huckleberry fin 2
In Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the river plays many roles and holds a prominent theme throughout much of the story. Huck and Jim seem to be happiest and most at peace when on the river. Although probably not to the point of having its own personality, the river has a deeper meaning than just water and mud. It provides the two characters a means of escape. Their voyage was a quest for freedom. Although quite constrained in its capacity to provide freedom of movement, the raft affords Huck and Jim a certain amount of freedom in actions, words, and emotions. Freedom in this book specifically means freedom from society and its imperatives. Huck senses this truth when he mentions how other places feel so cramped and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft. He resents the objectives and beliefs and the so-called "civilized" people of the society around him. He disbelieves what societal beliefs have been ingrained in his mind since his birth, which is shown by his close friendship with Jim, a runaway slave. The river is the only form of separation from this society which Huck has access to, but it still does not completely separate them from what they disbel
When they first set out on the raft and leave Jackson's Island behind, Huck says, "It was kind of solemn, drifting down the big still river, laying on our backs looking up at the stars, and we didn't ever feel like talking loud, and it warn't often that we laughed, only a little kind of a low chuckle." (55) However, the more they venture onto shore, the more they appreciate being back on the raft. Huck becomes more attached to the raft and his companion every time he returns to the peacefulness and harmony of the raft, and at one point says that "it did feel so good to be free again and all by ourselves on the big river and nobody to bother us." (162) He enjoys not only the fact that he is in a way cut off from society, but he becomes somewhat detached from it, not realizing that he is in it at times. This is evidenced when Huck mentions that "sometimes they'd have that whole river all to themselves for the longest time." (97) Huck becomes so engrossed in the good moments that he forgets how they have to constantly be on the watch for others on the river. ieve in. Although the river allows them some measure of freedom at once, the moment they set foot on Jackson's Island or the raft and although only on the raft do they have a chance to practice that idea of brotherhood to which they are so devoted. This freedom is very limited and they must still go out of their way to avoid others, going down the river only at night and hiding during the day. Huck has to constantly think of new stories to tell nearby boatsmen or anyone else who might intrude on their concord. How the river influences me is not directly but how it effects the things that influence my life. For an example since it allows the means for a large amount of vegetation to grow, it gives me a place to have my paintball games. It provides the ideal settings for a game. If the river was not here then the vegetation would not grow which would cause me to have to find a different place to play. The river does not and hopefully will not affect my life as much as it did with Huck. I really do not interact with the river that much. Other than providing resources for the city, the direct effect does not have influence with me. But if you look at the things that effect us that are effected by the river is almost unthi
Some common words found in the essay are:
Huck Jim, Island Huck, City Casper, Jane Wilks, Jackson's Island, Huck Mississippi, Fort Casper, Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer, huck jim, city casper, jackson's island, reason city, river river, vegetation grow, huck enjoy, middle river, quiet people, water table,
Approximate Word count = 1549
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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