Minimalism at it's core is essentially “freedom from the modern mania to possess”, stated by Joshua Becker, an author for multiple minimalist articles and one of the leading voices in the modern simplicity movement. To put in other terms, minimalists seek freedom from civilizations standards and expectations. This need for freedom from civilization is also displayed in the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. The novel begins with Huck escaping society's attempt to civilize him by faking his own death where he goes to Jackson’s Island and finds Jim, a runaway slave, and sets out on the Mississippi river. Although Huck and Jim find peace on the river, they are unable to escape the evils of civilization. Later in the …show more content…
Even when Pap kidnapped Huck, he was satisfied in the dirt-floor shack, depending upon fishing and trading in town. Huck said, "it was kind of lazy and jolly, laying off comfortable all day, smoking and fishing, and no books nor study" (Twain 24). Huck had not rejected society all-together, rather he chose a level of society that required less work. Far from living in harmony with the outside world, he and Pap depended upon ammunition, fishing hooks ammunition, and saws, axes, and guns. Furthermore, Huck's quest to "light out" (Twain 293) into the new is determined by his attachment to civilization. Bennett Kravitz, a teacher of American Studies at the University of Haifa in Israel, claims that “[Huck] is unable to avoid relying on the materials of the world he abandoned… [the] reconstituted cultural materials of a civilization that Huck desperately seeks to leave forever”. In other terms, Huck depends upon the artifacts of civilization to build his new world. While he is resourceful enough to kill his pig and escape from Pap, he relies on civilizations materials such as the raft and the borrowed food. To conclude, Huck connects with nature more so than civilization, however, still relies on civilization as he is dependent on civilizations creations to survive and, while he rejected society, he never truly abandoned it
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain provided social commentary on southern society and beliefs. Twain addressed a number of significant issues throughout the novel, including religion and slavery. There are a number of instances where Huck, the 14 year-old protagonist, pushes back against the idea of organized religion. Similarly, Huck encounters a personal and moral dilemma when it comes to the practice of slavery. This idea of rebellion against society is a major concept explored in the book. Small instances of Huck’s rebellion culminate with him eventually freeing a runaway slave. The main examples include Huck’s refusal to learn the Bible, Huck’s decision against not to turn Jim in, and Tom and Huck’s choice to set Jim free at the end of the story. Huck’s refusal to conform to and demonstrate the social norms of the South illustrate the theme of rebellion against society.
In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, a theme of freedom is expressed. Freedom takes on a different view for each character in the novel. In Huck's journey, and in Jim, the runaway slave, 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, their happiness. This is expressed throughout the novel in Jim's wish of escaping slavery and Huck's desire for being uncivilized.
In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the main character, Huck, struggles to develop his own set of beliefs and values despite the very powerful social structure of his environment. The people he encounters and the situations he experiences while traveling down the Mississippi River help him become an independent thinker in the very conformist society of 19th century Missouri.
In the appropriately titled novel, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", by author, Mark Twain, a young boy, named, Huckleberry Finn's life is completely changed. The story is basically that, Huck is sent to live with his strict relatives that try to conform him into someone he isn't, but, sequentially ends up traveling down the Mississippi River, with an escaped slave, Jim. As the novel progresses, Jim and Huck develop an extremely close friendship, which makes him change his views on slavery. Despite numerous chances, Huck never turns Jim in, because of his new outlook on slavery. Although slavery is a main theme in the book, it is not the only one. Because, author, Mark Twain creates a social critique by juxtaposing the
Two people taking a trip down a river, is rarely thought of as anything more than just an adventure. Mark Twain, however, uses his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, to explore and makes fun of many problems facing American society. Huck, the main character, is considered a boy who is under pressure to conform to the aspects of society. Jim, who comes along with Huck, is a runaway slave seeking freedom from the world that has been denied it to him for so long. Throughout the entire novel Twain uses satire to show problems with society.
