Huck Finn Abuse Of Society

Many view Huckleberry Finn as a racist book for the portrayal of the runaway slave, Jim, but Twain writes from Huck’s point of view, who was a product of his society. In the book, while using dialect and actions accurate for the time and location, Twain never portrays Jim in a negative light. In contrast to Huck’s father, Jim cares about Huck. For example, when Jim and Huck are reunited after getting lost in the fog, Jim tells Huck, “my heart wuz mos’ broke bekase you wuz los’, en I didn’ k’yer no mo’ what become er me en de raf” (p. 157), as opposed to Huck’s father who only wants him around to prove he has control over Huck. This shows the difference between his white father who should be a strong male figure in his life, and a black man who actually looks out for Huck. Throughout the book, Huck comes to realize more and more that Jim is human just like

Tom symbolizes the South, who only care about personal morality rather than morality to the entire population. Tom’s ideology influences Huck’s decisions for both him and Jim when faced with risk of exposure as Huck exclaims that “[Tom] would call it an adventure--that's what he'd call it; and he'd land on that wreck if it was his last act. And wouldn't he throw style into it?... I wish Tom Sawyer was here” (Twain 50). Instead adhering to the practicality of the situation, Huck is pulled by his id to pursue an “adventure” at the risk of both his and Jim’s lives.

When talking about Tom being shot, he states, “He had a dream,” I says, “and it shot him” (Twain 277). The climax of the novel is when Huck says he will go to hell in order to save Jim. They show the true meaning of friendship as Tom sacrifices his body as well as what Huck says. It is ironic how Tom and Huck were doing what is right, but, are shot because of how stupid racism was. It is also cool how Huck seems so calm under pressure. He tells a funny lie and still somehow gets away with it. He is willing to do anything to save his friends just like they would for him. The falling action is the best part of the story as the story comes together as a whole, and we learn new things. Jim has far more humanity than Tom Sawyer. Earlier in the book it states, “I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their'n. It don't seem natural, but I reckon it's so"(Twain 157). Jim is superstitious and occasionally sentimental, but he is also intelligent, practical, and ultimately more of an adult than anyone else in the novel. Bercovitch states, “Jim, the example of man-reduced-to-beast-of-burden, is articulating the self-evident truths of human equality”(Bercovitch). Throughout the story, Jim never wants to hurt Huck, but, Tom is a liar. Kevin Scott states in his writing, “Tom has none of Huck's concerns” (Scott). Tom doesn’t know what it is like to be in

Mark Twain's novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is based on a young boy's coming of age in Missouri in the mid-1800s. The adventures Huck Finn gets into while floating down the Mississippi River depict many serious issues that occur on the shores of civilization, better known as society. As these events following the Civil War are told through the young eyes of Huckleberry Finn, he unknowingly develops morally from the influences surrounding him on his journey to freedom and in the end, becomes a mature individual.

Huckleberry Finn was written somewhere between 1835 to 1845. During this time, the abolitionist movement really began to get moving. There were abolitionists before this, but people got sick of tolerating slavery and started to be against it at the beginning of the 1830’s. In response, Mark Twain wrote Huckleberry Finn with Huck Finn being the main character. Huck’s thoughts went against the traditional person with the “normal” views on topics such as slavery. Huck was raised without any moral background. He had a drunken dad and no mom. Huck did things like ditch school or break a law here and there. His dad never brought him to places of worship his whole life. Huck raised himself, basically, because his dad was so drunk all the time.

In the novel of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the author Mark Twain portrays Huck Finn as the main character. The setting of this novel took place shortly before the Civil War. The conflict in the novel was that Huck is trying to be civilized by society throughout the entire novel. Later in the novel though, Huck struggles with making a decision to turn in Jim, and stand up for what he believes in and fight against society, rather than conform to society. Huck acts this way to society because he is an extremely independent individual, he is very accepting of all, and he is really mature for his age.

Tom enjoyed acting like a convict, he would steal, lie, and trick people. He was also always the leader without giving anyone any chance to deny “‘Now, we'll start this band of robbers and call it Tom Sawyer's Gang. Everybody that wants to join has got to take an oath, and write his name in blood’” (Twain 16). Huck would never argue or question Tom’s leadership until he left. Towards the end of the book the two are reunited. Once again Tom wants an elaborate plan like a convict would. However, this time Huck questions Tom’s thought process, “It was most pesky tedious hard work and slow, and didn't give my hands no show to get well of the sores, and we didn't seem to make no headway, hardly” (Twain 335). As Huck begins to think for himself more he realizes some things he’s doing is stupid. The more and more Huck grows he begins to understand he is able to do and think what he

