ipl-logo

What Is The Corrupt Influence Of Society In Huck Finn

884 Words4 Pages

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 …show more content…

Huck realizes that he is committing an illegal act by helping a slave, who is also his friend. Huck expresses his guiltiness by saying, “It stayed with me, and scorched me...I tried to make out to myself that I warn’t to blame, because I didn’t run Jim off” (87). Society made Huck believe that all blacks are horrible creatures and any contact with them is a sin. The word ‘scorched’ connotes the guiltiness embedded in Huck by society. Huck has been burned with the idea that he is to blame for Jim’s escape. Huck ultimately feels guilty because he knows he has not done wrong but he has no reason not to believe what society thinks because he was only taught one way. Huck imagines an alternate scenario, thinking “s’pose [he]’d’ a’ done right and give Jim up, would [he] felt better...No…[he'd] feel bad” (91). Huck is aware that the right decision based on society is to give up Jim. Huck’s thoughts represent his conscience overruling society and his emotions are more influential. Huck begins to see a glimpse of how he is working against

Show More
Related

  • How Does Huck Finn Change Throughout The Novel

    917 Words  | 4 Pages

    Huck sees Jim as just property and an ignorant slave who is below him. He does not really care about him very much, but we see that he cares enough to risk helping a black man get to the free states. We see Huck play a trick on Jim when he puts a snake next to Jim when he is sleeping and scaring him half to death when Jim woke up.. Huck just sits there and laughs at Jim. This is the typical 14 year old who loves to play tricks on the adults.

    Read More

  • Huck's Maturation In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

    1597 Words  | 7 Pages

    Huck is looking for a father, and Jim is looking to join a family. The two complement each other well (4). Helping an escaped slave is a criminal offense during this period of time. It could be argued that Huck is not fully aware of the consequences of his actions, but as the reader sees time and time again, Huck is a very wise, very practical, very street-smart boy.

    Read More

  • Why Is Huck Finn Morally Wrong

    879 Words  | 4 Pages

    (pg. 81) In this quote Huck explains his uneasiness with the idea of slaves being freed. Huck’s uneasiness displays how he has matured because he begins to think about what he believes to be right or wrong. In this particular case, Huck is bothered by Jim freeing his family because in Huck’s time society understood slaves to be property. As such, if Jim was to free his family, he would be stealing.

    Read More

  • Huck's Nonconformity

    1603 Words  | 7 Pages

    In Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck and Jim bond closely to one another, regardless of the fact that they belong to different ethnic groups. Huck, a coming-of-age teenage boy, lives in the Southern antebellum society which favors slavery. At the beginning of the book, Twain claims that “Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; and persons attempting to find a plot will be shot” (Twain 2). Ironically, through his experiences with Jim, the uncivilized Huck gradually establishes his own moral beliefs, although sometimes struggling against the influence of society.

    Read More

  • Quotes On Race In Huckleberry Finn

    1266 Words  | 6 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Huckleberry Finn Dbq Essay

    935 Words  | 4 Pages

    Huck has always seen Jim as a slave until they crossed paths while going down the river. The two develop a friendship and Huck starts to care about Jim and his well being. Although Huck views Jim as someone he cares about, he still sees him as a slave as well. “ I would do the right thing and the clean thing, and go and write that nigger’s owner and tell where he was,” ( Document E). Huck is in a continuous battle with his inner self when it comes to his views on Jim.

    Read More

  • What Does Huck's Name Mean

    489 Words  | 2 Pages

    When Huck hears this from Jim, it tares at Huck. He decides not to turn in Jim (which he could have done easily.) Huck’s conscience basically ate him alive. Huck was on the verge of turning in Jim, and seemed that was what he should do. However after thinking about it, Huck decided he would feel worse if he turned Jim in as opposed to keeping him free.

    Read More

  • The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain

    204 Words  | 1 Pages

    This is the climax of the novel, in which many of the underlying themes are made clear. Huck’s morals overcome his fear for punishment, and he is determined to help Jim even if he has to go to hell for it. Furthermore, Jim is a runaway slave, and in the context of the story, helping a runaway slave, albeit one that was sold and has a new owner, would be almost traitorous to Huck’s community. 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.

    Read More

  • How Does Huck Finn Conflict With Society

    440 Words  | 2 Pages

    But Huck also feels like he can not turn Jim in because deep down he knows that Jim’s life will be better not being a slave. This shows that Huck battles between himself whether to follow society’s rules or his own morlas. When Huck chooses to not turn Jim in as a runaway slave, that makes it evident that he matures or so it

    Read More

  • Huckleberry Finn Values

    2079 Words  | 9 Pages

    Huck is seen as a criminal in where every soul is looking for his heart beat in order to receive the granted outcome. The civilians urge in receiving the outcome for the runaway slave and Huck for a commission of two hundred dollars and this desire makes Huck be afraid. He is afraid over the idea that he holds in his hands the fate of Jim’s life and his own. This type of civilization is Huck’s and Jim’s biggest fear as to how they must ask and conform to the

    Read More

  • Theme Of Justice In Huck Finn

    738 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Huck Finn Passage Analysis

    466 Words  | 2 Pages

    This transition is the result of the extended period of time that the two spend together, which allows Huck to look past the differences that he has been taught to observe for his entire life and view Jim for what he is; a fellow man. By the end of this passage, Huck’s resolve to do right by Jim is so strong that he is willing to suffer eternal damnation rather than betray Jim. Perhaps Huck’s most important statement in this passage is “Alright then, I’ll go to hell”; here he decides he’s willing to go to hell for eternity rather than causing Jim to return to his life as a slave. At first Huck just thought of Jim the property of another person, a good to be bought and sold regardless of any evidence that he was a human being. As they travel together, this viewpoint is gradually weakened by examples of Jim’s humanity, culminating in a model shift that goes against everything Huck has been taught about the societal status of a

    Read More

  • Huckleberry Finn Maturity Analysis

    1120 Words  | 5 Pages

    On one hand, society states that he should not have to apologize to Jim for tricking him. Yet on the other hand, Huck’s heart tells him that he upset Jim and that he should apologize. It takes a while for Huck to come to this conclusion, but in the end, he says, “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger: but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterward, neither. I didn’t do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn’t done that one if I’d ’a’ knowed it would

    Read More

  • Huck Finn's Moral Development In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

    1141 Words  | 5 Pages

    Although there are numerous instances where Huck’s moral growth can be seen, the individuals around such as Jim, will influence his moral growth greatly. Jim, a runaway slave, is the most influential individual when it comes to Huck’s moral development. During the beginning of the novel, Huck’s morals are primarily based on what he has learned from Miss Watson. Huck begins to become wary of such ideals that Miss Watson has imposed on him, and decided all he wanted “…was a change” (Twain 10).

    Read More

  • Theme Of Morality In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

    1083 Words  | 5 Pages

    (Twain 87-88). At this stage in the novel, it is important to denote his ambivalence toward the situation. Though he helps Jim, he feels a sense of guilt for going against societal standards. Regardless, Huck has a myriad of opportunities to turn Jim in--and doesn’t. This verifies that Huck progresses in developing his maturity and poise.

    Read More

More about What Is The Corrupt Influence Of Society In Huck Finn

Open Document