin of Pride. Huck experiences a fatal
shootout between two feuding families: the Shepherdsons and the Grangerfords. Buck Grangerford, Hu
ck's newfound friend on his adventure, is shot and killed because of his own father. Father Granger
ford is so encircled with his own egotism and Pride, that he continues an age-old feud with their ne
ighbors, the Shepherdsons. The disagreement between the families began almost thirty years before,
and they no longer even knew for what it was that they were fighting. Buck states to Huck, "...but
they don't know, now, what the row was about the first place" (104). This example proves that Fathe
r Grangerford is too proud to find peace with the Shepherdsons, and consequently, a shootout begins,
resulting in his own family's deaths. Pride, the most Deadly Sin, accompanies more evils throughou
t the novel, leading Huck down a path in which he will view all Seven Deadly Sins. In addition to Pr
ide, the Deadly Sins of Avarice and Sloth are also apparent in transforming Huck's world into a nigh
tmare of injustice and terror. Judith Loftus, a woman who lets Huck in her home as a female, shows
a great deal of Avarice when a three-hundred dollar reward is offered for Jim, the runaway slave acc
ompanying Huck down the Mississippi River to freedom. Judith discovers smoke on the island across t
he river from her house, and sends her husband out to see if the haze was from Jim. Judith's greed
focuses only on the monetary reward for Jim, allowing herself to fall to the Deadly Sin of Avarice.
The duke and the king also carry this sin with them. While in the towns of Pokeville and Brickvill
e, the duke and the king perform "acts" of scandal and deceit in order to collect money for themselv
es. They perform "plays" in an attempt at bringing in hundreds of dollars, and in the end, they are
successful. Huck then states, "Them rapscallions took in four hundred and sixty-five dollars in t
hat three nights" (131). The king and the duke introduce this greed to Huck, allowing him to remain
in the middle of a dishonest environment. The money that the men are after is an unfair wealth, in
that they will not work to achieve a living. The laziness that both the king and the duke possess
is another important Deadly Sin, Sloth. Sloth is a sin consisting of laziness, and spiritual sluggi
shness. The duke, the king, and Pap all possess this sinful quality. None of these men work and th
ey remain complacent with the way they live their lives. The sluggish nature of the duke, the king,
and Pap is directly related to the society of Pokeville. The folks in the town sit around all day,
occupying themselves with nothing. The only times that the people will rise is on account of some
evils taking place. For example, "There couldn't anything wake them up all over, and make them happ
y all over, like a dog-fight - unless it might be putting turpentine on a stray dog and setting fire
to him, or tying a tin pan to his tail and see him run himself to death" (124). The evils that the
town of Pokeville possesses directly relate to the sin of Sloth. These sins, Avarice and Sloth, ar
e also associated with Gluttony and Wrath; two more sins that will help in displaying acts of violen
ce and death to a young Huck. Gluttony and Wrath are two deadly sins that are also evident in Clemen
s' novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. These two sins introduce Huck to violence and death.
While "stealing" money from the residents at the Brickville revival, the duke and the king gorge on
the food there. This form of "stock piling" food is also seen on the raft. In the town of Brickvil
le, the king "...had fetched away a three-gallon jug of whisky...."(119). As the duke and the king
traveled down the river with Jim and Huck, they were overdrinking to extremes. The notion that they
must hoard the whisky is in fact an act of Gluttony. Pap is comparable to these two scoundrels in
relation to his drinking habits. Huck experiences Pap's wrath firsthand as a direct result of his b
inge drinking. Pap is verbally and physically abusive to Huck throughout Huck's stay with him. He
constantly beats Huck with a cowhide and for no apparent reason. Huck states, "But by-and-by pap go
t too handy with his hick'ry, and I couldn't stand it. I was all over welts."(43). Pap also expres
ses verbal threats to Huck. He once had a dream about snakes all over him and went delirious on Huc
k, calling him "...Angel of Death and saying he would kill me...."(46). The Wrath that Huck experie
nces from his father is an immediate cause of his alcoholism and his lack to stay away from the sin
of Gluttony. Another example in the novel of the sin Wrath is when Colonel Sherburn shoots Boggs al
l because of an insult. Boggs is an intoxicated man who rode into town on his horse and began to ta
lk evils to Colonel Sherburn. Instead of blowing the insults off, and letting Boggs go away and sob
er up, Colonel Sherburn shoots him dead. Sherburn's uncontrolled Wrath against Boggs led him to thi
s evil action. Although there are only few examples of Envy and Lust in the novel, they accompany t
he Deadly Sins of Gluttony and Wrath. Clemens writes of only few evils pertaining to the deadly sin
of envy and lust. Huck views the sin of envy when the duke and the king perform one of their "acts.
" Both men pretend to be people that they are not, in order to receive an inheritance from a dead m
an. They are so full of Envy for the brothers of the deceased man, Mr. Wilkes, that they will do an
ything to deceive the townspeople in order for them to believe that they are Wilkes' brothers. The
duke and the king resent the good that the Wilkes' family will receive as compensation to his death.
