Tracing the Moral Development of Huck Finn

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Tracing the Moral Development of Huck Finn

Living in the 1800's wasn't an easy task. There were many hardships that a person had to endure. In the novel, The Adventures of Huck Finn, the author Mark Twain portrays the adventure of a young boy. Huck, the young boy, goes on a journey with various dilemmas. The novel starts off in Missouri on the Mississippi River. Huck is taken from his guardians by his father and then decides to runaway from him. On his journey, he meets up with his former slave, Jim. While Huck and Jim are traveling down the Mississippi River, they meet a variety of people. Throughout the novel he takes on many different tasks which help shape his moral conscience. Taking on a new friend which society shuns, being without material possessions, and taking responsibility for his actions help Huck refine and reform the morals that make him a more mature young man.

Huck develops morally from his companion on his journey, Jim, a runaway slave. At first, Huck doesn't respect Jim because he's his slave. "…He slipped Jim's hat off his head and hung it on a limb right over him…" P.6. This shows how Huck likes to trick Jim and play games on him. Later the two meet up on an island and immediately befriend and join up together. "…I didn't do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn't done that if I'd 'a' knew it would make him feel that way." P.86. Huck says this after fooling Jim and telling him that a real event was just a dream of his. He r...

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