Individualism In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

Since the first colonists stepped foot on the New World, America has harbored countless great novelists, authors, and poets. Whether it was criticized or celebrated, the burgeoning democracy proved itself to be the keystone for timeless American works. Dramatic scenes such as Hester's time on the scaffold clutching baby Pearl or Gatsby's murder at the hands of George Wilson evoked powerful sensations in American literature that have stood the test of time. However, there is only one scene that could be representative of all American literature, from its beginning to the modern day. Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn captures the essence of American literature when Huck Finn fakes his death to run away down the Mississippi River,

From the colonial era, the first people to come to America were those willing to face hardships to secure their freedom. The Puritans arrived in Massachusetts for this exact reason; they were unwilling to give up their religious beliefs so they sailed to America to found their own private colony. The American Revolution's foundations are deeply rooted in individualism, as the Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Even as late as the 20th century, the ingrained idea of individualism kept America neutral in WWI and WWII until there was no alternative. Mark Twain uses the character of Huckleberry Finn as a personification of this individualism; an orphan boy who does whatever he wants when he wants. When kidnapped by his father, Huck Finn wants nothing more than to escape and be free once

For one, the history of America from the colonial era to the Revolution to the World Wars has developed a strong sense of individualism in American society. Writers, therefore, worked this sense of individualism into their writings, making it a defining theme of American literature. Huckleberry Finn, and orphan with a strong sense of individualism fakes his death to finally have a chance to live without any influences. Although many American authors echo this sense of individualism, none but Huck Finn can claim to truly represent American literature, which just like Huck Finn, has a deeply ingrained sense of