Huckleberry Finn Essay

"Sometimes we would have that whole river all to ourselves for the longest time. Yonder was the banks and the islands, across the water; and maybe a spark or two--on a raft or a scow, you know; and maybe you could hear a fiddle or a song coming over from one of them crafts" (Examining the River in Terms of Symbolism in 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'). Freedom is a wonderful thing many Americans today take for granted. According to Webster's Dictionary, the word freedom is defined as "the condition of being free from restraints." Although, both characters, Huck and Jim, were free in different senses, they were still free. "...Because the river was so peaceful and calm that it led to their freedom to do as they please without the barriers given by society on land" (Examining the River in Terms of Symbolism in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn")"Jim is safe from those who hunt runaway slaves. On the river, Huck has the time to ponder all that goes on around

Huckleberry Finn is also lifted into great literary status by Twain’s compelling use of symbolism. An example of this symbolism is the Mississippi River. Throughout the novel, the river symbolizes life’s journey and, eventually, Huck’s natural integrity. It represents a place of ease and safety for both Huck and Jim. There is a major difference between their life on the river and their life on the land. On the river, life for Huck is peaceful and easy yet not without its dangers, whilst life on the land is most often cruel, demanding, and deceitful. Another example is how life on the raft is a paradox because, even

: For the main character in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck, life on land and the way of civilization that goes with it represent constrictive rules and inhumanity. Life on the river on the other hand and the wildness that goes with it represent freedom and humanity. The life and realizations of Huckleberry Finn in the novel show that the life that we thought is clean and organized on the outside is actually very pretentious and inhumane inside and the life that we thought as dangerous and wild is the one that gives us the peace, freedom and sense of humanity.

In The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, Huck and Jim’s adventures on the Mississippi River embody the idea of the sea journey archetype. There are many examples and ideas that contribute to this model. First of all, to Huck and Jim, the Mississippi River itself represents freedom. On their own raft, Jim and Huck escape their problems and don’t have to answer to anyone. Mrs. Loftus, along with the rest of society, believes that the situations of the the two runaways are not comparable: one is a hapless slave escaping his fate and the other is a miserable and rebellious boy escaping his father’s farm.

     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

There were many reasons why Mark Twain wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain was trying to point out all the flaws or corrupt judgments that society considered okay to have during that time. Twain was trying to show that people don’t change but they should be mindful of how their actions and opinions are affecting society. This book also showed that people didn’t really have much freedom, even living in a free country many people were held back by beliefs, authority, age, race, etc. The author, Mark Twain, also showcased many symbols throughout the book. One symbol that is the main character, Huckleberry Finn. Huck Finn symbolizes America. Both were born free and were trying to fight for their freedom back. Two other symbols that I noticed were the river and raft. The river first represented the possibility of Jim and Huck finding freedom from their imprisonment, but later on in the book the river represented the actual freedom of the friends. The raft symbolized the friendship of Jim the slave and Huckleberry Finn the abused child. The two spent lots of time bonding on the raft as it drifted them to their freedom. All three symbols connect to the author's purpose. The main connection of the symbols is freedom, but they also help prove that a simple friendship can break the pattern of the hypocritical ways of society. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses the protagonist to symbolize self

In the adventures of Huckleberry Finn the Mississippi River symbolizes growing up for Huckleberry. On his journey down the Mississippi River Huckleberry faces many obstacles that ultimately help him mature. While being on his own going down the Mississippi, Huckleberry transformed as a person. Huckleberry learns how to extinguish confrontations before they happen, deal with stressful situations, and even grow a prominent conscience.

The evidence that Huck opposes institutions and their influences on an individual is clearly noticeable through symbols, thoughts and dialogue and themes in the action packed novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”. The river, which is a major part of the novel, is an important symbol. It represents freedom so when Huck and Jim float on a raft down the river, it shouldn’t surprise us. They both are on the run from society and build a raft so they use the river as a form of transportation. Huck and Jim spend a lot of time floating down the river and away from society.

The Mississippi River is one of the most important symbols that are portrayed in the novel. Not only was the river the main setting of the novel but it symbolized freedom, in contrast of what Huck and Jim felt on land. They both wanted to escape their problems and look for long lasting freedom.

Without this river Huck wouldn’t know who he wants to be. Elliot makes a point the point to say that Twain didn’t just describe the river, but he made you experience it. Just like the story of Huck Finn doesn’t have a real ending either does the river, it just keeps going

The Mississippi River symbolizes freedom. After Huck and Jim get away from the King and Duke and get back on the river. “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.” (Twain, 29) When Huck is finally back with Jim and back on the river

The Mississippi River is where a lot of action is taken place. Huck and Jim travel down this channel of water to set them apart from St. Petersburg. The river rids them of slavery, civilization, and frauds. The Mississippi River, in this novel, symbolizes freedom.

Life on the river for Huck and Jim is very peaceful. Jim built a snug wigwam to keep their belongings dry, they could just lay looking up at the sky, and they good weather. Huck says, “We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness” (Twain, 64). The river provided Huck and Jim many things, not only food, but also a way to escape. For Huck, the river provided him an escape from his life with his father and the Widow. For Jim, the river provided an escape from being a slave. On the river they were both free from their past lives. Mark Twain, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, shows us how nature can offer an escape from society’s restrictions and evils. Even though nature has changed immensely since this book was written, it still provides an escape from society. In today’s world, nature can be utilized as a thinking place or as a place to recover from pain. There are many more themes that we can see in today’s society. Several themes of Huck Finn are still relevant today, including “Nature offers an escape from society’s restrictions and evils,” “People tend to act cruelly or irrationally in groups,” and “Discrimination causes pain and suffering for many people”.

Now, Jim can be compared to neither Huck nor Siddhartha. He is his own sphere of mentality. He is a powerful figure for being able to take Huck into his care and become the fatherly figure. While Huck and Siddhartha may be considered the naïve ones of the bunch, for their lack of experience and knowledge of the outside world, Jim is a character who actually understands the consequences of what they are doing. He knows that the river is threatening. He knows that he and Huck must travel at night and that if they are caught they will never escape their society. These moments on the river are extremely emotional for Jim because it is the closest he has ever felt to being free. However, as free as he may feel he is still a “runaway slave” and there is nothing he can do to change that.This river is extremely important to Jim because it gives him hope. He see the river in a different light than Huck and he

In �The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn�, the Mississippi River plays several roles and holds a prominent theme throughout much of the story as a whole. Huckleberry Finn and Jim are without a doubt the happiest and most a peace when floating down the river on their raft. However, the river has a much deeper meaning than just a compilation of water. It almost goes to an extent of having its own personality and character traits. The river offers a place for the two characters, Huck and Jim, to escape from everybody and even everything in society and leaves them with a feeling of ease. In the middle section of Huckleberry Finn, the river takes on more of a concrete meaning and will be discussed more so in the paragraphs that follows.