https://www.echeat.com/ Mark Twain: The conscience of a country. When writing, a person’s inner thoughts come to life. It happens whether they mean it to or not. The author might accidentally choose certain words that bring their own feelings to light, or they could come right out and say how they feel. The point is that every author, no matter how good, will project what they believe onto their writing. Mark Twain does this in The adventures of Huckleberry Finn on numerous occasions. In a time of extreme patriotism and narrow-mindedness Twain made the nation rethink their most basic of beliefs. In a bold move, Twain chronicled his beliefs pertaining to religion, slavery, and civilization. Each time his “profanity saving” pen touched paper he acted as the nation’s conscience. Mark Twain, through the use of wit and satire, challenged the most basic of American beliefs for nearly half a century Religion was a common target of Twain. “What put twain off about religion was its bossiness and it’s alignment with corrupt community values…” (Blount 53). In Huckleberry Finn these beliefs are evident in the character of the Widow Douglas. Though she is a professed Christian she takes no stock in the Christian principles of acceptance and focuses instead on the “bossiness” aspect of Religion. The widow was against practices that she took no part in. It could either be that she thought she always did the right thing or possibly that she determined right and wrong. The former of these two options would make her incredibly arrogant, quite possibly a trait twain wanted to pass off as a Christian trait. Huck said it best when he said “of course that was all right, because she done it herself” (Twain 2). One of the most overt examples of religious hypocrisy was presented through the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons. The two feuding families who killed each other went to church together. Next Sunday we all went to church, about three mile, everybody a-horseback. The men took their guns along, so did Buck, and kept them between their knees or stood them handy against the wall. The Shepherdsons done the same. It was pretty ornery preaching – all about brotherly love, and such-like tiresomeness; but everybody said it was a good sermon, and they all talked it over going home, and had such a powerful lot to say about faith and good works and free grace and preforeordestination, 2008-12-16T03:57:57-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Mark-Twain-s-Beliefs-Were-Shown-through-Huck-Finn-33915.aspx The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is a controversial one. There are people who believe the book is racist due to the use of the word nigger, and some of the situations in the book. While others believe that it is the story of a black man, and a white boy coming to friendship, and is not racist at all. But if you take time to read this book through and through, then you will find that the book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is not racist. This novel may have some scenes in it that seem like a racist situation. Such as the use of the word nigger. This word was used to address black people, it was not a derogatory term, but just another way of saying black. Over the years it may have changed and now has a different meaning, but during times of slavery, it did not mean anything but black. This novel was written in a time period where it would be the normal thing to treat blacks badly, and if the white people did not treat them with disrespect then society would look down upon them. Huck, who is a young white boy, who has run away with Jim, can relate to him, and actually helped him out. Which was not a normal characteristic of behavior for whites towards blacks during this time period. At first Huck had his doubts about helping Jim to freedom with him, because he knew he would be in a lot of trouble if anybody caught him with Jim. You could have been punished helping a black man escape from his owner, it was illegal, but Huck still helped Jim knowing the consequences. When Huck and Jim are about to embark on their journey together, Jim tells Huck he has run away. “People would call me a low-down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum-but that don’t make no difference. I ain’t a-going to tell.” (50) This was a statement made by Huck, telling Jim that he would not tell on him for running away. If Huck Finn and this novel were truly racist, Jim would have been turned in right there and then. And Huck would have never even thought about helping him. If The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 2007-11-27T20:45:49-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Adventures-of-Huckleberry-Finn-a-Controversial-Book-33444.aspx Racism is an issue that has been around for a very long time. From way back to the time of the Egyptians and Hebrews, to the Middle Passage, to right up until the American Civil War, slavery has existed, and we still feel the effects of it today. Mark Twain wrote a controversial book about slavery and racism, called The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Many believe that it is racist, but, after further examination, the book is the opposite. When the book starts out, the character Jim does seem to be portrayed from a racist vies, but as the story goes on, he is shown to be more complex and round. The King and the Duke, who are the antagonists of the novel and are kind of flat, but they are disliked and racist. A racist author would most likely have made the antagonists anti-racist. Huck, as well, was not really racist and a racist author would have made the protagonist racist. Despite the fact that Mark Twain was alive during a time when racism and slavery were common, events and dialogue in his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn suggest that he was not racist and he disagree with slavery. Jim starts off as the stereotypical, lying superstition, foolish black slave. Twain paints the picture of a superstitious slave when he writes about Tom and Huck tricking Jim into thinking he was “ridden by witches” by moving his hat while he was asleep: “Jim was monstrous proud about it, and he got so he wouldn’t hardly notice the other niggers… Jim always kept that five-center piece round his neck with a string and that it was a charm the devil gave him…” (16). However, as the story progresses, Twain shows the reader that blacks are not inferior. He shows that Jim is kind and caring after losing Huck in the fog: “…is dat you Huck?... It’s too good for true, honey… de same ole Huck, thanks to goodness!” (87). In that same scene, Jim figures out that Huck tricked him and scolds him: “…I’s so thankful. En all you wuz thinkin’ ‘bout wuz how you could make a fool uv old Jim wid a lie. Dat truck duh is trash; en trash is what people is 2007-11-26T20:54:15-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Racism-in-The-Adventures-of-Huckleberry-Finn-33443.aspx Throughout Mark Twain’s Novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, there have been many examples of Mark Twain being a racist with his constant degrading of Jim’s character and his incessant use of the word “Nigger”. He also illustrates Jim to be very gullible with the way he believes in many superstitions. As the novel progresses however, twain brings the status of Jim’s character higher and closer to the status of whites. In the end of the novel, Twain finally shows that black should be given their freedom thus proving that Twain was not a racist. In Jim’s first appearance in the beginning of the novel, Huck and Tom snuck out at night and are hiding from the “night watchman,” Jim. Jim asks “who goes there” and falls asleep, thus proving that Jim the “typical nigger” is lazy and is an example of how Twain degraded Jim. Another way Jim was degraded in the beginning of the novel was his language use. Jim uses very poor English, so poor that it is quite difficult to read and comprehend. Jim also tells Huck about the time when he was captured and taken to New Orleans by a bunch of witches. These are examples of the degrading of Jim and showing how ignorant and gullible he is. Right when one thinks that Jim is so ignorant and uneducated Twain introduces a worse character by the name of Pap. Pap is portrayed as a sort of useless character, in the sense that he has no life, no education and is more ignorant than Jim. Pap is also the father of Huck which means he is white. When the one reads about the character of Pap, one realizes that that’s how educated people were at the time. As a result, Jim’s status as a character, a black man, is raised higher than Pap, a white man. When Huck and Jim decide they must leave Miss Watson and Pap and runaway, Twain writes about how Jim has a dream on how to save his family. He thinks that if he reaches the free side of the Ohio River, than he will work for enough money to free his wife. After 