Mark Twain set a new standard for American literature when he wrote the novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Mark Twain was a prolific writer in the late 1800s and has been described as the "father of American literature." “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is arguably one of the greatest works of American literature written, and after two centuries, it is still read around the world. This novel is about a young boy named Huckleberry Finn and the various adventures he has with a runaway slave named Jim. Together they learn that society is flawed in all its rules and that they should free themselves from oppression by fleeing and living away from society. Throughout the story, Huck faces many social issues that occurred during this time period and this was a way for Mark Twain to express his opinion about it. One of the social issues addressed was the role of the father figure in the child's life. Huck's mother was non-existent in the book, so he was always with his father. His father, Pap, was a serious alcoholic and often hit Huck when he was drunk. This led to a sense of belonging. During this period, the family structure was different from what it is today. During this period, the father was characterized as the head of the household and a strict authority figure. At that time, fathers were "portrayed as distant, morally instructive, and condescending, because it was thought that too much affection led to parental indulgence, ruining children's character." Additionally, it was fathers' job to groom children instead of being an active member of their lives. Twain captured much of this theme of parenthood in Huckleberry Finn, but he also put his own spin on Pap's behavior. Ultimately, thanks to Pap, Huck saw the world in a different light than other characters in the story, such as