Role Of Individualism In Huckleberry Finn

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Society is not always right. In Mark Twain’s novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a young boy by the name of Huckleberry Finn sets off on a journey along the Mississippi River to get away from his previous lives. One of the main themes in the novel is the conflict between society and the individual. During his time with Widow Douglas, a friendly woman who adopts Huckleberry Finn, he is taught about the importance of education, what is morally right in society, and how to be civilized. On the other hand, Pap, Huckleberry’s father, taints Huckleberry’s mind with his views which differ drastically from Widow Douglas’s guidelines. The moral dilemma that Huckleberry Finn faces between moralities illuminates the main message of individuality. …show more content…

Throughout the novel, Huckleberry’s moral development drastically changes along the Mississippi River. Initially, Huckleberry followed what others told him in order to be a civilized being. However, on his adventures with Jim, he learns that sometimes society is not always right and that he should follow what he believes. An important factor in Huckleberry’s maturation is Jim as he serves as his moral compass. Near the end of the story, Jim’s capture is a pivotal moment in Huckleberry’s development. To Huckleberry, Jim was a compassionate and courteous friend who often cared about Huckleberry extensively. However, Jim was heavily looked down upon by society due to being black. Thus, society would have degraded Huckleberry for helping a slave achieve freedom. As a result, Huckleberry’s principles clash with societal rules when he is indecisive on whether he should rescue Jim or not. At first, Huckleberry thinks about leaving Jim as it is the proper action to do according to Widow Douglas. Eventually, Huckleberry makes a decision when he states “All right then, I’ll go to hell” (Twain 217). To clarify, this is a major turning point in the novel because Huckleberry decides that he will save Jim despite societal judgement because he values his friendship with him. Finally, Huckleberry solves his moral dilemma by choosing his own values instead of

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