2007-11-26T20:52:39-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mark-Twain-s-Novel-Racist-33442.aspx The book, Huckleberry Finn, explores the ideas of racism and slavery through the eyes of a young white boy during slave times. Throughout the book, Huck is confronted with people and ideas that force him to question the morals with which he was raised. Twain expresses his anti-slavery views through the use of satire, to show how slavery is wrong, and through Huck’s search for a moral truth to demonstrate the need to question existing societal values. Huck learns to question his values based on events that occur as a result of his friendship with Jim. An example of these conflicts occurs when Huck is confronted by runaway slave catchers. He is forced to decide whether turning Jim in is the right thing to do. The law tells him that he must betray his friend, but his conscience tells him to question this law. He chooses, as he does many other times in the book, to continue helping Jim to obtain his freedom despite the fact that it seems immoral to him. He is driven by his friendship with Jim to challenge the rules of morality in his society. Clearly Twain is using Huck’s choices in these circumstances to express what he thinks about slavery. He shows how societal values are incorrect in this case. If one thinks for themselves they will realize that slavery is wrong and that it is every human’s duty to continue to question the status quo when matters of conscience are involved. Another time Twain demonstrates the immorality of slavery is during Huck’s moral crisis after Jim is recaptured. The friendship between the two proves to be more important to Huck than his moral system. “All right then, I’ll go to hell.” (207) Huck decides that he would prefer to suffer extreme consequences rather than desert his friend. The idea is very clear that, although Huck has no problem with slavery, he considers Jim his equal and a friend. Twain is trying to convey those ideas of equality trough Huck’s actions and thoughts. Huck converses with Jim as if Jim was a parental figure. Jim proves himself to be Huck’s caretaker when he refuses to let 2007-11-26T20:51:18-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Racism-in-Huckleberry-finn--33441.aspx The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a satirical novel written by Mark Twain that exhibits Twain’s views on racism and slavery. The book is set in the deep South during the pre-Civil War era of slavery, about 1835 to 1845, and it tells the story of Huck, who is running away from his abusive father, and Jim, who is running away from his owner so he wouldn’t be sold, traveling to the free states of the North. As they ventures together through the Mississippi river in their raft, Jim and Huck encounter many people and experience many events, each of them bearing a lesson about the fallacy of racism and slavery. Huck starts the novel as someone who is indifferent to slavery, but as the novel progresses, Huck matures and gains a more moral view towards blacks, who were constantly discriminated against by others during the time. Twain’s opposition of slavery and racism is very evident in Huck’s metamorphosis, and the various events that occur throughout the novel. The novel’s protagonist is Huck, but along with Huck is Jim. Jim is a slave that is owned by Mrs. Watson, and he runs away from Mrs. Watson to prevent being sold and separated from his family. In the beginning of the novel, Jim appears to be a one-toned, stereotypical black male, but as the novel continues, Twain reveals the multi-dimensional characteristics of Jim and uses them to demonstrate the hypocritical view that society has towards blacks. The first impression that one gets of Jim is that he’s an illiterate, stupid, superstitious, poorly-spoken “nigger”. Jim believes in many weird, superstitious things for example, “Jim had a hair-ball as big as your fist, which had been took out of the fourth stomach of an ox, and he used to do magic with it. He said there was a spirit inside of it, and it knowed everything (P. 16).” The events that Huck and Jim go through together contradict many of the impressions that these traits donate to Jim. Huck and Jim meet each other on Jackson’s island, and decide to escape from the town, St. Petersburg, and head to the free states. Huck, in the canoe, gets separated from Jim during a foggy night, but eventually, Huck finds his way back to the raft. Jim wakes up as Huck gets 2007-11-26T20:50:12-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Satrical-Huckleberry-Finn-33440.aspx 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 2007-11-14T14:00:06-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Life-on-the-Raft-and-the-Evolution-of-Huck-33417.aspx Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn stands as a sempiternal example of satire in which the author expresses his viewpoints through situations and characters of the novel. The book traces the exploits of a young boy, Huckleberry Finn, and his eventual friend, a runaway slave named Jim. They escape their old lives, using the Mississippi River to travel to new ones, and along the way, encounter a crazy cast of characters. They witness people’s stupidity and life’s irony through various occurrences with people like the Grangerfords, the duke and king (and the towns that they scam), and the Phelps’s community. One of the best examples that Twain uses to demonstrate his views about man and society is seen through the clever Colonel Sherburn and a speech he gives to an angry mob. Through examples from Huck Finn’s adventures, it is evident that Twain possesses the belief that man cannot make decisions for himself but relies too much on other’s opinions. A primary example of Twain’s belief is demonstrated through Colonel Sherburn. The colonel shoots a man on the street, and the town, naturally, is distressed. An angry mob that is looking for a lynching grows, and they travel to the colonel’s home to do the dirty deed; however, the colonel meets them on the porch, staring and fearless. He expresses his disapproval in their actions, and claims that not one man there would ever lynch someone unless it was night or were adorned with masks. “The average man’s a coward” (172). He believes, as does Twain, that no real man can do any sort of action without another man supporting him and holding his hand. On the other hand, he also distinguishes that a man will do something (whether he desires to or not) just to belong and to mask his existing and prevalent cowardice. Sherburn accuses the mob of not wanting to be there at all, “You didn’t want to come . . . you’re afraid to back down—afraid you’ll be found out to be what you are—cowards—and so you raise a yell . . . and come raging up here” (173). Twain uses a Southern, angry mob to eloquently describe man’s inherent dislike for being his own man. Another example of man’s inability to make his own decisions is depicted within the Grangerford family. 2007-05-23T03:00:07-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mark-Twain-s-View-of-Man-33219.aspx 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 2007-04-25T19:57:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Adventures-of-Huckleberry-Finn-Theme-Analysis-33138.aspx Social Aspects of Huckleberry Finn The story of Huckleberry Finn is one of a young man that struggles with life and its decisions. The struggles with his conscience caused Huck to rethink many of his ideas and actions. Many times by his love of his friendship with Jim, Huck would admit what he did to Jim and apologize for the actions. Without Jim as a friend Huck would not have realized that Jim is the same as everyone else even if he was a slave. Jim is one of the main causes of Huck’s inner self battle over society, friendships, and personal morality. In the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the main character, Huck struggles with his conscience in three ways: social (society) conventions, Jim, and Huck with himself over his own morality. Huck battles with social conventions in two ways. The first way is intellectually, and the second way is morally. By focusing on Huck's education Huck becomes an outcast and distrusts the morals and precepts of the society that labels him a pariah and fails to protect him from abuse, despite Miss Watsons’ and the Widow Douglas’ attempts to educate and civilize Huck. He learns to distrust the morals of society through Miss Watson’s teaching of prayer and God. With his lack of education, Huck ,unlike most children his age does not understand Miss Watson when she says that he is a fool for praying for three fish hooks (12). Because of this Huck realizes that humans are harmful and can do or cause cruel consequences to each other. “ Human beings can be awful cruel to one another.