Alcoholism In Huckleberry Finn

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, set in the 1830’s-1840’s, where slavery is still legal. During this time there was an extreme contrast between rich and poor and the growing disputes of the North and South states of America. The abolition movement was a leading reform in the country where the idea of slavery is an evil practice. Many African American slaves had begun to run away from the cruelty of slaveholders as does the character, Jim, a runaway slave. This novel is based on a “mighty river and a mightier friendship” between Huckleberry Finn and Jim as they seek freedom from their past. Chapter six of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is centered around the justification and preparation of Huckleberry Finn’s yearning to gain freedom

This chapter of the novel focuses around the abuse of alcohol in Pap’s life and how it has affected Huckleberry. Around the time this novel takes place the consumption of alcohol “peaked at 7.1 gallons a year and drinking became a moral issue” (O’Brien). The abuse of alcohol had reach a very high percent that not only had affects on one’s own morality but also the others around them. Even though a rise of reforms took place to try to lower the abuse of drinking, drunkenness was accepted as a part of normal life. Alcoholism or dipsomania, according to bbc.com, “was starting to have a serious impact on communities. Women and children might be in physical danger if the man of the house began drinking. If he became ill or lost his job through drink, there was no social safety net to support or protect his

The author writes pathos within the chapter to elicit sympathetic feelings towards Huckleberry Finn and his father's mistreatment. Huckleberry explains that “he got to going away so much, too, and locking me in. Once he locked me in and was gone three days. It was dreadful lonesome” and the fact that Pap left him trapped brings about feelings within the reader where the reader could not imagine being trapped in a cabin for three whole days, let alone a couple of hours. By capturing the audience's attention the author can point out the rationalization of Finn wanting to escape the prison he is in. The audience feels bad for him through the use of pathos because of how harsh Pap is. Leading up to Finn’s escape to freedom is the anticipation created by the author through pathos. Twain again uses this device when huckleberry is explaining what happens to Pap with alcohol; “he chased me round and round the place with a clasp-knife, calling me the Angel of Death, and saying he would kill me, and then I couldn’t come for him no more” (Twain). The utilization of allusion is evident as well as how the allusion evokes a feeling of worrisome for Huckleberry. If one was to hear from their own father that he wanted to kill them, why wouldn’t one want to leave? Huckleberry is in a dark place when with his father and the choice of words and the actions of Pap place the empathetic