Concept of Change in Huckelberry Finn and Shrek

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Recommended: Huckleberry finn's maturation

Mark Twain wrote this at the time to initiate change within society. This can be identified through the concept of changing self. Changing self is going from one state to another, literally or metaphorically. Twain discuses the issue strongly throughout the novel, he also discusses other issues subtly through the text. We notice the character transformation in Huck along his journey down the river with “Nigger Jim”. The related text, Shrek and Huckleberry Finn are similar in terms of slavery and what is socially and morally right and wrong. The transformation of the characters, Shrek and Huck, as they long for a sense of freedom and the only way for them to be free is by having a conscience that they are comfortable and at ease with.

Throughout the novel of Huckleberry Finn, slavery is a major theme. Even though slavery had been abolished when Twain was writing the novel, people’s views in society hadn’t changed. In huckleberry Finn, twain explains slavery subtly through his characterisation to express his views about slavery.

At the time “Negroes”, African Americans basically had no rights and how they were treated like an accessory. They could be bought and sold through “Nigger Traders” which is quoted by Jim,

“…She gwyne to sell me down to Orleans, but she didn’t want to, but she could git eight hund’d dollars for me, en it’ uz sich a big stack o’money she couldn’ resis’. De widder she try to git her to say she wouldn’ do it, but I never waited to hear de res’…”

Also people in society believed that African Americans couldn’t look after themselves or there children properly. But as the book progresses Huck matures and realises a deeper truth and that Niggers were just like white people. As quoted by Huck pg 218,

“…He w...

... middle of paper ...

... because he’s different. That’s why Shrek tells donkey “Look, I’m not the one with the problem, ok? It’s the world that seems to have a problem with me. People take one look at me and go. ‘Ahhh…help…run…a big stupid ugly ogre!’ They judge me before they even know me. That’s why I’m better off alone.”

Once people got to know Shrek later on they realised that he was a really nice guy and that his appearance didn’t mean anything to who he was on the inside.

The person telling people what to think about fairy tale creatures is Lord farquaad. He despises them and tries to rid them from his land. We notice this by how he treats then and by what he does to them. As quoted by lord Farquaad when torturing the gingerbread man, “I’m not the monster here, you are. You, and the rest of that fairy tale trash poisoning my perfect world. Now tell me where are the others!”

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