Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn shows the development of a young boy named Huck Finn. We see Huck develop in character, attitude and maturity as he goes on his adventure down the Mississippi River. This is displayed through his search for freedom from civilization and it's beliefs and through his personal observations of a corrupt and immoral society. Most importantly, we are in Huck's head as he goes through his confusion over his supposedly immoral behavior and his acceptance that he will “go to hell” as he conquers his social beliefs. Huck's dissatisfaction in civilization and it's beliefs is the trigger to his development and growth. At first, Huck is shown as an ignorant 12 year old, born in to the harsh life of pre civil …show more content…
During this time, Huck runs into the Grangerford family however, soon finds him self in the middle of a feud against the Shepherdsons. The families are both shown as educated and civilized Christians. However, they show no sense of that as they have been engaged in a violent feud that has spanned about three decades because of reasons no one seems to remember. Huck, who is unable to comprehend the reasons why these could only watch as everyone around him is engulfed in this battle that has resulted in deaths on both sides. Huck later finds Jim and retreat back to the river. This scene and this feud between the two families is important for two reasons. One reason is that it shows these two supposedly “civilized” and well respected families being incredibly cruel to each other. It confirms the corruption of a society which is supposed to be based off the beliefs and values of Christianity. It's also important because it highlights Jim and Hucks relationship a little bit. Society would condemn their relationship, however, they are not trying to kill each other every chance they get as the Shepherdsons and the Grangerfords are. Their relationship contrasts the Shephersons relationship with the …show more content…
Huck's observation and reaction to the feud of the two families has reinforced his conscience about the chaos of white society in comparison to Negroes. Huck's reaction in regards to the King and the Duke is also an important point in Huck's development as a person. Huck, having been exposed and shown the immoral and corrupt products of society has grown strong enough to work against society in the end. This development has allowed huck go approach society in a more skeptical manner and to confront and accept that society and the world is not Widow Douglas' delusional mirage. This resulted in Huck to have more confidence in his relationship with Jim and loosened his bond with society's immoral
In the novel, Huck transformed from a irresponsible child to a responsible caring gentleman, which is proven in the novel by such events as when Huck feels regret for the trick he played on Jim, saving Jim, and getting medical help for
4. Huck’s upbringing is at issue in the book. what has he been taught that forms his core self? What do other characters want to teach him and how do they wish to change him?
In the middle of the book, Huck starts to distinguish what is the right thing to do. He starts to think if all the things he was doing before with Jim and Tom were too mean and stupid to do. One specific example is when he decides to steal the money that the king and duke have, “I got to steal that money somehow; and I got to steal it some way that they wont suspicion I done it." (Twain 133) After Huck stole the money Huck and Jim didn’t feel bad at all, and knew that they did the right thing after all. He learns that not everyone can be scammed on, that the real life is important and that you can’t do anything stupid like that. He sees eye to eye with Jim and realizes that he cant have someone taken advantage of just because of their
Since the beginning, Huck was not allowed to express his own beliefs because that would be going against Southern norm, which is seen as inexcusable and disgraceful. As the novel progresses with Huck going on a strenuous journey with Jim, a runaway slave, Huck learns incredible life lessons and eventually changes his viewpoints about slaves. This sudden change in his beliefs and values of slaves is due to the environmental change Huck experiences. This new environment conditions Huck and makes him realize that slaves possess human traits and qualities like every other white person do. In particular, Huck’s journey with Jim on the Mississippi River teaches him not to judge other people based on their outer appearances, but to treat everyone with compassion and love. Huck becomes more inclined to disregard social norms that he learned to accept in the past. Huck is essentially influenced by his environment throughout the novel.
I think Huck also gets to notice the difference in the way some people treat him and the way that they treat Jim. Huck starts to be dislike the way people treat Jim because Huck has gained respect for him and treats him better as a person. Civilization and society go hand and hand, Huck is shown this and grows on him the way Twain wants it to be
Throughout the novel Huck continues to expand on his relationships and world around him. His growth of his environment is shown especially through his relationships with Jim and Pap. Both are crucial characters in Huck’s life
His second guessing about society, and his strong relationship with Jim, leads to Huck questioning many of things he was thought about the world. Huck’s individuality creates him as a sharp, intelligent boy, even with no education. With this he is able to see the world not like most 12 year olds. His individuality causes him to see the world as a corrupt and out of place system. Huck decides to “go to hell” rather than follow the rules and what he was taught.
