1. Summary of the Novel
Mark Twain’s 1884 novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is the story of a young boy, Huckleberry Finn, who lives in St. Petersburg, Missouri, along the banks of the Mississippi River, and essentially desires to become his own person and live the way he wants. In the beginning of the story, Huck is being “sivilised” (Twain 1) by a widow named Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson. Huck feels restricted by the manners, schooling, and overall “righteousness” he is being fed. To combat this, he often sneaks out with friends (one of which is Tom Sawyer) to partake in “robbery” (even though the gang never actually commits unlawful crime). Eventually, Huck’s frequently-drunk father, Pap, kidnaps Huck from the widow, as he is quite interested in some money Huck has come into due to his previous adventures with Tom, and takes him to a cabin across the river where drunken beatings of the boy are a regular occurrence.
To escape this miserable fate, Huck soon fakes his own death and rides a stray canoe to Jackson’s island, where he later meets Jim, a runaway slave of Douglas’s, ironically. The two coexist for a time, but eventually catch wind that search parties are being sent for both of them, so they decide to board a stray raft and float down the river, away from St. Petersburg. The two hope to stop at the mouth of the Ohio River, where Jim can travel north to become a free man. They encounter many an interesting sight as well as close call along the way: a sinking steamboat with hostile robbers aboard, a group of slave-hunters in a thick fog (which causes them to float past the mouth of the Ohio), and a steamboat which splits their raft as well as their company with one another, as Huck ends up washing...
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In Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn you meet a rebellious young teen named Huck Finn. Huck is not your everyday hero especially in the beginning of the novel but slowly through the story his mature, responsible side comes out and he shows that he truly is the epitome of a hero. Huck is forced to make many crucial decisions, which could get him in serious trouble if not get him killed. Huck has natural intelligence, has street smarts, which are helpful along his adventure, and is assertive. Huck has always had to rely on himself to get through things because he is from the lowest levels of white society and his dad is known more or less as the `town drunk." So when Huck fakes his death and runs away to live on an island he is faced with yet another problem, which revolves around the controversial issue of the time of racism.
	In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops criticism of society by contrasting Huck and Jim’s life on the river to their dealings with people on land. Twain uses the adventures of Huck and Jim to expose the hypocrisy, racism, and injustices of society.
Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the greatest American novels ever written. The story is about Huck, a young boy who is coming of age and is escaping from his drunken father. Along the way he stumbles across Miss Watson's slave, Jim, who has run away because he overhead that he would be sold. Throughout the story, Huck is faced with the moral dilemma of whether or not to turn Jim in. Mark Twain has purposely placed these two polar opposites together in order to make a satire of the society's institution of slavery. Along the journey, Twain implies his values through Huck on slavery, the two-facedness of society, and represents ideas with the Mississippi River.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain is about the great adventures that Huck finn has with his slave Jim on the Missouri River. The story tells not only about the adventures Huck has, but more of a deeper understanding of the society he lives in. Twain had Huck born into a low class society of white people; his father was a drunken bum and his mother was dead. He was adopted by the widow Douglas who tried to teach him morals, ethics, and manners that she thought fit in a civilized society. Huck never cared for these values and ran away to be free of them. During Huck’s adventure with Jim he unknowingly realized that he didn't agree with society’s values and could have his own assumptions and moral values. Twain uses this realization to show how the civilized and morally correct social values that was introduced to Huck was now the civilized and morally contradicting values.
Bellamy, Gladys Carmen. Mark Twain as a Literary Artist. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1950.
Are humans naturally good, or evil? Many people argue both ways. It has been argued for centuries, and many authors have written about it. One example of this is Samuel Clemens's, more commonly known as Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The book follows a young boy, named Huckleberry, and a runaway slave, named Jim, as they both run away. Huck runs away to escape being civilized, while Jim runs away from slavery. Together, they talk about life, philosophy, and friends. As they travel down the Mississippi River, both Huck and Jim learn various life lessons. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck witnesses the depravity of human nature on his journey on the Mississippi River.
Jim had run away from his abusive father and enabling small town to find himself traveling down the Mississippi on a raft. His traveling partner was a black slave, Jim. Wondering why Jim was there, Huck discovers that Jim had run away from his slave owner, Ms. Watson. Jim had spoken about his harsh life as a slave, and resented talk of being sold down to Orleans for a “big stack o’ money.” Huck felt that Jim’s escape was wrong, but kept his promise of secrecy, like any good friend would.
