Huck Finn Analysis

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

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn satirizes gratuitous violence, excessive greed, and racism. First, Twain illustrates the satire in the gratuitous violence with the backwater families and the rural country people starting with the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons. Huck first meets the Grangerfords when Huck and Jim’s raft breaks apart and Huck ends up on a shore. Huck meets Buck Grangerford who asks if Huck is a part of the Shepherdson family, in which Huck responds that he is not. Buck explains to him that the Grangerfords and the Shepherdson’s have been in a feud with each other for as long as the families can remember, however, no one knows or can even remember how or why these two families are fighting. Twain goes on to explain that the two families even go to church with their rifles while the priest preaches about love and peace. Twain also uses Boggs and Sherburn to further satirize these nonsensical violent habits. Boggs, who is very drunk, keeps causing a ruckus and speaking ill of Sherburn. Sherburn tells him to stop, but Boggs does not listen, so Sherburn shoots and kills Boggs. Soon after a mob forms declaring that they must kill Sherburn in retaliation. Sherburn tells the mob that they do not have the prowess to go through with their plan to kill him. He says that “Because you’re brave enough to tar and feather poor friendless cast-out women that come along here, did that make you think you had grit enough to lay your hands on a man? Why, a man’s safe in the hands of

Huck says “So in two seconds away we went a-sliding down the river, and it did seem so good to be free again and all by ourselves on the big river, and nobody to bother us.” (29) Huck realizes that being on the river helps him develop life skills. When he was ashore the widow taught him big words and educational things but he was not very happy about it. He was fine with what he knew. In the river he learned how to escape and how to live life hiding from people and just to keep walking and do not turn back. Huck had a good heart because while traveling down the river he brought Jim along with him. Jim was a slave that wanted to be free. So the two were headed to Ohio so they could be free from the past. God wants us to love our neighbor and that is exactly what Huck did. The river was basically a path to freedom for the both of them and they conquered it

“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 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain initially presents Huck as a naïve narrator, an unreliable character who raises himself on his own. With the help of Jim, a runaway slave, Huck matures in his morals. Throughout the novel, Huck develops into a more mature character. Huck does this through his courage to escape from his father, his ability to take care of himself, and his relationship with Jim. Huckleberry Finn grows into a strong, mature, young man as he develops his relationships and displays courage throughout the novel.

This passage about Huck, supports my simile of a sea saw from this reading experience, because of when Huck decides to rat Jim out. There are other factors taking place that has affected the society. It was not easy going against all you knew, the hardship of going against what you have been taught and the belief of your friends and family. In this situation Huck is tipping the seater saw , elevating himself and Jim closer, and closer to the ground. This portion was all about Huck, little to nothing about what Jim wants and needs. Here in this section it shows just how selfish someone can be and how it can cause an effect. Huck, here thinks he is the know it all, the boss.

The second moment during the novel when Huck Finn is pulled in conflicting desires is when he leaves the murderers alone at the shipwreck to die. When they overhear, the murderers talking they say that "if we don’t hunt up their boat and set her drifting down the river so these fellows can't get away from the wreck there's one of 'em going to be in a bad fix but if we find their boat we can put all of 'em in a bad fix." (Twain 70). But later Huck feels bad for the murderers. He says, "I began to think how dreadful it was, even for murderers, to be in such a fix."

Beyond a shadow of doubt, there are a lot of things I learned in both these books. Their story lines are amazing and they left me powerful messages that are useful in life. Moreover, though these books were written in different settings, Huck Finn which was written when slavery was still legal and Long Walk to Freedom, which was written secretly in prison, they send identical memos about challenges and how wrong is can be. Also that, it can lead to fatalities and terrible endings. As well as, nobody was born racism, kids are taught it, therefore racism is cruel. Lastly, listening to our hearts can sometimes be important because it is the only way for us to live according to the natural moral circle.

