Developing the character of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain opened with a monologue by Huckleberry, “You do not know about me, without you have read a book by the name of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, but that ain’t no matter...” (13). Immediately, through his cleverly written dialog, the reader gets a much better understanding of how Huckleberry thinks and acts through his cleverly written speech. I was quickly able, even without having read the prequel to the novel, to understand that Huckleberry was slightly uneducated and likely from the South based on his southern drawl. Additionally important aspects of other characters and plot were lined up for the reader to avoid confusion during this monologue and remainder of the chapter. As the plot begins to truly take hold, the reader meets Jim, one of the Widow’s slaves. Huck had a healthy respect and fear for Jim. The respectful view of the slave, however, wasn’t something that most people shared. For example Huck went to Jim for advice about his father from his magic hair ball. While the magic hairball might seem like a bit of joke, Huck having the courage to ask advice from what others might call a lower class person shows his trust and admiration of Jim. In fact, I would go as far as to say at this point in the text, Huckleberry has more respect and trust for Jim than his own father. This says a lot because Jim and colored people like him were widely considered inferior to their white counterparts. However, for the
He begins to despise the stipulation set towards human nature and mindsets toward abolition. Huck derives such perseverance towards their condition as Jim continuously describes his life after gaining freedom. There is an instantaneous gleam of happiness that is achieved once they become near Cairo, that has led Huck to be astounded by his change in hope. To illustrate, “Well, I can tell you it made me all over trembly and feverish, too, to hear him, because I began to get it through my head that he was most free-and who was to blame for it? Why, me.” (Ch. 16). Significantly, this defines the moment where Huck indicates what “coming of age” is. He has grown to assess himself and resonate that the judgement of others has no relevance towards how he should fulfill his sensibilities. As expressed, “...and I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their’n.” (Ch. 23). Huck distinguishes the idea that Jim shouldn’t be judged either. Just as anybody else, his actions had to define him. Not by the color of his skin or what society had labeled him. Even more, Jim had emotions. There wasn’t an instance where he didn’t care about his family just as any other man, it had been vital to him. With that in mind, Huck acknowledged the desperate need to be set free, because there is no division in the intent of
Throughout history, and even into present times, racism appears as an all too common societal concern. From slavery and discrimination to unequal rights, African Americans’ long history of mistreatment led to the desire and craving for freedom. In Mark Twain’s adventure novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, such motives from pre-emancipation era African American slaves become evident. In the novel, the characters’ attempts to leave the shackled south for the non-restrained north in hopes of freedom become justified. By analyzing and understanding how society feels about African Americans based on the geographical locations of the Southern United States, the Mississippi River, and the Northern United States, the reader comprehends the influential drive behind the desire to escape racism.
Huck's observation and reaction to the feud of the two families has reinforced his conscience about the chaos of white society in comparison to Negroes. Huck's reaction in regards to the King and the Duke is also an important point in Huck's development as a person. Huck, having been exposed and shown the immoral and corrupt products of society has grown strong enough to work against society in the end. This development has allowed huck go approach society in a more skeptical manner and to confront and accept that society and the world is not Widow Douglas' delusional mirage. This resulted in Huck to have more confidence in his relationship with Jim and loosened his bond with society's immoral
An outcast is someone who is rejected by society or a social group, somebody who isn 't what most would call "normal." In the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, a few people considered outcasts were Huck, Pap, and Jim. Society did not agree with how these three characters acted and presented themselves, which was fine by them because they didn 't exactly agree with society anyways.
In the beginning of the novel Huck, a white boy, plays tricks on Jim, a slave, symbolizing that Huck had no respect for slaves and blacks. As the novel progresses, Huck starts to see Jim as a human rather than property, which makes the book interesting, because of Huck’s change in morals. For instance chapter 31 he was questioning whether he should turn Jim in “ It would get around, that Huck Finn helped a nigger to get his freedom; and if I ever see anybody from that town, I’d be ready to get down and lick his boots for shame.”(199, Twain). Although Huck feels that it is his duty to help Jim, he questions his own intentions many time. Throughout the novel, Huck struggles between what he thinks is morally right and what society tells him is right.