( 222)” This apprehension about society, and his growing relationship with Jim, lead Huck to question many of the teachings that he received on race. Verbal abuse was as common to Huck and the sun rising in the east. Even though he was allowed into town and lived with the widow’s home; Huck felt as though he was an outsider, someone who had moved into the town only to be shunned because of his lineage. Time and time again Huck chooses to “Go to Hell(268)” rather than go along with what he's been taught. This is ironic because his views are actually ahead of his time. His ideas on racism, slavery, and 2007-02-02T18:52:49-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Aspects-of-Huckleberry-Finn-32575.aspx Analysis of Lies in Huckleberry Finn “That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth” (1). Those are among the first lines in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, so it’s obvious from the very beginning that the truth, or lack thereof, is a major theme in the book. Huckleberry Finn is a liar throughout the whole novel but unlike other characters, his lies seem justified and moral to the reader because they are meant to protect himself and Jim and are not meant to hurt anybody. Mark Twain shows four types of lies in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: vicious and self-serving lies, harmless lies, childish lies, and Huck’s noble lies. An example of lying is presented right at the beginning. After Tom and Huck play a joke on him, Jim lies to all the other slaves about how his hat got taken of his head and put on a tree limb above him while he was sleeping. He tells an incredible yarn about some kind of spirits visiting him, gaining him an almost-celebrity status among the slaves. Some may argue that this is a self-serving lie. Although it is harmless to others, it certainly isn’t a noble lie. Another set of harmless, somewhat clever, lies Jim tells are of his famous hairball. He claims it can predict the future and only he can tell what it’s saying. Not only that, but this hairball doesn’t work unless Jim gets paid first. The king of childish lies would definitely be Tom Sawyer. Through Tom’s ridiculous lies, Mark Twain makes the reader begin to hate this impractical, unrealistic, unoriginal adolescent. His immature lies are to gain a sense of adventure like in his books and they occasionally hurt people. Tom tricks Huck into coming with him to see the caravan of “A-rabs and Spaniards.” Huck doesn’t want to go until he learns there will be elephants there too. They go, and of course, nobody is there but young, Sunday-schoolers. Huck is disappointed and says, “So then I judged that all that stuff was only just one of Tom Sawyer’s lies” (14). Tom’s major lying, though, doesn’t start until chapter 33 and doesn’t end until the last part of the book. When 2007-01-06T20:49:43-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Abalysis-of-Lies-in-Huckleberry-Finn-32250.aspx The Moral Progression of Huckleberry Finn The main character of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn undergoes a total moral transformation upon having to make life-defining decisions throughout his journey for a new life. Huck emerges into the novel with an inferiority complex caused by living with a drunken and abusive father, and with the absence of any direction. It is at this point where Huck is first seen without any concept of morality. Fortunately, Huck is later assisted by the guidance of Jim, a runaway slave who joins him on his journey and helps Huck gain his own sense of morality. Throughout Huck’s adventures, he is put into numerous situations where he must look within himself and use his own judgement to make fundamental decisions that will effect the morals of which Huck will carry with him throughout his life. Preceding the start of the novel, Miss Watson and the widow have been granted custody of Huck, an uncivilized boy who possesses no morals. Huck looks up to a boy named Tom Sawyer who has decided he is going to start a gang. In order for one to become a member, they must consent to the murdering of their families if they break the rules of the gang. It was at this time that one of the boys realized that Huck did not have a real family. They talked it over, and they was going to rule me out, because they said every boy must have a family or something to kill, or else it wouldn’t be fair and square for the others. “Well, nobody could think of anything to do– everybody was stumped, and set still. I was most ready to cry; but all at once I thought of a way, and so I offered them Miss Watson–they could kill her (Huck).” At this moment, Huck is at the peak of his immorality. A person with morals would not willingly sacrifice the life of someone else just in order to be part of a gang. It is at this point where Huck can now begin his journey of moral progression. Huck encounters his first major dilemma when he comes across the wrecked steamboat and three criminals. When Jim and Huck take the skiff for themselves, leaving the three robbers stranded, Huck realizes that he has left them 2006-12-18T22:17:52-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Moral-Progression-of-Huckleberry-Finn-32035.aspx Is Huckleberry Finn Racist? Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn – Racist or Not? The book Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn is not a racist book. The main arguments against it are the characters’ personalities and the dialect they used. This novel is criticized by Twain critics and on the top ten ban list for school reading material. If people just concentrated on the main plot of the story, instead of the fine details that makes the novel realistic, they would agree that the accusation of this novel being racist is ridiculous. Huck Finn was abused by his father all throughout his childhood. He lived in constant fear of his surroundings and didn’t lead an exactly normal life. When he finally decides to get out of his predicament and stages his own death, he meets up with Jim on Jackson’s island. As Jim’s quest for freedom and a better life continues he and Huck become closer. Huck’s conscience is leading him to believe different things throughout the novel, like whether him helping Jim to freedom is the right thing to do. But, in the end Huck realizes he could never betray his friend, Jim, who has risked his life for Huck and who has become the closest friend Huck ever had and will ever have. The language is the major argument against this novel. The use of language is not Mark Twain’s view point or the way he speaks, but is the way people actually talked back then in the South. Like when Huck Finn says, “Miss Watson’s big nigger, named Jim.” He is just referring to Jim that way because that’s how he was raised and that is how everyone spoke back then. Even when Huck thought of Jim as a friend he still used the word “nigger,” but he didn’t use it in a harmful way, as of to insult anyone, but just as an every day reference to black people that wasn’t exactly uncommon. Jim is no way portrayed as a bad character in this novel. Huck even believes Jim is a good person. You can see this when Huck states, “I thought he had a good heart in him and was a good man the first time I seen him.” Huck manages to look through Jim’s race and his own racist background and become his friend and helps lead him to freedom. Huck looks at the good qualities of Jim 2006-12-04T20:56:25-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Is-Huckleberry-Finn-Racist--31862.aspx Small Town Mentality in America in Huckleberry Finn Although Mark Twain was from a small river town, namely Hannibal, Missouri, he doesn’t seem to paint a very flattering picture of them in the book Huckleberry Finn. Throughout the book the two main characters, Huck and Jim, travel down river coming into contact with these types of small river town people. Twain uses this book to satirize the people of these towns. He shows these people to be dumb, gullible, uneducated, gutless, and inhuman. The following will explain the situations where characters were given these personality flaws. Twain showed how inhuman and dumb river people could be through his Shepherdson and Grangerford episode. In this episode the Shepherdsons and Grangerfords were carrying on a feud that had lasted a long time and had taken many lives. The stupidity of this feud is shown when Buck Grangerford had this conversation with Huck: Huck says, “What was the trouble about, Buck?—land?” Buck then responds, “I reckon maybe—I don’t know.” Huck then says, “Well, who done the [first] shooting?—was it a Grangerford or a Shepherdson?” Buck responds, “Laws, how do I know? It was so long ago.”