Because blacks are uneducated, he sees them as stupid and stubborn. He frequently tells stories to Jim, mainly about foreign kings and history. When Jim disagrees with Huck, Jim becomes very stubborn and refuses to listen to explanations. Huck eventually concludes, "You can't learn a nigger to argue". Jim also seems to accept that whites are naturally superior to blacks. He knows that Huck is far smarter than he is. When Tom Sawyer and Huck are planning an elaborate breakout for Jim, he allows their outrageous plan to continue because they "was white folks and knowed better than him". This mutual acceptance of whites as superior to blacks shows how deeply rooted slavery was in Southern culture. This made it very difficult for Huck to help Jim. When Tom Sawyer says he will help free Jim, Huck is very disappointed. He had never thought that Tom Sawyer, of all people, would be a "nigger stealer". Huck had always considered Tom respectable and educated, and yet Tom was prepared to condemn himself to damnation by freeing a runaway slave. This confuses Huck greatly, who no longer knows what to think about his situation with Jim. When Huck is forced to make a decision regarding slavery, he invariably sides with his emotions. Huck does not turn Jim in, despite having several chances. His best chance to do what he believes is right comes as they are rafting towards Cairo, Illinois. Huck finally

Mark Twain uses his novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, to point out the flaws of society. Huck Finn meets a runaway slave, Jim, and together Twain uses them to walk the readers through a society that is based on slavery and dishonesty. There were many defects within the Southern society because of the conflict between christianity and slavery. Mark Twain uses Huck, Jim, and other characters as well as humor and satire to point out religious hypocrisy.

Early in the novel, Huck scampers away with his good friend Tom and his other buddies. The boys form a gang and then decide one of their tasks in the gang will be to kidnap people and, hold them

Assuming the ending of the novel is an allegory, than, according to Twain scholar Charles H. Nilon, the “Phelps Farm and the surrounding community are a microcosm of … the south.” Based on this theory that he uses an allegorical ending in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain shows how racist laws kept the former slaves oppressed and unable to obtain their legal freedom. In the last chapters of Twain’s novel Jim, a former slave who has become legally free is locked in a shed. The shed then becomes a symbol for how during Post-Reconstruction the legally free African-Americans’ rights were denied to them. Jim also represents the “free” former slaves. In the novel Tom creates many pointless obstacles that inhibit their own quest to free Jim. Including things such as baking a rope ladder in a pie, and filling Jim’s shed with rats and spiders that would “lay for him” (Twain 266). All of these meaningless barriers are symbolic of the Jim Crow and other racist laws in the south at this time. Because he is creating all of these things that block Jim from his freedom Tom Sawyer represents the white middle class in the south who were making all of the laws to keep the free African-Americans being slaves as much as they could. Huck Finn,

Huck is willing to take illegal action and risk his life on Jim’s behalf as demonstrated by Huck’s facilitating Jim’s escape from Miss. Watson: “What had poor Miss Watson done to you, that you could see her nigger go off right under your eyes and never say one single word? What did that poor old woman do to you, that you could treat her so mean?” (page 167). However, in Twain’s story, Tom represents a more “civilized” member of white society that would be unlikely to risk his valuable life for that of a runaway

Not only does Huck’s perspective leave an impact to the readers, Mark Twain represents himself in Tom Sawyer's character, and his actions show he is not racist. While Bassett claims Huck to be no match for Tom, he also states, “Twain himself, as he admitted, is closer to Tom than to Huck” (Bassett 94). Tom’s view, which is also Twain’s attitude, on slavery are purposely presented at the end of the novel. Tom is infuriated when he hears Jim’s punishment and yells that “he ain’t no slave; he’s as free as any cretur that walks this earth!” (Twain 289). These were one of the last, most influential words Tom states in the novel. Although during the novel’s time period, a slave would not be counted as a ‘full’ human being, Tom is saying this subconsciously

They decide to start robbing people and taking their riches. Tom Sawyer says, “We stop carriages on the road with masks on, and kill the people and take their watches and money.” Tom Sawyer displays the mentality of the common person in society. They are actually thinking about robbing people, taking their property, and even killing other people for the money. This shows the people were willing to go to the extremes of murdering a human so they can become wealthy. They are not even acknowledging the consequences of getting caught and only focus on the aspect of the reward. An example today of somebody murdering somebody for money is the story about Alan Hruby. Alan Hruby, a 19-year-old boy, murdered his entire family for money. Hruby states that he needed the money and stole his father’s pistol and shot his entire family because he was in a financial situation According to Peltz, Alan “had financial difficulties and owed a loan shark $3,000 [and he] believed that he would be the only heir to his family’s estate”. The fact that Alan was willing to kill his entire family so he could use the inherited estate to clear his 3,000-dollar debt shows the influence money has over people’s actions. Alan didn’t think about the effect this action would have on him and others after he was caught, he only thought about the benefits and the money. The money drove him blind and made him loose the people that loved him in his life. Even people today are money minded and are willing to take the lives of other humans for their own benefit. Money means so much to the person they are willing to ruin their lives for it and let it control their actions. Twain helps open our eyes to the problems that still persist in todays society from his time and urges us to start changing to combat this problem and end

Society is not as perfect as everyone thinks. In The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain is a fictional novel about a boy named Tom Sawyer. Tom Sawyer, in his town, is known to be notorious and is not known as the best boy in town. His accomplice, named Huckleberry Finn, is known to be the son of a drunkard and no parents want their children to be around him. Later, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn