In the novel, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain, the main character Huck Finn is, for a majority of the novel, traveling along the Mississippi River. Huck and his caretaker’s slave Jim traveled down the river by raft, facing many hardships and problems along the great river including; heavy fog, getting lost and missing their intended paths, dangerous steam boats, and sleazy con men. But, seeing as it is a fictional novel, these hardships may not all be correct. And so this essay will evaluate the validity of the statements and obstacles seen on the Mississippi River as seen in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”…
When he is separated from Jim, he is concerned for Jim to some degree. He meets the Grangerfords’ and they allow him to stay with them once they realize that he is not a Sheperdson (p.189). The Grangerfords are in a family battle with the Sheperdson’s. When Huck questions the reason for the feud, no one can give him a true answer as to why they are fighting. At this point, Huck Finn realizes that a lot of what happens is strictly influenced by people around you and he does not desire to be a part of this (p.197-198). Huck Finn finds Jim with the help of one of the Grangerford’s slaves, and Huck is overjoyed to know that Jim is alive and well (p. 198-199). This action shows how Huck has changed. Huck Finn cares about something bedsides what other people think. In today’s society people depend on the opinion of other people. If people could put that worry aside, just as Huck Finn does in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, and focus on what matters most in life, people would have a lot fewer problems. The key point that shows the extent of the transition Huck Finn has made throughout the story is when Huck writes a letter to Tom Sawyer telling Miss Watson where to find Jim at, and then he chooses to tear the letter up and not send it to her (p. 261-262). This shows that Huck has developed a sense of respect for Jim. Huck is not concerned…
Censoring ‘Huck Finn’ is wrong! It is completely wrong! I agree with the editorial Leonard Pitts Jr. wrote, “Censoring ‘Huck Fin’ is Wrong!” People need to realize The Adventures of Huckleberry by Mark Twain is an American Classic. Let’s remember what a classic is. A classic is a novel that is well-written with rich deep language. It also has complex characters that change and grow as the story continues, allowing others to see what their lives are like at a specific time period. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn does exactly that and more. How can anyone change it? It is ridiculous! It is completely…
As Huck was about to beat up the other kid, he saw Pap’s shoe print in the mud and ran off to tell Jim. He knew it was Pap’s shoe print because of the cross made of nails on his heel. Then, as Huck was packing things, as to depart from his rich life which was DESOLATE to him, his friends wanted him to hang out one last time. However, this was a big mistake because Pap snuck in when he was gone and kidnapped…
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…
Huck's loyalty to Jim, although perhaps out of reciprocity, is demonstrated best through Huck's decision to withhold Jim's location from the Widow Douglas and his efforts to free Jim from the Phelps family. Huck's ability to…
To teach or not to teach? This is the question that is presently on many administrators' minds about The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. For those who read the book without grasping the important concepts that Mark Twain gets across "in between the lines", many problems arise. A reader may come away with the impression that the novel is simply a negative view of the African-American race. Many scholars and educators, like Marylee Hengsetbeck who said, "If Huck Finn is used solely as a part of a unit on slavery or racism, we sell the book short." feel that there is much to be learned about Blacks from this book and it should not be banned from the classroom. This is only one of many themes and expressions that Mark Twain is describing in his work. Another central theme is how the depiction of race relations and slavery is used as insight into the nature of blacks and whites as people in general. Overall, the most important thing to understand is that Mark Twain is illustrating his valuable ideas subtly and not pushing them upon the reader directly.…
He used to lay drunk with the hogs in the tanyard, but he hain’t been seen in these parts for a year or more.” But the widow still cared about him, “the widow she cried over me, and called me a poor lost lamb..” He faked his own death and took off, Huck could have just went back to the widow but he doesn’t like it there either because he didn’t like the rules like you can’t eat unless you said a prayer and you had to be on time. “The widow rung a bell, and you had to come to time. When you got to the table you couldn’t go right to eating, but you had to wait for the widow to tuck down her head and grumble” He wants to be free of rules and the so he ran away to the Jacksons Island and he was there on his own for a while until Jim showed up. Huck wants to be free from the civilized world and rules, he wants to be on his own. And honestly with Jim and him together they could make it, they made it this far by using their wits and lying a little. And in the end they formed a strong…
