The use of episodic development, or the linear chain of events, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an effective narrative technique. It provides both advantages and disadvantages to the plot line. The ending is a significant final portion of the novel that wraps up the characters analytically as a whole.
Episodic development in the novel allows Twain to effectively move the main characters, Huck and Jim, through a space and time with a sequence of events and two or more things happening at the same time. This method allows the writer to create a plot of action and adventure with ease, establishing a plot line and motivation for the characters. Developing the story in what are essentially “episodes” alleviates the need for a strictly cause-and-effect narrative. Twain can introduce twists and turns within the storyline without much of a relationship between the events by using episodic development.
For instance, Huck and Jim seem to be at a stand-still in the plot as Chapter 18 comes to an end, with Huck and Jim feeling comfortable floating down the river on their raft. So, Twain uses episodic development as a tool to introduce a new conflict, the Duke and the Dauphin, in Chapter 19. These and other conveniences are made possible by episodic development and prove useful techniques for Twain.
On the other hand, episodic development creates a deficiency of causality within the plot. The line of action becomes just a string of events and may appear overwhelming to the reader. The constant action and unrelated events may clutter the plot line and take away from Huck and Jim’s character development. It also takes away from the interaction between Huck and Jim alone. The reader does not see a consistent dialogue between the two characters without there being some event or conflict to precede it or follow it.
Discarding the ending of the novel is a mistake because it is an essential part of the story, revealing more about Huck, Jim, and Tom as characters. Huck’s initial reaction to Jim being sold as a slave is worrying about how Jim will be treated, but it then changes to worrying about how he himself will be looked down upon for helping a slave escape. The reader sees an important development in Chapter 31 when Huck tries to pray to rid himself of the “sin” of helping Jim.
He has an inner battle with himself about whether to do what society tells him is right or what his heart tells him to do. It speaks volumes about Huck’s good-natured character when he sacrifices his own reputation and belief in what society labels right in order to help Jim. It confirms the strong bond between Huck and Jim.
Additionally, Tom Sawyer is revealed to be a romantic, careless boy when he complicates Jim’s rescue just for the fun of it. He is obviously self-consumed and selfish, but the reader mostly gets a sense that he is immature in dealing with such a grave matter. Huck goes along with Tom’s foolishness out of naievety and is revealed to be impressionable, especially with Tom Sawyer.
Jim is shown as selfless in helping Tom, even though he is dealing with what he thinks is a life or death situation.
The ending, therefore, is vital to revealing characters’ identities and should not be disregarded as “cheating”.
