The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Symbolism

Many novels have used symbolism to express certain feelings and emotions in discreet ways. What is symbolism? "The practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships" (Dictionary.com). Numerous authors use the same denotations to illustrate different thoughts or ideas. Mark Twain uses various symbols, such as the river and the land to expose freedom and trouble in his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

In this section, insight into the character of Jim is portrayed. Jim comes across as sincere and trustworthy. The loyalty of Jim and Huck to each other begins to be seen. An example of Jim’s loyalty is seen when Jim is overjoyed to find Huck is still alive after they are separated in the fog. During this section, it begins to be apparent that Jim would be willing to sacrifice to be sure that Huck is safe but Huck does not yet return those feelings. During this section, Huck’s moral dilemma about helping a slave escape begins to surface. The fact that the relationship is strengthening is revealed when Huck lies about having smallpox on their raft in order to prevent Jim from being caught as a slave. Huck again assumes several identities during this section, which reveal much about him. On the raft, Huck is very mature and responsible. He becomes the son of a

Huck not only realizes that Jim is a human being, but he also comes to terms with the fact that Jim is a good person, and has an extremely good heart.

Huck and jim were in close connections through the book. When they were sailing through the seas, they bonded through a friendship. The book was

While away from outside influences, Huck starts to consider Jim a friend rather than a slave.

Huck encounters his first major problem when he comes across the wrecked steamboat. Jim and Huck venture into the boat and soon realize that they have come across three criminals

Jim’s characterization bears the attribute of benevolence, a trait that parallels that of Christ. At the exposition of Huck and Jim’s adventures on the Mississippi, the two encounter a house taken by force of the river’s current. When Jim spots a figure sprawled inert on the vacant building’s floor, he cautions Huck to “hold still–I’ll go [and] see” (Twain 38). Jim does not authorize Huck to view the deceased carcass because the man resembles Pap, Huck’s father. This portrays the idea that Jim seeks to preserve Huck’s innocence, a trait that contributes to that of Christ who displays benevolence. Subsequent to their encounter with the abandoned house, Jim and Huck become separated while sailing down the river. Additionally, their

Huck is later left by himself after Jim is sold to another slave owner. Huck fears the repercussions of freeing Jim but overcomes his fear and resolves his inner conflict of whether he should turn in Jim or not: “I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and only one he’s got now” (Twain 225). After almost losing Jim Huck becomes more aware to the world around him. He is reborn and realizes many things that are so wrong in society such as racial inequality at the Phelps and the slave

Huck’s decision not to turn Jim over to the slave-catchers is evidence of their growing friendship

Jim should not go to jail for stealing food to support for his family, because family comes first and if you are broke and need food, I think you should go for it or maybe ask for food. Last, I do not think Jim should be put in jail because if I were sitting on the jury at Jim's trial I would feel really bad and understand what he has gone through to get to the trial, So I would not send him to jail.

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”.

Two Sides of the Same Coin Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer are two of the most famous characters in American literature. One could say this is because they share the same author. However, despite their common popularity, they are two very different characters. In fact, they can be completely different and even the opposite of each other. The first difference one notices between the two is their living conditions.

Over the past few years, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been taught to middle and high school students even though it touches on the very sensitive subject of African slavery and racism. Despite the purpose and context of the book, the novel has received negative criticism over its use of racial expletives and portrayal of certain characters. In “Rethinking Huck” by Steven Mintz and “Teaching Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Shelley Fisher Fishkin, the authors argue that truly understanding the book is difficult for the future generations who have read the story since its publication by using ethos, diction, contrasting structure, and repetition. In “Rethinking Huck,” Mintz implicated that truly understanding the book is difficult through his use of rhetorical strategies in his writing.

Mark Twain’s famous novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn surrounds the story o a young teenage boy who lives in the South during the mid-1800s. The protagonist, Huck Finn is the son of a drunk man, has been adopted by Douglas and Ms.Watson, is very close with Tom Sawyer, and befriends a different but new friend when he ran off from his father, Jim, a slaved who was owned by Ms.Watson but had escaped. Many novels, stories, and poems use symbols to express ideas and shows the bigger picture of a meaning. Symbols can reveal hidden secrets about settings, actions, or characters themselves. Twain uses more than one symbol to get the readers attention and the allude to the deeper meaning of the storyline.

The following paper will briefly show arguments, and conclusions within the writings of Mark Twain’s story Huckleberry Finn. I will discuss the various themes that Mark Twain is bringing to light within his story. This paper will show how Mark Twain uses those themes within the story, and how they are specifically used. I will also briefly discuss the life of Samuel Clemons, the author known as Mark Twain, and give the reasoning behind choosing the name of Mark Twain when writing his novels. Themes of escapism will be discussed.