A look at how Huck Finn, Mark Twain’s immortal character, sees the world and how it compares to his notion of civilization.

` If Huck Finn had to give an explicit definition of the term `civilization`, he would probably feel somewhat ambivalent towards the term. Although Huck’s idea of civilization is floating down a river on a raft doing whatever comes his way, he will never really feel complacent about his lifestyle. Huck quickly becomes bored with that notion and on numerous occasions finds himself stopping in a town for something to do. Huck is a very simple-minded young boy who feels no emotional attachment to anybody close to him including his pseudo-mother, the widow, or his father, Pap. A home to Huck is like a maximum security prison.`