Isabel Bauer Mr. Murafka English 11 Honors 11 May 2015 Drifting Apart Growing up is the inevitable fact of life that every individual has to face. It forces one to become mature, responsible, and self reliant. Best friends Huckleberry and Tom are both in junctures between childhood and adulthood facing society head on. Unfortunately, they hold different view points on moral issues, and their personalities differ so greatly that it is not plausible that their friendship would sustain in the long run. They would simply drift apart. When reading Huckleberry Finn, it is clear to depict that Tom represents the idea of romanticism, while Huck embodies the symbolism of realism. Tom uses his imagination through books as a map to plan his real adventure. …show more content…
Finn, seen as an outsider in society, lives by his own rules and makes his own decisions. "...he chooses hell-hell without Tom, but with the Duke and the Dauphin, Pap, Jim and the other outcasts" (Gibb 183), and he realizes he 's not meant to go to school, have manners, bathe, or live under rules. "...she 's going to sivilize me and I can 't stand it. I been there before," (Twain 263) shows that he 's aware or realistic about knowing he does not belong anywhere. He has a strong sense of who he is, and he is not fooling anyone by trying to be someone he is not. Tom on the other hand could best be described as, "...book-learning, respectability, wealth-all the best authorities" (Gibb 180). With the mentality he possesses, he is categorized as a hypocritical racist who finds his pleasure in dehumanizing Jim. Because he is educated and "civilized" should indicate a stronger sense of humanity rather than hatred. Huckleberry understands Jim as well as he does because he is an outsider, while Tom is not in tune with the animosity spread towards slaves being an insider. Living estranged from the world causes one to have different outlooks on life versus coming from a loving environment. For these reasons, Huck and Tom 's friendship could not possibly
Together, Huckleberry Finn and a runaway slave named Jim head south along the Mississippi during one summer. During their adventures, Huck has trouble with his conscience—he knows Jim is a runaway, and that the socially correct thing to do would be to turn him in and get him sent back to his owner. However, whenever the opportunity to do so arises, Huck finds it impossible to do. Near the end of the book, when Huck is out meandering and Jim is still on the raft in the river, Jim is captured by an old man as a runaway and gets sold for $40. It is here, at this point, that Huck has his largest moral dilemma. Should he let Jim remain captured, as he is legally the property of Miss Watson, or should he rescue the true friend who has stayed steadfastly and unwaveringly by his side? Huck does not want to remain “wicked,” as he himself calls it, so he writes a letter to Miss Watson informing her that her slave is being held by a Mr. Phelps down south of Pikesville. He cannot, though, bring himself to send the letter. He winds up ripping the letter to shreds, with the comment, “All right, then, I’ll go to hell” (p. 207). He is willing to sacrifice his soul, and do a deed he believes he will be damned for, to save Jim, the runaway slave. It takes a character of great moral strength to do what he did.
Huckleberry Finn learns the value of Jim's life as they formed a strong bond with one another. When the Duke and Dauphin sold Jim, Huckleberry realized that he would do anything to save Jim even if it means he will "go to hell" (Twain 217) for not following societies orders. Huck shows the hero side of him when he realizes that he will
	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.
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...
After Huck asks Tom why he tried to free a free slave, and Tom told him about how they’d become heroes and what not, Tom says to himself, “But I reckened it was about as well the way it was”(pg.291). Here, we see that Huck has really become dormant in his own thinking, and seeks to know what others like Tom think. Interestingly, by the end of the novel he has become somewhat submissive and willing to listen to what he is told to do, but still with an overall heightened sense of morality that developed throughout his adventures.
