It is Chapter Nineteen when the Duke and the King
literally burst into Jim and Huck's quiet and tranquil lives by themselves living off
nature. It is clear that Huck initially helps them because he feels pity for them and
their claims of being pursued by men and dogs. Throughout the novel, Huck shows himself
to be a basically decent boy, who likes to help when he can. However, at the end of this
chapter, after their new guests have "introduced" themselves with their fake titles, we
see that Huck continues to help them just because he has learnt that it is better to
keep quiet and not look for a quarrel:
It didn't take me long to make up my mind that
these liars warn't no kings nor dukes at all, but just low-down humbugs and frauds. But
I never said nothing, never let on; kept it to myself; it's the best way; then you don't
have no quarrels, and don't get into no trouble. If they wanted us to call them kings
and dukes, I hadn't no objections, 'long as it would keep peace in the family; and it
warn't no use to tell Jim, so I didn't tell him. If I never learn nothing else out of
pap, I learnt that the best way to get along with his kind of people is to let them have
their own way.
Note here how
he is still influenced by his time with his father. This represents a key stage in
Huck's moral development, where he does not stand up for what he knows and believes in,
but rather takes a laissez-faire attitude to try and avoid trouble and conflict. This of
course changes when he gets to know Mary Jo and sees how the Duke and King are going to
trick her.
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