huck6.docx
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huck6.docx
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huck6
标题:
HucktheThief
作者:
ERICCARLLINK
来源:
TheMidwestQuarterly.
TheMidwestQuarterly.
41.4(Summer2000):
p432.FromLiteratureResourceCenter.
文章类型:
Criticalessay
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为此文章添加书签
全文:
FORTUNATELY,TOMGOTSHOT.Itmaybelovelytoliveonaraft,butonlywhenyoucanlivehigh,hoggingwatermelonswithouthavingto"chaw"overalotofTom's"gold-leafdistinctions."Hadthegrandevasiongoneasplanned,hadTom,Huck,andJimmadeittotheraftsafely,thebeautyandsimplicityofraftlifewouldhavebeendiminishedbyTom'sinsistencethattheyleaveoff"borrowing"theoccasionalchickenorcantaloupefromlocalfarms.Tomcan'tevenpurloinafewcandleswithoutleavingfivecentsonthetableforpay.Lightingoutfortheterritoryaheadoftherestmaybeabittersweetendingtoabittersweetnovel,butitbeatshavingtosharearaftonthesouthernMississippiwithTom.
Inhis1966article"ThiefandTheftinHuckleberryFinn,"RobertValesdemonstratesthatthieveryisamajorthemeinHuckleberryFinn,appearinginvirtuallyeverymajorepisode.Valesarguesthatthetheftmotifhelpsunifythebook,aswellasjustifythemuch-maligned"evasion"ending.Vales'sobservationsareastute,forthepredominanceofthieveryinthenoveldoesservetobindmanyoftheepisodesofthenoveltogetheraroundarecurringplotdevice.Theft,however,servesasmuchmorethanasimple,ifingenious,plotdeviceorcharactertrait.Infact,Huck'sroleasathiefinTheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinnprovidesameansofobservinghisgrowthandchange.Asthenarrativeprogresses,thesuccessionoftheftsperformedbyHuck--fromtheimaginary"julery"and"ingots"stolenbyTom'sharmlessbandofrobbers,totheveryrealactofslave-stealingonthePhelps'sfarm--chartHuck'sgrowingmoraldepthandawareness.WhatonewitnessesinHuckisawillingnesstoengageinincreasinglyseriousactsofthievery,coupledwithanexpandingawarenessofthemoralimplicationsconnectedtothesesameacts.
Withthepromiseofrelentlessrobberyandmurder,Tom'sbandofrobbersseemsalikelycandidateforadventureandgeneralmayhem.But,intheseriesoffancifulraidsledbyTom,thetheftisimaginary.ThehighlightofTomandHuck'sbriefcareerashighwaymenisanabortedraidonaSundaySchoolpicnic;theynearlymadeawaywithsomedoughnutsandjam,aragdoll,andahymn-book,but,asHucktellsus,the"teacherchargedinandmadeusdropeverythingandcut"(15).Withtheseessentiallyinnocuousboyhoodpranks,neitherHucknorTomfacesanysignificantmoraldilemmas.Thereisnomoralcontenttoanimaginarytheftofinvisiblediamonds;thereisnoneedtoreconciledeedwithconscience.Withlittleatstake,eithermateriallyormorally,Tom'shaplessbandofrobberssoondissolves.
Theearlyexploitsofthebandofrobberswasbutapreludetogreatertheftstocome.WithhisflightfromPapandSt.Petersburg,HuckleavesTomandthebandofrobbersfarbehind,and,atthesametime,Huckleavesbehindabitofhisboyhood.AshetakestotheraftwithJim,Hucknotonlydriftssouth,intothesomberheartoftheSouthernslavesystem,butpsychologically,Huckalsobeginstodriftintothesomberterritoryofmoralawareness.Thechangeissimpleatfirst,expressingitselfinaneedtojustifyhisactsofpettytheftandassuagehisconscience.Forexample,soonafterfleeingJackson'sIsland,Huckexplainshowhefoundfood:
"Everynight,now,Iusedtoslipashore,towardsteno'clock,atsomelittlevillage,andbuytenorfifteencents'worthofmealorbaconorotherstufftoeat;andsometimesIliftedachickenthatwarn'troostingcomfortable,andtookhimalong"(79).ToleavetheexplanationherewouldindicatethatHuck'sconsciencebotheredhimlittle,ifany.Instead,however,Huckexplainswhyitwasokayforhimtostealchickens:
"Papalwayssaid,takeachickenwhenyougetachance,becauseifyoudon'twanthimyourselfyoucaneasyfindsomebodythatdoes,andagooddeedain'teverforgot.Ineverseepapwhenhedidn'twantthechickenhimself,butthatiswhatheusedtosay,anyway"(79).ThetoneinthispassagesuggeststhatHuckknowsthatthereissomethingdisingenuousabouthisfather'saltruism.Inthepassagethatfollows,however,Huckrevealsthathisconsciencewasactuallybotheringhimabouthisactsofpettytheft.
