The Refusal of Conformity in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

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In the appropriately titled novel, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", by author, Mark Twain, a young boy, named, Huckleberry Finn's life is completely changed. The story is basically that, Huck is sent to live with his strict relatives that try to conform him into someone he isn't, but, sequentially ends up traveling down the Mississippi River, with an escaped slave, Jim. As the novel progresses, Jim and Huck develop an extremely close friendship, which makes him change his views on slavery. Despite numerous chances, Huck never turns Jim in, because of his new outlook on slavery. Although slavery is a main theme in the book, it is not the only one. Because, author, Mark Twain creates a social critique by juxtaposing the idea of freedom against conformity, civilization, and social order. The reader can comprehend that although Jim is clearly looking for freedom, Huck is also, and desperately. Even though Huck is clearly not a slave, he still feels trapped with inescapable restrictions, and limitations, his new guardians and society has placed upon him. It is hard for Huck to conform to a way of life filled with hypocrisies. The novel as a whole reveals Huck’s resistance to conformity in a culture filled with religious hypocrisies. Many characters that affect Huck's freedom, like, his father, Widow Douglas, Miss Watson, Aunt Polly and Sally, the duke and the King constrain Huck to the confinement of his freedom, forcing him to begin his ultimate adventure.

At the beginning of the novel, Huck is sent to live with his Aunt Polly, his new legal guardian. While living with her he spends much time around two sisters, Widow Douglas and Miss Watson, who try to conform Huck's "mischievous" ways th...

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... the rejection of conformity of proper mannerisms and religion through his own self-reliance, governing, and individualism, Huck is able to be content with himself, and help out his friend, Jim; and by doing so ultimately achieves freedom for Jim, and above all, for himself.

Works Cited

"Huckleberry Finn Notes on the Conformity Themes." BookRags. BookRags, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.

"Huckleberry Finn Notes on the Conformity Themes Page 2." BookRags. BookRags, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.

Shmoop Editorial Team. "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Theme Quotes." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain Character List." The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Character List. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." SparkNotes Mobile Web Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.

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