A Classic Book Keeps Speaking to Us Long After It Is Written“Then the old man got to cussing, and cussed everything and everybody he could think of, and then cussed them all over again to make sure he hadn’t skipped any, and after that he polished off with a kind of general cuss all round, including a considerable parcel of people which he didn’t know the names of, and so called them what’s-his-name, when he got to them, and went right along with his cussing.” (Huckleberry Finn, speaking about his Pap).What are Pap’s rights? All rights reserved. Huck is relieved that Pap is gone, and hopes that he doesn't come back, because Pap always beat Huck. Pap's disheveled appearance does not frighten Huck; instead, Pap appears as a clown or buffoon with exaggerated features. You think you're better'n your father, now, don't you, because he can't?" He's got some really redeeming qualities—like… Plot Summary. His main motivations in the book are jealousy, greed, and alcoholism. She served as a communications specialist at the Hawaii State Legislature and currently teaches writing classes at her library. He locks Huck inside whenever he leaves, and there is no widow big enough for Huck for climb out of. Though Huck will later encounter adults who try to use him and abuse him, Pap is his first and most formidable adversary. Both Judge Thatcher and Huck know that Judge Thatcher can always sell Huck's money back to him when Huck reaches maturity and Pap no longer has a claim on him. He doesn't want Huck to learn anything, saying "You've put on considerable many frills since I been away… You're educated, too, they say—can read and write. Awana holds a Master of Arts in English from University of Hawaii, Mānoa. One day, while Pap is gone, Huck shoots a wild pig and splatters its blood all over the cabin. Detailed Summary & Analysis Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 … Before even entering the novel properly, Pap is depicted as such an abusive character that his son prefers living alone in the woods to facing his father's fists.When Pap returns, Huck is physically repelled by his father, whom he depicts as having a grotesque, wraithlike appearance: "His hair was long and tangled and greasy . He is 12 or 13 years old during the former and a year older ("thirteen or fourteen or along there", Chapter 17) at the time of the latter. He is thus disappointed and terrified when Pap returns, his drunken and abusive nature intact.Huck feels little or no affection toward his father. He's got some really redeeming qualities—like…Okay, we lied. The two of them take clothing and other household items from the house for their own use, and then paddle back to the island. Pap continues to drink heavily, and often he goes into drunken frenzies. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. He'll do anything to get more whiskey, including lying, stealing, and abusing his son. He also explains that Huck will have considerable pain in his life and at the same time considerable joy. It enrages Pap that Huck knows how to read and he doesn't. Mark Twain put a human face on child abuse and brought the horror of it home by creating At the beginning of the main action in the novel, Pap has been gone from town for a long time, and many people suspect that he may have died. He knows that Pap does this out of a superstitious belief that it keeps the Devil away, and he realizes that Pap is back in town and is coming after him. . He smashes the cabin door with an ax and pulls out some of his own hair and sticks it on the ax. After The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Huck describes his own adventure in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, including how he escapes from his drunken, abusive father, and how he met Jim, the runaway slave. Instead he recounts Pap's actions and stresses his relief that Pap has been away from the town for a year: "Pap he hadn't been seen for more than a year, and that was comfortable for me; I didn't want to see him no more. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from Shmoop and verify that you are over the age of 13. . Pap makes him give him the dollar. Pap is the first villain of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He feels intensely jealous of Huck for his fortune, and he wants access to that money so that he can fuel his drinking problem. I’ll take it out of you. The animal comparisons highlight both Pap's uncultivated manner and his coldblooded approach to fatherhood. Huck arrives back at his room and sees his Pap sitting in a chair.