The social element of the uttermost importance to the entire novel is that of Huck's dysfunctional family situation. The poor boy has no mother, and his father is a drunkard who comes to town upon occasion. This so-called father usually resorts to beating Huck, and is extremely vocal about his opinions, while under the influence of alcohol. Soon afte

The deeply profound implications given throughout the novel, and the very plot from which they are derived, all are driven by the social interactions of the story. Whether it is an abused boy fleeing from his father, a slave fleeing from being sold down south, or simply the two outcasts of society living together in harmony as friends, the novel derives all of its force from its social aspects. Without the social aspects of the novel, Twain could have pieced together a collection of short stories about Huckleberry Finn's life, but he never could have created a masterful Novel that remains on reading lists over one hundred years after he wrote it.

The rejection of Huck by society coupled with the fact that "he has never had status, and the money he acquired in Tom Sawyer is never real to him" (Cox 356), gives him a feeling of isolation from the rest of the "respectable" people. Therefore, in Huck's mind, he cannot turn to them for help, but must escape from his abusive father on his own. This feeling of withdrawal leads him to Jackson Island, away from habitation, away from the social conflict that drove him, and right into the next chapter of the novel. It is there Huck meets Jim, another outcast from society one who has never known status, thus creating a common bond between the two. Huck's distaste for loneliness over long periods of time--as demonstrated in his comments about how alone it was in the cabin--gives him the desire to travel with Jim, and help him get to freedom.

Finally as previously mentioned, the most profound and best remembered social interactions of the novel occur between Huck and Jim, for "it is in Jim, that Huck finds his true father" (Cox 352). It is on Jackson Island that the reader can see a bond form, and a connection established between the two, where Huck comes back to the island once he learns people are coming in search of Jim. He rushes in and says "Git up and hump yourself, Jim! There ain't a minute to lose, they're after us!" (Twain 81). This is where Huck first feels a sense of responsibility since everyone thought he was dead, no one was coming after him, yet he used the inclusive word "us", rather than "you". Then later in the novel, when Huck plays a trick on Jim that deeply hurts Jim, Twain creates the situation of a white boy, who goes and apologizes to a black man, creating a satirical situation for his time, and a profoundly memorable event to the reader after Huck states that he was never sorry he apologized. In truth, many critics feel that "when Huck apologizes to Jim, it is the beginning of the moral testing and development of Huck's character" (Miller 24). Bloom then states that on their raft, "Huck and Jim are a family, a community, a community of saints" (Bloom 4). The saintly virtue attributed to them in that quote is based upon how they crack down moral barriers, and "once outside society, allow Huck to express his feelings for Jim as an equal" (Miller 25). The situation of a white boy becoming emotionally attached to a black man in the time period achieves a deep sentimental bond, and accordingly "In order to achieve his point on slavery, Twain had to achieve deep sentimental feeling" (Pearce 360). In closing, Twain used this odd relationship between a white-trash boy, and a runaway slave to create an odd plot which takes many turns, and deeply aims a blow at the post-civil war views on racism during Twain's own time period.

The very setting of the novel in this valley society creates the automatic conflict mentioned above between Huck and Jim, and the valley society. This society passes condemnation on a rough and unmannered boy and a black man for no other reason than his race. However, from Twain's point of view, "To belong to the Mississippi Valley Society is to be unable to speak the truth, to use one form or another of fantasy language which justifies the greatest cruelties and injustices-slavery, economic exploitation, and the arrogant

Some common words found in the essay are:
Jackson Island, Huck Jim, River Valley, Miss Watson, Huckleberry Finn, Christianity Miller, Jim Twain, Civil War, Valley Society, Miss Watson's, huck jim, miss watson, valley society, runaway slave, river valley, novel huck, novel huck's, social conflicts, white boy, social interactions, entire novel huck's, raft huck jim, mississippi river valley, sell jim south, situation white boy,
Approximate Word count = 2679
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)