What makes Huck Finn such a unique and purely American novel?

Question

And how did the novel influence all the novels to come?

Answer 1

It is written entirely in American dialect. It realistically portrays the lifestyles and personalities of a variety of people in the American South before the Civil War, their good and bad characteristics. It is, (I think) the first novel to portray an American black character (Jim) as a full, natural, and believable personality. It is full of American humor. It portrays a kind of natural morality in the characters Huck and Jim, sometimes at odds with societal values, sometimes not. A telling point is Huck's moral dilemma as to whether he should turn in Jim, a runaway slave. Societal values told him that Jim was a thief, stealing himself from his owner, and that not to report him could land Huck in hell. Huck finally decides that he would rather go to hell than betray his friend; a truly courageous stand for justice! These are American ideals: never to betray our own sense of what is right, no matter what the odds; and freedom for all.

Answer 2

Huck Finn embodied the quintessential American character. American idioms became linqua franca.

Answer 3

Twain wrote what and how a true American boy given. Also, many people copied Twain's style of writing.