Archetypes In Huckleberry Finn

Throughout adolescence we are taught that lying is not good, not even a little white lie. But what if this is not true? What if we can benefit from these lies? “A lie told often enough becomes the truth” (Lenin Brainyquote). We see white lies in our everyday lives, but some people use it for the benefit of themselves, rather than others who lie to benefit the people they care about. In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses the archetype of the trickster to represent how society molds their own version of reality to fit their standards, regardless of whether they are right or wrong.

Huckleberry Finn uses his lies to have his needs met. Huck grew up with no support or love from his father, but he feels like he has the

Huck finds this story implausible, and decides to play a joke on Jim. Huck lies to Jim and scares him knowing his fear of witches. Huck uses Jim’s fear to play a prank that triggers Jim’s Wiccaphobia. This prank is not helping causes at all, but more breaking them up further, bringing more fear to Jim’s life. Younger generations become easily influenced by others, just like dancing in the mirror they do one thing and the reflection mimics. Jim is influenced by Huck’s immature play, which proves that Huck’s lie is to benefit his own needs. “Now you think it’s bad luck; but what did you say when I fetched in the snake-skin that I found on the top of the ridge day before yesterday? You said it was the worst bad luck in the world to touch a snakeskin with my hands. Well, here’s your bad luck! We’ve raked in all this truck and eight dollars besides. I wish we could have some bad luck like this every day, Jim” (Twain 66). Later, Huck begins to realize that his lies are not helping, but only building up internal emotion and affecting others negatively. Huck confesses while talking with Mary Jane, "Mary Jane 'll be in mourning from this out; and first you know the nigger that does up the rooms will get an order to box these duds up and put 'em away; and do you reckon a nigger can run across money and not borrow some of it?" (Twain 207). Huck is starting to grow up and really understand right from wrong. Once he confesses to Mary Jane, he feels a big rock

Although the goals they have are not necessarily moral, much less legal, these tricksters are skilled at manipulating situations to turn out how they want them to. One of the goals that they set themselves to is scamming the townspeople with some, “play-actin” (Twain 152). Neither of these two tricksters know anything about acting or plays, but in their deviousness, they set to robbing the townspeople with their schemes. These tricksters are not making simple practical jokes but are creating their own fictitious realities, intricately designed with the goal of robbing the simple folk of their hard-earned money. By misleading the townspeople purposely to buy tickets to their show, they are able to strip the innocent people of the money that they labored for. The lies they tell to others are fabricated illusions designed to scam as much money as possible from as many people as possible, all for their own benefit. Using this talent, Duke and King are are able to lie for their own benefit and are using their skill as liars to help themselves by creating their own version of reality that benefits