huck6.docx

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

书签：

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