This example serves as a definition to the sin of Envy as carried out by the duke and the king. A
lthough Clemens wrote scarcely on the Deadly Sin of Lust, one example in the novel can be compared t
o this sin. After taking part in the revival at Brickville, the king is praised by many of the wome
n for his "unselfish" ways. The king is successful at making the townspeople believe that he has sp
iritually changed his life and would now like to assist the other pirate crews of the ocean in chang
ing their lives. The women in the town are emotional towards the king after his speech at the reviv
al, and want to become active in the king's supposed search to help the pirates on the sea. They of
fered him kisses of joy, "...and every little while the prettiest kind of girls... would up and ask
him would he let them kiss him...and some of them he hugged and kissed as many as five or six times.
..."(119). The previous example shows the king's ultimate drive for pleasure with the women, establ
ishing the sin of Lust. Huck thereafter is introduced to the last Deadly Sin. In conclusion, the Se
ven Deadly Sins of Pride, Avarice, Sloth, Gluttony, Wrath, Envy, and Lust are significant in the nov
el with making Huck's world full of violence and death. The deadly sins committed throughout the wo
rk produce an undesirable life for society, and much less for a child of Huck's age. The wondrous a
dventure that Huck assumes he will take on at the beginning of the novel, becomes no match to the e
vils that the young boy will view on his journey. The Seven Deadly Sins are all directly linked to
the evils that Huck experiences. Huck's eventful, yet horrific adventure becomes the base for which
he is forced into manhood. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn takes the audience from "...the endl
ess summer of childhood pleasures....", found in Clemens' The Adventures of Tom Sawyer to the "...vi
olence, terror, and death that lurk at the edges of the village"(19).
novel adventures huckleberry
finn written samuel clemens whose name mark twain presents evils southern societies during civil pe
riod america clemens well respected author began writing adventures huckleberry finn after several s
tops starts completed this novel revolves around theme slavery versus freedom published time when mo
st southern landowners still owned slaves huck finn novel that incorporates struggles young huck wit
h that cruel careless world travel down mississippi river attempt finding identity this essay will p
resent textual evidence that proves seven deadly sins directly associated with types evil making huc
k world violence terror death seven deadly sins will discussed according their significance througho
ut beginning with pride avarice sloth gluttony wrath envy lust clemens main character experiences gr
eat deal violence throughout direct result most significant deadly pride father drunkard continuousl
y exemplifies pride finds extreme white legality slavery example seen when inebriated verbally attac
ks free blacks states states lection just about vote myself drunk there when they told there state t
his country where they nigger vote drawed says never vote again statement relates because constantly
comparing life lives others vanity lead abandon physically abusive father start life anew grangerfo
rd episode another relation experiences fatal shootout between feuding families shepherdsons granger
fords buck grangerford newfound friend adventure shot killed because father grangerford encircled eg
otism continues feud their neighbors shepherdsons disagreement between families began almost thirty
years before they longer even knew what were fighting buck states know what about first place exampl
e proves proud find peace shepherdsons consequently shootout begins resulting family deaths most acc
ompanies more evils throughout leading down path which will view seven sins addition avarice sloth a
lso apparent transforming world into nightmare injustice terror judith loftus woman lets home female
shows great deal avarice three hundred dollar reward offered runaway slave accompanying down missis
sippi river freedom judith discovers smoke island across river from house sends husband haze from ju
dith greed focuses only monetary reward allowing herself fall duke king also carry them while towns
pokeville brickville duke king perform acts scandal deceit order collect money themselves perform pl
ays attempt bringing hundreds dollars successful then them rapscallions took four hundred sixty five
dollars three nights king duke introduce greed allowing remain middle dishonest environment money a
fter unfair wealth work achieve living laziness both possess another important sloth consisting lazi
ness spiritual sluggishness possess sinful quality none these work remain complacent live their live
s sluggish nature directly related society pokeville folks town around occupying themselves nothing
only times people rise account some evils taking place example there couldn anything wake them over
make happy over like fight unless might putting turpentine stray setting fire tying tail himself dea
th town pokeville possesses directly relate these also associated gluttony wrath more help displayin
g acts violence death young gluttony wrath evident adventures huckleberry these introduce while stea
ling money from residents brickville revival gorge food form stock piling food seen raft town brickv
ille fetched away three gallon whisky traveled were overdrinking extremes notion must hoard whisky f
act comparable scoundrels relation drinking habits experiences firsthand direct result binge drinkin
g verbally physically abusive stay constantly beats cowhide apparent reason handy hick couldn stand
over welts expresses verbal threats once dream about snakes went delirious calling angel saying woul
d kill immediate cause alcoholism lack stay away another colonel sherburn shoots boggs because insul
t boggs intoxicated rode into horse began talk colonel sherburn instead blowing insults letting bogg
s away sober colonel sherburn shoots dead uncontrolled against evil action although only examples en
vy lust accompany writes pertaining envy lust views perform acts both pretend people order receive i
nheritance dead full brothers deceased wilkes anything deceive townspeople order believe wilkes brot
hers resent good wilkes family receive compensation serves definition carried although wrote scarcel
y compared after taking part revival praised many women unselfish ways successful making townspeople
believe spiritually changed life would like assist other pirate crews ocean changing lives women em
otional towards speech revival want become active supposed search help pirates offered kisses every
little while prettiest kind girls would kiss some hugged kissed many five times previous shows ultim
ate drive pleasure women establishing thereafter introduced last conclusion significant making full
committed work produce undesirable society much less child wondrous adventure assumes take beginning
becomes match young view journey linked eventful horrific adventure becomes base which forced into
manhood takes audience endless summer childhood pleasures found sawyer terror lurk edges villageEssa
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