The Corruption of Society People around the world move to the United States for the promise of Freedom, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness. As well as, to live in a country where everyone is treated as equals. However, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain asserts the use of irony to show how society affected Huck’s character development and his views of of Jim when tricking Jim during the fog, writing the letter to Ms. Watson, and when Jim nurses Tom. Huck views of Jim are affected based on what society taught him and made him believe. While Huck thinks he is doing wrong, ironically he is one of the most high moraled characters. After upsetting Jim over tricking and lying to him, Huck states that “It made me feel so mean I could …show more content…
After Jim was caught and sold by Dauphin. Huck tries to do “the right thing” by writing a letter to Ms. Watson to tell her that he knows where Jim is and admitting that he helped him escape. Huck afterwords states that he “Felt good and all washed clean of sin for the first time,” showing him trying to justify his action by finding some event to hate Jim for (Twain). Yet, all of his memories of Jim where ones he wish he found in someone else and Huck goes through not sure of what’s right and wrong. He is seen demonstrating affection for Jim and have only fonds memories of him. Huck’s views of slavery and equality between the races began to blur, he attempts multiple times to do right by society, but only to be shut out by his own mind. Then stating “All right them, I’ll go to hell,” and then accepting to help Jim even if it is considered the worst deed a human could do, but nonetheless, he chooses to never try to do what is right. His growth helps him see Jim differently from how society sees …show more content…
Ironically he thinks that he has done wrong by saving Jim when all along Jim was free. Huck and Tom help Jim escape and are chased down which causes Tom to get wounded. Jim gives up his “freedom” to nurse Tom while knowing that the doctor will have him chained. Huck is seen quoting that “I know he was white on the inside,” Huck’s may not be completely free from society’s views of slavery and seperation of races; however, he is finally able to see Jim as equal to him. Society has influenced him to see Jim as a slave, but the journey they both traveled together showed Huck that Jim is someone he wished he had. Huck’s developes to feel sympathy for others while also, recognizing Jim as father figure and close friend. Jim achieving his freedom relieves Huck knowing that he did the right thing all
...ot about his character. Jim trusts Huck more and more, and Huck is thinking of Jim more as his friend.
Jim and Huck’s friendship evolves throughout the novel and Huck changes the way he treats Jim. Huck started off this novel by playing practical jokes on Jim with Tom Sawyer. Huck was taught that there is nothing wrong with mistreating blacks. After journeying down the Mississippi river with Jim Huck knows he can’t always listen to society.
He gets into all sorts of conflicts that force him to battle and work his way out of them, and in turn, they propel his moral position’s evolvement. It is especially hard on Huck when it comes time to resolving moral dilemmas. He is always stuck between making his own moral decisions, be it conventional or not, or allowing influencers, his father, the widow, and society, to make the decisions for him. He can never let go of the guilt associated with taking the unconventional path and rejecting what society upholds because that is all he has ever been taught in his life. That is why it is hard to apologize to Jim at first, but given time Huck is able to muster the courage to do so because that is the right thing to do even when society says so otherwise. The same goes for helping a slave, such as Jim, escape to a free state where he can find the opportunity to reunite with his family. Ultimately, he violates the demands of society to do what is right and not contribute to the enslavement of another human being. And it is not until the end of the novel that Huck no longer views his decisions as moral failings, but instead as moral triumph because he stayed true to himself and not once did he allow society to dictate his
Jim's character traits are easy to over look because of his seeming ignorance, but in reality Jim possessed some qualities that created a positive influence on Huck. He began by demonstrating to Huck how friends teach friends. His honest compassion also eventually causes Huck to resist the ideas society has placed upon him, and see Jim as an equal-- rather than property that can be owned. Huck knew he was going against society, and of the consequences that he could receive for freeing a slave. "It would get all around, that Huck Finn helped a nigger to get his freedom; and if I was to ever see anybody from that town again, I'd be ready to get down and lick his boots for shame", (269-270). Huck then claims, "All right, then, I'll go to hell…"(272) This shows that Huck was willing to put himself on the line for a slave, because he ceased to view Jim as property and recognized him as a friend. At the beginning of the story Huck would have never done this, but after the many adventures that occur, Jims unconditional love for Huck pierces the shell society placed ar...
