Preview

How Huckelberry Finn Defines His Moral Character

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
389 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How Huckelberry Finn Defines His Moral Character
Defining a Moral Character
The journey through life is broad, but early on, people learn values and morals. Often times, these characteristics are influenced by daily experience and contact with others. Although developing morals and values may be difficult at times, adequate time and experience brings gratification. As it was for Huck Finn, the adventure through independence and experience brought knowledge of values including, responsibility, accountability, compassion, and gratefulness which ultimately helped Huck define his moral character.
In most situations, Huck was able to make decisions based on his perception of right and wrong, and learns life lessons in doing so. No matter what trial or tribulation he encountered, Huck was grateful he was not subject to Papp’s abuse. When he was caught trying to be a girl by Judith Loftus, he learned compassion when she still accepted him in her home. Huck didn’t want to feel accountable for the death of the murders on the abandoned ship, so he did what he felt was necessary, and took on the responsibility of trying to see they were rescued. Stating, “…wishing I knowed who shot the man and what they done it for,” Huck sought and found meaning in most circumstances and understands every choice has its consequence (133).
Whether or not to turn Jim in was something Huck toggled with constantly throughout his adventure. He knew that Jim belonged to the widow Douglas who had done so much for him, but Huck still felt compassion for Jim, who he had developed a deep friendship with on account of their experiences together. Because of his bond with Jim, Huck did not want to feel guilty if something bad were to happen to his friend, but at the same time, he did not want to be held accountable for helping a runaway slave.
Altogether, the lessons Huck learned on his adventure were a contributor to the definition of his moral character. In the end, Huck acted on what he felt was right according to his set of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Through many opportunities to learn life lessons, Huck developed his own thoughts. Huck realized that his actions were impacted by those around him. Lessons were used, by Huck Finn, to find out what was considered right from wrong. Many people were a part of Huck Finn’s journey to discover himself. One lesson that can be learned from this story is that people can make a choice as to which path they take in life. The presence of negativity from situations, people, or objects in people’s lives does not determine the ultimate outcome of people’s lives. Huckleberry Finn demonstrates a picaresque time of bildungsroman in the story “The Adventures of Huckleberry…

    • 1449 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    During the course of Huck’s journey he creates a strong wilful bond with Jim, and learns a lot about doing right. Huck thought it would be funny to play a joke on Jim, and leave the dead snake in his bed as a prank forgetting that the mate of a snake would come and lay with it. Huck then later felt bad about leaving the snake in his bed, and getting him bit by one. Before Huck wouldn’t care much about playing a prank but he learned that what he did was wrong and knew that he was doing bad, and wanted to change his ways. Huck was beginning to gain a conscience and was becoming more aware of responsibility for his actions, Huck was feeling guilty about his part in a criminal scandal of the duke and king, who plotted to rob the Wilks girls of their father’s money. Huck reminds himself that what he was doing wasn’t right and he needed to make a change about his actions, “I says to myself, this is a girl that I'm letting that…

    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jim then warns Huck not to look at the man's face, which allows Huck to have the motivation to continue his adventure thinking that his father is not dead. Jim continues to stay with Huck and provide him with moral support on the river, serving to develop Huck’s moral development along the way. An example of this moral support is where in Chapter 16, Huck makes up a story to preserve Jim's freedom and then Jim remarks he will never forget Huck's kindness. Huck later experiences a coming of age when he is faced with the ultimate moral dilemma of reporting Jim at the Phelps Farm to Miss Watson. Feeling conflicted about stealing “property” from Miss Watson, he writes a letter which he then crumples up after fully understanding that his letter would harm Jim, who he then realizes is a human being. This incident evokes feelings of regret in Huck, and shows that Huck is the one good person in the novel.…

    • 664 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Most books read in high school end up being stories of the coming of age time for the main character. For Huck Finn this is no exception. Throughout his journey along the river he changes as a person from being a boy to a man. He starts out as a carefree and uncivilized boy attempting to break free from the constrains of civilization. He takes nothing seriously and everything is a temporary pleasure for him. This attitude was clearly expressed when Huck and a few of the other boys meet with Tom Sawyer to discuss creating a band of robbers. Huck readily offers up Miss Watson, one of his guardians, as a sacrifice if he broke the rules. This earlier version of Huck didn’t think twice about killing off one of his loved ones. Later however, Huck’s morality develops and he matures into a thoughtful and loyal young man who understands such things such as “…it don’t make no difference whether you do right or wrong, a person’s conscience aint got no sense,” (175). It was a few moments like that in the book that show that Huck really came of age and that he had grown up and his character had really changed. The book is yet another coming of age phenomena that young adults can relate with and should read about. Huck’s very different lifestyle may…