The Novel: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, makes a strong presence by its continued, if not redundant display of itself. Far too often in society people 's lack of knowledge on a given subject causes their opinions and actions to rely strictly on stereotypes created by the masses and often makes the people not willing to change how they view a certain people or situation. This is usually called ignorance, and it plaques societies everywhere and Mark Twain knows that and actively criticizes that. This is curable but people have to become open-minded and leave their reliance on society 's viewpoints behind them, which is unlikely to happen when people are
.” (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”)
In the novel The Adventures Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, a theme of freedom is expressed. Freedom takes on a different view for each character in the novel. In Jim, the runaway slave, and Huck's, the troublesome boy, journey, they acquire freedom. Jim's hunt for freedom is an escape from slavery, while Huck's is a method to get away from the civilized world. Their search for freedom is for one reason, for their happiness. This is expressed throughout the novel in Jim's wish of escaping slavery and Huck's desire for being uncivilized.
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses Huck to demonstrate how we make life changing decisions in our everyday lives. These decisions we make are based on what our conscience tells us is the right or wrong thing to do, but ultimately what we have been taught is morally acceptable and unacceptable in society as children and even as adults. Most of these moral lessons are not even taught to us out loud, or practically. They stem from what we hear, see, and witness through our lifetime, and it is these experiences that shape us and make us who we are. Huckleberry Finn throughout this novel goes through a complete moral transformation, making life defining decisions that nobody at his age should have to make.
Throughout the years, authors have been influential figures in society who push change through the use of their novels. Usually they shed light on topics that are not well discussed and/or try to correct a social norm which is unjust. In Mark Twain’s classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, slavery and racism are portrayed in a humorous light through the eyes of a child. Twain could have narrated his own story about critiquing American society, but when he uses Huck to recount, he is given the freedom to write about the obvious injustices of slavery and racial discrimination which, the South shied away from. Twain utilizes satire throughout the novel to mock the norms of society throughout the many amusing experiences Huck has with
Throughout the beginning of the story, Huck is depicted as one who is very naive yet very frustrated with the world. For a long time, Huck goes with the flow and just takes what is given to him. That being expected though, for he is a child. As a victim of abuse and lack of education, Huck struggles to understand the world around him. He 's not too comprehensive on how awful his father 's actions are and why the widow doesn 't want Huck to be in the man 's care. Huck doesn 't understand why he should conform to society and religion either. Through all this confusion though, Huck manages to develop a sense of courage and self respect. He does so by realizing he deserves better than his options, i.e., live with the widow and practice a strict and conservative lifestyle, or live with
In the novel "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain, it is evident that civilization corrupts, rather than improves human beings. Huckleberry was brought up in with the accepted methods and ideals of society. He would face aspects like slavery, corruption and prejudicy on a daily basis, but still chooses his own individuality over society. Throughout his life, Huckleberry would solely rely on his own instincts and sense of right to guide him through life. He continues to follow his sense of right, not knowing that his instincts are more morally correct than those of society. Living in this type of environment, it would be expected for an individual to fall accustomed to society, but Huckleberry did not. He rose above the norms of society. Sometimes the people we least expect are the most humane of all.
History has proven itself again and again with the simple fact that social classes dictate how human lives are treated. The major aspects in life are directly impacted by what social class someone is in. This dictates many things including who this person affiliates himself with and what kind of quality life that person will live. This is very evident in Antebellum South. Slavery is at its peak in this time, and half the population are slaves. In the book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck and Jim travel down the Mississippi River, and encounter a lot of the aspects of the Antebellum South. Because of the society Huck has grown up in, he often feels that he is superior to his traveling companion, Jim. Throughout the story, Twain creates a division, that widens as the story evolves, between how Huck views Jim and how the reader views Jim as a person. This theme happens in almost every part of the book and it is very clear that Huck underestimates Jim.
“Solitude is fine but you need someone to tell that solitude is fine.” - Honoré de Balzac
Mark Twain’s book, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, takes place in the nineteenth century, in the Confederate South. Mark Twain shows the struggles and travels of Huckleberry Finn and a black slave named Jim, on his way to the free north. As the story mostly takes place on a raft, you can see how a main theme would be “Friendship forms strong bonds.”