Mark Twain is the author of the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. At the beginning of the novel, Huck Finn is an immature thirteen-year-old boy. He heads south on a river with a runaway slave trying to leave his previous life behind. Over the course of the novel, Huck meets several people who teach him very important life lessons. These lessons help lay the foundation for the person Huck will become. He learns what true friendship is, how to be reliable and honest. At first, Huck doesn't really understand what a true friend is, then he goes on a journey with Jim, an escaped slave. For a while, Huck debates whether or not he should turn Jim over to the government and send him back to Miss Watson. However, he is constantly reminded of how kind Jim was to him. When Huck says he won't tell anyone he found Jim, it makes Jim want to care and help Huck. In the quote, "I fell asleep and Jim wouldn't call me when it was my turn to lead. He did it quite often." (Twain 239) Huck talks about how Jim let him continue to sleep and take turns during the night. However, that's not the only thing Jim does for Huck. When a house floats next to them and they see clothes inside, as well as a lifeless body, Jim goes in to check the inside of the house. When Jim looks at the body, he realizes that it was Huck's father and quickly covers the body. Jim covers the body because he wants to protect Huck and doesn't want him to see his father like this. Through Jim's actions, Huck learns one of life's most valuable lessons: true friendship. Huck discovers that true friends will do almost anything to protect each other. The bond between Huck... middle of paper ......ry Jane, Huck risks everything, and he is willing to take that risk because he wants to protect Mary Jane and her sisters. Ultimately, Huck doesn't play tricks on people anymore unless it's to protect someone else. This is a major indication of Huck's growth since the opening of the novel. Many factors come into play that guide Huck to become a mature young man. He learns many invaluable lessons from those he meets along the river. He takes these lessons and uses them as the basis that will create who he is at the end of the novel. Huck learns what true friendship is, how to be reliable and honest. These three lessons are some of the most important lessons in life. Although these are just three of the lessons Huck learned, they are some of the most important lessons he can learn in life..