Huckleberry Finn Rejection Analysis
How is the theme of rejection explored in The Catcher in the Rye and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, was published in 1951. It was written in post world war two in the modern day New York. In contrast, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published in 1885 however it was set before the American Civil War. Rejection is explored in many ways in both of these novels. Both main protagonists reject the values of society but they do this in different ways. Huck from Huckleberry Finn, has trouble with rejecting the fact that antebellum American society is wrong by legitimising slavery. He has been brainwashed to believe that having a slave is acceptable as it was seen as a norm in the southern states …show more content…
Even though Twain portrays Huck to be an independent thinker he still is unable to be a fully formed social outcast and break away from social, moral values at that time of inequality in the races. We see this when he is compromised in helping the fugitive Jim. A key difference is that Holden from Catcher, rejects the peer pressure of being like everyone else and comes to terms with being an individual. Whereas Huck cannot see past the hypocrisy. Holden seems to have more cynical views about people and their beliefs, and so he willingly chooses to be an independent individual by seeing things differently than other teenagers his age.
Huckleberry Finn's setting shows the social background of the early nineteenth century when it was legally and socially acceptable to have slaves in the southern states of America. Catcher was published in a time where teenagers were seen as increasingly rebellious, and as potential consumers and …show more content…
Throughout Huckleberry Finn, Huck is portrayed as struggling with morality in society. He seems to have a sense of what is right however because he has already been moulded by a corrupt society he rejects his instincts as he narrates to the reader. He debates with himself about what the stigma would be if anyone finds out that he has helped Jim: 'And then think of me! It would get around, that Huck Finn helped a nigger to get his freedom ; and if I was to ever see anybody from that town again, I'd be ready to get down and lick his boots for shame.' At the beginning of the sentence Huck has stressed the first person pronoun 'me', this shows the self pity that Huck has for himself if people find out about him helping Jim to gain his freedom also it suggests that he is terrified of the social disapproval from people in the town. Huck does not want to be a social outcast because he believes he has flouted socially approved moral values. Even after helping Jim he still thinking about what other white people would think of him, which shows that he has taken a step back in the bilsdungroman process of moral development and is still caught in the trap of social prejudice. He has to either choose to help Jim which is his friend and reject all the
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, was published in 1951. It was written in post world war two in the modern day New York. In contrast, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published in 1885 however it was set before the American Civil War. Rejection is explored in many ways in both of these novels. Both main protagonists reject the values of society but they do this in different ways. Huck from Huckleberry Finn, has trouble with rejecting the fact that antebellum American society is wrong by legitimising slavery. He has been brainwashed to believe that having a slave is acceptable as it was seen as a norm in the southern states …show more content…
Even though Twain portrays Huck to be an independent thinker he still is unable to be a fully formed social outcast and break away from social, moral values at that time of inequality in the races. We see this when he is compromised in helping the fugitive Jim. A key difference is that Holden from Catcher, rejects the peer pressure of being like everyone else and comes to terms with being an individual. Whereas Huck cannot see past the hypocrisy. Holden seems to have more cynical views about people and their beliefs, and so he willingly chooses to be an independent individual by seeing things differently than other teenagers his age.
Huckleberry Finn's setting shows the social background of the early nineteenth century when it was legally and socially acceptable to have slaves in the southern states of America. Catcher was published in a time where teenagers were seen as increasingly rebellious, and as potential consumers and …show more content…
Throughout Huckleberry Finn, Huck is portrayed as struggling with morality in society. He seems to have a sense of what is right however because he has already been moulded by a corrupt society he rejects his instincts as he narrates to the reader. He debates with himself about what the stigma would be if anyone finds out that he has helped Jim: 'And then think of me! It would get around, that Huck Finn helped a nigger to get his freedom ; and if I was to ever see anybody from that town again, I'd be ready to get down and lick his boots for shame.' At the beginning of the sentence Huck has stressed the first person pronoun 'me', this shows the self pity that Huck has for himself if people find out about him helping Jim to gain his freedom also it suggests that he is terrified of the social disapproval from people in the town. Huck does not want to be a social outcast because he believes he has flouted socially approved moral values. Even after helping Jim he still thinking about what other white people would think of him, which shows that he has taken a step back in the bilsdungroman process of moral development and is still caught in the trap of social prejudice. He has to either choose to help Jim which is his friend and reject all the