    • 737 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn, Huck is struggling with morals and whether or not to go against everything that he has been taught. “I was sorry to hear Jim say that, it as such a lowering of him. My conscience got to stirring me up hotter than ever, until at last I says to it” (Ch.16). “I felt easy and happy and light as a feather right off. All my troubles was gone.” Huck was struggling about if he should turn Jim in or not, he had the opportunities to but, he could never bring…

    • 504 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huck learns a variety lessons from the various figures in his childhood, some good and some bad. From his Pap, he learns how to fend for himself and to reject formal society, but he also learns about racism, alcoholism and has to suffer years of abuse. From the Widow and Miss Watson Huck learns about generosity and kindness but also about religious indoctrination and the boundaries of what deemed is acceptable in society. From Jim, Huck learns about love and compassion, trust and honesty as well as the difference between right and wrong. Floating down the Mississippi River Huck learns to challenge social norms and constructs when he decides to help Jim to freedom. The contrasting characters of Pap and The Widow mirror their contrasting beliefs systems. And yet with the help of Jim, one of the only constant characters in the novel huck learns the truth about the world. Huck’s new world image is tested when the King and the Duke, two “rapscallions”, sell Jim to Mr. and Mrs. Felps. Once again attempting to use his own judgment, but erring on the side of his upbringing Huck decides that Jim would be…

    • 714 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Huckleberry Finn: Racism

    • 702 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In Mark Twains' The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the main character Huck, makes two very important decisions. The first one is how he treats Jim when he first meets him at Jackson's Island and the second is to tear up the letter to Miss Watson because he cares deeply for Jim. When Huck first runs away from Pap he goes to Jackson's Island and thinks that he is the only person there. He soon finds out that this is not true, and that "Miss Watsons Jim"1 , is taking crap there as well. Many people would hate to be alone on an island with a "nigger"2 , but Huck is happy to have someone to talk with. At first Jim thinks he sees Hucks ghost and is scared. Huck gets Jims feelings by changing the subject and saying "It's good daylight, le's get breakfast"3 , showing that Huck is not only real but he does not mind that Jim is black. Jim feels that Huck might tell on him for running away, but he then decides that it will be okay to tell him why he ran away from Miss Watson. Jim keeps asking Huck if he is going to tell anyone about his running away, and Huck say's "People would call me a low down abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum but that don't make no difference I aint gonna tell"4 . Hucks response truly shows that his ignorance has no showing over his kindness. When taken into consideration good decisions are much more important in the long run than being the smartest person. After traveling with Jim for quite some time Huck begins to feel bad about harboring a runaway slave. He decides to write a letter to Miss Watson explaining the whole story, because Jim had been sold and he does not know where he is. Huck was indeed confused about what he should do so he dropped he dropped to his knees and began to pray. He felt by helping Jim he was committing a sin, but he later realized "you can't pray a lie"5 . Huck saying this shows that he feels what he has done for Jim is not wrong; instead what others had done to Jim is wrong. Still not sure of what to do about the…

    • 702 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    A persons morals change on the experiences they have encountered and their upbringing. In the story The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by: Mark Twain, Huck goes through many life-changing events that shape him into the person he is today.…

    • 652 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In conclusion, morals are the base component for a positive lifestyle. Morals such as lying, murder and greed not always bad and can sometimes be good.Huck Finn uses these morals to provide a better lifestyle for himself to see if he can change the deformed society. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “ To educate a person in the mind but not in morals is to educate a menace in…

    • 921 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huck chooses to follow his gut whether it turns out to be virtuous or immoral, but it leads him to see what his accepted by society through guilt. For example, the Widow tells Huck to look out for other people. “This was too much for me,…

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Because every man is not perfect, Huck does choose wrong over right in some situations. One such circumstance is demonstrated when Huck states, "Well, then, says I, what's the use of learning to do right, when it's troublesome to do right and ain't no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same? I was struck. I couldn't answer that. So I reckoned I wouldn't bother no more about it, but after this always do whichever come handiest at the time" (104). This shows that Huck is not able to resolve and determine a right decision in a mature manner if conflict and struggle are pushed his way, rather he would take the easy way out. Another example of Huck showing immaturity is demonstrated when Huck states, "I see what he was up to; but I never said nothing, of course" (173). This shows lack of commitment because Huck sees something wrong, but then he does nothing about it so as not to get…

