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Examples Of Shame In Huckleberry Finn

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“Shame should be reserved for the things we choose to do, not the circumstances that life puts on us.” Ann Patchett, american author. Throughout the stories we have read this semester shame is a common feeling amongst the characters. They are all seen as shameful for different reasons but still are clearly connected, in all three books society is a large reason they are feeling shameful. In Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck feels ashamed that he wants to help Jim escape. In Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt, Frank is seen as shameful by some people based on his economic class. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Abby is shameful because of the actions she performs.

In Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck feels ashamed for multiple different reasons, the largest being that he helps a runaway slave and doesn’t feel bad for it. At one point in the story Huck is thinking of turning Jim in as a runaway. He has the paper written and is about …show more content…

She begins by throwing herself at a married man which is seen as shameful in many cultures. She then draws the whole town into a witch hunt accusing person after person of witchcraft all for her own personal gain. She was able to influence the society so much that they took her word above all others, ignoring any feelings of doubt or shame. This is a prime example of why shame is an important feeling to have at certain times.
Overall shame was a recurring theme in all three of the books we read this semester. In Huckleberry Finn, huck felt ashamed of himself because of society's views on his actions. In Angela’s Ashes, Frank felt ashamed because of how society viewed his outward appearance. In The Crucible, Abby was shameful because of her greedy actions in the story. “Shame should be reserved for the things we choose to do, not the circumstances that life puts on us.” Ann Patchett, american

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