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Conscience In Mark Twain's The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

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Society has a big impact on how everyone’s conscience forms. Women are usually blamed for letting their emotions rule in their decision-making. Men are guilty as well in that action. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the main character chooses to ignore his conscience more often and listens to his heart instead. The theme of conscience plays a big part throughout the entire book, dictating the actions of the characters in the novel. From the beginning, Huckleberry Finn knows what society wants from him. He knows that slavery is right and needed. Also, that he should be polite, intelligent and well mannered. When he decides to run off with a slave, he knows he must turn him in because it is the right thing to do. His can never go through with turning Jim in, the slave, because in his heart it seems right and wrong, his conflicting thoughts and emotions never let him turn the slave in.. When he has a good chance to tell on the runaway he ends up doing the opposite, “They went off and I got aboard the raft, feeling bad and low, because I knowed very well I had done wrong…” (83).When Finn denied telling the men about the slave out there in the water, he knew he did wrong but still did not say anything. …show more content…

All throughout the novel, when Finn thinks he is doing the wrong thing like, not turning Jim in or telling Jim and the people about the con men, he is doing the total opposite that is the right thing. After the “wrong thing” is done, Finn feels bad because he thinks he has let down society. The way Finn was raised has made his life a struggle when he is choosing what to do in times of crisis. The heart of Finn always wins when he decides what to do because he knows in some way that what he does is good for the people his choices

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