Huck vs Tom
Huck and Tom are well-known characters from the novel Adventures of Tom Sawyer, written by Mark Twain. Despite sharing many adventures together and appearing similar in various ways, these two characters have significant differences. This article will explore the distinctions between Huck and Tom for readers’ understanding.
Key Takeaways
- Tom belongs to high society, while Huck is poor and lives on his own.
- Huck is carefree, practical, and logical, while Tom is more dependent on others and tends to daydream.
- Tom is a conformist and somewhat hypocritical, while Huck is an outcast, a carefree individual, and has innate decency.
Tom
Huckleberry Finn, or simply Huck, is an orphan like his friend Tom Sawyer. However, the two are very different in every aspect of life. Although Tom does not have a father, he lives with an aunt who loves him and tolerates his boyish pranks. She cares for his well-being and allows Tom a great deal of freedom to engage in his escapades. In a sense, Tom can be considered part of high society. Despite having a loving aunt at home, Tom dislikes Aunt Douglas’s interference in his life and wishes to take care of himself. Tom attends school and is often invited to parties thrown by others.
Huck
Huck lives like an orphan even though he has a father because his father is a drunkard who has abandoned him. Huck has to find food for himself, which is why he is often seen roaming around and sleeping in unusual places like barns or cardboard boxes. Huck wears discarded clothing, is mostly barefoot, and does not attend school. He has no responsibilities and is hardly missed by anyone, so he frequently disappears from the city. Huck values his freedom and does not have to conform to societal laws or norms. He has no qualms about stealing or picking up things. However, Huck has grown up to be a more practical boy than Tom, who learns everything in school.
Differences Between Huck and Tom
• Tom is part of high society, while Huck is poor and lives by himself.
• Huck is carefree, practical, and logical, while Tom is dependent on others and is a daydreamer due to reading many novels and stories.
• Tom criticizes Huck for lacking imagination and a sense of thrill.
• Tom is less mature than Huck.
• Tom is a conformist, while Huck is an outcast and a carefree individual.
• Tom is hypocritical because he plays pranks and has vivid imaginations and schemes, yet he also knows and fears societal rules and conforms to them.
• Despite being an outcast, Huck’s decency is innate and not a façade.
