The Refusal of Conformity in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

In Mark Twain’s novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it follows the story of a young boy named Huck who goes on an adventure with a runaway slave named Jim. During this time period slaves aren’t viewed as citizens but as someone who doesn’t deserve to have any rights. However, Huck saw Jim in several other ways than him just being a slave. He saw Jim as a father figure, a slave and a friend.

Aside from the scientific aspect of social influences, we can observe this habit in fiction as well, like Huckleberry Finn. In the novel, the whole society follows a collective reasoning and collective values, specifically around slavery. Blind conformity was not a rare2 theme in this novel, as well as going off of what was learned and taught. This is represented through Huck when he chooses to listen to others on slavery until he has a personal experience with Jim, a slave, and begins to change his mind. The transition between blind conformity and independent thinking shows that Huck begins to think for himself and follow his conscience instead of following what he was told instead.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a coming of age novel by Mark Twain, is a book set in the Antebellum south and is about a young boy, Huck, and a African American Slave, Jim. Throughout the book Huck and Jim encounter lots of adversity and adventures such as slave hunters, meeting con men and much more. Although Huck sees Jim as just a slave and a lesser human in the beginning of the book, ultimately Huck matures sees him as a friend and less of an unequal. During the first adventures and chapters of the book Huck is surprised to see Jim and it’s most likely his first time spending time with a slave.

Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn unravels during the period of slavery in Missouri. Twain's young Huck begins to gather his own understanding of what is right, and what is wrong, despite his traditional prejudice upbringing. This occurs through his companionship with a runaway slave Jim. Huck begins to view the escaped slave Jim, as more than property, but a friend. Jims role in the novel plays severe importance to Huck's maturity, self growth, and understanding of the world.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, narrates a riveting story that exploits the idea of racism and society’s ignorant beliefs on slavery. Huck Finn, a fourteen-year-old boy, and Jim, a slave, embark on a journey to freedom. It is ironic how Huck is white, but he yearns for the same freedom that Jim, a black man, does. Throughout their journey, Huck’s relationship with Jim develops which changes his mindset on slavery. By comparing Huck’s actions, decisions, and moral development from the beginning of the novel to the end, it can be concluded that Huck’s relationship with Jim causes his opposition to slavery.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn explores the ideas of racism and slavery through the eyes of a young white boy during slave times, who throughout the book is faced with ideas and people that force him to question the morals of which he was raised with. It's very important for us to know that Huck was raised by adults with superior attitudes toward Jim due to the color of his skin. Mark Twain wants the reader to realize that Huckleberry changes over time, and as an example, Twain writes about Huck eventually helping Jim out of slavery when he knows in his mind it's the wrong thing to do. A key theme in the story is the relationship that has been built between Huck and Jim.

The American literary tradition has often been defined by its moments of radical autonomy--Thoreau at his pond, Ishmael offering his apostrophe to "landlessness," Huck "light[ing] out for the Territory ahead of the rest" (Twain 1995,265). In fact, Twain 's novel is often taught as the text that epitomizes this tradition, with Huck held up as its exemplar: a boy courageous enough to stand against the moral conventions of his society, to risk Hell itself rather than conform to the "sivilizing" process of communities he rejects. (1)

He like the majority of the Deep South’s population was forced to submit to popular religion in the form of Christianity, being racist and not being able to criticize the institution of slavery, as well as acting like a “proper” boy and being civilized with manors, rules, and restrictions. However, he is the polar opposite of the ideals expressed by his society. Huck is forced to reside with Widow Douglas, he describes the experience in the first chapter, “She took me… allowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time … I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldn't. She said… I must try to not do it any more.” (Twain, 2). In this particular environment, Huck is forcefully civilized by the Widow Douglas as well as Miss Watson. This essentially shows an indirect form of slavery in which Huck is forced to do as society and his elders dictate regardless of what he believes in which many of us are also subject to. This enslaves him and leads him to decide that he needs to relocate himself as far away from society as possible. Therefore, he forges his death and runs away meeting Jim on the way. This idea of Huck being controlled by society influences him through the novel, for instance he thinks about turning Jim in because it is wrong to steal since Jim is

A major theme in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is slavery and our evolvement towards the institution. “In fact, Twain’s novel is often taught as the text that epitomizes this tradition, with Huck held up as its exemplar: a boy courageous enough to stand against the moral conventions of his society. . .” (Bollinger, 32 – Say It Jim) In the beginning of Huckleberry Finn’s relationship with Jim, he has little respect for him and as their journey progresses he

