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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn AP English

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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn AP English
Natalie Whitney
August 20, 2014
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
AP English The becoming of age novel Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain follows the progression of
Huck Finn’s response to “sivilization”. Miss Watson and Widow Douglass struggle in their attempt to give Huck a respectful upbringing, but having an absent father leads him to make his own decisions. Huck has never had an opportunity to learn the basic fundamentals of the civilization surrounding him. Therefore leaving him to create his morals based off of first­hand experience. Huck’s reaction to influences trying to civilize him go against everything he has learned from his gut feelings, the question is which one is right? Throughout the course of the novel Huck faces the necessary opportunities to make the important choices that develop his independent moral center while discovering what is right and wrong. To begin, Huck’s father is an alcoholic and does not care for him the way he should, leaving him to stay with Miss Watson and Widow Douglas. At Miss Watson’s house her slave
Jim the second main character is introduced. Huck is raised in the same way every other white boy is, growing up around the idea that slavery is a societal norm. After Huck receives money he and his best friend, Tom Sawyer, discover Huck’s father makes an uninvited appearance to rob his son of all his earnings. Huck’s Pap does whatever is in his power to get a hold of the money after Huck gave Judge Thatcher his wealth in exchange for a dollar. Pap takes Huck away and hold him in isolation far in a cabin in the woods. The little trust Huck had put into his society has vanished because of the continuous failure in the protection the system should provide. Huck comes to the brave decision to escape and venture out on his own down the Mississippi to escape civilization’s illogical expectations.

Reflecting, the duration of his stay with the widow and Miss Watson Huck learns to fear the act of

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