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huckleberry finn's changes, growth, and development
character development adventures of huckleberry finn
huckleberry finn's changes, growth, and development
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In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck and Jim evolve into a complex yet heartwarming duo. Though originally separated by race and culture, the two come together as close friends. Huck initially views Jim as a worthless piece of property adding to his burden of running away. Before meeting Jim, Huck's family and friends set his prejudice against blacks, saying“but when they told me there was a State in this country where they'd let that ****** vote, I drawed out. I says I'll never vote agin” (35). Huck's childhood among rich white plantation owners, whom have no value for African American lives, contributes towards Huck's racism against Jim. Through Huck, Twain details how racist values have survived through history by passing through family. Unlike other children, however, Huck consistently upholds an independent personality with a swift desire to not resemble others. Early in Jim and Huck's travels, Jim criticizes Huck's cruel demeanor towards him, thus invoking the thought: “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a ni...
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain paints the story of a developing friendship between two entirely different people which at the time society considered unacceptable and taboo. Huckleberry Finn is a white thirteen year old boy and Jim is a middle-aged black runaway slave. They meet by coincidence while they are both hiding out on Jackson’s Island located in the middle of the Mississippi River, Huck is hiding from the townspeople who think he is dead, and Jim has runaway and is hiding from his owner. Throughout their journey together, Huck and Jim’s relationship goes from them being mere acquaintances, then to friends, then to them having a father and son relationship.
	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.
Mark Twain tells the story of Huckleberry Finn, and his maturity that is developed through a series of events. This maturity is encouraged through the developing relationship between Huck and Jim, as well as the strong influence Jim has on Huck. Jim's influence not only effects Huck's maturity, but his moral reasoning; and the influence society has on Huck. Jim is Huck's role model; even though Huck would not admit it. At first Jim seems to portray a Black stereotypical role with his superstitions and ignorance, although his true identity and maternal role begins to shine through as his interactions with Huck progress.
Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the greatest American novels ever written. The story is about Huck, a young boy who is coming of age and is escaping from his drunken father. Along the way he stumbles across Miss Watson's slave, Jim, who has run away because he overhead that he would be sold. Throughout the story, Huck is faced with the moral dilemma of whether or not to turn Jim in. Mark Twain has purposely placed these two polar opposites together in order to make a satire of the society's institution of slavery. Along the journey, Twain implies his values through Huck on slavery, the two-facedness of society, and represents ideas with the Mississippi River.
Jim’s anticipation for freedom grew higher as he expressed his future dreams and aspirations. Jim began saying things that “niggers” wouldn’t normally dare say. Jim was speaking like a white man, not like someone’s property, a slave. This attitude began to lower Huck’s vision of Jim, and his conscience grew even hotter. Huck had never been exposed to a slave who spoke this way. It was his inadequate education that told him this was wrong.
While traveling together down the river Huck and Jim, accompanied by the king and duke, came to a stop after passing their original destination, Cairo, during the night. While at the stop Huck overheard the king and duke put out a reward for Jim. Huck knows that if Miss Watson finds the reward notice, he will return back with Miss Watson.Therefore she will sell him elsewhere. When faced with this difficult situation Huck decided to write a letter to Miss Watson, however, after finishing his final sentence he realizes how Jim contains similar emotions and feelings as him and other caucasians. Huck yells after tearing up the letter “All right then, I’ll go to Hell” (Twain 31). This action supports the individual's right to think differently from mankind and express their free will or ability to choose how they interact with others. Huck treats a person of color equally when Jim discusses his relationship with his family and his past. While listening to Jim talk about his family, Huck understands that Jim cares about his family as much as a white person does and so he says “I knowed he was white inside” (Twain 30). This interaction between Huck and Jim signifies that Huck sees Jim as equal despite the racial bias set forth by mankind's stigma around different races. This scenario accurately supports Twain's idea of equality and fair treatment for all
He did not care whether society thought what he was doing was right or wrong he just wanted to look out for Jim. When Huck gets washed ashore after the wreck he comes upon this strange family, named the Grangerfords. The Grangerfords are very cautious of Huck because they are in the middle of a feud with a family named, the Shepherdsons. When they notice that Huck is not a Shepherdson they welcome him into their home. Since Huck was a stranger they wanted to know more about him and his family. Huck shares with them about his family and how they used to live on a small farm in Arkansas. He explains that his sister ran off and his brother went to go find her but both of them were never heard of again. Also, he had two brothers who died and a father who was very poor. So when his father died he took what was left and went up river but fell overboard. Huck never says anything about Jim or mentions him at all. Huck did not know the Grangerfords for all he knew they would try to get the prize money for Jim because they themselves have slaves. Even though they were nice people Huck does not know if they can be trusted so Huck just does not say anything about Jim. Huck lies about Jim again when they meet up with the Duke and King. The Duke and King asked if Jim was a runaway and Huck proclaims, "Goodness sakes! Would a runaway nigger run south?" (125) Huck then continues to lie about his family
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.
