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Huckleberry finn's changes, growth, and development
Huckleberry finn's changes, growth, and development
Adventure of huckleberry finn chapter 10-12 morality
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In the two books we’ve read, and the one movie we watched, the characters have made some major decisions. The first big decision that happened was in Angela’s Ashes, in this book Frank McCourt makes the decision to move out of his house and go live with his Uncle Ab. The second decision we learned about was in The Crucible, this decision happened at the end when John Proctor decided not to sign the confession statement. The third and final decision we read about was in the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, in this decision Huck decides that he is not going to turn Jim in. In the next few paragraphs I am going to be giving the consequences to each decision and what happened after that decision.
The biggest decision in Frank McCourt's life was when he leaves Laman Griffin’s house. The outcome of this event is that Frank moves into his Uncle Ab’s house, and he doesn’t know how he is going live until he starts his job. “He says there’s no food in this house, not a scrap of bread, and when he falls asleep I take
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He knew that society wanted him to turn Jim in, but he knew inside of him that it wasn’t right. He was struggling with himself on the raft that it almost drove him crazy, “Well, I can tell you it made me all over trembly and feverish, too, to hear him because I begun to get it through my head that he was most free - who was to blame for it? Why, me.”. In this quote he was in one of the phases that he thought that he was to blame for not turning Jim in. He went back and forth, and then he eventually decided that he would do the “wrong thing” and not turn Jim in. The only consequences to Huck’s choice was that Jim had to hide every time somebody came by, but that isn’t really a consequence considering what else they went through in the story. In the end it worked out because he had a companion on his journey, and he helped him along in some
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
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...
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...
In chapter 16, Huck goes through a moral conflict of whether he should turn Jim in or not. “I was paddling off, all in a sweat to tell on him; but when he says this, it seemed to kind of take the tuck all out of me (89).'; Right off from the beginning, Huck wanted to turn Jim in because it was against society’s rules to help a slave escape and Huck knew it. But when Jim said that “Huck; you’s de bes’ fren’ Jim’s ever had; en you’s de only fren’ ole Jim’s got now (89),'; made helped Huck to grasp the concept that there is a friendship in the making. Even though Huck didn’t turn Jim in, he is till troubled by his conscience when the slave catchers were leaving because he knows it is wrong to help a slave. Still Huck cannot bring himself forward to tell on Jim, thus showing that his innate sense of right exceeds that of society.
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
In the beginning of the book Huck carelessly tends to through lives around and doesn’t seem to care about others with the exception that it would affect him. This is clearly shown when Huck and with Tom Sawyer's gang and offers up Miss Watson because “I was most ready to cry; but all at once I thought of a way, and so I offered [the Gang] Miss Watson - they could kill her” (6). This is when Huck offers her up to the gang in the event that he would spill of the gang’s beans because he didn't have any true family to give up. This clearly shows that Huck has no respect for another’s life and is willing to just throw someone who is good to him under the bus just so he could join a gang with his friends. A similar event occurred when he was sneaking out to get to the gangs meeting and he came across Jim. “When we was ten foot off, Tom whispered to me and wanted to tie Jim to the tree for fun; but I said no, he might wake and make a disturbance, and then they’d find out I warn’t in” (4). This event shows that Hucks reasoning not to do something...
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.
Living in poverty and not being able to meet basic needs leads the characters to result to desperate measures such as stopping Frank McCourt’s education and taking a job to support the family. Frank is forced to take the job mostly because his father is an alcoholic and uses all the dole money and his wages to buy beer instead of feeding his family. Frank describes this pattern of drinking away the money by saying " When Dad comes home with the drink smell there is no money and Mam screams at him till the Twins cry."(42) This situation lasts until Mr.McCourt leaves to work in England and is never heard from again which forces Frank to take a job at fourteen years old. Frank takes on the role of the head of the family proudly and comments " Its hard to sleep when you know you know the next day you’re fourteen and starting your first job as a man." (p.309) Frank’s ability to provide financial stability leads to greater comfort and living conditions for the family.
