To begin, Huck is in a constant fight with himself about whether or not he should be ‘right’ and civilized. He starts off with most of his childhood taken away from him. Pap, which is Huck’s father, is a drunk and has beaten him since his mother died. “...I'll give you a cowhide.”(20) Pap says when he finds out his son has been going to school. The Widow Douglas is a woman who likes to help people. She picks Huck up and tries to make him
To begin, Huck’s struggles within the deformed conscience of an entire society leads to his maturation. Throughout the book, Huck struggles within himself whether or not to follow his heart or to follow society’s deformed views. In one situation, Huck begins to feel guilty about helping a runaway slave, Jim, to freedom. Huck narrates, “My conscience got to stirring me up hotter than ever, until at last I says to it, ‘let up on me- it ain’t too late yet- I’ll paddle ashore at first light and tell’” (89). This is just the beginning of Huck’s journey to maturation. This is one of the first times Huck begins to question his heart. Following society’s views, Huck believes he’s doing the wrong thing helping Jim run away, when in fact he is doing the correct action. Later on, Huck continues his battle with his moral compass, and his view of the world. Huck still
Throughout the rest of Huck 's journey he continues to meet people along the way that believe themselves to be good civilized people but they all contradict that in some way. The Grangerford 's are in a murdering feud with another family, the Phelps own slaves and are trying to get a reward for Jim, the townspeople that feather and tar the Duke and King without a trial, the execution of Boggs, even the Widow tells Huck not to smoke but takes snuff herself. Huck spends a large amount of time in the book pondering over how to be good and do the right things, and at the end of the book when he decides to go West and leave it all behind he has finally realized that he 's not the one that 's bad, society is. Huck heads back out into the world not for more adventure, but to get away from
In school are students supposed to learn about bad language and how to treat people poorly?The fiction novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain should be removed from schools. Twain writes about serious topics as a satire so many people do not realize the intensity. The language, alcoholism, violence, lying, and breaking the law are a few reasons for this novel to be banned from schools.
Mark Twain portrays Huck as a character superior to Tom by making Huck as the complete opposite of Tom. In this book, overall, Huck has foresight about in which event will happen; for example, Huck’s notable quote “I’ll go to hell” implies that he is completely aware of the fact that he will eventually get punished for his action, which was to release Jim--an act that is not accepted by the public. Additionally, Huck is introspective (deep), realistic, and mature; even though ironically, Huck lies in order to resolve the situation. Huck’s maturity is shown in his beliefs, where he believes that Jim (or possibly other black slaves) should be treated equally like any other whites and views the minorities as equal people. On the other hand, Tom simply believes Jim should be released just because Tom believed the story of releasing Jim would make a great adventure. Moreover, Tom’s overall craving for adventure exhibits his childlike and fantastic qualities, which contrasts Huck’s quality of being a mature boy. By describing Huck as a boy who is more thoughtful than Tom, Mark Twain deliberately makes Huck to be superior to Tom (which ultimately implies Twain’s contrast of realism and romanticism).
After Huck finds out that Jim is captive, Huck “set down and cried. [He] couldn’t help it” (210). After returning to the raft and not finding Jim there, Huck is overcome with emotion. The fear of Jim not being around causes Huck to realize how important Jim is to him. The friendship they developed on the river and through their adventure causes Huck to be more concerned for Jim’s safety than society’s need to keep Jim captive. Huck, therefore, sees Jim as his friend and ignores society’s expectations to treat him less than human. After tearing up the letter he writes to Miss Watson, Huck “... studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: ‘All right, then, I’ll go to hell’” (214). Huck realizes that Jim is in need of assistance so he decides to do what is morally correct, which is to help Jim escape. Huck decides to act on his morals rather than be held captive by society; Huck believes that he has to act in the best interest of Jim and does not consider what society believes is acceptable behavior. By stating that he will “go to hell,” Huck reiterates what he promises Jim in the beginning- that he rather be a “low down abolitionist”; these statements combined supports his feelings to protect Jim from society. When Huck and Tom get back to the house, Huck states, “...it don’t make no difference whether you do right or wrong, a person’s conscience ain’t got no
Mark Twain emphasizes the theme that a person's morals are more powerful than the corrupt influence of society in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Based on how Huck Finn views the world and forms his opinions, he does not know the difference between right and wrong. In the novel, Huck escapes civilized society. He encounters a runaway slave, Jim, and together they travel hopes of freedom. But along the way, Huck and Jim come across troubles that have Huck questioning his motives. Throughout their journey, Huck is aware that Jim has escaped but does not know whether or not to turn him into the authorities. Huck’s mentality about society matures and he realizes his need to protect Jim from dangers. As the novel progresses, Huck begins to realize the flaws in society. Huck ultimately chooses to follow his own
Huckleberry Finn is a story about a rambunctious young boy who adventures off down the Mississippi River. “The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain demonstrates a situation where a Huck tries to find the balance between what is right and what is wrong. Huck faces many challenges in which his maturity will play a part in making the correct decision for himself and his friend Jim. Huck becomes more mature by the end of the novel by showing that he can make the correct decisions to lead Jim to the freedom he deserves. One major factor where Huck matures throughout the novel is through his experience. In the beginning of the novel, Huck receives spelling lessons and continues to look for ways to improve his behavior. After meeting up with Tom Sawyer, he
In the text, The Ethical Life, by Russ Shafer-Landau, it questions Jonathan Bennett’s morality and sympathy and how the two of them can come into conflict. Morality and sympathy are connected, but still very different. Throughout this chapter, Jonathan Bennett outlines many important points and factors that go into these connections and how they can overlap and conflict.
