Life on the Raft and the Evolution of Huck
Uploaded by merafera on Nov 14, 2007
After a long day at work or in the classroom we all seek the comforts of home. It is here that we can finally relax and release all of the days stresses and frustrations. We are no longer forced to conform to society’s expectations of appearance or thought. Clothing no longer becomes a necessity and we may express our views and opinions about events with little regard to censorship regulations. Our home provides us with a place of quiet reflection so that we may reflect on the day’s events and our life in general. Our home parallels the refuge that the raft provides Huck and Jim. On the raft Huck was not a boy in need of “sivilization” and Jim was not the property of another man. They were both free spirits and best friends. It is also through this isolation from outside influences that Huck grows as a person and develops his own interpretation of right and wrong. This freedom from social expectations and reality was interrupted many times on their journey by stops along the shore. These breaks provide Huck with perspective on his life and what moral stances he will allow to govern his existence.
One of the early trips to the shore find Huck dressed as a woman in order to sneak into town and see what news he can learn of he and Jim’s disappearance. He discovers that Jim is wanted for his murder and that there is a substantial reward for his capture. Huck makes an instinctual decision to protect Jim by quickly retreating with him to their raft. The raft provides a refuge from their pursuers, but also allows us to see the dichotomy of life on the raft and life in town. Huck does not view Jim as a piece of property to be owned by another man. He has begun to see Jim as an actual human capable of feelings and emotions like himself. On the raft he is able to struggle with his own views of Jim as a person and societies interpretation of his position.
After an unfortunate collision with a steamboat Huck and Jim are separated and Huck adopts a new identity of an orphan named George Jackson. He is taken in by the Grangerford family and settles into life on a...