Huck And Scout Naive Narrators
The authors of the novels, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird share similar views on slavery and racism. They both use a naive character to convey their own opinions on these issues to the reader. Though the authors opinions may differ, a naive narrator works well for both novels in communicating their messages about slavery and racism.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, the author uses the character of Scout as a way for readers to see an unbiased perspective into the Tom Robinson case. Because Scout is young and hasn't yet had a chance to experience the world around her, she does not know the reputations that precede such people like Bob Ewell and Tom Robinson. Scout sees people as they are, and has not come to a stage in life where she forms her own opinions. Scout looks at the good and bad in people, and through her naive sees mostly good. Had the story been told from an adults perspective, the opinions of the case might have been prejudiced either way. In using a young, naive narrator, the author presents a clear view of racism and the prejudices of society.
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the character of Huck is somewhat less naive than Scout is in To Kill a Mockingbird. Huck is considerably older than Scout and is able to make decisions and draw his own conclusions about Jim, slavery, and the hypocrisy of his society. In chapter eight, when Jim and Huck first meet up on the island, Jim confesses to Huck that he has escaped from Miss Watson. Huck agrees to help Jim and promises not to turn him in. Huck says that people would "call me a low down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum...I ain't a-going to tell" 50. Huck realizes that slavery is valued in his society and a run-away slave is condemned. He decides that even though running away is wrong, slavery is a greater wrong. Huck decides that helping Jim escape is the lesser of two evils.
In Huckleberry Finn, when Jim is sold back into...
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