Moral Development in the Adventures of Huckleberry Fin by Mark Twain

Throughout the classic novel of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain we see a lot of moral development with the main character Huckleberry Finn. Throughout the story Huck’s friendships greatly influence his moral identity. Throughout the series of events that unfold upon our main character, Huck Finn, we see huge moral leaps in the way he thinks that are influenced by that friendships he makes on his journey. He starts the book as a young minded individual with no sense morals other than what has been impressed onto him and ends up as a self empowering individual. Through the friendships he makes with Tom Sawyer, Jim, and the Duke and King we see big moral leaps with Huck.

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...

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...tantially different mindset than before where he couldn't stop telling lies left and right to protect him and Jim but now he sees that telling the truth may be the better option. This shows that the friend ship with the Duke and the King has had a big effect for the positive on Huck’s morality.

Throughout the story of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn we see huge moral development that is pushed forward a good deal by the friendships that he makes along his journey. With his friendships with Tom Sawyer, Jim, and The Duke and King we see Huck really progress as a person. This is clearly shown with the events that take place with Huck recklessly throwing away lives to, going back to save a friend, all the way to completely change his philosophy on stealing from others. Overall with friendships we see Huck progress morally and become a better person because of it.