The ending of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain has been known to leave the readers unsatisfied and confused. Many have questioned why the protagonist of the novel, Huck, regressed into the character he was before his journey to free Jim, a slave. During this journey, Huck grows into the person he would be without the influence of a racist society. After this journey ends, however, Huck immediately falls back into his old habits as Tom, his friend, returns to help Huck with a dangerous and “adventurous” scheme to finally make Jim a free man. After their adventure, Tom reveals that Jim has already been free the entire time. These frustrating regressions in character development and plot are the reasons why the ending of the novel …show more content…
They are young, rebellious boys who selfishly crave adventure. They believe that they know better than anyone else, as Huck says, “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” (287). This statement comes to a surprise for many because Huck is so willing to leave Jim. Just before this, we see Huck and Jim’s relationship grow with the freedom from being removed from a prejudice society. An example of this would be when Huck plays a trick on Jim and Jim scolds him. “All you wuz thinkin’ ‘bout wuz how you could make a fool uv ole Jim wid a lie. Dat truck dah is trash; en trash is what people is dat puts dirt on de head er dey fren’s en makes ‘em ashamed” (87). This is important because with this it is evident that Jim no longer feels the fear of being too outspoken and expressing his negative feelings to a white person. And after he explains his disappointment to Huck, Huck feels disappointed in himself for being mean. This is when Huck realizes that he cares for Jim, and Jim cares for him. But even after all of this, Huck is still ready to leave at the first chance he gets. He never wanted to be “sivilized” and that did not change, which is disappointing, but again, …show more content…
However, Tom’s cruelty has some truth to it. While Huck genuinely cares about freeing Jim, he is shocked to hear Tom agree to help him out. But he learns shortly after that Tom is only using Jim for his own enjoyment. The entire process of freeing Jim was so excessive and downright cruel and Tom was thinking about nothing other than himself the whole time. When it’s over, Tom is so thrilled about his work, he cannot stop talking about it. “But Tom, he was so proud and joyful, he just couldn’t hold it in” (283). He even wears his bullet as a badge of honor, even though all he really did was waste everyone’s time and treat Jim as if he was
Jim struggles with major racial difficulties during this time period and Huck learns from his father that blacks are inferior to whites. He makes many comments and attempts to compare his son Huck to Jim who is seen to be “stupid” because of the lesser knowledge that Jim has than that of Pap. Although when Pap pretends to die and Huck seizes his chance to plot and escape, Jim accompanies Huck on his journey down the Mississippi river to find a new home. So far in the novel Jim has shown his loyalty to Huck and Huck begins to question both of their positions in society. Huck sees that it racial inequality because there is nothing wrong with Jim. He is a forced laborer barricaded by whites chaining him to the land but when Huck comes along what little does he know it is wrong to be with a black man. Huck varies from his father Pap because not only does Pap treat his son as an aggressive drunk but Pap doesn’t see the goodness that comes from Jim or even the mere similarity between these to humans let alone there skin. Well Huck sees that in Jim and that’s all that matters is that even though Huck isn’t getting an education he sees morality in this novel and discovers
Two chapters into the story and Twain has already placed Huck and his friend Tom found themselves sneaking past a man in the kitchen Huck referred to him as, “Miss Watson’s big nigger, named Jim” (11). This is when Jim and Huck’s view on Jim is first introduced. Huck made it very clear on how he viewed him, Jim was nothing but Miss Watson's unimportant property in his eyes. After the two boys got away without being spotted Tom decided to pull a prank on Jim, Huck did not make any effort to stop him. The way Huck allowed Tom to humiliate Jim shows that he does not see him as a person worthy of respect due to the color of his skin. Jim was just an average slave, and his feelings never crossed Huck’s mind.
