Underlying Themes
Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is fun story filled with wit and portrayal of southern society during the Civil War era. While the book can be read by all ages, the themes Twain transpires are extremely complex. For instance the theme of education is portrayed as Huck refuses to go to school and object the morals he is being taught. Huck object to many of the morals for which his elders stand for, in particular slavery. Huck is constantly hounded by society for his choices to go against what they see as cultural norms and do what he feels is best. Eventually he develops a conscience of his own where is makes decisions based on how he feels rather than how society does. This becomes especially obvious when he sets off on the raft with Jim. This gave Huck complete freedom from society as he did not have to worry about social consequences of his actions. Huck could be whomever he pleased and befriend whomever.
Nothing conveys Huck’s liberal stance he developed than his relation with Jim, a black slave whom he became extremely close with. By the end of the story he even frees Jim; which went against southern mores at the time. Huck developed a liberal view on society free from school which taught him the complete opposite of what he felt he should believe. Overall, Twain sets out to show that the goal at the time was to teach children earlier on what to believe and think of people. However, Twain’s character in Huck Finn showed us that it was possible to change the cycle that was trying to be created in the south at the time. Twain was able to bring out a lighter side in both black and white races as the two bonded.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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I really like all of the points Nick makes in his blog for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. At first I’m drawn to his analysis of Huck’s rebellious nature and refusals to conform to society’s norms throughout the story. These types of refusals are seen when Huck runs away with a black servant Jim, whom he later befriends, which in this time would have been something frowned upon very strongly by the rest of society. Also Huck seems to hate being tied down. His nature seems to be rebellious towards conforming to common norms such as going to school, church, and living his life as a polite little boy under the watchful eyes of Widow Douglas and Miss Watson.
Huck’s rebellion to conform himself into what everyone else wants him to be maybe possibly have stemmed from the hardships he has encountered from his father who literally beats him into who he wants Huck to become. As a result Huck’s outlook and reaction to these types of disturbing instances, Huck makes realizations such as, “I asked if she reckoned Tom Sawyer would go there [hell], and, she said, not by a considerable sight. I was glad about that, because I wanted him and me to be together.”
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