Huck Finn Civilized Society
Mark Twain's, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, recounts the stories of Huck Finn's adventures down the Mississippi River. The story is set in the town of St. Petersburg during the American pre civil war era, when slavery was legal and the heart of the south was the Mississippi River. Twain attempts to make this book appear as the simple narration of Huck as he recalls his adventures, though Twain uses his characters and settings as an analogy to a much bigger picture of the south and its social codes. Though the Widow Douglas adopted Huck and tried to "reform" his ways, he remains an outsider in society. Through Huck's ability to separate from society, Twain illustrates that civilized society is marked by, "cowardice, a lack of knowledge, and profound selfishness." Huck Finn was born into the lowest level of white society. His father, Pap, who was a drunkard would appear from time to time in Huck's life, but never showed any characteristics of a father figure. Huck lives with the Widow Douglas and is taught to read and write, until Pap reappears into his life. Pap begins to attempt to gain legal custody of Huck due to a large fortune H
After faking his own death to escape Pap, Huck hides on Jackson's island where he meets Jim, Miss Watson's escaped slave. Huck's young age and social upbringing able him to maintain an open mind to societies laws. Huck is aware of these laws, which proclaim Jim as Miss Watson's property, but realizes Jim is a human with a family after talking. Jim says he ran away because he heard he was going to be sold down river, which would force him to leave his family. As their friendship grows, Huck realizes that Jim "had an uncommon level head, for a nigger." The failures to protect Huck from abuse cause him to not only distrust society, but to question its morals; Huck begins to discard his teachings on race as his relationship with Jim grows. While Huck is unsure about the morality and legality of helping a runaway slave, he has always considered himself an outsider to society; thus, instead of following societies rules he makes his own, teaming up with Jim. Through his own personal experience, Huck is able to create his own ideas of morality in which, though he is going against society, he believes slavery is wrong; deciding to help Jim escape to freedom. Thus, Twain is able to exploit an individual's ability to distinguish his/her own morality of right from wrong, rather than going along with what society considers right. uck gained in a previous adventure with his friend, Tom Sawyer. The Widow Do
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Approximate Word count = 952
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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