Mark Twain creates the visual illustration of a realistic boy who grew up in a lower class society of white societies during the mid 1800s before the Civil War. The boy’s name is none other than Huckleberry Finn, but most of the time he is just referred to as Huck. Huck is the main character of the novel as well as the narrator. He is a young boy that is the son of an alcoholic father who never seems to stay around. Huck is usually trying to find his way into trouble at every chance he can get with his friends of the “Tom Sawyer’s gang”, which includes his best friend Tom Sawyer. Huck is looked at as a juvenile outlaw who is ignorant and doesn’t like to abide by the rules. He lives with Miss Watson and her sister the Widow Douglas, who actually has the patience and puts forth the effort to improve Huck. He always seems to resist these endeavors and continue to be autonomous. Although Huck tries to be stubborn in the beginning, he soon comes to realize that certain situations will cause him to mature and emotionally grow with his morals throughout the novel.
When learning more about Huck and his life, there is an introduction of Jim who is Miss Watson’s family slave. Jim is a very superstitious black man who has had to live in the pre-Civil War era dealing with the general political outlook on slaves at that time. His superstition is shown in the novel when Huck plays a prank on him by moving his hat while he was asleep which lead Jim to believe witches had visited him. Jim
Originally, Huck believes that he should turn in Jim, a slave running away from being sold by Widow Douglas and Miss Watson. He does not see it as following the law, he just believes that it would be immoral for him not to turn in Jim to the cops. Huck Finn was raised to accept the idea of slavery which has been shaped by a society who accepted slavery. The pranks that Huck Finn pulled on Jim reflects Huck Finns attitude towards Jim 's intelligence. In the scene after Huck Finn and Jim get separated in the fog, Huck thinks Jim is stupid enough to believe that none of it
Transcendentalism can be observed throughout the text of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and through the text textbook examples of Transcendentalism can be seen from the cast of characters and Huck himself and the situations/adventures that he gets himself into throughout his journey, a journey which enables him to develop his Transcendental ideals.. Transcendentalism is a vital part of The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. By reading and studying the content of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn it is perceived that Transcendentalism is a prevalent influence that can be attributed to plot and the motivations of the Protagonist.
In Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck struggles to conform to society’s views and expectations. Society pressures Huck Finn into earning a standard education, but through his worldly knowledge and common sense, he can view the world differently than the people around him. Through his perspective on Southern society, Huck struggles to accept the moral beliefs that have been instilled upon him at birth because he befriends an African American slave. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain effectively uses the motif of dead bodies to suggest that truth finally reveals the inconsistencies in society through Huck’s common sense.
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.
Year after year The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is placed in the top ten banned books in America. People find the novel to be oppressing and racially insensitive due to its frequent use of the n-word and the portrayal of blacks as a Sambo caricature. However, this goes against Mark Twain’s intent of bringing awareness to the racism in America. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is classified under the genre of satire and is narrated by a fictional character named Huckleberry Finn. The novel takes place in the south during the year 1845. With his abusive father, and no mother, Huck is left feeling lonely, and as if he has place to call his home. So he decides to leave town, and on in his journey where he encounters a slave he’s familiar with, Jim, who is also running away. This story captures their relationship and growth as they face many obstacles on their way to freedom. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn satirizes people’s greed and violent behavior by mocking the stereotype of southern hospitality.
In the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain juxtaposed events in American society to demonstrate to the reader contrasts between different levels of class and race in society.
Jim, who becomes Huck's friend as he travels down the Mississippi river, is a man of intelligence and consideration. "An understanding of Jim's character is by no means a simple matter; he is a highly complex and original creation, although he appears at first sight very simple" (Hansen, 388). Jim has one of the few well functioning families in the novel. Although he has been estranged from his wife and children, he misses them dreadfully, and it is only the thought of a lasting separation from them that motivates his unlawful act of running away from Miss Watson. Jim is rational about his situation and must find ways of accomplishing his goals without provoking the fury of those who could turn him in. Regardless of the restrictions and constant fear Jim possesses he consistently acts as a gracious human being and a devoted friend. In fact, Jim could be described as the only existent adult in the novel, and the only one who provides an encouraging, decent example for Huck to follow. The people that surround Huck who are supposed to be teaching him of morals, and not to fall into the down falls of society are the exact people who need to be taught the lessons of life by Jim. Jim conveys an honesty that makes the dissimilarity between him and the characters around him evident.