Many words the book contains are full of vivid disgust towards black slaves. Every single line talks about how white people despise and refuse to accept the black race. Answering Aunt Sally's question about whether or not anyone is hurt Huck answers, "no mum, just killed a nigger."(Twain 213) This is the one and only acceptable way to talk about black people in the "white" society. In addition to this, not only is the black people treated differently from the white, they are also considered to be one's property. "He is the only property I have," (Twain 122) Huck is perforce to say in order to save Jim. This is the only way to get through without the essence of suspicions. Though Huck shows racism in public as society teaches him, deep inside he understands that Jim is a great person. Through the eyes of Huck Finn, Mark Twain shows that there is more to people then looks and race, showing the importance of beliefs and character.
but people think he is a runaway slave, he follows huck on his adventure and they set off to do amazing things. Jim teaches him two main things, that blacks are as good as white and that blacks care for each other as whites do. Jim saying that blacks are as good as whites is true of course but Huck does not know that until he really looks at how Jim is and how he works. Huck realises that blacks care as much as whites do for their people, “and I do believe he cares just as much for his people as white
Huck and Jim have a strange relationship, but they each gave what the other needed in a friend. Jim missed his wife and children he had been separated from due to them being sold to separate slave owners, and Huck gave him someone to take care of and be close to, like he would be with his flesh and blood child. Huck had an alcoholic and abusive father, and Jim, even though society told them he was beneath his white friend, gave Huck a strong male figure he could look up to. The bond between the two main characters in Mark Twain's novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was not socially acceptable at that time, but their friendship proves that the special bond between people is blind to age, color, gender, social class, disabilities, etc.
Throughout the course of the novel, as they travel down the river in search for freedom, Huck’s opinion of Jim changes. Initially Huck feels he should not be helping Jim to freedom and almost turns him into slave catchers. Huck says, “I was paddling off, all in a sweat to tell on him”, the use of the idiom accentuating his over-eagerness to conform to society’s expectations by advocating slavery. Although painfully slowly for the reader Huck eventually recognises Jim’s equality with white men. “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 even sorry for it afterward neither.
During his moment of contemplation, Huck exclaims, “Alright then, I’ll go to hell” (242). Despite the fact that we, the audience, and Twain understand how Huck feels about Jim is, in actuality, quite normal and morally righteous, Huck’s mentality still evokes the sentiments of the slave-holding society that Huck had resided in during the entirety of his adolescence. Another aspect of his maturation that Huck needs to reflect upon is his views on the concept of slavery. When declaring his willingness to help Jim escape, Huck states, “...I would go to steal him out of slavery again…” (242). Through this line, Huck apparently expresses the fact that he is willing to “steal” Jim, implying that Jim is property, which ultimately hints at Huck’s failure to make the connection that slavery is unjust. In spite of the fact that Huck has consistently proven to us, the audience, that he is fully capable of positively expanding his knowledge of the world around him, he still has certain notions of his that need to be pondered upon before we can entirely conclude that Huck has separated his personal ideals from the ideals of his slave-holding
Mark Twain illustrates the theme of friendship through the characters Huck and Jim. Their friendship was created when Huck and Jim were put together due to common circumstances that take place throughout the novel. The friendship that was formed was constantly undergoing changes. Towards the end of the book the relationship that once existed as a simple friendship grew in to a father and son relationship. Huck and Jim were tools that Twain used to show just how the theme of friendship developed.
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