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Adversity Quotes In Huck Finn

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Adversity Leads to Maturation “Maturity is achieved when a person postpones immediate pleasures for long-term values.” This quote from Joshua L. Liebman outlines the deeper theme in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. In the novel, the main character Huckleberry Finn, matures through adversity. Huck encounters immoral situations on the shore of the Mississippi River. The deformed conscience of the people on land force Huck to question his moral compass and overcome the stupid conformity of society. To begin, Huck’s struggles within the deformed conscience of an entire society leads to his maturation. Throughout the book, Huck struggles within himself whether or not to follow his heart or to follow society’s deformed views. In one situation, Huck begins to feel guilty about helping a runaway slave, Jim, to freedom. Huck narrates, “My conscience got to stirring me up hotter than ever, until at last I says to it, ‘let up on me- it ain’t too late yet- I’ll paddle ashore at first light and tell’” (89). This is just the beginning of Huck’s journey to maturation. This is one of the first times Huck begins to question his heart. Following society’s views, Huck believes he’s doing the wrong thing helping Jim run away, when in fact he is doing the correct action. Later on, Huck continues his battle with his moral compass, and his view of the world. Huck still …show more content…

The deformed conscience of all society effects Huck but he is able to overcome it. The immoral views society has makes Huck question his moral compass yet in the end he follows his heart in a matured way. Mark Twain writes the novel to be able to highlight unethical practices of society. Yet Huck is able to see past the twisted views and follows his long-term values proving Huck’s maturity just as Joshua L. Liebman quote claims “Maturity is achieved when a person postpones immediate pleasures for long-term

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When one reads The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, themes involving morality and conscience become heavily prevalent. The protagonist, Huckleberry Finn, portrays a manifest dynamic character. His actions and statements ranging from the outset of the novel through its ending show Huck’s development of a more concise sense of morality and conscience prevailing over the societal influences of “right and wrong”. In the nineteenth century American South, the inescapable system of slavery and social hierarchy would have discouraged an interracial bond. Yet Huck, while escaping his abusive father, chooses to befriend Jim, the runaway slave whom he encounters, and shares a pivotal stage in his life with his newfound companion, whereby contradicting

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Throughout the novel, Huck symbolizes the eternal struggle between pre-established communal expectations and moral consciences. Jim: A runaway slave with a mission to avoid eternal separation from his family,

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Suddenly, Huck’s eyes are opened to the shortcomings of people he was previously blind to. Huck reaches the pinnacle of his moral development when he decides that Jim is worth going to hell for, no matter what society may think about a slave’s worth. After much internal turmoil, he decides, “All right, then, I’ll go to hell” (Twain 215). This is a significant point in his changing perception of what is “sivilized”, as he finally decides that the ideals he has been taught are truly not worth it.

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Before the end of the book, Huck now understands regardless of how bad somebody is their life is still of worth. This shows how mature he can really be because somebody that was immature would rather want somebody to get what they deserve than looking at what their life is worth. “Well it made me sick to see it; and I was sorry for them poor pitiful rascals… It was a dreadful thing to see.” Pg.

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Huck decides to act on his morals rather than be held captive by society; Huck believes that he has to act in the best interest of Jim and does not consider what society believes is acceptable behavior. By stating that he will “go to hell,” Huck reiterates what he promises Jim in the beginning- that he rather be a “low down abolitionist”; these statements combined supports his feelings to protect Jim from society. When Huck and Tom get back to the house, Huck states, “...it don’t make no difference whether you do right or wrong, a person’s conscience ain’t got no

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Huck thinking about what the right thing to do is an improvement from before where he did not bother to think seriously about heaven and hell. When Huck hears that Jim, a runaway slave, intends to free his family from slavery, Huck is horrified. In expressing his perturbation, Huck says, “Here was this nigger which I had as good as helped to run away, coming right out flat-footed and saying he would steal his children—children that belonged to a man I didn’t even know; a man that hadn’t ever done me no harm... My conscience got to stirring me up hotter than ever, until at last I says to it: ... ‘I’ll paddle ashore at first light, and tell.’’

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Huck is a young child who wrestles with his conscience and his allegiance to his friend Jim in both the novel and the film. I was a-trembling, as Huck puts it in the book, "I was a-trembling, because I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it" (Twain 112). The 1974 film version likewise shows this conflict, with Huck caught between doing what he thinks is right and what society expects of

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Huck defies the societal hierarchy, beginning to see Jim as an equal. He not only apologizes to a black person, but he also tries to help thieves and potential murderers, showing that he is looking beyond social categories. After saving himself from the sinking boat where a group of criminals are trapped, “ [Huck] begun to worry about the men—I reckon I hadn’t had time to before. I begun

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Throughout the rest of Huck 's journey he continues to meet people along the way that believe themselves to be good civilized people but they all contradict that in some way. The Grangerford 's are in a murdering feud with another family, the Phelps own slaves and are trying to get a reward for Jim, the townspeople that feather and tar the Duke and King without a trial, the execution of Boggs, even the Widow tells Huck not to smoke but takes snuff herself. Huck spends a large amount of time in the book pondering over how to be good and do the right things, and at the end of the book when he decides to go West and leave it all behind he has finally realized that he 's not the one that 's bad, society is. Huck heads back out into the world not for more adventure, but to get away from

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As they approach the raft, it seems as if Jim is about to be caught. However, Huck thinks of a plan and when the men ask if they can look in the raft, Huck responds

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Throughout their journey, Huck is aware that Jim has escaped but does not know whether or not to turn him into the authorities. Huck’s mentality about society matures and he realizes his need to protect Jim from dangers. As the novel progresses, Huck begins to realize the flaws in society. Huck ultimately chooses to follow his own

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Specifically, through the controversy of slavery at the time, Huck learns how to listen to his intuition and conscience. His slight hesitation escaping with Jim makes him question the authenticity of his morality. He says, “I begun to get it through my head that he was most free--and who was to blame for it? Why, me … But you knowed he was running for his freedom, and you could ‘a’ paddled ashore and told somebody”

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Hucks society impacted his conscience to make him believe in the social norms. This is seen when Huck begins to wonder if Jim should be free or not. Although Huck starts to lead his deformed conscience astray, Huck and Jim both get to the point where Jim is almost a free man, and Huck questions himself whether or not he is doing the right

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This experience of recognizing what might be wrong with socially dictated notions of the good is where maturation exists. To a great extent, Huck understands that freedom is about speaking out against that which is perceived to be wrong. Huck's maturation lies in the recognition that he needs to escape from a world that is "so cramped up and sivilized [sic] as they call it." At the same time, Huck also realizes that he cannot stay with his father. In recognizing the need for Huck to find his own path, he becomes mature.

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Huck becomes more mature throughout the novel of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because of the adults that he meets along the way. These adults include the King and the Duke, Jim, and Huck’s father Pap to help Huck to realize how different people can be than by what is expected. Huck learns to not judge someone based on the color of their skin, not to trust everyone, and to notice that all he needs in his life is himself. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not only a story of a slaves journey to freedom, but also a story of a boy growing up into a

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