Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain challenges the traditional notions of its time through the adventures and misadventures of its main character, Huckleberry Finn and the slave Jim. One of the central issues in the story is the issue of slavery. The story takes place in the south in a time when blacks were considered inferior to whites. Mark Twain set the story in 1852 before the civil war, but wrote it after the abolition of slavery in 1865. The development of the relationship Huck has with Jim throughout the story is used by Twain to challenge societal views of race and to encourage people to form their own views of what is right and wrong. In the beginning Huck is unaware of how incorrect the attitudes of his people towards blacks are, but
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soon finds that his opinion is changed because of his relationship with the slave Jim. Huckleberry Finn is the narrator of his story and he speaks the truth of his experiences as he sees it. Huck Finn fakes his death so that he can get away from his alcoholic father, Pap and to escape being “sivilized” by Mrs. Watson. Mrs. Watson’s slave Jim is suspected of the murder, because he ran away, but mostly because he is black. Slaves were considered inferior to the upstanding whites and were oppressed, exploited and abused. Twain shows the hypocrisy of the white people through Huck’s situation. A judge gave custody of Huck to his abusive father, a man that would compromise his welfare. Jim an honest and caring husband and father was ripped away from his family to serve a white family that would profit from his slavery. Huck wasn’t satisfied with the role society puts him in, “I didn’t want to go to school much, before, but I reckoned I’d go now to spite pap” (21). Once Huck takes to the river, he has escaped from those who would confine him and can view life with a new perspective. In the heart of the story Huck meets up with the escaped slave Jim at Jackson Island. Huck’s journey to overcoming society’s prejudice and racism begins at this junction in the story. Being still a child Huck is relieved to see Jim, “I was ever so glad to see Jim. I warn’t lonesome, now” (36). Jim implores Huck not to tell anyone that he ran away. Huck has already proven that he is willing to violate the rules, so he decides not to say anything. He knows how he should handle the situation with Jim, “People would call me a low down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum – but that don’t make no difference” (3), and he reprimands himself. However he doesn’t want to be alone and has little respect for authority. Huck doesn’t see Jim any less of a slave but from this point forward Jim becomes a partner. Jim understands his position as a slave but tries to express he is his own man, “I owns mysef, en I’s wuth eight hund’d dollars” (41). The society which Huck and Jim try to escape, for different reasons, has forced them into an unlikely relationship. The whites see blacks as superstitious fools and when Huck tries to pull a prank on Jim his understanding is challenged. Huck gets separated from Jim in the fog and finds Jim asleep so he pretends that he never left the raft, but Jim gets upset when he sees through the ruse, “Dat truck dah is TRASH; en trash is what people is dat puts dirt on de head er dey fren’s en makes ’em ashamed” (74). Jim causes Huck to think of what he did which humbles him, “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger – but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterwards, neither” (74). Huck begins to separate himself from the influence of white society and to see Jim as human, with feelings and opinions. Every one of Huck and Jim’s adventures bring Huck closer to the realization that there is something very wrong with the way blacks are perceived.
When Huck tries to conform to what is expected of him from society he decides to write a letter to Mrs. Watson to tell her where her slave is. At first he feels righteous about his decision, he believes his is following his “conscience”. However, he hesitates in sending the letter, “but laid the paper down and set there thinking” (179). He thinks about how bad he has been and how good Jim has been to him, how Jim is his friend, “I was trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt two things” (179). He realizes that his overall opinion of slavery has changed, he no longer agrees with society. This is the turning point in the story, where Mark Twain wants you to realize that all decisions must be your own. Huck declared, “All right, then, I’ll go to hell” (180) and tore up the letter to Mrs. Watson. Huck decides with finality that he will help Jim escape from slavery. He no longer cares how society thinks but that it is what feels right to him. Huckleberry Finn attacks the social norm of the time; that slavery is acceptable. The treatment of slaves as inhuman is not right and racism in general should be questioned. Huck himself undergoes a change by no longer accepting the social norm and instead follows his own beliefs. He learns what he truly believes after many adventures with the slave
Jim.
soon finds that his opinion is changed because of his relationship with the slave Jim. Huckleberry Finn is the narrator of his story and he speaks the truth of his experiences as he sees it. Huck Finn fakes his death so that he can get away from his alcoholic father, Pap and to escape being “sivilized” by Mrs. Watson. Mrs. Watson’s slave Jim is suspected of the murder, because he ran away, but mostly because he is black. Slaves were considered inferior to the upstanding whites and were oppressed, exploited and abused. Twain shows the hypocrisy of the white people through Huck’s situation. A judge gave custody of Huck to his abusive father, a man that would compromise his welfare. Jim an honest and caring husband and father was ripped away from his family to serve a white family that would profit from his slavery. Huck wasn’t satisfied with the role society puts him in, “I didn’t want to go to school much, before, but I reckoned I’d go now to spite pap” (21). Once Huck takes to the river, he has escaped from those who would confine him and can view life with a new perspective. In the heart of the story Huck meets up with the escaped slave Jim at Jackson Island. Huck’s journey to overcoming society’s prejudice and racism begins at this junction in the story. Being still a child Huck is relieved to see Jim, “I was ever so glad to see Jim. I warn’t lonesome, now” (36). Jim implores Huck not to tell anyone that he ran away. Huck has already proven that he is willing to violate the rules, so he decides not to say anything. He knows how he should handle the situation with Jim, “People would call me a low down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum – but that don’t make no difference” (3), and he reprimands himself. However he doesn’t want to be alone and has little respect for authority. Huck doesn’t see Jim any less of a slave but from this point forward Jim becomes a partner. Jim understands his position as a slave but tries to express he is his own man, “I owns mysef, en I’s wuth eight hund’d dollars” (41). The society which Huck and Jim try to escape, for different reasons, has forced them into an unlikely relationship. The whites see blacks as superstitious fools and when Huck tries to pull a prank on Jim his understanding is challenged. Huck gets separated from Jim in the fog and finds Jim asleep so he pretends that he never left the raft, but Jim gets upset when he sees through the ruse, “Dat truck dah is TRASH; en trash is what people is dat puts dirt on de head er dey fren’s en makes ’em ashamed” (74). Jim causes Huck to think of what he did which humbles him, “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger – but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterwards, neither” (74). Huck begins to separate himself from the influence of white society and to see Jim as human, with feelings and opinions. Every one of Huck and Jim’s adventures bring Huck closer to the realization that there is something very wrong with the way blacks are perceived.
When Huck tries to conform to what is expected of him from society he decides to write a letter to Mrs. Watson to tell her where her slave is. At first he feels righteous about his decision, he believes his is following his “conscience”. However, he hesitates in sending the letter, “but laid the paper down and set there thinking” (179). He thinks about how bad he has been and how good Jim has been to him, how Jim is his friend, “I was trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt two things” (179). He realizes that his overall opinion of slavery has changed, he no longer agrees with society. This is the turning point in the story, where Mark Twain wants you to realize that all decisions must be your own. Huck declared, “All right, then, I’ll go to hell” (180) and tore up the letter to Mrs. Watson. Huck decides with finality that he will help Jim escape from slavery. He no longer cares how society thinks but that it is what feels right to him. Huckleberry Finn attacks the social norm of the time; that slavery is acceptable. The treatment of slaves as inhuman is not right and racism in general should be questioned. Huck himself undergoes a change by no longer accepting the social norm and instead follows his own beliefs. He learns what he truly believes after many adventures with the slave
Jim.