Moral Growth In Mark Twain's The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

It is often said the right way is not always the popular way. Standing for what is right, despite it being frowned upon, is the true test of one’s moral character. This relates to the moral growth that Huck Finn experiences throughout his journey. Mark Twain’s controversial novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is a compelling story about how one individual, Huck Finn, goes against society’s ideals. One’s moral development is often defines as how one will act towards others based on his or her own beliefs. As for Huck, his morals are based primarily on those around him, including Miss Watson and Jim. Huck’s morals are also based on instances, especially during the raft journey that will change his beliefs and morals. Although there are many instances where Huck’s moral growth can be seen, it is the people around him such as Jim, Miss Watson, the Wilks girls, and the Duke and King that will greatly influence his moral growth. Jim, a runaway slave, is the most influential individual when it comes to Huck’s moral development. During most of the novel Huck spends his time with Jim on the raft as the journey towards Cairo. An incident, during their journey that displays Huck’s moral growth is during the fog episode, in which Huck’s canoe is separated from the raft. When Huck is able to find the raft, he finds Jim asleep and decides it is best to keep this incident a secret. However, as Jim wakes up, he tells Huck how relieved he is to see him and how he was glad that “[He]