From their growing friendship, Huck is able to see Jim more as an equal human being. All the while, Huck is at conflict with his conscience as his mind reminds him of what he’s been taught to think about slaves, but at the same time his heart strives to tell him to do what he feels is right. During the middle of their journey, Huck recognizes that his morals increasingly try to interfere with what his mind believes society would want him to think. One of the first instances where Huck accumulates more respect for Jim was after a violent storm where Huck took advantage of Jim and tried to trick Jim into thinking he dreamt of a wild storm that separated both of them on the river for hours. In the end Huck gave Jim the respect he deserved as a person and apologized: “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a n****” (92). This is the first symbolic moment where Huck verbally admits his wrong doing to Jim and shows more respect towards him as a person. However, Huck still finds his conscience getting in the way as he almost convinced himself it would be better to write a letter to Jim’s owner, Ms. Watson, and tell her where he is and just end the whole journey down the river, “At last I had an idea; and I says, I’ll go and write the letter—and then see if I can pray”
Huck Finn learns from the actions of people around him, what kind of a person he is going to be. He is both part of the society and an outlier of society, and as such he is given the opportunity to make his own decisions about what is right and what is wrong. There are two main groups of characters that help Huck on his journey to moral maturation. The first group consists of Widow Douglas, Miss Watson, and the judge. They portray society and strict adherence to rules laid out by authority. The second group consists of Pap, the King, and the Duke. They represent outliers of society who have chosen to alienate themselves from civilized life and follow no rules. While these characters all extremely important in Huck’s moral development, perhaps the most significant character is Jim, who is both a fatherly figure to Huck as well as his parallel as far as limited power and desire to escape. Even though by the end of the novel, Huck still does not want to be a part of society, he has made a many choices for himself concerning morality. Because Huck is allowed to live a civilized life with the Widow Douglas, he is not alienated like his father, who effectively hates civilization because he cannot be a part of it. He is not treated like a total outsider and does not feel ignorant or left behind. On the other hand, because he does not start out being a true member of the society, he is able to think for himself and dismiss the rules authority figures say are correct. By the end of the novel, Huck is no longer a slave to the rules of authority, nor is he an ignorant outsider who looks out only for himself. This shows Huck’s moral and psychological development, rendering the description of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” as a picaresq...
“The situation of the orphan is truly the worst, you’re a child, powerless, with no protectors or guides. It’s the most vulnerable position you can be in, to see someone overcome those odds tells us something about the human spirit. They are often depicted as the kindest or most clever of characters.” Michelle Boisseau describes how important these types of characters are. In a Sunday Times article, she states that a lot of the stories and novels are considered to be apologues about orphans becoming the hero of the book. Huck’s story is quite like this subject. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel written by Mark Twain, it’s about a boy named Huckleberry Finn, who sets out on a journey to discover his own truth about living free in nature, rather than becoming civilized in a racist and ignorant society. Mark Twain implies that Huck Finn resembles more of what he believes is right rather than what society surmises from him. Twain reveals this through the themes of satire, racism, and hero’s journey, which he uses constantly through out the book.
Making decisions can be hard but making decisions that can effect a whole village are even harder. Sometimes you have to choose the decision that causes hardship to do what is right. In Salem, in the 1600's, life or death situations had to be made that would effect not one but many. Decisions made by John Proctor in Miller's play, the Crucible, illustrate that life is full of hard decisions that can bring hardship but sometimes turn out to be for the best.
-The man vs. man conflict is brought up many times throughout this story. The first that is posed is the conflict between Huckleberry and Pap. Pap is Huckleberry’s abusive biological father, and an alcoholic to boot. He first comes in and tries to steal his son’s fortune, just so he can get drunk. Huckleberry is kidnapped by his father for a short time, and during this is beaten many times. Huckleberry eventually escapes as he saws his way out of a shed with an old saw he finds. He then kills a pig to fake his own death and smears blood all over the shed so the story is more believable.
The friendship between Huck and Jim is constantly changing with the chain of events. The two characters encountered many things while floating along with the pace of the Mississippi, such as making decisions. In the novel Huck was forced to make the decision whether or not he would turn Jim in because it would be the, "right thing" to do because Jim was a run-away slave. It was a close place. I took...up [the letter I'd written to Miss Watson], and held it in my hand.
Frank McCourt was born in Brooklyn in 1930, just after the beginning of the Great Depression. During this time, millions of people around the world were unemployed and struggling to survive. Franks father, Malachy McCourt, struggled to obtain work and lost it easily due to his alcoholism. His mother, Angela McCourt, being a good catholic wife produced five babies in four years, leaving her unable to provide the most basic care for her children. When the baby, Margaret, died due to the shocking living conditions in Brooklyn, Angela subsided into clinical depression, which went untreated. Other women in the building where the McCourt's lived looked after the children until Angela's cousins arranged for the family to return to Ireland.