Why Is Huck Finn Wrong

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
his actions. Twain uses Huck as a Marxist instrument to dissolve the then contemporary ideology of slavery which he sees as repressive to society. Huck first begins to see the detrimental effects of slavery when he learns that miss Watson is planning to sell Jim, a slave friend of Huck.
One night Jim “...creeps to de do’, pooty late, en de do’ warn’t quite shet, en I hear ole missus tell de widder she gwyne to sell me down to Orleans...”(Twain 54). In this moment, Jim is telling huck that he overheard miss Watson telling the Widow she is planning on selling him to New Orleans. Twain’s intentional use of poor grammar and incomplete words to remain accurate to the times, and to show that Jim was never taught to articulate properly as he is a slave. Another moment in which Huck sees slavery as an oppressive ideology in society occurs when Pap, Huck’s abusive father, complains that “[the government] got to set stock-still for six whole months before it can take ahold of a prowling, thieving, infernal, white-shirted free nigger...”(Twain 37). Use of this extremely racist character juxtaposes Huck’s ideas of slavery and and emphasis to the great extent of racism during this time. The systematic racism that is universally accepted by everyone in the community, Huck sees as immoral and as an ideology that is designed to hold back and oppress a whole race, so he tries to change this by intervening and acting as a Marxist instrument to remove this widely accepted oppressive
ideology. Furthermore, Huck demonstrates that he is a Marxist instrument when he and Jim are on the raft they made and Huck goes to shore to ask for directions. He is faced with two white men that are looking for runaway slaves, like Jim, to whom Huck lies and says that there are only white people on the raft to protect Jim even though Huck’s society had taught him that slavery is the only way to maintain his position in society. Huck says “I didn't answer prompt. I tried to, but the words wouldn't come. I tried for a second or two, to brace up and out with it, but I warn’t man enough - hadn’t the spunk of the rabbit. I see I was weakening; so I just gave up trying, and up and says - ‘he’s white”(Twain 102). In making this decision Huck saves Jim from oppression and punishment by society and its ideologies that have been taught. Huck does what he believes is morally right even though the society he lives in teaches the ideology of slavery and oppression from the very start of one's life. This action proves that Huck is actively working as a Marxist instrument against the oppressive ideology of slavery which is widely accepted at the time. As is stated in John Hoffman’s “Open Marxism: Theory and Practice”, Marxism can be appealing in theory, but can be much harder to implement than it seems(para. 5-8). The fact that Huck is able to not only take on the theoretical role of a Marxist force on the society around him, but also act on this and make a difference in the lives of people such as Jim to push back against the pre-established ideology of slavery which has been challenged by very few, especially in the South, and promoted by everyone in his society is truly exceptional. Correspondingly to Huck’s actions, the effects that they have on others lives are also essential to demonstrate that Huck is challenging the oppressive ideologies within society. After Huck finishes talking with the men looking for runaway slaves, he reunites with Jim who “speck it save’ ole Jim - ole Jim ain’t gwyne to forgit you for dat…” and showing his gratitude for Huck's actions in protecting Jim, and reaffirming that he made the right decision in fighting for him (Twain 104). Jim having expected Huck to act the way he did shows how he sees that Huck is acting as a Marxist tool even if he may not fully understand how this principle is applied, he can still identify it. As written by Thoreau in Civil Disobedience:
The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies. They are the standing army, and the militia, jailers, constables, posse comitatus, etc. In most cases there is no free exercise whatever of the judgment or of the moral sense; but they put themselves on a level with wood and earth and stones; and wooden men can perhaps be manufactured that will serve the purpose as well. Such command no more respect than men of straw or a lump of dirt. They have the same sort of worth only as horses and dogs. Yet such as these even are commonly esteemed good citizens.(para. 7)
Through Thoreau’s logic, most people are molded by society and are labeled as upstanding members of society for doing what they have been taught, but never actually make decisions for themselves based in their own morals and experiences if it would defy what society has forced on them as oppressive ideologies, or in Huck’s case slavery.
Thoreau’s comparison of the morally inactive man to serving the same purpose as a man made of wood shows that people who cannot make their own moral decisions are no more than pawns of society that simply stand by as they were taught and never question the reason behind their societies principles. Often the idols looked up to by society, or deemed a good citizen within society does only what is told to them by society, but does not create their own path though morality, rather following whatever is accepted by society. Twain uses Huck as a morally right Marxist to challenge the oppressive society that has oppressed millions of blacks over the years, and to challenge the deep rooted institution of racism within the
country. Nevertheless, many may argue that Huck does not serve as a Marist instrument through his journey, their reasoning being that when making decisions he is pressured by the society that surrounds him, being Jim in most cases and is pushed to make decisions that way. As the article on Marxist criticism says, “all belief systems are products of cultural conditioning… Undesirable ideologies promote repressive political agendas, and in order to ensure acceptance by the citizens, pass themselves off as natural ways of seeing the world…”(Tyson, para. 9). This describes directly how slavery is viewed in Huck’s society. Everyone around Huck supports slavery and does not question its existence or its morality because they have been taught that it is just the natural way of seeing the world. However, Huck does not accept that it is the natural order of the world and challenges the repressive ideology that he sees behind the illusion. This is how Tyson describes one can is a Marxist; by challenging the repressive ideologies that have been woven deep into the beliefs of a society, Huck is a Marxist instrument, in its purest sense(para. 10). He is used by Twain challenge the ideology of slavery and racism throughout time and to demonstrate how taking the moral path and questioning what one is taught is the only way to truly be an individual, not a wooden man. Through Huck operating as a Marxist throughout the novel, Twain illustrates the injustices and repressiveness of widely accepted ideologies that are often masked in what is believed to be natural law. The idea of Marxism and questioning the world that surrounds us is essential not only in literature and in the past, but also in the present. There are many ideologies even today around the world that are repressing millions, and they are disguised as a natural order of the world; but through the lessons of these texts it is possible to find these ideologies, and challenge them, and even though one may stand alone against the masses of society, their message will be heard and could make the difference in many people’s lives all over the world.