Francis vs. Huck

Both Huck and Francis are the same age and are in the similar situation of being out on their own. Huck shows despite his sketchy upbringing a moral character that we never see in Francis and Francis is the purposed one who is raised on the word of the Lord. There are some similarities in their actions, Huck rejects the “refinement” of nice clothes, schooling and bathing when first at Miss Watson’s, much like Francis rejects Rayber’s offer of clothing and civility. However, Huck never murdered anyone, rather he helped Jim; Francis does not have any redeeming qualities and is an arsonist. Francis really does not have the faculties to reason and think, he just acts. Huck uses his creative faculties to get away from his father, but also the core sense of right in which he turns in the Duke and the Dauphin. At the end of Huck Finn, clearly there is a change and growth of character seen in Huck; at the end of O’Conner’s novel Francis has simply deteriorated to sheer lunacy. After some long and deep pondering, I do not see that The Violent Bear it Away is a bildungsroman.