Huckleberry Finn: Land Vs. Water, by Mark Twain
Twain's Use of the River vs. Land as a Vehicle for Social Criticism
Mark Twain's Huck Finn is a story about racism, friendship, and social criticism experienced through the eyes of a young boy, Huck, and a slave, Jim. The two "stumble" across one another in the beginning of the story and develop a strong friendship based on trust and understanding. Although it takes a while, Huck is eventually able to disregard Jim's color and see him for what he really is: a person. This is something that the rest of country has a problem dealing with, and it shows in their criticism of Jim and Huck's relationship. Throughout the story, Twain is able to use the river and the land as vehicles for social criticism, and at the same time, shows how they differ as means of animadversion.
Huck and Jim use the river as somewhat of a "safe haven" from the rest of the country in times of trouble. In the event that they run into a confrontation it is very easy for them to jump on the raft and get away. The river is also a place where they do not have to worry about being ridiculed or criticized by anyone. To them, it represents a sense of freedom and equality for all men. This is important because this is something they cannot get on the land, where they are always coming in contact with people who refuse to understand/accept their situation. Furthermore, on the water, Huck is able to look at Jim as his equal, but on the land, in the presence of others, he cannot. They both can feel much more comfortable and at ease when they are on the river because they are separated from the rest of the world.
The land represents the total opposite of the river and is used by Twain to portray what life was really like during that time; people were racist, and refused to see things any other way. The majority of black people were slaves, slaves were looked at as property and the lowest possible class, and therefore, any black person was seen as nothing more than a piece of property. This is what made it so hard for people to understand the relationship between a "privileged" white boy and a black man. Because of this, Jim...