The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain contains numerous instances of superstition. These include Huck’s unfortunate act of killing a spider, the use of a hair-ball to predict the future, and the touching of a rattle-snake skin that brings both good and bad luck to Huck and Jim. Superstition plays a significant role in Huck Finn, as demonstrated in Chapter one when Huck witnesses a spider crawling on his shoulder. In a state of fear, he swiftly removes the spider, which ends up in the flame of a candle, resulting in its demise. Aware of the negative implications, Huck instinctively performs specific actions such as shaking off his clothes, spinning around three times, and tying a lock of his hair with a thread to ward off any potential harm. Although he had never heard of using this method to protect against bad luck caused by killing a spider, Huck takes drastic measures to avoid its consequences (5).
In chapter four, Huck observes Pap’s footprints in the snow and becomes curious about his presence. Huck approaches Jim and asks him about Pap’s whereabouts. In response, Jim retrieves a large hair-ball that he obtained from an ox’s stomach. Jim poses the question to the hair-ball, asking why Pap is present, yet it remains silent. Jim believes that money is required to elicit a response, so Huck gives him a counterfeit quarter. Jim places the quarter beneath the hair-ball and engages in conversation with it. According to Jim, the hair-ball relays that Pap is uncertain about his future actions. Sometimes he contemplates leaving, while other times he contemplates staying. The best approach is to remain calm and allow Pap to determine his own path. There are two influences surrounding him: one is benevolent and bright, while the other is sinister and dark. The benevolent one tries to guide him towards righteousness for a short period, but eventually, the sinister influence takes control. Ultimately, it remains unknown which influence will prevail in the end. However, Jim reassures Huck that he is unaffected by these influences.
In your life, you will experience both trouble and joy. There will be times of hurt and sickness, but recovery is always possible. Two girls, one light and one dark, one rich and one poor, will be present in your life. You will marry the poor girl first and eventually the rich girl. It is advised to stay away from water and avoid taking risks because there is a prediction that you will face hanging.
Returning home, Huck finds his father, Pap, in his room that night. In Chapter 8, Huck meets Jim who escaped from being sold down the river by Miss Watson. During this meeting, Jim talks about superstitions such as interpreting young birds flying by as a sign of rain. Huck suggests catching them but Jim warns him that it would result in death. Jim also shares superstitious beliefs like not counting dinner items or shaking tablecloths after sundown.
Furthermore, Jim explains that if a man with a beehive dies, the bees must be informed before sunrise the next morning to prevent their death. Huck expresses disbelief in Jim’s claim that bees won’t sting idiots since he had personally tested it without getting stung.
In Chapter ten, Huck and Jim encounter both good and bad luck. The stroke of fortune comes when they discover eight dollars in the pocket of an overcoat. Later, after dinner on Friday, while the two are relaxing in the grass, Huck realizes he is out of tobacco. He ventures to the crevasse to retrieve more and unexpectedly comes across a rattlesnake. Acting swiftly, Huck kills the snake and places it on Jim’s blanket. When night falls, Jim unknowingly lies on the blanket, only to awaken to the presence of the snake’s mate, which bites him on the heel. Urgently, Jim instructs Huck to decapitate the snake, skin its body, and cook a part of it. He removes the rattles and ties them to his own wrist, believing they will provide protection. Reflecting on the situation, Huck decides to never handle a snake-skin again after witnessing the consequences (52).
Superstition has a significant impact on the events of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Various instances, such as the killing of a spider (considered bad luck), seeking fortunes from a hair-ball, and Huck’s encounter with a rattlesnake skin, bring misfortune to both Huck and Jim throughout the novel.
The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain depicts a significant amount of superstition. Within the book, there are various instances of superstition such as when Huck kills a spider, which is believed to bring bad luck. Additionally, the characters use a hair-ball for fortune-telling purposes, and Huck touches a rattle-snake skin that brings both good and bad luck to him and his companion, Jim. This theme of superstition holds importance throughout the novel. One example occurs in Chapter one when Huck notices a spider crawling on his shoulder. In response, he quickly flicks it off and it falls into the flame of a candle, instantly shriveling up. Sensing this as a bad omen, Huck becomes frightened and performs various rituals to ward off misfortune. One of these rituals involves tying a lock of his hair with a thread to keep away witches. Huck reflects on this practice stating, “You do that when you’ve lost a horseshoe that you’ve found, instead of nailing it up over the door, but I hadn’t ever heard anybody say it was any way to keep off bad luck when you’d killed a spider” (5).
In chapter four, Huck observes Pap’s footprints in the snow and decides to confront Jim about his father’s presence. In response, Jim retrieves a large hair-ball from an ox’s stomach and consults it regarding the reason for Pap’s visit. Unfortunately, the hair-ball remains silent, prompting Jim to suggest that it needs money. Consequently, Huck hands Jim a counterfeit quarter, which he places beneath the hair-ball. Eventually, the hair-ball communicates with Jim and reveals that Pap is uncertain about his future plans. While he contemplates leaving, he also contemplates staying. Jim advises Huck to let Pap decide for himself, as there are two opposing forces influencing him – a white, alluring angel and a black, deceiving one. Despite this uncertainty, Jim assures Huck that he is safe.
Throughout your life, you will experience both hardship and happiness. There may be times when you suffer from injuries or illnesses, but you will always recover. Accompanying you on this journey are two girls: one with fair skin and the other with dark skin. One is wealthy while the other is poor. Initially, you will marry the impoverished girl and later marry the affluent one. It is recommended to minimize contact with water and avoid taking unnecessary risks because there is a prediction that in the future you will face hanging (19). When Huck returns home, he goes to his room where he finds Pap waiting for him. In Chapter 8 of the story, Huck encounters Jim who has successfully escaped from Miss Watson’s plan to sell him. During their conversation that evening, Jim shares his knowledge of superstitions with Huck. When a group of young birds flies overhead, Jim interprets it as a sign that rain is approaching.
Huck expressed his desire to catch some of the things, but Jim cautioned him that doing so would result in death. Jim also warned against counting the dinner items beforehand as it would bring bad luck, and shaking the tablecloth after sundown was considered unlucky. Furthermore, according to Jim, if a man owning a beehive passed away, it was crucial to inform the bees before sunrise the next morning; otherwise, they would perish. Huck recalled Jim’s statement that bees abstain from stinging fools, but he personally disagreed since he had attempted to provoke them numerous times without success: “Jim said bees won’t sting idiots; but I didn’t believe that, because I had tried them lots of times myself, and they wouldn’t sting me” (45).
In Chapter ten, Huck and Jim experience both good and bad fortune. The stroke of luck came when they found eight dollars in the pocket of a coat. Later, after enjoying their Friday dinner, they relaxed in the grass. However, Huck realized he had no more tobacco left, so he went to get some from the craven. While there, he unexpectedly encountered a rattlesnake. Without hesitation, Huck killed the snake, coiled its body, and placed it by Jim’s blanket. As night fell, Jim unknowingly lay on the blanket and got bitten on his heel by the snake’s mate. In response, Jim instructed Huck to remove the snake’s head, skin its body, and cook a piece of it. Additionally, Huck took off the rattles from the snake and tied them around Jim’s wrist for protection. Reflecting on this incident’s consequences later on (52), Huck made a resolution never to touch snake-skin again due to witnessing harm caused by it.
Superstition has a significant impact on the storyline of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Various occurrences, such as Huck’s act of killing a spider (considered bad luck), the hair-ball used for fortune-telling, and Huck’s interaction with a rattle-snake skin, all bring forth unfortunate events for Huck and Jim.