    • 885 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Although he understands the laws of society, he struggles to understand the reason behind the laws. This is obviously portrayed through Huck’s continuous friendship with Jim, a runaway slave. He knows that society would expect him to turn Jim into the authorities, but his own moral code stands in the way of what society views as “right”. While speaking with Jim, he talks to him as if were his equal. After Jim confides in Huck, Huck promises that he will not tell anyone about his whereabouts. Huck says, “Honest injun, I will. People would call me a low-down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum – but that don’t make no difference. I ain’t a-going to tell, and I ain’t a-going back there, anyways” (Twain 53-54). Huck displays his maturity through this by making a moral decision concerning another equal human being’s life. Huck’s morality is portrayed through his involvement in helping Jim to freedom and racist tendencies of society. Although Huck helps Jim escape, he feels that he is doing something that the society he grew up in would view as wrong. In Huck’s mind, he believes that he has stolen someone’s property. He even has an inner debate with himself while questioning what he has done. Huck conscience speaks to him and asks, “What had poor Miss Watson done to you that you could see her nigger go off right under your eyes and never say a single word? What did that poor old woman do to you that you could treat her so mean?” (Twain 98-99). Henry Nash Smith states in his essay, “A Sound Heart and a Deformed Conscience”, that it is “the memory of Jim’s kindness and goodness” that “impels Huck to defy his conscience” (Smith 370). Through this, Huck’s sound heart is reinforced. Huck is also conflicted with society’s Christianity. Huck is aware of the standards of the society that he was brought up in, but he ultimately does not agree with these views. Therefore, he…

    • 1536 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huck learned many life lessons from his encounters on the river. He went through some things where he had to make decisions, and it made him mature. He develops a mature outlook on life. Huck became a better person slowly throughout the book. Huckleberry Finn grows as a person from what he learned; Huck learned responsibility, the value of friendship, and morals from his experience on the river.…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Subsequently, Huck helps others, gaining experience. Huck says, “At last I struck the time I saved him by telling the men we had smallpox aboard, and he was so grateful; and said I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world (Twain 228).” Huck risked quite a bit when he helped Jim, especially helping an escaped slave. He risked going to jail and even had a conscience breakdown but he still decides to help Jim become a free man, even though he risks his own life. The king and duke were con men and Huck would defend the money they were after to help Mary Jane’s family. Huck feels the moral obligation to help the people that the king and duke are going to swindle of money (“The Adventures of…” 4). Huck defends Mary Jane and her family’s…

    • 743 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huck's Conscience

    • 350 Words
    • 10 Pages

    In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, author Mark Twain uses Huck to demonstrate how one’s conscience is an aspect of everyday life. The decisions we make are based on what our conscience tells us which can lead us the right way or the wrong way. Huck’s deformed conscience leads him the wrong way early on in the chapters, but eventually in later chapters his sound mind sets in to guild him the rest of the way until his friend Tom Sawyer shows up. Society believes that slaves should be treated as property; Huck’s sound mind tells him that Jim is a person, a friend, and not property. Society does not agree with that thought, which also tampers with Huck’s mind telling him that he is wrong. Though Huck does not realize that his own instinct are more moral than those of society, Huck chooses to follow his innate sense of right instead of following society’s rules. In chapter 16, Huck goes through a moral conflict of whether he should turn Jim in or not. “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 (89).” Right off from the beginning, Huck wanted to turn Jim in because it was against society’s rules to help a slave escape and Huck knew it. But when Jim said that “Huck; you’s de bes’ fren’ Jim’s ever had; en you’s de only fren’ ole Jim’s got now (89),” made helped Huck to grasp the concept that there is a friendship in the making. Even though Huck didn’t turn Jim in, he is till troubled by his conscience when the slave catchers were leaving because he knows it is wrong to help a slave. Still Huck cannot bring himself forward to tell on Jim, thus showing that his innate sense of right exceeds that of society. Huck finds out that all of the bad things he did are coming back to haunt him. In chapter 31 when Jim gets sold for forty dollars, Huck realizes that...…

    • 350 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays