Moral Decisions Faced by Huckleberry Finn

Although he predicts society will deem him to be "a low down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum," he prefers to be shunned and to risk punishment and shame for the sake of freeing Jim (Twain 43). Clearly, Huck's fondness for Jim is evident when Huck intends to send a letter to Miss Watson returning Jim but chooses to rip it to save him instead. Huck responds, "‘I'll right, then, I'll go to hell'- and he tore it up" (Twain 214). Huck accepts his rebellious nature and terrible fate to hell as he escapes from civilized society and into a place driven by his instincts. Jim's desire for freedom puts Huck in a moral dilemma because he must decide whether to follow his innate sense of morality or the restrictive guidelines of society.

Finally, Huck decides that he has had of enough of these frauds and he wants nothing else to do with them. He does not value money as much as he values honesty.

Huck seems torn between the “right” thing, and what he feels is right. Writing to Miss Watson, he says, is "the right thing and the clean thing." To do otherwise would just confirm his "wickedness", "stealing a poor old woman's nigger," he says, "who hadn't ever done me no harm." But Huck also loves Jim. He says, "I couldn't seem to strike no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind." So Huck seems torn between his sense of what's right and his feelings. When, he finally decides not to write the letter, but chooses instead "to go to hell," proving that what is really right

His desire to help his friend Jim and not turn him in took precedence over the fact that he would be going against society’s customs. By Huck helping Miss. Watsons slave, people in this time period saw it as something that is a crime. Huck realised that this rule, which is thought of as right, is actually wrong when looked at from a humane

The book Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain focuses on the character Huckleberry Finn and his journey to free Jim. Huckleberry Finn is based off of slaves back in the day. This story may be Fiction but it could have happened back in the day. The three biggest impacts on Huck’s morality are Jim the runaway slave, Huck’s father Pap, and his own conscience.

Huck hits the peak of his immorality when he offers for the gang Tom started to kill Mrs. Watson. At this point in the story Huck is able to begin his moral progression. Huck faces a situation where he lives three criminals stranded to die. Huck questions that decision to decide whether it was right or wrong. Huck leans to the wrong side because he doesn't believe that they deserved to die and he especially believed that his wasn't the one to decide their fate.

In the novel, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, Mark Twain writes about Huck and the adventures his faces as he travels down the Mississippi River, along with his companion Jim. Throughout the story, Huck experiences obstacles that make him question society’s perspective and morals. As Huck spends more and more time with Jim, their friendship grow and Huck begins to see Jim as more than just a companion but a close friend. This causes Huck to challenge the morality behind slavery and ultimately decides to guide Jim to freedom. At this point in time, Huck has had an realization and decides to make his own path with his own beliefs and standards separating himself from society.

In the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn gains a genuine moral code throughout his journey that can be applied to all people. Huck learns from Jim that you should treat people as you would like to be treated. He also picks up the concept to overlook all of the negative aspects in life and discover the good in everything. The meaning of friendship and respect for others’ beliefs and opinions is added to Huckleberry’s moral code. Huck generates these standards and matures as an adult through this journey.

He’d rather help a friend out, and allow him to be free from slavery, than to be a “good white man” of the society, and turn Jim in. His relationship with Jim is much more valuable than the codes of conduct of the society that Huck lives in, and this friendship with Jim changed his perspective of the world and society that he lives in. in Lance Marrows “Huckleberry Finn and Censorship” essay, he states that Huck had done the most bravest thing ever; going against the law to help out his friend. (Marrow 156) It was indeed very brave of Huck to tear up his letter, and commit a crime to keep Jim safe.

Joel Cann says, “You don’t need religion to have morals. If you can’t determine right from wrong then you lack empathy, not religion.” In The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, a fifteen year old boy, Huckleberry Finn, experiences several situations of moral degradation in the 1800s. Huck has conflict with his conscience when he tries to follow his heart and not obtain the characteristics of a deformed society. Huck struggles morally when he encounters child abuse, dishonesty, and murder situations.

When the King goes to feel out one of the towns to see if the people of that particular town has heard of the fraud of a show that he and the Duke had been putting on Huck is planning his and Jim’s escape. Huck at this point knows that the King is actually going into the town to look for more people’s houses to rob. The Duke is visibly agitated for some reason and Huck senses it. When Huck and the Duke go into the town to look for the King he is obviously drunk. Huck runs as soon as he sees an opportunity to lose the King and the Duke. Huck thinks he and Jim are finally free only to find that Jim is gone. When Huck realizes Jim is gone and he cannot find him he actually cries. We see the emotional attachment and bond that Jim has formed with Jim. When Huck comes across a young boy who tells him of how a runaway slave was caught and he learns that he was caught because the Duke and the King tricked them. Following this encounter Huck is upset. The first reason he seems upset is because he was turned in by the hands of people he thought he was helping but the most ironic reason for his anger

Throughout the classic novel of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain we see a lot of moral development with the main character Huckleberry Finn. Throughout the story Huck’s friendships greatly influence his moral identity. Throughout the series of events that unfold upon our main character, Huck Finn, we see huge moral leaps in the way he thinks that are influenced by that friendships he makes on his journey. He starts the book as a young minded individual with no sense morals other than what has been impressed onto him and ends up as a self empowering individual. Through the friendships he makes with Tom Sawyer, Jim, and the Duke and King we see big moral leaps with Huck.

Lawrence Kohlberg, a psychologist in the field of moral education, identified three stages that explain human moral behavior. The first stage says someone’s moral development is based on doing the right thing to avoid punishment, the second says one’s morals are built on what is acceptable in society and obedience to the law, and the third stage, which very few are in, says that morals are decided upon one’s own judgement and concern for the welfare of others. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, tells the tail of a young boy named Huck and his many adventures with a runaway slave named Jim. This novel also outlines the moral development of Huck as he gradually passes through different stages of morality much like these. Judging morality based on whether someone does the right thing is impossible since it relies on opinion, so this leaves morality to be judged based on how well someone develops their own sense of right and wrong and acts according to those beliefs. Huck becomes a moral person by the end of the story.

Throughout the story, Huck has a moral battle with himself trying to decide whether or not he should help Jim escape slavery. Huck felt bad about taking Jim away from his rightful owner and plans to give Jim back but Jim reaches Huck’s soft side. “Jim won’t ever forgit you, Huck; you’s de bes’ fren’ Jim’s ever had; en you’s de only fren’ ole Jim’s got now,” Jim says with a heart full of gratitude. (205) “I was paddling off, all in a sweat to tell on him; but when he says this, it seemed to kind of take the tuck all out of me,” Huck expressed, showing the vulnerability that I did not know Huck had. (205) I also realized the whole time, the Duke and the King were trying to send Jim back into slavery. One of the signs that seemed suspicious to me was when they asked, “Was Jim a runaway nigger?” (284) The King gets the opportunity and takes it: he sells Jim for “forty dirty dollars.” I felt bad for Jim because nobody deserved to be treated like that but I am glad that he is eventually freed with the help of Huck and

Huck states his choice and desire to go hell instead of heaven. Huck says that “she was going to live so as to go to the good place” (Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, p. 7) This quote proves her insistent belief that she is a “good” person and will go to heaven. Huck evolvement throughout the story from a racist to being free of his instilled religious values. When he decides to save Jim, he tells his subconscious religious teachings to “go to hell” (Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, p. 361). This is one of the most climactic point where he dismisses society’s values and risks his soul to eternal damnation just to help a slave. In Huck’s eyes, a slave’s life is worth just as much as a white person. It is very ironic because he is making the most Christian gesture in this whole book. He loves his neighbor who is considered a “the slave” and “three fifth” of a man,