Jonathan Trilla Mrs.Gitman AP Eng. Lit 2 October 2017 Independent Reading Assignment Human beings long for an escape from everyday life, from the iron grasp of society and the constant pressure for conformity. Chained down and forced to live the lifestyle society wants its citizens to live, individualism is looked down upon and personal ideas and expressions are traded away for that of which society wants its citizens to accomplish. Throughout Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the young rapscallion Huck runs off from his town for the sake of freedom from society unhampering need to oppress his own personal being.
novel by revealing his discomfort with being "sivilized." In the beginning of the story, Huck adjusted by growing to tolerate many aspects/requirements of civilization. His attitude
Huck's dismissal of the dogmas and codes of civilization and his decision to follow the impulses of his heart develop into the two key themes of the book. At the opening of the book, Huck is a young boy who has lived his entire life on the outskirts of civilization, so he makes more deliberate decisions to join or not join society than others born into civilization. Huck tolerates school; however, he rejects the religious code. Miss Watson says that it's the authority for living a civilized life and not going to a "bad place." The extremity of Huck's rejection of society should be measured by what he does, not what he thinks. Huck's decisions are tremendously challenging and dangerous, and he only commits to it after ripples of
Over the course of the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain, conveys a “coming of age” story that spurs the main character into making life defining decisions that ultimately affects the resolution of his rationality. The novel alludes to the character Huck, who matures overtime as he realizes the menacing affect that slavery has on African Americans. Throughout the course of the story he displays his growth the most by involving himself to set his friend Jim free. Huck exhibits the stages of youth based on his treatment towards Jim and how his perception of him, adjust to the situations they face together. Overall, he grasps the idea that “slaves” are human, and more than the conception of property.
Huck had been abused emotionally and physically his whole life because of his Pap. Pap walked in and out of Huck’s life numerous of times and this was Huck’s first glimpse of civilization and it was not good. Pap was an alcoholic, when he drank too much he got very abusive. Pap does not want Huck to get an education because then Huck would be smarter than him. Pap demands that he does not finish school and stops learning about religion. Huck said “He took it and bit it to see if it was good, and then he said he was going down town to get some whisky; said he hadn't had a drink all day. When he had got out on the shed he put his head in again, and cussed me
In the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain juxtaposes two environments that tackle many different aspects of life. From Christian reforms, domestic abuse, and slavery to reflective solitude and liberation, Twain brings together a plethora of obstacles for the main character Huckleberry Finn and his companion Jim to encounter and assimilate. The two contrasting settings depict intermingling themes of the repressive civilization on land, the unrestricted freedom on the raft, and the transcendentalism that Huck and Jim experience during their escape from captivity towards liberation.
Mark Twain also demonstrates how undesirable civilized society really is. Both Huck and Jim desire freedom, which greatly contrasts the existing civilization along the river. They both turn to nature to escape from the unprincipled ways of civilization. Huck wants to escape from both the proper, cultured behavior of Miss Watson and Widow Douglas and the tyranny of his father. Jim, on the other hand, hopes to escape from slavery and start a new life as a free man, hopefully with his own family eventually. Throughout the novel, the raft enables Huck and Jim to escape from the barbarism of their society to a place of serenity and peace, which is always on their raft, away from any other people. Through the duration of the story, Huck learns and does many things that would be contrary to the beliefs of society such as helping Jim
.” (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”)
Of the many themes to be found in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn one of the most prominent, and probably most important, is that of freedom. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was written by Samuel Clemens under the pen name of Mark Twain. Twain uses satire to point out the flaws of American society to help the readers see the great need for change. The novel is set right before the Civil War and illustrates the issues of slavery through the story of young Huckleberry Finn and his friend Jim, who is an escaping slave. They have to decide what is right and what they are willing to do to be free. The theme of freedom is shown throughout the novel using the symbol of the Mississippi river, Jim’s attempt to escape the bonds of slavery, and Huck’s desire to have the privilege of doing as he pleases.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (published in 1885), considered a classic of American-literature, and to some the zenith of American realism in literature and the apex of satirical writing in history, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has proven itself as a milestone in the history of literature and a turning point in American literature. The garnering of such acclaim, and accolades were due to The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn possibly being the most poignant and successful critique on society every put into writing. Twain does not waste any time with sophomoric cant in his meditation, but instead critiques the inherent cant present in society and the people entertaining this cant throughout that time; showing