“Censorship is telling a man he can’t have a steak just because a baby can’t chew it.”(1) This is a quote from author Mark Twain in response to the banning of his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from public libraries. Huckleberry Finn has proven to be one of the most controversial books in the United States since its first publication in the 1880s. Many people disagree with the language and themes of this book, and bemoan the teaching of it in public high schools. Others argue that Mark Twain’s narrative is an important work of American literature and students that are mature enough for these topics should be exposed to it. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain should not be banned from public high school curriculums because it teaches students about Southern culture in the 19th century, introduces students to information for learning and discussion, and brings up social issues that need to be addressed in today’s society.
Soon after joining Jim on the island, Huck begins to realize that Jim has more talents and intelligence than Huck has been aware of. Jim knows "all kinds of signs" about the future, people's personalities, and weather forecasting. Huck finds this kind of information necessary as he and Jim drift down the Mississippi on a raft. As important, Huck feels a comfort with Jim that he has not felt with the other major characters in the novel. With Jim, Huck can enjoy the best aspects of his earlier influences. Jim's meaning to Huck changes as they proceed through their adventure. He starts out as an extra person just to take on the journey, but they transform into a friend. "It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger."(chap. XV) Huck tries to squeal on Jim but can't because he remembers that Jim called him "de bes' fren' I ever had;...de on'y white genlman dat ever kep' his promise to ole Jim."(chap. XVI) Huck realizes that he can not turn Jim in since they both act as runaway outcasts on the river. The support they have for each other sprouts friendship. As does the Widow, Jim allows Huck security, but Jim is not as confining as is the Widow. Like Tom Sawyer, Jim is intelligent but his intelligence ...
In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain illustrates prevalent themes of society in the early 1800’s, as well as in today’s society. Huckleberry Finn is the son of an abusive father and his mother is no longer alive. He decides he is going to leave “sivilization” and travel down the river. He encounters many people along the way, but the most important is Jim, a runaway slave from Huck’s hometown. Huck realizes early on that “human beings can be awful cruel to one another”(Twain174). Most of the people that Huck and Jim encounter on their journey down the river are inhumane to other people. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain opines that human beings treat their peers with cruelty through seeking attention, greed, and self preservation.
In contrast to Kidd’s novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is about a young boy named Huck, who is “sivilized” by two sisters, Miss Douglas and Miss Watson. Huck runs away from home and travels down the Mississippi River with a runaway slave named Jim. They both take on numerous adventures. While Huck is with Jim he starts to learn how to become a gentleman. Huck’s dad, who is abusive and an acholic, kidnaps him and they are forced to live down by the river. Although, Huck was happy being away from Widow Douglas and Miss Watson he becomes comfortable with the free life from both religion and school. As Huck travels down the river he begins to face tremendous number of life-threatening situations and his conscience. He helps an innocent man escape slavery and decides that helping Jim escape is the right thing to do even if he suffers the consequences to go to hell. As both, Lily and Huck run away with black adults, to protect their African American friends and ultimately develops world views that are more
Throughout the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn there are numerous crimes. The violence of these crimes is described vividly by Huck, the narrator, which shows their impact upon him. By showing Huck's shock over these events, Twain is showing that there is no real justice in the South, except for the hollow and often inappropriate excess found attempts to obtain personal justice. During these scenes Huck's turmoil reflects what Twain wants the reader to feel. Ultimately, this novel is a sharp criticism of a Southern lifestyle where justice is unobtainable.
Mark Twain’s masterpiece The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn through much criticism and denunciation has become a well-respected novel. Through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old boy, Huckleberry Finn, Twain illustrates the controversy of racism and slavery during the aftermath of the Civil War. Since Huck is an adolescent, he is vulnerable and greatly influenced by the adults he meets during his coming of age. His expedition down the Mississippi steers him into the lives of a diverse group of inhabitants who have conflicting morals. Though he lacks valid morals, Huck demonstrates the potential of humanity as a pensive, sensitive individual rather than conforming to a repressive society. In these modes, the novel places Jim and Huck on pedestals where their views on morality, learning, and society are compared.
Huck and Jim live together on the island, having a few adventures of their own. In an attempt to be adventurous, they go on a sinking steamboat to confront the murderers on board. After successfully escaping, Huck seeks knowledge on what events have transpired in his absence. He dresses as a girl and meets Mrs. Judith Loftus, who informs him that he is presumed dead and Jim is missing.
Through the various events in the Adventures of Huckleberry finn, By Mark Twain presents the life of a young and adventurous named Huck. Huck embarks on the Mississippi river along with a runaway slave named Jim. The Mississippi river serves as a symbol of protection, freedom, retreat from society ,and Huck’s true morality. In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain contracts life on water to life on land through Huck’s experiences.The life on the raft along the river, gives Huck and Jim a sense of freedom, they had no rules to follow unlike on the shore where there were no equal Human rights or social standards. Huck and Jim were in a safe Haven along the Mississippi river.