Why Is Huck Finn Being Responsible

Pap was only a suspect and weren’t as important as Jim. 3. Twain was building a theme of trust and friendship because Huck views Jim as a friend and doesn’t dehumanize him for his title as a slave. Chapter 12 1.

Much later, Huck experiences a similar dilemma, which is met with just as much moral and emotional ambiguity. As he experienced previously, Huck is upset by the prospect of wronging miss watson, naming that wrongdoing as stealing; however, the reader sees a noticeable shift in Huck’s emotions with respect to Jim. Whereas previously Huck only considered Jim’s emotion when he was overtly reminded of it, now, Huck is able to bring himself through that empathetic process of seeing Jim’s perspective. Huck’s ability to reflect on Jim in an even deeper manner than on Miss Watson shows that Huck has developed empathy through an emotional connection with Jim, which is a leading force in his decision making. Huck’s eventual resolution, this time,

Isn’t it just awful when people use different sayings to describe themselves, but then they act completely differently? Well, in Mark Twain’s famous book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, he points out many times where this happens. This book includes points about the reality of how many times the label of “honorable Southern gentleman” was put on white people who did not act honorably. While it was normal in that era for southern men to have negroes as their slaves, it was dishonorable to treat them as if they weren’t human. It is very stereotypical, even now, for people to label men who live in the south as honorable gentleman.

In the fictional novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the reader sees how society can change people but also how it can shape people and how it can sometimes turn out for the best. In the book,

     On Huck and Jim’s journey to Cairo, Jim begins to speak about when he is free he will go and find his children and take them from the slave owner. This rubbed Huck the wrong way; his standards of Jim had been lowered because, from Huck’s point of view, why would Jim steal his children away from a man who has done nothing to him? Huck’s conscience began to come into play and he had made up his mind: He was going to turn Jim in when they reach shore. He was sure of it until Jim began to sweet talk Huck, telling him that Huck was the only white man that had ever kept a promise to him. This comment went directly to Huck’s heart; he could not possibly

He also does not doubt tom?s judgment when he says ?But go ahead, I ain?t got nothing to say? because he does not know any better. On the other hand, Huck gains knowledge while experiencing the journey to free Jim and suddenly Huck encounters a decision that requires much more consideration than anything he has ever thought about. As Huck decides whether or not to turn Jim in to Miss Watson, he says, ?I studied a minute, a sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: ?All right, then, I?ll go to hell?? (Twain 228). Huck now has the ability to think for himself. This important decision goes against what he has always been taught. He thinks his decision thoroughly, unlike before. With his new standards of morality, Huck decides not to turn Jim in. It is apparent that he improves in his aptitude of making choices. Huck?s capability of making decisions alone shows that he is maturing into an independent young man.

Through the duration of this novel, Huck was constantly in a moral battle with his conscience on whether he should turn Jim in or not. “I was a-trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself ‘All right, then, I’ll GO to hell’—and tore it up.” (Twain, 161-162) He is in this dilemma because he was taught that if helped Jim, he would go to Hell, because he is Miss Watson’s “property”, but he cares for Jim too much to turn him in, only for him to be killed or sold shortly after.

The two men live a dangerous life that any moment, they could be captured, especially Jim. One of the many times that Huck could have told on Jim, was when some men approached him looking for five black men run off that night. Instead of letting the men know that he have one black man with him, Huck told them that it is a white man with him. Despite saying that, the men still want to make sure. So, Huck has to make excuses as to not let

Opening Question: The two decisions that Huck has to grapple with are whether he should help Jim escape out of slavery, and if he does do this then he has to decide whether or not to report him to Miss Watson. I think Huck made the right decision, because society never accepted Huck or Jim and Huck sees that, so he forgets that Jim is a slave and decides to turn his back against society and does the right thing by helping Jim. Huck sees Jim as a good friend, so he does what he believes is right. I think at the end of the chapter, Huck feels that he shouldn’t care what society thinks of him, so that is why I think he ripped up the paper and said “All right, then, I’ll GO to hell”.

Huck’s decision to lie in the protection of Jim based on his kindness instead of an intellectual criticism of racist practices demonstrate that society has penetrated the moralities of individuals. This instance happens as he and Jim draw near Cairo, a small town along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. The arrival at Cairo is critical for Jim, as journeying up the Ohio River

As a runaway slave accompanying a white boy, Jim cannot expect what Huck could do to him; Huck could turn him in or leave him by himself. Jim also had the opportunity to leave Huck, but having all his faith and trust in Huck, Jim decides to stay, hoping Huck was not lost in the fog. After Jim’s lecture, Huck starts to feel guilty, saying, “It made me feel so mean I could almost kissed his feet to get him to take it back”

After a long raft-ride, Huck and Jim are finally about to reach Cairo, which on their arrival would make Jim free. With the smell of freedom, Jim rambles on about how he would buy his wife and then steal his children. This sets off a spark in Huck, igniting his conscience and making him very uneasy. Huck couldn't believe that Jim would steal property from a man that hadn't done him any harm. Huck then begins feeling guilty about helping Jim escape from Miss Watson, since she had never done anything to him and didn't deserve for Jim to be stolen from her. At his departure for the town, on a mission to turn Jim in, Jim leaves Huck with these words. " Pooty soon I'll be a shout'n' for joy, en I'll say say, it's all on accounts o' Huck; I's a free man, en I couldn't ever ben free ef it hadn't it ben for Huck; Huck done it. Jim won't ever forgit you, Huck; you's de bes' fren' Jim's ever had; en you's de only fren' ole Jim's got now". (pg.86-87) Hearing these words, Huck realizes how much Jim's friendship means to him and decides not to turn in Jim. Finally, the last test of Huck's conscience comes when he finds out that the "king" and the "duke" have sold Jim. Huck gets to thinking about how wrong he was to help Jim escape, and decides he should write a letter to Miss Watson. He then changes his mind, seeing that Jim would be worse off as a runaway slave because he would be treated horribly, and Huck

Twain uses Huck to make decisions based on this hypocritical slave-owning, Christian lifestyle. Huck must choose to either aid a runaway slave named Jim or return him to Miss Watson, while the white society of the South would expect Huck to return Jim to Miss Watson. Huck and Jim 's friendship makes this a significant decision because Huck is morally conflicted. Jim is his friend, but he is also the property of Miss Watson. An excerpt from Magill 's Survey of American Literature puts the situation in a right perspective exclaiming “Jim is property before he is man, and Huck is deeply troubled, surprisingly, by the thought that he is going to help Jim, not only because he sees it, in part, as a robbery, but more interestingly, because he sees his cooperation as a betrayal of his obligation to the

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

His “double vision” results in paradoxes such as him and Jim stealing from farmers to feed themselves, but also him stealing back the inheritance from the King and Duke for Mary Jane's sake. He is constantly at war with himself over the topic of Jim’s slavery. According to the Law Jim is property and Huck is wrong in aiding his escape. According to Huck’s conscience Jim has been the first person to truly care for him, and is as deserving of freedom as any other man. Miss Watson is treats Huck fairly according to the law but unethically from her constant scolding.