(Twain, 144) Here Twain shows the stupidity of the situation. A person fighting, who ends up getting killed, doesn’t know what he’s fighting about. Twain also shows the gullible and uneducated nature of small town river people. In the novel Huck and Jim meet up with two con men who call themselves the king and the duke. The king and duke swindle many towns people out of their money in certain episodes. In one such episode, the king preached of being a reformed pirate. He preached to the small town crowd about how he needed money to return to the sea and help reform other pirates. The king got the gullible people to give in easy through the flattering words he said he would tell the pirates that reformed. These words were, “Don’t you thank me, don’t you give me no credit, it all belongs to them dear people in Pokeville camp-meeting (the small town they were in at the time), natural brothers and benefactors of the race…”(Twain, 175) Through simple flattery these people were taken advantage of . Twain believes this to be the normal behavior of these small 2006-11-15T03:05:56-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Small-Town-Mentality-in-America-in-Huckleberry-Finn-31740.aspx Finding Freedom in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Going against society and fleeing his home is just what Huck did in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Tom Sawyer. Huck was a young boy who earlier found $6000 in a cave with his friend Tom. He was living with Widow Douglas, Aunt Sally, and her slave Jim. They were constantly trying to civilize him. Huck’s father, also known as Pap, the town drunk, then kidnaps him and takes him to a cabin in the woods to start a new uncouth life. Huck likes his new uncivilized life, but he knows he must escape from his father, who continuously beats him. He escapes down the Mississippi River, and during his adventure he finds Jim, who ran away to avoid being sold. The two travel the river in search of freedom. Throughout the novel, Huck develops morally as he secures his money, deals with two frauds, and protects Jim. Huck knew that if Pap found out about his inheritance he would try to get it. Huck was suspicious Pap was back in town when, down by the river he saw a boot-print which had a cross in the left heel, he knew it was Pap’s print. Huck gave the money to Judge Thatcher so he could invest it and receive a dollar a day for interest. Huck said to the judge, “Please take it and don’t ask me nothing-then I won’t have to tell no lies (page 16).” Now if his father asked about it, he could honestly say he didn’t have it. He knew Pap just wanted the money to buy alcohol and that if he didn’t have the money, Pap would leave him alone. Giving the judge his money showed his trust in others, maturity, and common sense. Huck also showed maturity, when dealing with two frauds, the duke and the king. Huck saves the two men as they are being pursed by dogs and the people of the town, who had just been cheated out of their money. As Huck is traveling toward a steamboat, they meet a young man who mistakes the king for Mr. Wilks, from England. Mr. Wilks brother Peter just died, leaving his fortune for his two other brothers. The duke and the king go into town pretending to be 2006-11-11T19:03:40-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Finding-Freedom-in-The-Adventures-of-Huckleberry-Finn-31723.aspx Anti-Racism Themes in Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain has caused many controversies, especially over the issue of racism. The characters in Huck Finn and the development of these characters clearly take a strong stand against racism. Twain’s character, Jim, is the center of this controversy. Jim’s development, as well as Huck’s, and the growth of their relationship form the structure of the anti-racism message in this novel. Twain’s introduction of Jim shows a slave, a “Big Nigger,” which Huck and Tom easily trick and make a fool of. Jim is shortly portrayed for a fool, and for an uneducated “typical” black man. When Jim meets up with Huck on Jackson Island, and he tells his story we learn that Jim does possess feelings and emotions. Jim has risked his life to be a free man and to work to get his wife and children to freedom. Jim’s development through the book is shown through Huck’s eye, a young white man, who has been taught that blacks are inferior and their purpose is to live as slaves. As the book goes on, Jim grows into a more “human” character, with feelings and a heart. The simple fact that we are seeing this through Huck’s eyes is a strong statement against racism alone. Huck’s development is another statement against racism. He is constantly growing and is forced to fight a battle inside himself. He must determine whether his mind is right and what he’s been taught to be true, or if what he feels in his heart is the real truth. We see Huck heart finally beat his mind and choice to go against what he was taught and do what felt right. “All right, then, I’ll go to hell. I might as well go the whole hog.” Huck decides to h lp Jim in escaping to freedom, even if it was against what he knew to be moral and right. This single act is yet another anti-racism statement Twain has weaved into his novel. Lastly, not only as individual characters do Jim and Huck support anti-racism their relationship does as well. Huck and Jim are brought together by fate, and are drawn to travel down the Mississippi river. This journey brings them closer together, and 2006-11-04T19:11:54-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Anti-Racism-Themes-in-Huckleberry-Finn-31699.aspx The Role of the Mississippi River in Huckleberry Finn Rivers are often associated with freedom and growth as they are vast and constantly moving and progressing. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is no exception as Mark Twain beautifully paints a picture of a boy who grows significantly during his journey down the Mississippi River. In the beginning of the novel, Huckleberry Finn yearns for his freedom from people who hold him down such as the Widow Douglas and Pap. Ironically, he finds freedom in a place nearby: the river. When he first begins to travel down the river, Huck is more or less self-involved with his own personal motives in mind when running away. He complains about boredom and loneliness when what he really wanted in the first place was to be left alone. When he comes upon Jim, he is overjoyed to be with someone finally and being that it is a Negro man running for his freedom, he begins his growth as a character. As he moves down the river, we see his growth in stages and much of it is due to his experiences on the water, which ultimately becomes his moving home. In the beginning of chapter 19, Twain uses narrative devices and literary techniques to exemplify Huck’s relaxed yet lonesome attitude toward the Mississippi River. In the beginning, Huck tells us that “two or three days and nights went by.” Usually, two or three days when running away seems like an eternity but, for Huck, “they slid along so quiet and smooth and lovely.” He is relaxed on the river and shows this by his ability to lose track of time and watch it slip by. Huck describes his daily routine, which seems more suitable for a vacationer than a runaway, like this: “Soon as night was most gone, we stopped navigating and tied up-nearly always in the dead water under a tow-head; and then cut young cottonwoods and willows and hid the raft with them. Then we set out the lines. Next we slid into the river and had a swim, so as to freshen up and cool off.” It would seem as though there would be a little bit more tension in a situation where a runaway is hiding out whole days at a time but this seems to 2006-10-31T22:06:48-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Role-of-the-Mississippi-River-in-Huckleberry-Finn-31632.aspx The Influence of Friendship in Huckleberry Finn In 1885 Mark Twain wrote a book called The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In this book Mark Twain describes the main character as a normal kid from the 1800’s, who lived with a lot 2006-10-31T21:59:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Influence-of-Friendship-in-Huckleberry-Finn-31629.aspx Huck Finn: Man's Often-concealed Shortcomings Throughout the Mark Twain (a.k.a. Samuel Clemens) novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the author expresses a plain and striking point of view. His point of view is that of a cynic; he looks upon civilized man as a merciless, cowardly, hypocritical savage, without desire for change, nor the ability to effect such change. Thus, one of Mark Twain's main purposes in producing this work seems clear: he wishes to bring to attention some of man's often-concealed shortcomings. While the examples of Mark Twain's cynic are commentaries on human nature can be found in great frequency all through the novel, several examples seem to lend themselves well to a discussion of this sarcastic view. In the beginning of the novel, it would seem that both Huck Finn and Jim are trapped in some way and wishing to escape. For Huck, it is the ideas of Miss Watson and the Widow Douglas and the violence and tyranny of his drunken father. Huck did not care for the ideas of going to school, church, wearing proper clothes, and using manners. Huck was more of a rugged type. With his father he was kept in a veritable prison, and wished to escape because he