Defining Friendship In Mark Twain's Adventures Of Huckle

Defining Friendship in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Throughout Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck, struggles to attain two friendships, one with Tom Sawyer, a local prankster lacking all seriousness, and the other with runaway slave Jim. Throughout the story, Huck’s relationship with Tom never stands a chance because it's not one based on give and take and freedom of self expression. Huck is unable to freely express himself without being judged by Tom, who wishes to dominate. The relationship that exists between Huck and Tom remains unsuccessful because it does not include such values as generosity and freedom of expression. Conversely, Huck and Jim enjoy a genuine friendship because it is founded on selflessness and freedom

Petersburg, Tom demands that others, mainly Huck, do as he wishes and refuses to listen to the ideas of others. As Tom reenters the book at the Phelps farm in the end of the book, he jumps at the chance holds an important piece of information, that Jim was set free in Miss Watson’s will. However, Tom uses this to his advantage as Huck explains that Jim is locked away somewhere on the farm. Huck begs for Tom’s aid in helping Jim escape and Tom uses this to his advantage, not telling Huck that Jim is free but rather, “I’ll help you steal him[Jim]” (234). Tom creates a list of silly ways to help Jim escape, dragging Huck into his romanticized adventures without a choice. While Tom is dishonest and uses Huck’s desperation to free Jim, the friendship falters. Tom takes an excessive amount of time and trust from Huck, returning nothing.The relationship thrives on Tom’s dishonesty, bonding over “freeing” already freed Jim. On the other hand, Jim is able to express his true emotions to Huck, this essential honesty helps the friendship to grow throughout the book. An example of a situation where the effect of the friendship on Huck’s moral values is when he is

In the beginning of the novel, Tom directs his gang of young local boys to steal from others in ridiculous ways. Huck begins to question the validity of Tom’s information and Tom immediately lashes out at Huck’s uncertainty; “Tom Sawyer said I was a numbskull,” remarks Huck after suggesting a different system for robbing the oncoming circus (25). Throughout the story this is a repeating pattern: Tom will not accept Huck’s ideas and in fact, calls him “numbskull” “saphead” to suggest that Tom thinks that Huck’s ideas are worthless. Tom sticks to his romanticized adventure books, bashing Huck’s realistic and intellectually valid ideas. Huck is unable to express himself without Tom’s negative insight. In contrast, Huck and Jim accept each other’s ideas. When Jim first offers up the idea of Huck dressing like a girl, to get information on St.Petersburg news from Mrs. Loftus, Huck instantly agrees and remarks “That was a good notion, too” (66). Throughout the story, Huck is able to express his beliefs and stories with Jim. Huck explains that French people talk differently than Americans and Jim is able to question these beliefs, “Does a cat talk like a cow, or a cow talk like a cat?” something he would’ve never been able to do in St. Petersburg (89). The friendship between Huck and Jim is accepting, allowing