Upon arriving at Cairo, Huck must decide if he should go along with society and turn Jim in as a runaway slave, or keep his promise to his friend, and see him through to freedom. Huck feels guilty not turning Jim in when he hears him talking about hiring an abolitionist to steal his family. He does not think it is right to help take away slaves from people that he doesn 't even know. To turn Jim in for these reasons would be the influence of society on Huck. Huck 's decision on this matter marks another major step in Huck 's moral progression, because he decides not to turn in Jim on his own. This is the first time he makes a decision all on his own based on his own morality. They stop at Grangerford’s Farm, in Tennessee, after the raft is temporality destroyed. With Huck busy with the Grangerford family, Jim was able to rebuild the raft. Huck just met the Grangerfords, but fits right in immediately. He later feels that someone should take the time to write poetry about Emmeline Grangerford, recently deceased, since she always took the time to write about other people who died. He even tries to write the poetry himself, but it doesn 't turn out right. Then he also sees people shooting at each other makes him sick to his stomach. He sees it as an act against humanity and he simply cannot relate or understand how humans can treat each other in such an uncivil
Huck has been raised in a high-class society where rules and morals are taught and enforced. He lives a very strict and proper life where honesty and adequacy is imposed. Huck being young minded and immature, often goes against these standards set for him, but are still very much a part of his decision-making ability and conscience. When faced to make a decision, Hucks head constantly runs through the morals he was taught. One of the major decisions Huck is faced with is keeping his word to Jim and accepting that Jim is a runaway. The society part of Hucks head automatically looks down upon it. Because Huck is shocked and surprised that Jim is a runaway and he is in his presence, reveals Hucks prejudice attitude that society has imposed on him. Huck is worried about what people will think of him and how society would react if they heard that Huck helped save a runaway slave. The unspoken rules th...
His journey to a better person begins when he lies to Jim, a runaway slave, about getting lost in the fog. Huck tells Jim he dreamt the whole thing and Jim becomes upset and ashamed that Huck lied to him and tried to fool him like that. Realizing how hurt Jim is Huck says, “It made me feel so mean I could almost kissed his foot to get him to take it back.” (Twain 86). Instead of treating Jim like a slave, Huck treats him like a human and feels awful about his cruel prank. After this moment of realization, Huck begins to grow in his moral evolution by telling the truth for the first time. Two con artists travel with Huck to a small town and make an innocent family believe that the two frauds are the family’s dead relative’s brothers. Knowing that the two men are being manipulative, Huck’s, “heart ache[d] to see [the family] getting fooled and lied to so.” (Twain 182). Thus, his feeling of remorse and guilt leads him to tell the truth for the first time. Shortly after, Huck starts to gain the same empathy and guilt towards Jim. Guilty about stealing Jim from his owner, Miss Watson, Huck is torn between what is morally right or wrong. For a long time Huck contemplates whether he should return Jim or save him from becoming a slave again. On one hand, Huck can do the right thing and go to heaven, or he can do the wrong thing and go to hell. Finally, after praying
In lieu of his escape, Jim emphasized his feelings of becoming a free man. Jim said it made him all over trembly and feverish to be so close to freedom (p. 238). Huck came to the realization that Jim was escaping for a far different reason than he, and began to see this “nigger’s” freedom as his own fault; he was an accomplice. Huck’s conscience became plagued by the fact that Jim was escaping the custody of his rightful owner, and he was doing nothing to stop this. In Huck’s eyes, Jim was essentially the property of poor old Ms. Watson, who didn’t do anything less than teach Jim his manners and his books. Altogether, Huck felt that he was doing wrong by concealing this, and felt miserable to say the least.