was locked inside all day. Jim feels the need to escape after hearing that his owner, Miss Watson, wishes to sell him down the river-a change in owners that could only be for the worse. As they escape separately and rejoin by chance at an island along the river, they find themselves drawn to get as far as possible from their home. Their journey down the river sets the stage for most of Mark Twain's comments about man and society. It is when they stop off at various towns along the river that mixtures of human character flaws always seem to emerge. Examples of this would include the happenings after the bringing on of the Duke and King. These two con artists would execute the most preposterous of schemes to relieve unsuspecting townspeople of their cash. The game of the King pretending to be a reformed marauder-turned-missionary at the tent meeting showed that people are gullible and often easily misled, particularly when in groups and subjected to peer pressure. The execution of the Royal Nonesuch showed another instance of people in society being subject to manipulation. The fact that, after being 2006-07-31T08:38:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Huck-Finn-Man-s-Often-Concealed-Shortcomings-30868.aspx Social Intolerance in Huckleberry Finn The entire plot of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is rooted on intolerance between different social groups. Without prejudice and intolerance The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn would not have any of the antagonism or intercourse that makes the recital interesting. The prejudice and intolerance found in the book are the characteristics that make The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn great. The author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is Mark Twain. Even in the opening paragraph of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Clemens states, “Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot.” There were many groups that were contrasted in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The interaction of these different social groups is what makes up the main plot of the novel. For the objective of discussion they have been broken down into five main sets of antithetic parties: people with high levels of melanin and people with low levels of melanin, rednecks and scholarly, children and adults, men and women, and finally, the Sheperdson’s and the Grangerford’s. Whites and African Americans are the main two groups contrasted in the novel. Throughout the novel Clemens portrays Caucasians as a more educated group that is higher in society compared to the African Americans portrayed in the novel. The cardinal way that Clemens portrays African Americans as obsequious is through the colloquy that he assigns them. Their dialogue is composed of nothing but broken English. One example in the novel is this excerpt from the conversation between Jim the fugitive slave, and Huckleberry about why Jim ran away, where Jim declares, “Well you see, it ‘uz dis way. Ole missus-dat’s Miss Watson-she pecks on me all de time, en treats me pooty rough, but she awluz said she woudn’ sell me down to Orleans.” Although this is the phonetic spelling of how some African Americans from the boondocks used to talk, Clemens only applied the argot to Blacks and not to Whites throughout the novel. There is not one sentence in the treatise spoken by an African American that is not comprised of broken English. The but in spite of that, the broken English does add an entraining piece of culture to the milieu. The second way Clemens 2006-07-27T15:18:31-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Social-Intolerance-in-Huckleberry-Finn-30735.aspx Views of Mark Twain as Illustrated in "Huckleberry Finn" The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was written by Mark Twain. Mark Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in 1835, led one of the most exciting and adventuresome of literary lives. Raised in the river town of Hannibal, Missouri, Twain had to leave school at age twelve to seek work. He was successively a journeyman printer, a steamboat pilot, a halfhearted Confederate soldier (no more than a few weeks), and a prospector, miner and reporter in the western territories. His experiences furnished him with a wide knowledge of humanity, as well as with the perfect grasp of local customs and speech, which exhibits itself so well in his writing. With the publication in 1865 of The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, Twain gained national attention as a frontier humorist, and the best-selling Innocents Abroad solidified his fame. But it was not until Life on the Mississippi (1883), and finally, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), that the literary establishment recognized him as one of the greatest writers America would ever produce. Toward the end of his life, plagued by personal tragedy and financial failure, Mark Twain grew more and more pessimistic-an outlook not alleviated by his natural skepticism and sarcasm. From this last period, only the stories The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg and The Mysterious Stranger match his earlier work in brilliance. Though his fame continued to widen-Yale and Oxford awarded him honorary degrees-Twain spent his last years in gloom and exasperation, writing fables about “the damned human race.” Characters •Tom Sawyer- Tom is a friend of Huckleberry Finn. Tom has an extraordinary imagination. •Huckleberry Finn- Huck is the main character of the story. His mother is dead and father is a drunk and abuses him. •Jim- Jim is the slave of Miss Watson. He is very superstitious and believes in witches. •The King- The King is a bum that, after hearing the other bum say that he was a duke, said that he was the King. Huck and Jim just go along with it so it would not start trouble. •The Duke- The Duke is a bum. He pretends that he is the rightful Duke of Bilgewater. Huckleberry Finn is a child around the age of 14. He lives along the Mississippi River with Miss Watson. She is his guardian, because his mother is dead and his father is a drunk. His father 2006-07-27T08:40:26-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Views-of-Mark-Twain-as-Illustrated-in-quot-Huckleberry-Finn-30716.aspx Critical Analysis of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Tom Sawyer Every individual goes through a transition at some time in his or her life. This transition is made from the mischief and pranks of childhood to the more sophisticated nature of adulthood. There are often times people or events that spur this change. Some religions even hold special events to mark this change such as people of the Jewish faith, who have the bar mitzvah to commemorate the transformation of a young boy from his old ways into mature ways. In Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom Sawyer, the protagonist, makes this shift from childhood to adulthood. Tom Sawyer starts out as a mischievous and rebellious boy who envies freedom from the responsibilities of everyday life but becomes a responsible young boy at the end of the novel. Many factors contributed to this conversion in Tom. Some of these factors are his pursuit of Becky Thatcher’s heart, the murder of Doc Robinson and the adventure in McDougal’s cave. Tom Sawyer’s pursuit of Becky Thatcher’s heart helped Tom become more mature in his actions. When he first saw her, “The fresh-crowned hero fell without firing a shot. A certain Amy Lawrence vanished out of his heart, and left not even a memory of herself behind” (24). The fresh-crowned hero, Tom, fell in love with Becky when he first saw her at her house. He liked her so much from that moment that even his current love at that time, Amy Lawrence, disappeared completely from his heart and mind without a trace. This demonstrates that Tom had deep interest in Becky. There is no way that Tom’s former love could vanish from his heart unless he really liked Becky. Tom’s infatuation with Becky induced him to try to win her heart. Since Tom was still a boy, he performed many childish feats to impress her. He carried out dangerous gymnastics, chased and teased other boys, yelled out absurd chants and words, and laughed at everything. These acts show that Tom is still quite infantile at this stage. He showed all the characteristics of someone still in their childhood, someone who acts immaturely. At first, these things did make an impact on Becky and Tom convinced her to be engaged to him. They promised that they would not love anybody, except each other, forever. Becky was excited to be engaged but 2006-07-25T16:17:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Critical-Analysis-of-Mark-Twain’s-Adventures-of-Tom-Sawyer-30655.aspx Mark Twain's Society in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Mark Twain are included in the American Library Association’s list of the ten most frequently challenged books and