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Why Is Huck Finn Being Civilized

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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel about Huck Finn and Jim as they try to escape from their fears. Huck is running from his father, who is abusive and a bad influence. On the other hand, Jim is running for fear of slavery. They travel down the Mississippi River in search for freedom while encountering many people along the way such as robbers and other families. Jim is later sold back into slavery, but Huck and Tom Sawyer devise a plan to save him. It was later found that Miss Watson died and freed Jim in her will. At the end of the novel, Huck Finn expresses his dislike for being civilized: “But I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me and I can’t stand it. I been there before” (1365). Civilization is a big theme in the novel because Huck and …show more content…

For example, society says to turn Jim into his owner, but Huck wants to do good, so he decides to help him become free. Also, Huck wants to be free, but he doesn’t want to end up being the same as everyone else. “At first I hated the school, but by-and-by I got so I could stand it…I liked the old ways best, but I was getting so I liked the new ones too, a little bit” (1196). Huckleberry Finn seems hesitant about admitting he enjoys school because then he would be conforming to society when he wants freedom. In the novel, society’s view of civilization is being well-behaved, religious, respecting your elders, and sticking to the standards of society. Civilization has a very strong relationship with religion and heaven and hell. If a person follows the guidelines, they will end their life in heaven, otherwise they will end in hell. Because of this, characters within the book are in a constant struggle of right and wrong. For example, Judge Thatcher allows Pap to have custody of Huck, although it may not have been the “good” thing to

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