How Does Huck Finn Fight Against Society

In the beginning of this Huckleberry Finn, Huck was an uncivilized and ignorant boy. When he moved in with the Widow Douglas, she "allowed she would [him]" but he did not want to stay with her because she was so "regular and decent... in all her ways" (2). He did not have what most people would consider morals. He was so against things moral and civilized that

The book introduces Huck as the first person narrator which is important because it establishes clearly that this book is written from the point of view of a young, less than civilized character. His character emerges as a very literal and logical thinker who only believes what he can see with his own eyes. In this section Huck’s life with the Widow Douglas and her attempts to raise him as a civilized child sets up the main theme of this book which is the struggle or quest for freedom. Huck’s struggle for freedom from civilized society is paralleled by Jim’s struggle to escape from slavery. Irony as a key literary

One of Huck’s first encounters of a moral system was his father who is naturally racist, does not value education, and resents the government while justifying his crimes.

In society what is morally just and unjust have very different meanings and will take a child on different paths in the journey of life. The journey goes from moving away from society 's prejudices to seeking the truth. Both actions have to be explored in order to grow as an individual. If chances are not taken in life, then maybe being morally unjust would not be challenging, or confusing, but for Huck Finn this is not the case. Although Huck is only thirteen years old, he has to challenge himself between the idea of being like anybody else or following his own beliefs. Throughout the novel, The Adventures of

Huckleberry Finn recognizes Jim as a human being, but is fighting the beliefs bestowed upon him by a society that believes slaves should not be free. However, it is important to realize that although Huckleberry Finn's decisions create the conflict between society and himself (and that this conflict forms the theme of the novel), Huck is oblivious to the justice, the righteousness, and even the heroism of his own actions, they are simply in accordance with his own conscience.

“When Huck plans to head west... he is trying to avoid more than regular baths and mandatory school attendance” (Sparknotes 1). This quote summarizes the whole purpose of Huckleberry Finn’s journey throughout the novel, because even though he is only a young boy and his only concerns should be school and bathing, he has to worry about much more “adult” topics, such as helping an escaped slave and dealing with his abusive, alcoholic father. However, throughout these endeavors, he struggles with his conscience and the ideas that have been placed upon him by the people around him, while also trying to maintain his good heart. Examples of this ongoing battle in Huck’s mind include whether or not slavery is acceptable, the stark difference between the 2 gods that Miss Watson and the Widow argue about, and the seemingly pointless feud between the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons. One may think that these thoughts would take over Huck’s personality and make him into a more hateful, prejudiced, person, but Huck remains good hearted and true to himself until the end of the book, showing that he truly does have “a deformed conscience but a good heart.”

In Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the protagonist, Huck Finn, witnesses the flawed society of 1883. Huck meets Jim, an african-american slave, and they run away together to escape Huck’s abusive father and haunting past. Huck’s morals tend to be whatever is easiest for him, and how he could get around doing hard tasks. Huck may seem as though he is fixed on his own ideas but as the reader goes through Huck’s adventure they learn that his morals change. Although, at the beginning of the novel Huck’s morals tend to be self-centered, ultimately his morals have changed because he puts JIm before himself and realizes the wrongdoing of others.

From the very beginning of Huck's story, Huck without a doubt states that he did not want to conform to society; "The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me... I got into my old

While we see Huck reacting differently to each societal pressure, many people lack the individuality that Huck possesses. It is very common to see those conform to their surroundings, rather than developing distinct morals for each issue they encounter. Huck’s singularity allows him to judge situations off of his own values, rather than what his environment is telling him. For example, while he does contribute to the issue of racism, as he begins to develop a friendship with Jim his former beliefs begin to dissipate. With a complicated issue for a boy such as religion that he fails to comprehend, rather than embracing it he stands firm with his beliefs. Also, keeping in mind that he is a boy, it is obvious that his more adventurous best friend will have significant influence over his decision making when together. Huck takes the world as he sees it, and in a society today where very few choose to fit into their surroundings his moral compass sets an example to others. Very recently, a documentary came out of a black musician named Daryl Davis which chronicled his experience of creating kinship with klansmen. After having basic conversation with active (at that time) members, he was able to change the morals without basis of many, some even mailing him their robes as a sign of withdrawal from the KKK. While this is an extreme example, many people in society hold beliefs that if they truly examined would prove to go against their own morals. If one is to take anything out of the character Huck Finn, it is that he pushes us to question our own beliefs, whether they be deep-rooted or on something much simpler, and examine them to see if they align with our own moral compass. He teaches us