Mornings,beforedaylight,Islippedintocornfieldsandborroweda
watermelon,oramushmelon,orapunkin,orsomenewcorn,orthingsof
thatkind.Papalwayssaiditwarn'tnoharmtoborrowthings,ifyouwas
meaningtopaythemback,sometime;butthewidowsaiditwarn'tanything
butasoftnameforstealing,andnodecentbodywoulddoit.Jimsaidhe
reckonedthewidowwaspartlyrightandpapwaspartlyright;sothebest
waywouldbeforustopickouttwoorthreethingsfromthelistandsay
wewouldn'tborrowthemanymore--thenhereckoneditwouldn'tbenoharm
toborrowtheothers.Sowetalkeditoverallonenight,driftingalong
downtheriver,tryingtomakeupourmindswhethertodropthe
watermelons,orthecamelopes,orthemushmelons,orwhat.Buttowards
daylightwegotitallsettledsatisfactory,andconcludedtodrop
crabapplesandp'simmons.Wewarn'tfeelingjustright,beforethat,butit
wasallcomfortablenow.(79-80)
Byrulingoutcrabapplesandp'simmons(anact,curiously,thatshowsthesamedisingenuousspiritasPap'schicken-borrowingtheory)Huckisabletorationalizehisthieveryandassuagehisslightlybotheredconscience.Thechiefdifferencebetweenthebandofrobbersandchicken-liftingliesintheconsequencesinvolved:
withtheimaginarytheftsofTom'sbandtherewerenoconsequences,hencenomoralimplications;withthetheftofchickensandmelonscomecertainconsequences,suchasthefarmer'slossofproduct(and,moreimportantly,theWidowDouglas'sdisapproval);thus,Huckisbotheredbythemoralimplicationsofhistheft.
AroundthissametimeHuckandJimhappenuponthewreckoftheWalterScott.Apotentialgoldmine,Huckcan'tpassbythewreckwithoutfirstgivingitagood"rummaging"insearchofthecaptain'sfive-cent"seegars"(81).Huckwasn'ttheonlyoneinterestedingivingtheWalterScottagoodrummaging,however.Ashehidesinthestateroom,Huckgetsanotherlessonin"morals"ashelistenstotwoofthethreeroughsontheshipdiscussthefateofthethird.Aftergivingtheshipathoroughrustling,suggestsone,theywill"shovefortheshoreandhidethetruck."Thentheywillwaittheshiptobreakupandwashdowntheriver,drowningthecaptiveJimTurner."He'llbedrowned,"arguestherobber,"andwon'thavenobodytoblameforitbuthisownself.Ireckonthat'saconsiderablesightbetter'nkillin'ofhim.I'munfavorabletokillin'amanaslongasyoucangitaroundit;itain'tgoodsense,itain'tgoodmorals.Ain'tIright?
"(84).ThereasoninginthisargumentcouldhavecomestraightoutofPap'sownethicsmanual:
aslongastheyfeeltheyaren'ttheimmediatecauseofJimTurner'sdeath,thenBillandJakefeelabsolvedofguilt.Uponhearingthisplan,Huckswiftlydecidestocuttheirboatloose,trappingallthreeontheship,thentoreportthemtothelocalSheriff.
BothHuckandtherobbersdesirethesamething:
togivethesinkingshipagoodrummaging.Butwhiletherobberstrytofigureouthowtocommitmurderwithouthavingtofeelguiltyaboutitafterwards,Huck,afterheandJimescapefromtheWalterScottintherobbers'boat,needstoalleviatethefeelingsofguilthefeelsafterleavingtherobbersstranded."NowwasthefirsttimethatIbeguntoworryaboutthemen,"Hucktellsus;"IreckonIhadn'thadtimeto,before.Ibeguntothinkhowdreadfulitwas,evenformurderers,tobeinsuchafix.Isaystomyself,thereain'tnotellingbutImightcometobeamurderermyself,yet,andthenhowwouldIlikeit?
"(87).And,afterconvincingtheferrymantogorescuetherobbers,Hucktellsusthat"Iwasfeelingruthercomfortable,onaccountsoftakingallthistroubleforthatgang,fornotmanywouldadoneit.Iwishedthewidowknowedaboutit.Ijudgedshewouldbeproudofmeforhelpingtheserapscallions,becauserapscallionsanddeadbeatsisthekindthewidowandgoodpeopletakesthemostinterestin"(91).TheunfortunateironyisthatHuckdoesbecomeamurdererofsorts:
bystealingtheircanoeHuckdoes--presumably--condemntherobberstodeath,fortheWalterScottsoonbreaksupandsinks.WhenthesinkingshipfloatedbyHuck,hecould"seeinaminutetherewarn'tmuchchanceforanybodybeingaliveinher."ThisleavesHucka"littlebitheavy-heartedaboutthegang,butnotmuch,forIreckonediftheycouldstandit,Icould"(91).ThekeydifferencebetweentheWalterScottrobbersandHuckisthatHuckshowsgenuineconcernforthesafetyoftherobbers,whiletheirconcernliesonlyinrationalizingtheirwayoutofguiltovertheproposedkilling.Inastrangetwistofevents,althoughHuckseemstohavecondemnedtherobberstodeathbystealingtheircanoe,whathelearnsfromtherobbersishownottobemurderoushimselfbyshowingagenuineconcernforthewell-beingofothers.
How"nottobemurderous"wasonlyoneofseverallessonsforHuck.Inanotherlesson,Hucklearnsnottotakeadvantageoftheinnocent.InthelatterhalfofHuckFinn,Huck'sthieverytakesonnewheights.Nolongerdealingsolelywithchickensandmushmelonsandfive-cent"seegars"inaCaptain'sstateroom,Huckdecidestostealsixthousanddollars.The"RoyalNonesuch"andotherconspulledbytheKingandtheDukewereonething,butclaimingtobetheEnglishrelativesofthedeceasedPeterWilksseemedtoHuckanall-timelow.Itwas,Huckre
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