Huck's Travel Down The River With Jim example essay topic

The truth has withstood the test of time. Since the beginning of time the search for truth has plagued humankind. It has caused man to travel to distant lands, to fight one another, and to gain knowledge in its search. It is this truth that will unlock the door that has stood between man and the discovery of his true purpose and innermost self. Man searches for the truth not only for himself but to help benefit society as a whole.

The truth teases humankind and implores him to bring it to light, yet the closer he gets the more confusing it becomes. It is because of this search that society has come to develop its ethics as well as the rules and standards for morality. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel written by Mark Twain. This book is very controversial and has even be deemed immoral by some members of society.

One particular character that some have said is immoral is Huck Finn. But is he? In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain the character of Huck can be seen as a moral person who grows through his actions and experiences both on land and in the river, even though his actions might go against the set standards of society. Huck is a moral person at the beginning of the novel before he begins his journey on the river.

The character of Huck can be seen as subdued in the beginning of the novel. Huck has not let out his true self and it is important to understand this point that Mark Twain tries to get across. This is so important because at this point Huck is conforming to society and following all the standards and guidelines which it has set. The moral correctness of his actions are not questionable. The character who represents society and its views is Widow Douglas, and it is to her that Huck conforms. While on land at the beginning Huck is taken captive by Pap, his estranged father.

Huck then starts to see another side of society. When Huck is captured by Pap he is upset because he does not like his father and would rather stay with Widow Douglas. As time goes on Huck begins to enjoy being away from Widow Douglas and the rules of society. Huck begins to feel a sense of discovery and true freedom, but what he does not see is that Pap also represents society.

Mark Twain uses Pap as a symbol for the radical non-conformist ideas that attack and ridicule the, so called, established myths of society. This is another very important point to understand because Huck likes going against society's standards. Huck says, 'Two months or more run along, and my clothes got to be all rags and dirt, and I didn't see how I'd ever got to like it so well at the widow's... and have old Miss Watson pecking at you all the time. ' ; (Ch.

6 pg. 25) Huck comes straight out and tells the reader how he feels about the representatives of society in this quote. Huck does not make a complete change from proper and conformist to rebellious and non-conformist, but rather he melds the two together to discover his personal truth. Huck then decides to exercise his newly found personal truth and sense of freedom by escaping from Pap. He then encounters Jim and together they begin to embark on their journey down the river. The river is a symbol of freedom and it fits perfect with Huck's new feeling toward freedom, but with this freedom comes responsibility. Huck has a responsibility to himself, Jim, and their goal.

Huck must learn to grow up and get away from his childish ways. It takes some time but Huck does grow up, but before he does we see his childish ways through his actions. When Huck places the dead snake by Jim's feet we see his child like actions that can be seen as immoral. Even though Huck does this, after Jim is bit he does whatever he can to help nurse him back to health. Huck tries to cancel out his immoral actions by doing moral and good-hearted things, and this is just one example. One particular and important event that occurs on the river happens after the fog incident.

After the fog incident Huck vows never to play another trick on Jim and it is at this very instance that Huck sees Jim's true humanity. After this occurred Jim begins to talk about freedom and how he can not wait to reach Cairo. Huck begins to have a slight attack of conscience as he listens to Jim talk. Huck says, 'It most froze me to hear such talk. ' ; (Ch. 16 pg. 110) Huck is shocked by what Jim is saying.

Jim continues to tell Huck his plans, and how he will try and free his children at all costs even if it means hiring an abolitionist. Huck's conscience gets the better of him. The moral values that have been instilled in him by society are pressuring his decision and almost clouding his personal judgement. Huck feels by these standards that he is committing an immoral act by helping Jim to escape and by doing so condoning the escaped of Jim's children. Huck then decides to turn in Jim but when he finally comes upon some slave catchers he changes his mind and lies to protect Jim. Huck unknowingly does the moral thing even though society thinks otherwise.

