Although Huck looks down upon Jim, he truly did care about him. He cares about him so much, that he disregarded what his conscience kept telling him. He realizes that his thoughts don’t matter when he said, “It was awful thoughts and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming” (242) Huck prefers to “go to hell” for Jim if it means he does not have to turn on him. Friendship overpowers society’s
“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (Huck Finn is a story of friendship, of overcoming adversity and of doing what your heart tells you, rather than what society says is the right thing to do.) “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” describes the story of a young boy, Huck Finn, and an escaped slave, Jim, traveling down the Mississippi River together. As the story progresses and the characters develop, Huck builds a friendship with Jim and is forced to reevaluate how he perceives slavery. Overcoming adversity Huck’s journey down the river is not only in search of Jim’s physical freedom, but is also in search of his own moral and mental freedom. It is by overcoming such adversity that Huck begins to find freedom and to grow into a wiser and more mature person.
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
trying to run away from all of his problems and in the process runs into an escaped slave, Jim. Instead of turning Jim in, Huck helps him on his journey to the north. During the book Huck grows from a immature boy to a more respectable young man. Huck begins to see how different people can be. Throughout the story Huck grows as a character and that is because of the people he meets along the way.
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
Throughout Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck’s struggle with moral alignment is continuously present. Huck faces the emotional implications of acting against the beliefs of the times as he aids Jim in escaping slavery. Though he offers assistance to Jim, Huck constantly battles with the idea of turning him in. Through this constant struggle Twain creates a contrast between morality – one’s own set of individual moral values, and moralism – the sets of moral values enforced by others. Raised in the Jim Crow south by the slave-owning Ms. Watson, Huck has been brought up on a very specific set of moral values.
In Chapter 16, when Huck sees Jim’s reaction to being near freedom, Huck describes his feeling as, “miserable”, “abusing”, “scorched”, and “die”. Although Jim is happy to face his future, Huck becomes burdened by societal beliefs and more importantly, his own moral values. For Huck, bestowing freedom to a slave is shameful and unethical; no different from one’s “property”. This also implies that Huck values the societies view more than his relationship with Jim. Later on, Huck’s view of the past changes as he separates his own conscience from the societal values.
Individuals often say that the right way may not necessarily be the popular way, but standing up for the right thing, despite it being frowned upon, will be 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, can be said to be a compelling story about how one individual, Huck Finn, goes against society’s ideals. Huck’s moral development can be said to be based primarily on those around him, especially Jim. Many instances also influence Huck’s morals, particularly during the raft journey that will change his beliefs and morals.
However, there were three major themes in the novel that had the largest impact on the increase of maturity Huck went through throughout the novel. Huck’s maturation throughout the novel occurred due to his exposure to race issues, morality, and his strong friendships. Throughout the novel, it can be seen that Huck’s opinion on the morality of helping Jim escape directly parallels with his level of maturity. At the beginning of the novel, Huck is weary of helping Jim, a runaway slave,escape from his “rightful owner” Ms. Watson. Huck goes on to say “I was sorry to hear Jim say that, it was such a lowering of him.
Huck struggles to identify the freedom he is experiencing early in the novel. Excluding the raft episode, Huck undergoes numerous encounters with literal freedom and still lacks satisfaction. It soon becomes evident to the reader that Huck’s definition of freedom is something that he is unable to achieve. This is because Huck is chasing a freedom that does not exist. If the idea of Huck’s chasing freedom was the main conflict, the resolution would be found much sooner than the novel’s end.