preview

Huck Finn Unsivilized Analysis

Decent Essays

It is 1885 in the slave state of Missouri, and society as shown in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn can best be described as a power struggle between what is “civilized” and “unsivilized.” Civilized in the sense that the actions of Missouri's white citizens adheres to those of everyone else around them. While "unsivilized" meant that the individual was not compliant to the culture of that time or the person was not deemed a member of society at all. Civilization during the 19th century maintained the idea that white people were entitled to owning a slave since they were considered to be inferior. And the idea that aiding a runaway slave was a crime, punishable by being charged with a crime. Throughout Huckleberry Finn, we come to understand how unsivilized society was during this time through the perspective of the protagonist. This power struggle was best shown through the analysis of Pa, Huck's father, when compared to the runaway slave Jim. The power struggle of civilized vs unsivilized culture also appears when considering Tom Sawyer civilized and Huck Finn unsivilized.

From the beginning of the novel, we come to understand that society during this time was one that cared little for the lives of African Americans. This was best shown through the manner in which white people treated African Americans as though they were solely objects. All throughout the novel we are introduced to characters who seem beloved and innocent, their true identities appear when considering

Get Access