authors. Why, you might inquire, is this classic often second guessed as a literary masterpiece? Readers in 1885 accused the book of being, “rough, course, and inelegant, and better suited to the slums.” Others felt that Tom and Huck served as poor role models for the youth of the time. Most recently, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been lambasted as a book rampant with racism and political incorrectness. However, upon closer examination, the book and its main character actually offer a realistic role model for young people. Huck is honest and attempts to confront the racism and societal conformity that surrounds him. His moral development progresses throughout the novel with each effort he makes to understand injustices as opposed to swallowing society’s ethics and conforming to the comfortable civil life deemed so admirable. Through his various experiences and interactions with Pap, Miss Watson, Widow Douglas, and Jim, Huck develops a deeper sense of empathy which ultimately shapes his identity and his self image, leading him to understand society’s pitfalls and pursue the life that was truly destined for him. Huck gains the confidence to fight conformity and spurn physical and emotional violence by combining his true understanding of Pap’s good and bad natures. Due to the severe physical and mental abuse Huck suffered from his father throughout his childhood, he grew up to initially resent his worth and potential as a smart human being. Huck laments, “I see it warn’t no use for me to try to learn to do right; a body that don’t get started right when he’s little ain’t got no show-- when the pinch comes there ain’t nothing to back him up and keep him to his work, and so he gets beat.” (pg. 95) Huck’s ability to psycho-analyze himself in these terms speaks multitudes. He recognizes his petty faults and their connection to the unhealthy relationship with Pap, yet fails to see himself realistically, as a remarkably emotionally mature adolescent. Through interactions with Pap, Huck further develops empathy and understanding for the society’s “answer” to drunk white trash. At one point Judge Thatcher attempts to 2006-07-24T14:23:15-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Mark-Twain-s-Society-in-the-Adventures-of-Huckleberry-Finn-30595.aspx Historic Analysis of Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" The movie that the class watched dealt with the classic novel Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain. Huckleberry Finn was written in the late 19th century, but it takes place during slavery in the southern United States. The book revolves around the adventures of a white farm boy from Mississippi, Huckleberry, and a run away slave Jim, as they try to reach the North and freedom. Written in the narrated view of the main character Huckleberry Finn, the grammar and language of the day is incorporated into the book, including the word nigger. Nigger is used in the book around 200 times and it is for this reason that some school boards have banned it and furious debates about allowing literature with hateful words in schools have erupted all over school boards in North America. The movie that we watched illustrates these debates and focuses on one high school in Arizona who’s in the midst of debating whether it should be banned or allowed. The arguments put fourth by the people opposed to the book being taught in class are the following. Books can influence the behavior of kids enough so that they begin to use the word Nigger in their vocabulary and towards other classmates. Thus their main argument is that books will be used to incite hatred in the classroom. The second argument is that the word Nigger carries to much emotion for African American students. So when this word is either called out in class or read in the book it becomes to painful and remindful of a darker time and they should not have to be reminded about this painful past in such ways at school. Arguments made by supporters of the book are that the book should be allowed for the greater good despite the fact that it has hateful literature. Supporters argue at the center of the story is a powerful anti slavery and racism novel that teaches students harmony between races can exist. A second argument is that kids would not be as influenced by the word Nigger if taught properly by teachers. They propose that teachers receive special teaching to teach this book and properly deal with the word Nigger when used in class. Finally they believe that is a classic American novel that teaches kids of a time when America was morally bankrupt that kids 2006-06-12T01:56:25-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Historic-Analysis-of-Twain-s-quot-Huckleberry-Finn-quot-29261.aspx Themes of Prejudice and Racism in Huckleberry Finn Have you 2006-06-06T14:27:06-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Themes-of-Prejudice-and-Racism-in-Huckleberry-Finn-29061.aspx Hunckleberry Finn THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN Throughout the Mark Twain novel, The Adventures of HuckleBerry Finn, a plain and striking point of view is expressed by the author. His point of view is that everyone is selfish; he looks upon civilized man as a merciless, cowardly, hypocritical savage, without want of change, nor ability to effect such change. Thus, one of Mark Twain's main purposes in producing this work seems clear: he wishes to bring to attention some of man's often concealed shortcomings. While the examples of Mark Twain's cynic commentaries on human nature can be found in great frequency all through the novel, several examples seem to lend themselves well to a discussion of this sarcastic view. In the beginning of the novel, it would seem that both Huck Finn and Jim are trapped in some way and wishing to escape. For Huck, it is the violence and tyranny of his drunken father. Kept in prison, Huck wishes desperately to escape. Jim feels the need to escape after hearing that his owner, Miss Watson, wishes to sell him down the river, a change in owners that could only be for the worse. As they escape separately and rejoin by chance at an island along the river, they find themselves drawn to get as far as possible from their home. Their journey down the river sets the stage for most of Mark Twain's comments about man and society. It is when they stop off at various towns along the river that various human character flaws always seem to come out. Examples of this would include the happenings after the bringing on of the Duke and King. These two con artists would execute the most preposterous of schemes to relieve unsuspecting townspeople of their cash. The game of the King pretending to be a reformed marauder-turned-missionary at the tent meeting showed that people are gullible and often easily led, particularly when in groups and subjected to peer pressure. The execution of the Royal Nonesuch showed another instance of people in society being subject to manipulation. The fact that, after being taken by a poor show they sent rave reviews of it to their friends to avoid admitting they had been conned showed that people in groups are ever afraid of losing status, and will do nearly anything to protect such. Both the King and the Duke, also, showed such a ridiculous degree 2005-12-04T01:34:25-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hunckleberry-Finn-The-Adventures-of-Huckleberry-Finn-28153.aspx Huck Finn identified his feelings early on in the book, just in the first chapter. His ideas on “sivilization” aren’t very high held. He can’t see the use of wearing the clothes that the Widow and Aunt Polly have him wear. They make him feel all cramped up and make him sweat. He didn’t like having to be called for dinner by a bell, sitting down upright at the table and praying before eating. As for his views on Religion…”After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushers, and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by and by she lit 2005-10-17T02:52:19-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Huck-Finn-s-View-on-Sivilization-28064.aspx The Adventures of Corrupt Morality One of society’s favorite figures of speech is that it takes an entire town to raise a child. Such is true in Mark Twain’s, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Through Huck’s journey down the Mississippi River, Twain illustrates the influence society has on the undeveloped morals. As Huckleberry travels he becomes “the impassive observer” and aware of the corruption in the values of society (Eliot 330). Encountering these societies gives Huck a selective morality. No particular social class is left out of his observations. From the poor, lower class to the elite, upper class, Huck observes inconsistencies in morality. In the end, Huck realizes that society is imperfect and corrupt, which ultimately causes him to “light out for the Territory” (Twain 229). Huck Finn develops a selective morality from the corrupt social classes