He started to feel guilty for keeping Jim hidden all that time and even attempted to write Mrs. Watson. He wrote a letter to her telling of Jim’s location but ripped it up immediately after. Huck came to a conclusion when he says, “I was letting on to give up sin, but away inside of me I was holding on to the biggest one of all” (Twain 204). He knew that what he was doing was not considered right in that situation but he felt okay with the choices that he had made. At this point, the reader can see how Huck is conflicted and acknowledges that his lies could have been immoral. In the end of his meltdown, he decided that it was all for the best and he wanted to continue to protect Jim at all
	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 being with feelings, and hopes for a better future.
In nature, on the journey down the river, Huck decides to help Jim obtain freedom from slavery. In that time period, it was frowned upon to think of blacks as more than slaves, but Huck does not conform to that idea, befriending Jim, a slave. As soon as the bond between the two sparks, Huck wants to help him escape slavery. Huck thinks to himself that he should write a letter to Miss Watson explaining how the Phelps family is keeping Jim, but then he quickly decides against it. Thinking about the repercussions of what would happen to Jim and himself he ponders, “And then think of me! It would get all around that Huck Finn helped a nigger to get his freedom; and if I was ever to see anybody from that town again I’d be ready to get down and lick his boots for shame” (223). If word got around that Huck helped Jim, he would receive negative remarks for going against the common belief. With the use of Huck’s inner dialogue, Twain is able to express his opinion of how society causes conformity. Huck has knowledge that his going against the beliefs of society would have great consequences and Twain emphasizes its impact with Huck’s indecisiveness towards this situation concerning Jim. At the end of the novel, once Jim gains freedom for risking his own freedom to help nurse Tom back to health, the discussion over who Huck is going to live
Spending time with the King and the Duke, Huck learned about how people can have the heart to deceive each other in the most evilest ways. When Jim get kidnapped and taken away Huck knew it was wrong and it was right to help get him set free. His relationship built with him was ignited by the brotherhood companionship inscribed in his heart, he just needed a person to ignite it. At the end of the novel Jim is set free because of Huck. Huck learns that sometimes don't have to follow the rules of society if you believe in something. Something that gives you divine right to believe it is a morally good thing to do.
... he now realizes that stealing property is bad. Since Huck and Tom, although in a drawn-out manner, free Jim it is implied that he regards Jim as a fellow human being, not a slave. Showing Huck this equality and fostering a friendship between him and Jim could only be done by this kind of physical journey, as the idea of equality was only in its infancy at the time and had not taken root with any southerner.
...e to Miss Watson (224). Huck’s own morals replace the belief society gave him and convince him that turning in Jim would be wrong. As a result, he resolves that he will set Jim free again, and continues helping him.
The way Huck and Jim encounter each other on the island, draws parallels in their similar backgrounds. Huck is torn between a life of manners and etiquette and a dangerous life a freedom, and while Jim at an impasse because he is being sold into slavery farther away from his home and away from his family. Each choice, for both characters comes with a cost so they both decide to runaway, in an attempt to assert some control over their lives. After spending much time together, the pair establish a connection which at times Huck feels guilty about since it violates everything he was raised to believe. At a certain point, Huck considers turning Jim in by, writing a letter, but after recalling the goods times they shared, Huck exclaims, "All right, then, I 'll go to hell!” (Twain) and quickly tears up the letter. Twain depicts Huck and Jim 's eventually friendship as a source of emotional strife for Huck and Huck constantly has to decide whether to abandon Jim and turn him in or abandon his religious beliefs and stay with Jim. The ripping up of the letter that would have turned Jim in symbolizes the choice Huck 's has selected. For this moment onward, Huck is dedicated to keeping Jim from being sold back into slavery and has no intent on going back on his choice. While there are times, Huck pays attention to the color of Jim 's skin he believes that