Lionel Trilling argues that Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel that has the ability to grow and expand on the reader read after read. Each subsequent read is like reading a new, more expansive book. The truth of Trilling's quote is evident in my personal experience of reading Huckleberry Finn. During my reading of the novel, my recognition and understanding of Mark Twain's themes and of the motifs and literary devises grew significantly.

I read the first ten chapters of Huckleberry Finn before any classroom discussions and without the aid of any study guides. My approach to the novel was like that of a young boy--it was an exciting adventure story. I enjoyed these first chapters, but missed all of the symbolism, irony, motifs, and satire that Twain intended the reader to pick up on. For example, in Chapter 3 when Tom Sawyer is explaining...