After Huck's travel down the river with Jim he then returns to land at the end of the novel. Huck once again reverts to his childlike ways when he encounters Tom. When Huck and Tom reunite Huck once again takes on the role of an observer who goes with what is suggested. The most important personal decision that is made throughout this entire novel is made by Huck near the end. Huck realizes the importance of Jim to him and the effect he has had on his life.

Huck has come to truly see Jim's humanity and has to decide whether to free Jim or leave him behind. Huck decides, 'All right, then, I'll go to hell'; (Ch. 31 pg. 242). The morals of society that have been instilled in Huck make him feel that if he tries to free Jim his soul will be damned to hell for all eternity. This is an extremely difficult and important decision for a young boy to make, but out of the goodness of his heart he decides to except the consequences of his actions and free Jim. Huck might not be seen as a moral person because he went against society but he might be seen as moral because of his love, dedication, and purpose.

The question of Huck's morality must be answered. Mark Twain presents Huck as a good, wholesome, young man at the beginning of the novel. Huck is portrayed this way because Twain tries to show how Huck is under the complete influence of society. Then Huck spends time with Pap and the reader learns how he reacts to the absence of moral rules. The river is a symbol of freedom and therefore serves as the testing ground for Huck's moral issues. Huck abuses Jim in a sense while on the river but comes to see Jim's true humanity and how wrong he truly was to mistreat Jim even if it was in a joking manner.

Huck does many things throughout the novel that could be deemed as wrong or immoral but Huck feels that the end justifies the means. Hoffman agrees, 'Twain's portrayal of Huck is the convention that the morally responsible person acts according to his best instinct and to what he feels is right, regardless of what society thinks. ' ; (Hoffman, pg. 32). The literary criticism of Michael J. Hoffman believes that Huck is a moral character by his standards. I find Huck to be a moral character and agree with Hoffman. The only point to bring up would be that of Huck's controversy with society.

Hoffman also brings up this point and says, 'To be 'moral'; in this environment is to act according to the community's legislated and unstated ethical codes, regardless of innate instincts or emotions. ' ; (Hoffman, pg. 32). Hoffman also sees that morality can be seen from a societal standpoint. In the eyes of society Huck can not be a moral character because he does do things that are morally wrong.

Huck lies and steals. These are crimes against society and to say that it is fine to do is not correct. During the time Huck lived in, helping a slave escape was a crime. This is the only point of opposition I have against the critic because I agree that a person should determine, for themselves, what should be held as right or wrong. I believe this because it is each person's personal truth, which determines right from wrong and whether it coincides with society's view is a completely different thing. Every day of our lives we search for the truth.

We strive to find our personal truths of who each of us is as a person, as well as who we are in society. Every single word and action has an impact on our society. It is these actions that adversely effect us because they can be good and help or bad and hurt. Our society is built upon our search for truth, so does that mean that there is truly something that can be morally wrong? In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain tries to present Huck as a character who is influenced by the structural rules of society and conforms to them. Yet Huck grows through personal experience, and even though he does not understand why he makes choices against society he does.

Through the experiences Huck has he unknowingly comes upon pieces of his own personal truth. It is these pieces that help him to make decisions that he feels are in good intent even though they go against the established guidelines of society. Huck has a good heart which he follows because the things he does are done with the best possible intent, and it is this quality that makes him a moral character. Huck teaches a good lesson about life that we could all learn from in our day and age and that is to follow our hearts. In our present time we have become too enveloped in rules and what is right and wrong. We have lost touch with our inner selves and the spirit behind all the rules and regulations placed by society.

We must learn to live our lives using our heart, our soul, and our mind because if we live blindly following the rules we will have lost all which we have tried to gain since the start of life, as we know it; we will have lost the truth. The truth remains to be harnessed and used to its full potential, but it is our purpose to grasp every single bit of it. Live each day to the fullest and use the gifts which the Lord has provided, for this is the way to the truth.