Huck Finn Blog

Alice Walker’s essay suggests that the women from The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn are only seen as stereotypes, and as nothing more than motherly figures, who lack depth and personality. Walker states that Twain sees little importance to women, and this is why he presents them only as products of society. I believe that Twain does not value women any less than men, but rather that he depicts them as they would appear according to the time period. I think that overall Walker delves too far into the novel, and searches for forced stereotypes that do not exist. Since the novel’s focus is on men, they are the characters who the reader spends more time with, and thus, it is easier for their qualities to come out. The female characters are not the focus, and so they aren’t seen in this way. Since less time is spent with them, less is learned about them.