The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Theme Analysis
Uploaded by bdogg on Apr 25, 2007
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Theme Analysis
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a novel about Huck Finn and a runaway slave named Jim’s adventures as they try to find freedom for Jim. They encounter all sorts of adventures and run into some interesting people along the way. The main theme of this story is the moral conflicts of Huck Finn and how they change him throughout the novel.
Huckleberry Finn is faced with many moral challenges in this novel. All of Huck’s life he has been taught that blacks are inferior and should be treated accordingly. Huck decides he doesn’t feel this way and goes against the grain of the rest of the pre-Civil War society. The story focuses on Finn’s struggle within his conscience over this issue and in the end he is strong enough to bar all racist ideas from his head.
Freeing Jim from slavery is a huge moral obstacle that Huck has to face. All of Huck’s life he has been taught that if anyone freed a slave they will go to hell. Huck has to make a decision based on his own personal feelings and not what society has taught him. In the end Huck makes the right decision and everything works out.
All of Huck’s life he has never experienced true friendship. Huck discovers this friendship in Jim. He learns that race doesn’t matter and that Jim would do anything for him. At first Huck felt he was supreme to Jim and played jokes on him. Huck now realizes Jim has feelings too. He then begins to understand that besides skin color they have many similarities.
The moral conflicts and the friendship with Jim is the driving theme in this book. Huck fights what he has been taught all his life and understands what is right in his treatment towards blacks. The friendship formed between Huck and Jim shows how two different people can come together to form a lasting bond. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a great novel and a timeless classic.