Huck's maturity level has grown tremendously during the second half of the novel. Even though by the end of the novel he is far from perfect his mind has greatly grown in his thoughts about other people and the ways of southern white society. Huck begins to reject the beliefs of common society and over time to think for himself. Huck's growth in maturity starts in chapter XXVI and continues until about chapter XXXII when Tom Sawyer shows up again. Huck then begins to follow Tom's examples and gets himself wrapped up in another unnecessary adventure. It is in these chapters that Huck's loyalty to Jim is tested, and his ability to resist the temptations that are placed before him.

There are several key moments in the novel when Huck's maturity level is evident. The first concrete example is when Huck steals the $6,000 in gold from the Duke...