In class on Thursday we talked about Huck's father and his personality. Whether he was being selfish, protective, or something else all together. Chapter 6 begins with Pap taking Huck away and locking him in a cabin; beating on him and getting drunk. While I realize before he may have had his reasons for taking him out of school to possibly keep Huck similar to himself and shelter him from the educated society, beating Huck senseless is not being protective regardless.
He left his son for days locked up and then went on tangents about the government and blacks. While I have read Huckleberry Finn previously I had not noticed previously that this may have been used as a foreshadowing. Pap went off about how blacks were getting rights to vote and how he couldn't stand it--later on Huck finds Jim and the two become comrades. This friendship seems to be an oxymoron as well since Huck and Jim take care of each other as they drift down the river; even though he grew up with the mentality that blacks should be treated as property. In chapter 16, Huck seems to change and question what he had been doing. He had been raised by both his Pap and the widow to view blacks as slaves and property; not free men. While Huck does "tease" and kid around with Jim he never really treats him as less than himself. They work together as a team to survive. It seems strange that all of a sudden his attitude changes and he feels guilty for helping Jim. He stole, lied, and is helping an escapee; perhaps his conscience is beginning to catch up with him.
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