The influence of poverty and class within this novel, at first, seem very obvious. Huck Finn, an impoverished child, struggles through trying to fit into the norms of regular society when he doesn't believe in the standards. The norms of society include proper dress, suitable living environments, ability to read and write, and abstinence from smoking. Huck Finn doesn't understand why all these things are necessary, when he lives perfectly comfortably dressed in his rags in the woods.
Huck's father, also impoverished, represents a more reluctant kind of poverty. Instead of enjoying his stature in society, as Huck does, he almost always complains about how the government is corrupt and messed up in some way. He wants the mayor to give him the money Huck gained because he feels he is entitled to his son's wealth, being his father. He only uses the money he finds for alcohol, so Huck makes sure he can't gain the money.
The subject of slavery plays heavily into class and poverty as well. Slaves are viewed as the lowest form of society in Huck's time; even Huck's father talks disdainfully about slaves. However, slaves are also worth a lot of money. Jim tells Huck that he is worth $800, so he is technically rich. But he does wish that he had that money in it's physical form and he would never need any more than that.
Why is reading Huckleberry Finn through the lens of poverty or class important for understanding the novel? I don't really know just yet. I do know that this lens will help me associate this book with other books that have poverty and class as a theme, so I will be able to help my students see the comparisons as well. This lens can also help me understand the intricacies of what Mark Twain was trying to accomplish with the novel.
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