Huck rushes back to the island and demands that Jim be ready to run with him, meaning that Huck has risked his own freedom to save Jim. “Git up and hump yourself, Jim. They’re after us,” Huck finds out they are looking for Jim on Jackson’s Island and he rushes back to let him know (Twain 63). Huck could’ve easily ran and left Jim, but he didn’t. This is the first time where Huck begins to change and value Jim as a companion and friend. Huck realizes the value of Jim, outside of being a slave, and risks his own freedom in order for Jim to remain free. Huck realizes that Jim is a good and true friend and that lying is what will keep them safe and together in the society that they are living in. “He’s sick--and so is Mam and Mary Ann,” Huck lies to the men who want to search the raft for slaves (Twain 90). He says his family has smallpox which is what drives the slave searchers away. Huck knows they must lie about their intentions and who they are in order to be successful. This also proves how awful society was, they would have taken away Jim, no questions asked, and it just simply becomes easier to hold their tongues. This is when Huck first begins to protect Jim and defy society once again. Huck later hurts Jim’s feelings by playing a cruel trick on Jim and feels bad. Huck knows white people aren't supposed to, but he apologizes to a slave
Augustus was the first emperor, and founder, of the Roman Empire. He was a generous leader, and had a sense of caution in mind with every decision. His document, Res Gestae Divi Augusti, notes all of his accomplishments during his reign. He established an especially impressive army during his time. In the first paragraph, he introduces the beginning of his kingship, “In my nineteenth year… I raised an army with which I set free the state, which was oppressed by the domination of a faction” (Res Gestae Divi Augusti, 1). In the second to fourteenth paragraphs he touches on the politics of his career and the events that transpired. In paragraphs fifteen through twenty-four, he notes his donations of money, land, public works, ect. Paragraphs twenty-five through thirty-three take his military and alliances into account. In the final two paragraphs, thirty-four and thirty-five, he discusses Roman people’s assessment of his reign. Augustus was a very powerful leader with his well planned strategies, and made the people of Rome very proud.
In the beginning Huck plays tricks on Jim, Huck no longer does those immature tricks, he does not view Jim as property, he sees Jim as a person. Huck demonstrated that he truly cared for Jim when he ripped up the letter that he wrote for Miss. Watson. “I was a-trembling, because I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it”(Twain 207). This quote is very important because Huck thinks that if he rips up the letter he will go to hell and if he sends the letter he will be okay but he decides to tear the letter up anyways. One thing that has not changed over time is Jims love for Huck. This quote shows that Jim will always look after Huck “I went to sleep, and Jim didnt call me when it was my turn. He often done that”(Twain 153). Jim and Huck throughout the novel take turns taking care of each other but something that will always be the same is the father like attitude Jim has when watching Huck. Jim cares for Huck and is very protective of him through the
Because blacks are uneducated, he sees them as stupid and stubborn. He frequently tells stories to Jim, mainly about foreign kings and history. When Jim disagrees with Huck, Jim becomes very stubborn and refuses to listen to explanations. Huck eventually concludes, "You can't learn a nigger to argue". Jim also seems to accept that whites are naturally superior to blacks. He knows that Huck is far smarter than he is. When Tom Sawyer and Huck are planning an elaborate breakout for Jim, he allows their outrageous plan to continue because they "was white folks and knowed better than him". This mutual acceptance of whites as superior to blacks shows how deeply rooted slavery was in Southern culture. This made it very difficult for Huck to help Jim. When Tom Sawyer says he will help free Jim, Huck is very disappointed. He had never thought that Tom Sawyer, of all people, would be a "nigger stealer". Huck had always considered Tom respectable and educated, and yet Tom was prepared to condemn himself to damnation by freeing a runaway slave. This confuses Huck greatly, who no longer knows what to think about his situation with Jim. When Huck is forced to make a decision regarding slavery, he invariably sides with his emotions. Huck does not turn Jim in, despite having several chances. His best chance to do what he believes is right comes as they are rafting towards Cairo, Illinois. Huck finally
Aside from the ending as a downfall, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn taught an important lesson, one that showed the importance of the self in the maturing process. We saw Huck grow up by having the river as a place of solitude and thought, where he was able to participate in society at times, and also sit back and observe society. Through the child's eye we see how ignorant and mob-like we can all be. Then nature, peace, and logic are presented in the form of the river where Huck goes to think. Though no concise answer is given, the literature forces the reader to examine their surroundings, and question their leaders, which can also lead into this great disappointment. Because we idolize Huck for his individualism and beliefs, the end of the novel lets all the readers down. We can no longer refer to Huck as a hero because he never got Jim to freedom, instead prevented him from it. Although Huck loved Jim, he feared his future and what would happen to him if he were caught
The use of what are now considered illegal drugs date back as far as 300 BC in many different places of the world. Historically, it has not only been criminals that used illegal drugs. Drugs were used for many things including medicinal purposes, spiritual enlightenment, rituals, as well as for recreation. They were also used by many different cultures, age groups, and social classes. There was a time when the only thing around to alleviate physical pain either from illness, injury, or even during the process of dying were some of these drugs. There were no illegal drugs in the United States until the mid-nineteenth century. This is an essay on 12 of these illegal drugs individually as reported on in the History Channels documentary “Hooked, Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way”.
