The reasons for the escape to Jackson's Island are varied. Tom feels depressed and dejected because of Becky Thatcher's rejection of him. Joe Harper's situation is similar: He is depressed because his mother punished him for throwing out some cream--a crime of which he is innocent. (Later, in fact, his mother will despair after Joe is "dead" because she remembers throwing out the cream herself.) Like Tom, Joe wants to escape "civilization," but he is also the first to tire of the island and the first who wants to return to his family. For Huck Finn, who has no responsibilities and no one to notice that he is gone, one place is as good as another.
Each boy assumes a pirate name, and these names come from books that Tom has read. Twain makes a subtle, albeit important contrast from the natural common sense intelligence of Huck Finn to the acquired fanciful ideas that Tom Sawyer gets from his books. Tom, for example, has idealized ideas about what pirates look like and how they act--based on the various books that he has read. Tom shares his knowledge of pirates (gained from his book reading) with the other boys. He explains how pirates capture and burn ships, take and bury treasure, and kill the men and carry the women away to their island. When Tom points out that pirates also wear gaudy clothing and gold, silver, and precious jewels, Huck looks at his rags and faces the reality that he "ain't dressed fit for a pirate."
The first day on the island is one of the most glorious days in the boys' lives, one lived to the fullest. But at night, Tom and Joe, who have basically the same upbringing, have guilty consciences over stealing food for the outing. Even though they say their bedtime prayers (something Huck would never bother with), their consciences do not let them sleep. Their conscience is an ironic contrast to their boastful talk of capturing ships, stealing, killing men, and kidnapping women. In contrast, Huck Finn has no pangs of conscience. He feels no qualms about having lifted (stolen) certain items; he feels no compunction to live by the rules of a society that has made him an outcast. He has had a marvelous day because he is getting more to eat than he usually gets in the village. For Huck, this life on the island is an idyllic existence, especially since neither he nor Tom have any thoughts of the grim aspects of the grave robbery and the murder of Dr. Robinson. On this island, there is no feeling of terror and no talk of superstitions.
