A hero is often distinguished in literature as a "character who, when faced with danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, displays courage and a willingness to sacrifice, which is heroism, for the greater good, originally of martial courage or excellence but extended to more general moral excellence.' (Wikipedia.) It therefore seems appropriate to suggest that both the main characters in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Homer's The Odyssey demonstrate these same character traits quite clearly. Both Huck and Odysseus use their intelligence and sharp wit to overcome many different obstacles. Both characters are willing to lie for a good cause and are both fiercely loyal to the people they love, and so it seems possible to see that their heroism also helps them grow as characters Finn by Mark Twain, the character of Huck considers himself to be a totally evil and ignorant character However, throughout the story Huck manages to commit many selfless acts and have some extraordinary adventures which would give the reader the image of Huck as a truly selfless hero. At the time Twain's story was written, many people were unaware of society's unfair attitude toward blacks. Huck, however, through his heroism grows and learns from the experiences he goes through and is able to form his own perspective on race and discrimination, and indeed it seems that the adventures of the story truly begin when Huck meets the runaway slave Jim. “I was so happy to see Jim. I didn't feel alone anymore now." (Twain, page 36.) It is evident to the reader that Jim is not classified simply as Huck's slave but rather is his partner. Thus, in the center of the paper, Pap is seen as a he imitation of Homer's Cyclops When Huck refers to his father as a "blind drunkard", it seems to be a reference by Twain to the fact that Odysseus blinds the Cyclops in the Odyssey also draws the reader's attention to the eyes of Pap when Huck tells the audience how wild they are, and Pap's drunken frenzy can be seen as very similar to the wild and dangerous behavior of the Cyclops. The most obvious difference therefore between the two situations seems to be that the character of the Cyclops is mythical and Pap is a much more realistic character. It seems possible for the audience to find similarities between the two tales which would lead them to believe that Twain was attempting to use The Odyssey as a foil for his tale, both major scenarios occurring for both. the main characters of the novels. happen very early in both stories.