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Mississippi River Symbolism Essay

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Symbolism, by definition is the use of symbols to represent ideas and qualities. Arguably one of the most powerful literary techniques, symbolism aids to create a sense of understanding and awakens a forthright emotion in the mind of the reader. The adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the novel I have chosen to read the use of symbolism is made common by the author, Mark Twain. Though there is more than one, the most critical and influential symbolism is the Mississippi river. Opposing the river is the pendulum. In the short story, the pit and the pendulum, a horror fiction by Edgar Allen Poe, the pendulum plays a significant part and is a key element of its plot. Contrasting the symbolisms of these classic literature works will illuminate their respective strengths and weaknesses. …show more content…

It is their best choice of transportation as it helps them be unobtrusive. The river also protects them as there is a reward of $300 for Jim, the slave who used to work for the widow. Rivers are generally considered to be placid and to have a sense of tranquility. These characteristics, in a figurative aspect are similar to that of hope. In Greek mythology hope was the last thing that came out of Pandora’s Box, the one thing that would help mankind cope with all the evil in the world. Likewise the Mississippi river is a symbol of hope that helps Huck and Jim on their onerous and bizarre adventure. Huck is hoping he will escape his abusive father, the widow’s efforts to ‘sivilize’ him, but most importantly he seeks an adventure made apparent with the title itself. For Jim it is hope, that one day he will free his family from slavery that pushes him on. Both Jim and Huck knowingly or unknowingly, depend on the river. The bottom line is that Twain uses the Mississippi river to symbolize the great hope that resides in the main characters, thus elevating the reader’s outlook towards the

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