Huck is on the right path in becoming a faithful friend to Jim. He finds himself struggling to be his support system. He feels divorced from the outside world. As expected, his heart is confused in deciding what is morally and ethically appropriate. His conscience pushes him to reflect on the effects of society and how it incites behavior like his: reckless and unforeseen. This situation made him “trembly and feverish…because [he] begun to get through [his] head that [Jim] was most free… and [he Huck] was to blame” (Gerald and James 100). As a white male, he is expected to turn it runaway slaves of color. Nevertheless, he has no personal desire to follow these expectations. Rather, he chooses to protect Jim, even if he undoubtedly fears to

Huckleberry Finn is a classic ‘man vs. society’ protagonist. This theme is evident throughout the novel and permeates his interactions with adults and children alike. Huck Finn has always been at the fringes of society because of his poor upbringing and unconventional family life. This exclusion from white society allows him to be more critical of it, discerning its hypocrisies and failures. Society usually tends to impose a conformist attitude to its’ subjects and Finn manages to escape this because society has never wanted to include him.

Because he has not received a proper education like many others his age, he obtains the ability to question the thoughts of those around him, for their racist values have not been engraved in his mind quite as much as other children. Huck faces many aspects of society, which makes him choose his own individuality over civilization. He relies on instinct to guide him through life, and chooses to follow his innate sense of right, as he does without realizing that his own instincts are more humane than those of his corrupt society. Even though his conscience tells him, the way it has been instructed, that helping the runaway nigger Jim to freedom is an immense offense, his affection for Jim finally induced him to violate his conscience and risk eternal punishment by helping his friends escape. Huck’s freedom allows him to make his own decisions, and not conform to those of societies, as he is shown to act more nobly when he is not confined by the hypocrisies of civilization, as he now lives by his own standards.

From the beginning of Huck Finn, the reader can recognize that Huck is not living the same life as any other child in his surroundings. Huck’s disregard for manners, lack of parental influence, and rebellious attitude leads one to assume that his family life is not quite as healthy as it could be. His adoptive family, consisting of himself and Widow Douglass, appears to him far too civilized. His father is far too drunk, greedy, and neglectful of his own son to provide a healthy family life for him. Perhaps, in relation to his family life with his father, the lifestyle Huck leads with Widow Douglass is too healthy for his taste rather than too civilized.

Child abuse had a great on effect Huck’s whether if it had to do with where he is living or a decision he has made. Huck has been abused for most if not all of his life by his father, Pap. Huck stated, “I used to be scared of him all the time, he tanned me so much” (17). This quote shows how Huck had to deal with Pap’s abuse before and could not help himself. It shows that Pap has poor ethics shown by beating his child simply because he can. This is an immoral act on Pap’s part because he believes he can control Huck’s life including his life choices and his possessions. Pap says, “I’ll take you down a peg, before I'm done with you” (17). Pap continues to torment and threaten Huck even though he has not been around of the most recent parts of Huck’s life. Pap’s ideologies have not changed since Huck was younger. Pap’s ideals consist of being able to do what he wants when he wants. This was apparent when he tries to threaten Huck and put himself above Huck. In the 1800s community leaders felt responsible for helping orphaned or abandoned

Illustrated in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain reveals Huck’s character as honest and transparent; Widow Douglas wants to civilize Huck because he has no manners and she wants to save his soul. Huck portrays to the audience that he is truthful and honest. In Widow Douglas view Huck should be respected by white society which means having to wear new clothes and having to come to supper when called. Huck tries to defy the norms of society by running away from it. As a result of leaving society Huck feels free (para. 2). Huck feels free from society because he feels like society was changing him into someone he is not (para. 2). Society to Huck is condoning slavery and racism. Huck acts “uncivilized” according to Ms. Watson because Huck can’t spell nor behave properly and she is concerned that he will not go to the good place (para. 6). Huck doesn’t want to go to the good place because its is full of white society. Ms. Watson’s interpretation of the good place reveals the ignorance of her society because she believes that in heaven would be a great place with people playing harps and singing all the time (para. 7). Huck doesn’t want to go to heaven because if his best friend wasn’t going he wasn’t going either and he wanted to be with him.