People say that God gives us friends and family to make up a part of us that we lack. In so many Jim and Huck's pap balance each other out to create a messy father figure for Huck. Throughout the whole book Huck is not alone and has someone for him to look to. Even though he's not always in the safest situations with them, he always has someone to turn. In a quote from Huck on page 27 he talks about the up's and down's he has with his pap," I reckon I was scared now, too; but in a minute I see I was mistaken-that is, after the first jolt, as you may say, when my breath sort of hitched, he being so unexpected; but right after I see I warn't scared of him worth bothering about.".
Huck's pap is hardly ever around. When he is around Huck he is usually in a drunken state or on his way. Page 37 describes pap in a semi-dangerous drunken state," He chased me round and round the place with a clasp knife, calling me the Angel of Death, and saying he would kill me, and then I couldn't come for him no more.".
Throughout the beginning of the book Huck's pap pops in and out of his life, constantly making trouble and endangering Huck. Through events such as Huck's pap kidnapping him, Huck must come to terms with the relationship he has with his father. Through the years pap has become and angry and selfish man, willing to use his own son's money to spend how he pleased. Huck finally realizes that the situation he is in with his father isn't the best after spending a large amount of time locked in pap's cabin. When he finally understands that pap may be his father, but can't give him what he needs, Huck decides to leave and create a life for himself that his father can't give him.
After leaving pap, Huck's journey with Jim begins. Unexpectedly, Huck creates a friendship with Jim that runs deeper that any other friendship he has with an adult. Huck grows to understand Jim and to respect him. His respect grows into a sort of protective love.