James McPherson, Walt Whitman, and Mark Twain all state and indicate the importance of freedom, independence, and individualism throughout all the excerpts. Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Satirical novel, 1884, Huck exposes the flows of white society in the Antebellum south. Twain’s novel discusses racism, slavery, and hypocrisy of “civilized society” is to show how they are doing wrong to individuals. Walt Whitman's free verse poem “Song of Myself”, Leaves of Grass in 1855 illustrates when someone passes away life is reincarnated and becomes something better such as grass, air, or soil. Whitman’s purpose for composing this was to inform that death is a forturate thing and not something to fear for. James McPherson,

This novel shows the difficult life of an adolescent without a father figure and an education along with a corrupt society surrounding him. He struggles with following his own morals or his society's codes and laws. He chose to do the right thing by following his gut and helping Jim flee to free states. At the same time, Huck also represents that there is always good in people and they can control their own decisions, without letting someone else control them. If I was in Huck’s shoes, I do not think I will have the guts to stick up for him because of the danger that came with it. Last year, our class read To Kill A Mockingbird which has a similar plot because both novels shared the same themes such as racism, slavery, friendship, and more. This book had very few boring sections but there was not as much action for my taste. Overall, a great message was given the the readers which was to always do what you think is right and to not let the other influences of other people affect your

Huck’s first encounter with this is when the Widow “[takes him] for her son, and [allows] she would sivilize [him]; but it [is] rough living in the house all the time” (Twain 2). Huck does not enjoy the idea of having to be molded into a prim and proper young man. Huck wants to live free and on his own without having to adhere to a strict lifestyle. This is not quite the case with Huck “on the big river, and nobody to bother [them]” (Twain 29). Huck finds a sense of comfort in getting away from the land in which he once lived as he is now free to become his own person.

Plot Overview: Just as Huck and Jim get separated, Huck begins getting attacked by guard dogs. Fortunately for Huck, the owner of the dogs saves him. Huck’s saviors ask him who he is. Huck once again creates another alter ego, George Jackson, and makes up another story. After listening to his story, the man invites him to his abode.

One component of these chapters that I felt was extremely prevalent was the character development of Huck. There were multiple instances when Huck had to make certain decisions that would effect him in the long run, and with most of those decisions came a moral struggle. It seemed as if within these chapters, Huck is trying to find out who he truly is as a person. One example of these moments is in chapter 16 when he is having an internal battle, trying to convince himself that helping Jim gain his freedom is in fact the right thing to do. The quote reads, “I couldn't get that out of my conscience, no how nor no way. It got to troubling me so I couldn't rest; I couldn't stay still in one place…I tried to make out to myself that I warn't to blame, because I didn't run Jim off from his rightful owner” (Pg. 87). In the quote stated above you can clearly see the internal struggle that Huck goes through, trying to find himself along the way. He looks at the situation with 2 different perspectives, one of them being that taking Jim to gain his freedom is immoral and the wrong thing to do, the other being taking Jim to gain his freedom is the right thing to do. Although Jim knows that either way he will feel guilty but he ends up choosing to take Jim's side because of his loyalty. Jim shows his appreciation to Huck by saying things like, "Dah you goes, de ole true Huck; de on'y white genlman dat ever kep' his promise to ole Jim”(Pg. 92), causing Huck

Mark Twain also demonstrates how undesirable civilized society really is. Both Huck and Jim desire freedom, which greatly contrasts the existing civilization along the river. They both turn to nature to escape from the unprincipled ways of civilization. Huck wants to escape from both the proper, cultured behavior of Miss Watson and Widow Douglas and the tyranny of his father. Jim, on the other hand, hopes to escape from slavery and start a new life as a free man, hopefully with his own family eventually. Throughout the novel, the raft enables Huck and Jim to escape from the barbarism of their society to a place of serenity and peace, which is always on their raft, away from any other people. Through the duration of the story, Huck learns and does many things that would be contrary to the beliefs of society such as helping Jim

Mark Twain uses humor to show all that is wrong with society in many different ways. Humor is mostly shown through hypocrisy in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” which is conveyed through the people in Huck’s life. Twain uses wit and humor to show what needs to be reformed in society.