His whole life has been taught that “niggers” are property and are not meant to be free but In his heart he knew helping Jim was the right thing to do, no matter what anybody else says. “both Huck and Jim are depicted as characters who are capable of learning from their own mistakes, empathizing with others, and acting on the behalf of others” (Evans). As the journey down the river continues they run into two con men. These men pretend to be the Wilks brothers in order to rob this family of all of their possessions. Huck couldn’t see them do this poor family wrong. He spends some time really contemplating telling one of the girls, Mary Jane, the truth about these liars (Twain 175). He knows inside that it is the right thing to do but he doesn’t want to put himself at risk. He plans out every little detail of how he is going to tell her and how he is going to expose these men (Twain 175-178). His actions result from his sympathy for others and his conscience and show major growth as the story continues.
.” (Twain, ix) He openly and firstly acknowledges the irregularities in this story and explains that it is not on a whim that he uses this specific type of language but with the purpose to expose the world to a new and original form of literary design. The main character in this story is Huckleberry Finn, the complete opposite of a traditional European hero; he is not the typical king or nobleman that traditional stories tell of. He is an everyday boy uneducated and seemingly unworthy, Huckleberry Finn is the epitome of a real American every day hero. Mr. Twain writes this book as a way to show that just by simply maturing and growing up so that Huckleberry Finn can make the right decisions in all aspects of his life; it makes him a noble character. “We are asked to trust this not as a sport, but rather as a well-considered and well-honed document. . . We are invited to experience and to appreciate this narrative in terms of its thought, its thoughtfulness, and its craft.” (Fertel, 159 –Free and Easy”)
The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has stirred up much controversy over such topics as racism, prejudice and gender indifference, but the brunt of the criticism has surrounded itself around the ending, most notably with the re-entry of Tom Sawyer. Some people viewed the ending as a bitter disappointment, as shared by people such as Leo Marx. The ending can also be viewed with success, as argued by such people as Lionel Trilling, T.S. Eliot, V. S. Pritchett and James M. Cox in their essays and reviews. I argue that the ending of the novel proves successful in justifying the innocence of childhood through such themes as satire and frivolous behaviour.
In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain follows protagonist, Huck Finn throughout his endeavors. This coming of age story displays Huck’s actions that lead to him running away from home. From a young age, Huck is forced to become emotionally and physically autonomous due to his father’s alcoholism. Huck runs away and begins his adventure with fugitive slave, Jim. Together they meet a diverse range of individuals and families. Mark Twain illustrates Huck Finn’s character development by exposing him to different moral systems.
Huck’s views regarding black people come into question when Huck and Jim run away together. Their experiences together let them become closer to each other and let Huck recognize Jim as a human being with real feelings. Huck starts to view Jim as a caring individual when they are on the raft. This is a scene taken from when Jim and Huck were working together on the raft and Jim was trying to protect them both from the rain, “Jim took up some of the top planks of the raft and built a snug wigwam to get under in blazing weather and rainy, and to keep the things dry. Jim made a floor for the wigwam, and raised it a foot or more above the level of the raft, so now the blankets and all the traps was out of reach of steamboat waves” (Twain, pg 64). In this part of the novel, Huck seems to be all Jim has, and Jim is also all Huck seems to have, and they work together to build a place that the waves cannot reach them. Their feeling of friendship is born through working together and protecting each other. Even though Huck and Jim are having new experiences together, Huck’s conscience is still going back and forth about the idea of freeing a slave. This quote is taken from when Huck
As a girl growing up in Nigeria, I witnessed immense suffering and poverty. Initially, I believed the only way I could help people was to become a doctor and directly impact their lives. However, one pivotal life experience challenged this view. During winter break of my sophomore year, I walked into a phone conversation and found out my cousin was schizophrenic. For the next month, I spent countless hours researching schizophrenia, fascinated by it’s complexity. At that moment, my passion for research was ignited. I have always had questions pertaining to human behavior and the brain but it never occurred to me that I could be the one to answer them.
People often hesitate to accept what they do not understand. In the absence of love and compassion, it is no question that fear, ignorance, and hatred, all contribute to a melting pot of negativity in the world. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, is about the love and friendship cultivated by a young boy and a black slave on the Mississippi River. Despite the pair’s differences, they are able to endure the struggles and difficulties that the toilsome journey brings. Mark Twain, in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, emphasizes the shift in Huck’s view towards slavery by contrasting Huck’s initial tone of reflectiveness to his assertive tone, both collectively addressing the issue of racism in society.