Often times Huck found himself in a moral dilemma on whether to do what society instilled in him or to do what he thinks should be done. Huck betrayed those feelings of “what society would want” him to do in order to be a good friend to Jim, putting his own self up at risk again for Jim. Jim was being held captive by Huck’s current host and Huck, abandoning his duties of his superior race and being a good Christian, as the Widow called it Huck suddenly has an epiphany “All right then, I'll go to hell!” as he goes to “steal Jim out of slavery” (212). Seeing the situation through Huck’s perspective it gives the reader every little detail that goes into his thought process in his decision making. These types of actions were considered wrong by society at that time and place but Huck sets that all aside and does what he feels is the right thing. Most of the time Huck has to think on his feet making the decision making process even more difficult, like the time when Huck was going to give Jim up as a runaway slave. “Then I thought a minute, and says to myself, hold on, s’pose you’d ‘a’ done right and give Jim up, would you feel better than what you do now? No, says I, I’d feel bad---I’d feel just the same way I do now” (91). Even through Huck’s dialect you can see him argue with himself on what the right thing to is, but he throws out what society would do and does what his heart tells him. Through Huck arguing

In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain follows protagonist, Huck Finn throughout his endeavors. This coming of age story displays Huck’s actions that lead to him running away from home. From a young age, Huck is forced to become emotionally and physically autonomous due to his father’s alcoholism. Huck runs away and begins his adventure with fugitive slave, Jim. Together they meet a diverse range of individuals and families. Mark Twain illustrates Huck Finn’s character development by exposing him to different moral systems.

The vast majority of people try to fit into their surroundings; conformity is a huge part of society and, in a way, it is the basis of society. To conform is to adhere to widely held ideas in order to fit in, and everyone does it their own way. Novels, both old and new, often focus on characters who are outside of social norms and show how they interact with society in their own way. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, who was born in 1835 and died in 1910 as one of the most famous American authors. The novel is about a young boy by the name of Huckleberry Finn, also known as Huck, who helps a slave, Jim, escape to freedom along the Mississippi River during the 1830s-1840s. Throughout his book, Huckleberry Finn faces many challenges

In Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain presents the problem of slavery in America in the 19th Century. Twain poses this problem in the form of a character named Huckleberry Finn, a white boy raised in the antebellum South. Huck starts to question his view regarding slavery when he acquaints himself more intimately with a runaway slave while he himself tries to run away. Huck’s development as a character is affected by society’s influence on his experiences while growing up in the South, running away with Jim, and trying to save Jim. Although Huck decides to free Jim, Huck’s deformed conscience convinces him that he is doing the wrong thing.

As human beings, we all have the right to be our own independent individuals; we are all entitled to our own beliefs and rights under the constitution and declaration of independence. Throughout all the writings studied by different authors, they all reflect the spirit of individualism in the wake of cultural and political change. Depicted in Mark Twain's satiric novel,The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn (1885), the 14 year old advocate huck exposes the hypocrisy of white society's morals during his childhood in the Antebellum South widow douglas his care taker attempts to civilize him by trying to save his soul, because she believes that she has to help him live a better mannered life like herself but, he will not conform to society he rather be himself. The author's purpose for authoring his writing is to inform individuals about racism also to show individuals that it is wrong and how people use religion as an excuse to justify it. Illustrated in Walt whitman's poem ¨Song Of Myself¨ from book Leaves of Grass the poet explains that every individual has a purpose and a journey they must follow and find, also that every individual is made up of the same things so there should be no reason for anyone to feel belittled.the author's main purpose for writing this was to get individuals to enjoy life and not fear death. James McPherson published a nonfiction novel called What We Fought For to help Americans understand why Union soldiers fought against the

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain provided social commentary on southern society and beliefs. Twain addressed a number of significant issues throughout the novel, including religion and slavery. There are a number of instances where Huck, the 14 year-old protagonist, pushes back against the idea of organized religion. Similarly, Huck encounters a personal and moral dilemma when it comes to the practice of slavery. This idea of rebellion against society is a major concept explored in the book. Small instances of Huck’s rebellion culminate with him eventually freeing a runaway slave. The main examples include Huck’s refusal to learn the Bible, Huck’s decision against not to turn Jim in, and Tom and Huck’s choice to set Jim free at the end of the story. Huck’s refusal to conform to and demonstrate the social norms of the South illustrate the theme of rebellion against society.