Huck’s need for an authority figure is also satisfied when he encounters Jim. They meet on Jackson Island after Huck fakes his own death and Jim runs away from Miss Watson, both doing those things in order to achieve freedom. Their coalition can be seen as the catalyst for Huck’s moral growth, as Huck begins to change his perspective towards Jim from that point on. Right when the two meet, Jim asks Huck to not tell others about him being a runaway slave. Without hesitation, Huck honors Jim and says “I’ll stick to it. Honest injun I will. People would call me a low down Ablitionist and despise me for keeping mum, but that don’t make no difference” (32). This shows that Huck is willing to take criticism for Jim despite it not benefiting him in any way. More importantly, this is the first time that Huck shows indifference towards societal standards. Then, Huck feels concern for Jim for the first time when Huck causes Jim to get bit by a snake by placing a dead rattlesnake on Jim’s bed. Huck acknowledges that the bite was all his fault, and makes up his mind to not play tricks like that again, knowing what he did was wrong. One of the most significant escalations in Huck’s view of Jim occurs when he lies to Jim about his disappearance. When Jim finds out that Huck was lying to him, Jim expresses his disappointment in Huck. Seeing that Jim cares for him engenders Huck to feel sympathetic towards Jim and put himself down to apologize to Jim. This is also the first time that Huck sees Jim as an equal human being, proving that Huck and Jim have a mutually respecting relationship. As T.S. Eliot said, “Huck in fact would be incomplete without Jim, who is almost as notable a creation as Huck himself. Huck is the passive observer of men and events, Jim the submissive sufferer from them; and they are equal in dignity”. In this way, Huck experiences significant growth to his…
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…
Hucks realization that everyone is equal even if there color is different from him or her is a huge change in a person’s character and out look on life. Jim in shock and excitement finally found Huck after thinking he was dead saying “Goodness gracious, is dat you, Huck? En you ain’ dead- you ain’ drowned you’s back again? It’s too good for true, honey, its too good for true” (pg.84). This proves that Huck and Jim have a strong relationship caring for each other just like family. It’s the moment Huck realizes the color of Jim doesn’t effect Hucks feelings for Jim. Huck cries out of love for Jim wanting his forgiveness more then anything “It made me feel so mean I could almost kissed his foot to get him to take it back” (pg.87). This shows that Huck doesn’t want to loose Jim he’s family to Huck. This is a big change to Hucks life because he was scolded from his tricks and childish behavior. Learning lessons…
When Jim is sold by one of the con artists, Huck decides to go against societies orders, as he shouts, “Alright then, I’ll go to hell” as he goes out to find Jim and free him. Going against societies orders, proves that Huck’s compassion and care for Jim is genuine, and he is willing to risk his own life for a black person. Ironically though, when Huck and Tom manage to find Jim, Tom forgets to mention to Huck that Jim was free the entire time, and they were the ones keeping Jim enslaved. This comes to a shock for Huck because he actually believed Tom would risk his own life as well to help “free” Jim, but Huck still struggles with the idea that he thinks all “good people” obey to societal values, and that he himself thinks is bad because he does not obey to those…
Every society has fundamental ideologies that have always been a certain way, but what if these ideologies repressed people, without them ever being able to see it. Have you ever seen something in society that you know is wrong, but no one else seems to acknowledge it? This is the In Mark Twain’s in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck Finn is the character who has the necessary morality and internal voice to be able to understand that the ideologies put in place by his society are wrong, but he does not only acknowledge this, he also tries to challenge the system that he sees as oppressive. Through his journey, Huck makes many decisions to undermine the repressive society that surrounds him in favor of his own personal values that drive…
While all this is happening, while Huck is playing these tricks on Jim, we have to remember Huck is still a kid. He’s only around 13 years old, and that’s what kids do. They don’t think before they do things, and they like to play pranks and tricks on people. Huck was just trying to have fun with Jim, not be mean to him and be racist to him. In the novel Huck and Jim have a good relationship, they become friends and Huck starts seeing him as a person rather than a slave. They form a bond, a friendship.…
In the beginning novel, Huck struggles against society and its attempts to civilize himself, which was represented by the Widow Douglas, Miss Watson, and other adults. Later, this conflict gains more focus in Huck’s dealings with Jim, as Huck must decide whether to turn Jim in, as society demands, or to protect and help his friend instead. The most significant way in which Huck changes his attitude is with Jim, by excepting him as a person. Towards the end of chapter 15, Huck plays a trick on Jim when they got separated in the fog. Huck tries to convince Jim that he's been drinking because when they found each other, Huck explains he's never gone anywhere, he's been by his side the whole time. Then Huck goes off saying, “Well, this is too many for me, Jim. I hain't see fog, nor no islands nor no troubles... You couldn't 'a' got drunk in that time, so of course you've been dreaming.” (84) Jim at this point is confused because how can he dream all that in ten minutes. Later on, as Huck realizes that lying to Jim about that whole incident was wrong of him, he apologizes to him. It was quite a thing for a white person to apologize to a black person in that time so it show that he is growing emotions towards Jim. He realizes why lie to him if colored people get taken advantage of all the time, Huck didn’t want to be one of those white people who did. More important, he eventually takes charge and tells the truth no matter what the outcome is, and has changed from a juvenile boy who doesn't care if others are tricked, to a more civilized boy who protects innocent…