Huck Finnn
Huck FinnnIn the novel “Huckleberry Finn”, the river plays a very prominent role. As well as moving the plot along and providing a means for Mark Twain to satirise American society, it mirrors the development of Huckleberry’s moral conscience. The river is a place where Huck is free from any outside pressures and where he can be free and can grow mentally as well as physically and spiritually.
A superficial reading of the novel “Huckleberry Finn” would suggest a picaresque story about a young boy and a runaway slave in colonial America. At this level, it could also seem to be lacking a great deal of depth. However, a more analytical, in-depth reading of the novel reveals the themes of racism, freedom, relationships and the growth of Huck’s moral conscience.
The river plays a vital part in the novel. Structurally, it provides a link between Twain’s short stories as well as bringing a flow literally and metaphorically to the novel. It also mirrors the growth and sculpting of Huck’s moral conscience. The adventures Huck Finn deals with, while floating down the Mississippi River, reflect the many serious issues that were present in his society, as well as our own . Many sad events which followed the Civil War are told through the young eyes of Huckleberry Finn; he unknowingly develops morally from both the conforming and non-conforming influences surrounding him on his journey to freedom. As well as this, Huck plays the role of the naïve observer which helps to depict an unbiased view of the society around him. He reports things as he sees them without imparting value judgments of his own. In many ways, he is like the river, unquestioning, vital and independent of the human society.
As the novel progresses, one can plainly see the change in Huck’s attitude while he journeys down the river. At first he does not even view Jim the slave as a person with feelings but rather as property, calling him “Miss Watson’s Jim”. The incident involving his getting lost in the fog while floating down the Mississippi River leads to a major turning point in the development of Huck Finn’s character. Up to this event, he has seen Jim as a lesser person than himself. After trying to deny the fog event to Jim, he says:
“It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a slave; but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterward, neither.”
He continues by explaining how he could never do such a thing again. Huck has clearly gained respect for Jim here, which explains the risks he is willing to take for Jim later in the book.. “All right then, I’ll go to hell!” represents the highest point in Huck’s moral development. He has decided to go against his conscience by freeing Jim, and in doing so, rejecting society as well as risking the...
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