Another revelation is that Huck has transcended the racial constructs of the time, recognizing Jim’s humanity and considering him someone worth rescuing at great personal risk. In this scene, Huck finally breaks the restraints of society, and indeed, his environment, by ignoring all societal and theological constructs and instead choosing what is right by his conscience.
Huck had a plight while on the run with the runaway slave, Jim. Harvesting and helping a runaway slave was a crime, but Huck just could not let Jim go. Huck cared immensely for Jim as any friend would. That much was a risk worth taking to Huck. In document E, Huck says, “‘All right, then, I’ll go to hell’ -and tore it up.” The letter in which Huck tore up was a letter to Miss. Watson selling out Jim’s location. He had written it during a dilemma he was having, he did not know if he should do what was the legal thing to do, or the thing that felt best. Ultimately, friendship is what saved Jim from being recaptured. In document B, Jim also refers to Huck as a friend. That is when Huck began to see him as an equal. Towards the end of their journey, Huck saw that just because of the skin color difference, that the two of them were no different. They had both left home for the same reason, and the same reason brought them down the Mississippi, igniting a
Mark Twain, once and forever will be a famous American writer. Twain has written many books that are highly valued all over the world, but one the twain is really known for; the publication of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The novel tells a story of a young teenage boy of the name Huck Finn with a father who was a extreme alcoholic. Huck did not want anything to do with his father Pap, therefore he decides to fake his death and runaway. In the mist of running he stumbles upon a runaway slave, Jim who happened to be from the very farm he came from. Despite what his head is telling him, Huck decides not to turn him in and goes against society. As the two travel along the Mississippi river, Huck learns a lot about and begins to realize
Huck never had a good example of a father, so he seemed to find one in Jim. Jim would always ensure Huck’s safety before his own, and would stand watch over him at night to make certain that Huck was out of danger. Jim also taught Huck valuable lessons while they were together, just like how a normal father would teach a son. Jim taught Huck how to be cautious of his surroundings through his superstitious ways, which helped Huck stay safe in different situations. Huck also saw in Jim what he did not see in his father, compassion. Jim called Huck “pet” and “honey”, things his father never cared to say to him. Without Jim, Huck would not have matured as much as he did on that
The novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, was written by Samuel Clemens, also known by his pen name Mark Twain. This novel is about a young boy named Huckleberry Finn who narrates his journey along the Mississippi River. Huck meets many characters along the way and his relationships with each individual character are very unique. However, the relationship he has with Jim, the runaway slave, is ever changing. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain embellishes the bond formed between Huck and Jim and how Huck views Jim as a slave, friend, and father-figure.
This was important at the end when Huck was debating on his action plan after Jim was sold back into slavery by the King and the Duke.He could either choose to abandon Jim or he could try and save him from captivity. This was a time when Huck thought about his friendship with Jim. He remembers all the time with Jim when he “would always call me honey, and pet me, and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was; and at last I struck the time I saved him by telling the men we had smallpox aboard, and he was so grateful, and said I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the only one he's got now.” These positive and sweet thoughts of Jim’s character makes Huck choose to save him rather than abandon him. If Jim had been rude, careless or cold towards him, Huck would’ve never made the decision to save him. Instead, remembering all their times together forces him to make a moral decision which is against his society’s laws and morals. Huck knows that leaving Jim in captivity would be immoral behavior on his part because Jim had done so much for him. Jim’s positive and good nature character is the thing that forces Huck to make a moral decision to save