Final answer:
Huck and Jim's belief in the bad luck of touching a snakeskin stems from the prevalent superstitions of their time and cultural background, as depicted in Mark Twain's 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'.
Step-by-step explanation:
Huck and Jim believe that touching a snakeskin with their hands has caused bad luck because, in the adventures described in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, certain superstitions are deeply ingrained in the characters' beliefs.
They hold to the folk belief that a snakeskin is bad luck, a common superstition during the time and place of the novel's setting. This belief affects their interpretations of subsequent events as being caused by the bad luck associated with the snakeskin.
In Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," Huck and Jim believe that touching a snakeskin with their hands has caused their bad luck due to a superstition prevalent in the culture of the time. In the novel, they come across a shed snakeskin, and Jim warns Huck not to touch it. Jim explains that touching a snakeskin with bare hands brings bad luck.
This belief is rooted in traditional superstitions associated with snakes. Snakes are often viewed as symbols of danger and malevolence in various cultures, and touching a snakeskin might be seen as inviting the negative qualities associated with snakes into one's life.
Jim's superstition reflects the broader theme of superstitions prevalent in the society depicted in the novel, where characters hold various beliefs that are often irrational but deeply ingrained in their cultural mindset.