Growing up in civilization, Huck had recognized owning a slave as a societal norm. He slowly begins to realize the impact of society, on slaves and slaveholders. The more analyzation of the situation, the less comprehensible slavery became, and light was shown on the evils around it. Moral confusion ensues as those who seem to be kind and heaven bound, such as Miss. Watson and Sally Phelps, are oblivious to the inhumane injustice done to Jim and all of those enslaved. In this instance, Huck Finn has a more sound idea of morality than the adults in his life. During Huck’s impersonation of Tom, he is asked why he was delayed replying that a cylinder on a steamboat had blown up. When asked if anyone had been hurt, he comments that a “ni**er” has been killed. Sally then disregards this as a human life, and responds “Well
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
The first sign of Tom’s evilness is when he wants to tie Jim up to the tree. The readers learn this when Huck says, “Tom whispered to me and wanted to tie Jim to the tree for fun;” (Twain 5). At first, one may think that this is just Tom being a kid, but it is not. Tying someone to a tree is just cruel, and nobody does it just because they are a kid.Thank goodness Huck is there to tell him that it is wrong, or else Jim might have woken up that night tied around a tree. Tom wants to do this simply just because he hates African American people, especially slaves. When Tom finally sees Huck again at the Phelps’ farm, Tom decides to help Huck free Jim, which is shocking. This makes readers think he has changed, but when Tom complicates the plan, it shows readers that he is just seeking adventure and is doing this for fun. Huck wants to just go through the door but Tom says, “We’ll dig him out. It’ll take about a week!”(Twain 236). Of course, Huck goes along with it but does not get why they cannot just use the door, but whatever Tom says Huck goes with it. Digging Jim out makes absolute no sense, but Tom wants to do it because he think it will be fun, and does not care that it will take longer. Freeing Jim is not his main focus, having an adventure is. When they realize Jim only has a couple more days until they can get him
Ransomed? Whats that???.. it means that we keep them till they're dead (10). This dialogue reflects Twains witty personality. Mark Twain, a great American novelist, exploits his humor, realism, and satire in his unique writing style in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain, born in 1835, wrote numerous books throughout his lifetime. Many of his books include humor; they also contain deep cynicism and satire on society. Mark Twain, the author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, exemplifies his aspects of writing humor, realism, and satire throughout the characters and situations in his great American novel.
In Mark Twain?s novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, the main character, Tom, is best friends with Huck. Tom and Huck seem very similar. But of course, everyone has their differences. They both have many freedoms and experiences, which differ. Their friendship means different things to each kid. There is also the factor of experience and intelligence. The boys are similar and different in many ways, but I think that it does not effect their friendship.
In the beginning of the novel, Huck plays many practical jokes on Jim. Huck and Tom begin the novel by waking up Jim when he is sleeping under a tree. They are both very immature boys and think it will be fun to scare Jim. They act like Jim isn’t a human being and don’t seem to be bothered by the fact that he has feelings too. When Huck and Jim get separated by the fog Huck must think Jim is stupid and won’t catch onto his lie. “Aamy heart wuz mos’ broke bekase you wuz los’, en I didn’ k’yer no’ mo’ what become er me en de raf’.En when I wake up en fine you back agin,all safe en soun’,de tears come,en I could a got down on my knees en kiss yo foot.”(109) Huck makes Jim believe the whole fog storm was just a dream and gets him very worried. Huck doesn’t realize that Jim is trying to protect him and be a father figure to him, and that he only wants the best for Huck. Huck also thinks Jim isn’t knowledgeable because he is a black slave. Huck and Jim are arguing and Huck feels Jim cannot say anything intelligent so Huck changes the subject. “I never seen such a nigger .If he got a notion in his head once, there warn’t no getting it out again. He was the most down on S...
To start off with, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, was a great book. This story went through the adventures of a boy. How his daily life was and all the crazy plans he had in mind. For instance, to make everyone believe he was dead so he could watch his own funeral. He wasn’t alone though. He had his best friends Huckleberry Finn and Joe Harper. Throughout this story you see them grow up or mature. At first they are the same old show off, playful, and always getting into trouble. The book starts off with Tom getting in trouble by his aunt. Then towards the end you see that Tom took the blame for ripping the book when it was Becky. This shows that he has matured. Then you look at Huck. It doesn’t look like he has changed much, but you see at the
... 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.
In the story The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn illustrated by Mark Twain confronts the theme of friendship through the characters Huck and Jim. The friendship between Huck and Jim was created due to several actions in the story that took place throughout the novel. The friendship that was created towards the end of the book had a relationship that once existed as a simple friendship grew to be a father and son relationship. Huck and Jim were shown in Twain's writing through the examples of a true theme of friendship.
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