Huck Finn: The Ripened Rebel
The great American writer Samuel L. Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, once stated, "Independence... is loyalty to one's best self and principles, and this is often disloyalty to the general idols and fetishes" (Schmidt). Twain portrays many of his beliefs and attitudes of life and society among his many compositions, particularly within one of his most influential novels-The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Throughout this narrative, the concept of resisting the biased and hypocritical morale of society is recurring, being illustrated through the central character, Huckleberry Finn. The story principally circulates around bildungsroman-the moral development and independence of a male character through understanding life and society's significance, in addition to the adventures he undergoes, supported with the guidance and encouragement of an insightful adviser. Huck established his moral and autonomous institutions through his intellectual development, constantly questioning his inner values and conscience, while observing the disposition of Jim, a fugitive slave behaving as an ethical standard for Huck to examine. Culturally speaking, maturation generally entails development of the adolescent through experience and in
struction; in relation to bildungsroman, Huckleberry Finn mentally and psychologically blossoms via societal observations of white prejudice over blacks, differentiation between right and wrong, as well as through the simple yet principled beliefs and support embodied within Jim. Among all the techniques where Huck develops into an experienced entity, the most noteworthy methods lay within the ideals and comportment of Jim, a subservient slave who serves as a mentor for Huck throughout the novel. These standards entail Huck's responses to Jim's superstitions, thoughts of friendship, and his compassionate demeanor. Their strengthening relationship also alters Huck's obscured discernment of slavery. Jim introduces the fundamentals and signs of the simplistic natural world, from weather interpretations to rattlesnake beliefs. While on Jackson Island, Jim, noticing a few birds fly by, forecasts the weather: "Jim said it was a sign it was going to rain" (40). The most considerable prediction involves the handling of the rattlesnake skin, where Jim proposes that doing so will beget misfortune. All of these superstitious foresights seem false and misleading to Huck, as he mockingly replies to Jim's rattle snake fallacy: "'[. . .] here's your bad luck! We've raked in all this truck and eight dollars besides. I wish we could have some bad luck like this every day Jim'" (47). Skeptic reactions such as this soon nullify when the conjectures become true. The following day after Jim foresees the rain, it begins to shower. The rattlesnake escapade grew worse and worse, beginning when a snake bites Jim and continuing through their search for Cairo, which they miss due to a heavy fog. The evidence demonstrated by the superstitions gave concrete evidence of its legitimacy, contrasting to when Miss Watson attempted to educate the concept of prayer to Huck: "Then Miss Watson she took me in the closet and prayed, but nothing come of it [. . .] No, says I to myself, there ain't nothing in it" (9-10). The validations of the myths modify Huck into placing his trust more into actual encounters and experiences, opposed to what is simply taught and instructed, deficient of definite proof. On a more ethical level, Jim expresses the sincere significance of friendship, once more through the ventures and incidents Huck pursues. The increasing connection between Huck and Jim results from the cooperation during their exploits. The most prominent instance occurs when Huck illustrates modesty after a prank performed on Jim boomerangs back to Huck; Jim receives the deception as absurdity. Huck responds: "It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterward, neither" (77). A response such as this epitomizes both the recognition of Jim's care and the parity between all men. Huck's humility is an outcome of the considerate treatment Jim displays, enhancing the bond be
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Approximate Word count = 2012
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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