he encounters on the Mississippi River. Before Huck sets out on his raft adventure, he is exposed to the values and morals of his poor, drunken father. Pap Finn instills a “Southern race prejudice” and leads Huck to believe “that he detests Abolitionists” (Smith 374). Huck comes into conflict with this philosophy as he journeys on the raft with Jim. He can not decide if he is wrong in helping Jim escape slavery or if the philosophy is wrong. The education of Huck also stirs some values from Pap. When Pap tells him that education is useless, Huck is confused because the Widow Douglas told him that education was important. As a result, Huck’s values towards education are uncertain. Pap Finn, as a figure of the lower class, does his part to confuse the growing morals of his son. Together with Pap, the King and the Duke do their share to put putrid moral ideas into the immature mind of Huck. The King and the Duke earn their living pulling scams on their fellow Americans. For instance, they advertised the “Royal Nonesuch” as a “thrilling tragedy” and charged the farmers in the area fifty cents to come and see it (Twain 121). But, the entire production consisted of the King walking around on all fours naked. They had promised a good show to the crowd, the King and the Duke did not think it was wrong to give the crowd nothing except 2005-09-14T00:31:46-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Adventures-of-Corrupt-Morality-27973.aspx Huckleberry Finn: Conscience and Motives Would taking the organs of a critically ill child amount to a gift of life for another, causing good to come out of a tragic situation? Or would it be murderous “baby harvesting,” a grisly example of the end justifying the means? This ethical controversy over the practice of fetal-tissue in medicine, has raised heated debates, such as these, concerning the issue. The dilemma however results in a self-contradicting solution; were the outcome always ends in the death of an innocent life. Huck too was also faced with a similar paradox; where the decision to either obey society or his own conscience seemed to have no good answer. Through his judgment though, we see the growth of his character as well as his friendship between Jim. One way we can see Huck’s growth is through his response towards Jim’s running away. At the time society viewed slaves as property; making them nothing more than a possession to those who owned them. Huck however, saw Jim as a person and not as a belonging. He also clearly knew the consequences he could face for not turning a runaway slave in. “People would call me a low-down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum - but that don’t make no difference. I ain’t a-going to tell.” (Huck, 50) Huck’s choice not to turn Jim in shows his willingness to take a chance for Jim’s freedom, and that unlike society, he saw Jim as a person. A second change that is seen in Huck is after he played the snake trick on Jim. When the innocent prank, Huck intended for it to be, backfired and hurt Jim, he felt guilty for doing it. “Then I slid out quiet and throwed the snakes clear away amongst the bushes; for I warn’t going to let Jim find out is was all my fault, not if I could help it.” (Huck, 59) Even though Huck was too proud to admit his wrong to Jim, he began to see him not just as a person, but someone who had feelings physically and emotionally. Third and for most Huck’s growth and visible friendship to Jim is seen through his apology for yet another trick he played on him. “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to 2005-07-19T05:25:24-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Huck-Finn-Conscience-and-Motives-27336.aspx Huckleberry's Education The book Huckleberry Finn can be interpreted in many different ways. Even though in the beginning of the book it says not to over analyze the story, people still do, all the time. Huck Finn escapes school, along with other things, to run away from the society that he was living in. He did learn some useful things in school, that came in handy in his journey. Learning to read and write helped him a lot throughout the story. Over all though, Huck has gotten a better real life education on the river with Jim and the many people that he had met, than he could have in school. Huck is not the kind of person who needs to be very well educated to do well in life. So long as he can understand how to work with people, which is the very thing that he learned the most in his trip, he will be all right with out a formal education. In the very beginning of his journey, his "street" smarts are obvious. Knowing things like why they were searching for his dead body with bread, for example is something that he would not have learned in school. There is little question as to whether or not he could survive on his own. He would have been able to with out much problem. But what makes it obvious that he does not need a formal education is the fact that throughout the book he learns things that he uses in life. "Well at last I pulled out some of my hair, and bloodied the ax good, and stuck it on the back side, and slung the ax in the corner. Then I took up the pig and held him to my breast with my jacket (so he couldn't drip) till I got a good piece below the house and then dumped him into the river...". This quote is from fairly early on in the story when Huck is escaping from his father. His dad was an alcoholic who frequently beat Huck and treated him more as property than as a son. He had taken Huckleberry to live with him in a little cabin, and locked him in. In order to properly escape from his dad Huck had to trick him, and the 2005-03-29T01:02:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Huckleberry-s-Education--26429.aspx Huckleberry Finn provides the narrative voice of Mark Twain's novel, and his honest voice combined with his personal vulnerabilities reveal the different levels of the Grangerfords' world. Huck is without a family: neither the drunken attention of Pap nor the pious ministrations of Widow Douglas were desirable allegiance. He stumbles upon the Grangerfords in darkness, lost from Jim and the raft. The family, after some initial cross-examination, welcomes, feeds and rooms Huck with an amiable boy his age. With the light of the next morning, Huck estimates "it was a mighty nice family, and a mighty nice house, too"(110). This is the first of many compliments Huck bestows on the Grangerfords and their possessions. Huck is impressed by all of the Grangerfords' belongings and liberally offers compliments. The books are piled on the table "perfectly exact"(111), the table had a cover made from "beautiful oilcloth"(111), and a book was filled with "beautiful stuff and poetry"(111). He even appraises the chairs, noting they are "nice split-bottom chairs, and perfectly sound, too-not bagged down in the middle and busted, like an old basket"(111). It is apparent Huck is more familiar with busted chairs than sound ones, and he appreciates the distinction. Huck is also more familiar with flawed families than loving, virtuous ones, and he is happy to sing the praises of the people who took him in. Col. Grangerford "was a gentleman all over; and so was his family"(116). The Colonel was kind, well-mannered, quiet and far from frivolish. Everyone wanted to be around him, and he gave Huck confidence. Unlike the drunken Pap, the Colonel dressed well, was clean-shaven and his face had "not a sign of red in it anywheres"(116). Huck admired how the Colonel gently ruled his family with hints of a submerged temper. The same temper exists in one of his daughters: "she had a look that would make you wilt in your tracks, like her father. She was beautiful"(117). Huck does not think negatively of the hints of iron in the people he is happy to care for and let care for him. He does not ask how three of the Colonels's sons died, or why the family brings guns to family picnics. He sees these as small facets of a family with "a handsome lot of quality"(118). He thinks no more about Jim or the raft, but knows he has found a new home, one 2005-02-21T05:06:22-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Huckleberry-Finn-26299.aspx “‘Ransomed? What’s that?’ ‘... it means that we keep them till they’re dead’” (10). This dialogue reflects Twain’s witty personality. Mark Twain, a great American novelist, exploits his humor, realism, and satire in his unique writing style in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain, born in 1835, wrote numerous books throughout his lifetime. Many of his books include humor; they also contain deep cynicism and satire on society. Mark Twain, the author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, exemplifies his aspects of writing humor, realism, and satire throughout the characters and situations in his great American novel. Mark Twain applies humor in the various episodes throughout the book to keep the reader laughing and make the story interesting. The first humorous episode occurs when Huck Finn astonishes Jim with stories of kings. Jim had only heard of King Solomon, whom he considers a fool for wanting to chop a baby in half and adds, “‘Yit dey say Sollermun de wises’ man dat ever live’. I doan’ take no stock in dat’” (75). Next, the author introduces the Grangerfords as Huck goes ashore and unexpectedly encounters this family. Huck learns about a feud occurring between the two biggest families in town: the Grangerfords and the Sheperdsons. When Huck asks Buck about the feud, Buck replies, “’... a feud is this way: A man has a quarrel with another man, and kills him; then that other man’s brother kills him; then the other brothers, on both sides, goes for one another; then the cousins chip in – and by and by everybody’s killed off, and there ain’t no more feud’” (105). A duel breaks out one day between the families and Huck leaves town, heading for the river where he rejoins Jim, and they continue down the Mississippi. Another humorous episode appears n the novel on the Phelps plantation. Huck learns that the king has sold Jim to the Phelps family, relatives of Tom Sawyer. The Phelps family mistakes Huck for Tom Sawyer. When Tom meets with Aunt Sally, he “... [reaches] over and [kisses] Aunt Sally on the mouth” (219) This comes as a surprises to her and Tom explains that he “[thinks] [she] [likes] it” (219) Later, Huck runs into Tom on the way into town and the two make up another story about their identities. The two then devise a plan to rescue Jim. They use Jim as 2005-02-01T01:05:28-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Adventures-of-Huckleberry-Finn,-Literary-Analysis-26191.aspx In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops criticism of society by contrasting Huck and Jim’s life on the river to their dealings with people on land. Twain uses the adventures of Huck and Jim to expose the hypocrisy, racism, and injustices of society. Throughout the book hypocrisy of society is brought out by Huck's dealings with people. Miss Watson, the first character, is displayed as a hypocrite by Huck "Pretty soon I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldn’t. …And she took snuff too; of course that was all right, because she done it herself" (Twain 8). Huck did not understand why she does not want him to smoke, "That is just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they don't know nothing about it" (Twain 8). When Huck encounters the Grangerfords and Shepardsons he describes Colonel Grangerford as, " …a gentleman, you see. He was a gentleman all over; and so was his family"(Twain 86). On Sunday when Huck goes to church he sees the hypocriticalism of the families, "The men took their guns along, …The Shepardsons done the same. I t was pretty ornery preaching-all about brotherly love, and such-like…" (Twain 90). Huck with his anti-society attitude, you would presume that he would have no problem in helping Jim. Yet he fights within himself about turning over Jim to the authorities, by this action within Huck shows that he must have feelings that slavery is correct so that the racial bigotry of the time may be seen. This decision for Huck is monumental even though he makes it on the spot. He has in a way decided to turn his back on everything that "home" stands for, this allows us to leave our thought of bigotry behind and begin to see Jim for what he really is a man. Huck’s attitude for Jim is racist which is seen when he decides to play a trick on Jim during their voyage. After Huck plays his trick his attitude toward Jim begins to change, "It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterward, neither" (Twain 72). The dialogue throughout the book between Huck and Jim illustrates that Jim is more than property and that he is a human 2004-07-05T20:33:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Adventures-of-Huckleberry-Finn-Society-And-The-River-25394.aspx The conflict between society and the individual is a theme portrayed throughout Twain's Huckleberry Finn. Huck was not raised in accord with the accepted ways of civilization. Huck faces many aspects of society, which makes him choose his own individuality over civilization. He practically raises himself, relying on instinct to guide him through life. As portrayed several times in the novel, Huck chooses to follow his innate sense of right, yet he does not realize that his own instincts are more moral than those of society. From the very beginning of Huck's story, Huck without a doubt states that he did not want to conform to society; "The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me... I got into my old rags and my sugar hogshead again, and was free and satisfied"(Twain, 2). Miss Watson lives with Huck and she is always picking at him, trying to make him become conventional. According to the essay, The Struggle to Find Oneself Huck has become so used to being free that he sees the Widow Douglas' protection solely in terms of confinement. She doesn’t let Huck smoke when he wants and she is always nagging. "Miss Watson would say, "Don't put your feet up there, Huckleberry;" and "Don't scrunch up like that, Huckleberry -- set up straight;" and pretty soon she would say, "Don't gap and stretch like that, Huckleberry -- why don't you try to behave?"(Twain, 3). We get the feeling that Huck is an individual, a person who is independent and has the willingness to live a life free of complications. According to Ryan Schremmer’s essay Examination of Freedom as an Overall Theme in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the theme of freedom is shown in Huckleberry Finn, which parallels to his distancing from society: One of the most prominent and important themes of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is freedom. Freedom not only from Huck's internal paradoxical struggle in defining right and wrong, but also freedom from Huck's personal relationships with the Widow Douglas and his father, as well as freedom from the societal institutions of government, religion, and prejudices. When Pap returns for Huck, and the matter of custody is brought before the court, the reader is forced to see the corruption of society. The judge rules that Huck belongs to Pap, and forces him to obey an evil and abusive man. One who 2004-07-05T09:35:29-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Huckleberry-Finn-Conflict-Between-Society-the-Individual-25350.aspx The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the noblest, greatest, and most adventuresome novel in the world. Mark Twain definitely has a style of his own that depicts a realism in the novel about the society back in antebellum America. Mark Twain definitely characterizes the protagonist, the intelligent and sympathetic Huckleberry Finn, by the direct candid manner of writing as though through the actual voice of Huck. Every word, thought, and speech by Huck is so precise it reflects even the racism and black stereotypes typical of the era. And this has lead to many conflicting battles by various readers since the first print of the novel, though inspiring some. Says John H. Wallace, outraged by Twain’s constant use of the degrading and white supremacist word ‘nigger’, "[The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is] the most grotesque example of racist trash ever written" (Mark Twain Journal by Thadious Davis, Fall 1984 and Spring 1985). Yet, again to counter that is a quote by the great American writer Ernest Hemingway, "All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn…it’s the best book we’ve had…There has been nothing as good since" (The Green Hills of Africa [Scribner’s. 1953] 22). The controversy behind the novel has been and will always remain the crux of any readers is still truly racism. Twain surely does use the word ‘nigger’ often, both as a referral to the slave Jim and any African-American that Huck comes across and as the epitome of insult and inferiority. However, the reader must also not fail to recognize that this style of racism, this malicious treatment of African-Americans, this degrading attitude towards them is all stylized of the pre-Civil War tradition. Racism is only mentioned in the novel as an object of natural course and a precision to the actual views of the setting then. Huckleberry Finn still stands as a powerful portrayal of experience through the newfound eyes of an innocent boy. Huck only says and treats the African-American culture accordingly with the society that he was raised in. To say anything different would truly be out of place and setting of the era. Twain’s literary style in capturing the novel, Huck’s casual attitude and candid position, and Jim’s undoubted acceptance of the oppression by the names all signifies this. Twain’s literary style is that of a natural southern dialect intermingled with other dialects to represent the 2004-07-05T09:34:13-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Critical-Analysis-on-Huck-Finn-25347.aspx