Huckleberry Finn's ending
Many literary scholars and critics complain that Mark Twain is not able to fully tie up The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with its ending. They feel that Twain's ending contradicted everything Huck Finn had gone through up to that point. However, these reactions seem to be a result of overanalyzing of the literature. Huck has not reverted back to his former ways by the end of the story. It is at the end of the novel where Huck Finn began to understand his own morality and begins to recognize how and why he must use it. The driving theme in this novel seemed to be Huck Finn's acceptance and rejection of values and morals that he discovered in his experiences. Huck went from being a passive, unsure boy to becoming a confident young adult with a good sense of right and wrong. Critics argue that Twain destroys Huck's progress by ending the book the way he did. For example, they point to Huck freeing Jim as being unnecessary because of Miss Watson freeing him in her will. However, Huck's attempts to free Jim illustrate his newly founded love for Jim. Although Twain does give the reader a reason for Miss Watson freeing Jim, we still can see how much Huck has matured over the course of the novel. That part of the ending may see
m a bit unresolved, but it helps show the reader just how much different Huck views both his own life and the lives' of those around him. Huck went from thinking of Jim as simply Miss Watson's nigger to risking his own freedom for his newest, and quite possibly closest, friend. Another point that many critics bring up is the way that Tom Sawyer again entered Huck's life and seemed to have full control over Huck again. However, this is not true because Huck learns that everything Tom says is not correct. He stills follows Tom's lead though, which many feel is Huck reverting back to his old ways of blindly doing as Tom said. However, Huck has metamorphosed into a different person by the end of the book. His following Tom is an example of his ability to remain faithful to Tom. It is almost as if Huck were humoring Tom, not wanting to hurt his friend's feelings. Huck knew that it was better for their friendship if he continued to play the role of a passive supporter to Tom's constant need for heroism and adventure. Huck, acting as a true friend, did not wish to try and disagree with something in which his friend so strongly believed. Huck allowed Tom to become the hero while he went back into the more comfortable shadows of obscurity. Although it would seem like Huck has not grown, his actions show the reader that Huck did not need to be in the limelight to be heroic. He simply
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Approximate Word count = 938
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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