In "Huckleberry Finn", why did Twain use a 13-year-old boy as a good friend to Jim, who is an adult black runaway slave, to run away with?is there...

Youth is used by many authors to represent the idea of naivete or innocence. In the case of Huck, his youth is an asset because he views Jim as more of a human than his adult peers, who see only a black slave. Moreover, because Jim is considered to be of a "lower" social status, Huck feels more comfortable speaking frankly with him than with, say, the Widow Douglas, whose social station is far above his. After all, Huck's background is not one of white-collar repute.

Adolescence is also a time of great transition physically, mentally, and emotionally. The transition represented by Huck's age can be associated with the cultural and historical transition of this setting's time period. Twain also seems to be pointing out the similitude of Huck and Jim despite their obvious racial differences throughout this novel.