Mob mentality is the way an individual’s decisions become influenced by the often unprincipled actions of a crowd. Mark Twain penned The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain grew up in America’s southern states during the early 1800’s, a time in which moral confusion erupted within the minds of humans. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 's protagonist is a young boy named Huck who freely travels along the Mississippi River. Throughout his journey, Huck’s morality is tested as he is subjected to corrupt issues that were common in Twain 's life. One of the complications displayed in the novel includes the violent and impulsive aspects of mob mentality. Mark Twain is able to reveal the immoral nature of mob mentality through outraged and haughty tones within the novel.
In Jim, he sees kindness, compassion, and integrity. Ultimately, this is what dissuades him from turning Jim in - Huck remembers Jim 's company, "Jim would always call me honey and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was" (Twain 95). Jim treats Huck with kindness and respect. Huck slowly realizes that even Jim, a slave, is a human-being. He questions the beliefs that had been inculcated in him from an early age. He goes on to help Jim evade imprisonment by lying to men who are trying to capture runaway slaves. Huck tells the men that his father has smallpox and deceives them into letting him, and Jim, leave. Huck’s action goes against everything he knows. He feels guilty for tricking the men (not turning in Jim), but conclusively states, “So I reckoned I wouldn’t bother no more about [right and wrong], but after this always do whichever comes handiest at the time”(Twain 120). Huck begins to realize that he should not feel shame for something that he feels is right. He learns that as an individual, he has the right to a set of beliefs - molded from his experiences - and that he does not have to do what is “socially acceptable”.
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.
Mark Twain states in his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that “just because you’re taught that something’s right and everyone believes it’s right, it don’t make it right” (Twain 69). In the novel, Twain creates the characters to fit the image of those who resembled Southern society and its’ ideals. He explores the three main themes of education, wealth and greed, and friendship, which are all still relevant today.
In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain novel the main character Huck is a little boy whose “conscience come into a collision and conscience suffers defeat.” Huck Moral develop throughout the moral. At the beginning Huck is just a boy who loves adventure, refuses to be “sivilized” and didn’t take responsibility for his action when he did things wrong, but throughout the novel Huck’s relationship with Jim helps him to develop his morality and learn to follow his conscience.
When Huck escapes his father and runs away, he meets Mrs. Watson’s slave named Jim. (page 41) He is glad to see
Beginning in the 19th century, blacks were commonly portrayed in an impulsive, comical, and frivolous fashion in public entertainment known as minstrel shows. These shows reaffirmed the mainstream beliefs that Americans held, and as a result, the degradation and dehumanization of blacks became widespread. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is not exempt from the racism that became so heavily ingrained into the populous of the time. Although Twain wrote the novel after the civil war, the stereotypes of blacks rooted themselves deep in southern society. Twain, as a southerner himself, was unable to put his own prejudice aside while he wrote this "racist trash" (Wallace); as his novel progresses, it becomes more and more evident that he intended for Jim to be portrayed as a minstrel type character, whose actions are absurd and offensive, rather than a human. While he is initially given prominence and acts as a protagonist, Jim is slowly transformed into a mere sidekick. Twain depicts him as thick headed and doltish in his actions. Jim willingly subjects himself to scorn and mockery and receives next to nothing in return for his unwavering loyalty. His white companions quickly domesticate Jim to be submissive and obedient. By the end of the novel, Jim’s character has been completely eroded and he is a shell of the character he could have been.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is one of the more serious and immersive books I’ve personally had the pleasure of reading. Its “prequel” The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is so much lighter. Throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn there is a tone of sadness. His life is so vastly different from his friend, Tom’s. Huck’s life is full of adventure and so is Tom’s, but Huck’s life is more dark and depressing. Huck experiences things at a young age no one should have to in their entire life. The stress and grief of his life is massive, a huge burden to bear. The similarities between Huck and Tom may be prevalent, but there is much more than similarities, there is a difference.