Huck has transitioned from a boy who was uneducated and had little to no opinion about his society to a matured young gentlemen who can now read as well write and has an opinion of the town and society in which he lives in. But his old ways still scratch at him beneath the surface which causes him to return to the forest and transition back into his prior self. Hucks loves for the country will always outweigh his admiration he has accepted for the city, due to the fact that he was born and raised in the country. He has put on a costume for the approval from the widow but underneath lies the true country boy.
In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain, the reader takes a journey down the Mississippi river with a young white boy, Huck, and a runaway slave, Jim. A main theme throughout the book is the moral development of young Huck Finn as he chooses to help Jim gain his freedom. This is morally wrong in that time period. However, Huck’s evolving view of Jim is also significant. The novel introduces Jim through Huck’s eyes, seeing him as nothing more that property. As the two travel down the river, Huck has an obligation to see Jim for what he is; a human being.
In the beginning, after Tom Sawyer and Huck discover the gold, Huck is adopted by the Widow Douglas and forced to get an education. During this time, Huck hates being all proper and mannerly. He tries to rebel in anyway which includes by wearing his raggedy, old clothes, smoking, and running around at night. Eventually, he starts to adjust to his new life, but then his Pap kidnaps him, leading Huck to go on a long, wild adventure. Even after going through all those ordeals in his expedition, Huck still refuses to be civilized.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a book about how Huck matures throughout his many different experiences in the story. As Guy Cardwell says in his overview on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn “The voice of Huck as narrator is of first importance: his moral development gives the book configuration of a Bildungsroman” (Cardwell 1). He shows growth before he leaves on the river, as he travels along the river, and at the places he stops along the river. He makes many decisions on his own. His decisions are on things such as the good and bad in people, religion, friendship, and morals to name a few.
I think his new sympathetic trait is proved when he feels pity for the robbers upon the wrecked ship, and tries to save their lives. Even though they were murderous thieves, Huck felt bad for them and feels that one day he could be in a situation just like they had. Huck expresses this sympathy when he states “I begun to think how dreadful it was, even for murderers, to be in such a fix. I says to myself, there ain’t no telling but I might come to be a murderer myself yet, and then how would I like it?” (Twain 71).This plays a huge role in Huck’s character, he is finally able to acknowledge other people and their emotions and experiences. He is also able to put himself into their shoes. I think that he also feels sympathy towards Jim, though they both have very little, Jim has much less than Huck. I believe that Jim helps Huck develop loyalty, which might be unintentional, but still prevalent. Huck feels apologetic towards the widow for he is helping her slave escape, but he couldn’t cease his actions for Jim is his friend and he is loyal to him. This also supports Huck’s journey on the road of maturation. Being able to understand who really deserves your help and faithfulness is an idea even many adults aren’t able to completely
During this journey his moral nature starts to develop. When someone's morality is developing, it is influenced by many factors. One’s age, personal experiences, teachings, and emotions are some of the factors that influence a person’s developing moral code. Throughout the story as Huck goes along on his journey and as his morality starts to develop, there are many factors that influences his development. Out of those many factors the ones that have the most influence on his the moral development is the environment and people he sees on his journey.
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.
Throughout the beginning of the story, Huck is depicted as one who is very naive yet very frustrated with the world. For a long time, Huck goes with the flow and just takes what is given to him. That being expected though, for he is a child. As a victim of abuse and lack of education, Huck struggles to understand the world around him. He 's not too comprehensive on how awful his father 's actions are and why the widow doesn 't want Huck to be in the man 's care. Huck doesn 't understand why he should conform to society and religion either. Through all this confusion though, Huck manages to develop a sense of courage and self respect. He does so by realizing he deserves better than his options, i.e., live with the widow and practice a strict and conservative lifestyle, or live with