Huck Finn Going Down The River Analysis

Kristen Tilghman

Professor Killiam

AML2020

October 27,2015

Going Down The River The river in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a symbol of freedom for Huck, and Jim a runaway slave. Throughout the story Huck, and Jim constantly come back to the river almost as if it’s their safe haven. It is a barrier between them, and society, which is constantly trying to knock them down. Also the river is peaceful, it’s not tainted by chaos the seams to follow Huck and Jim every time they go ashore. The river itself is were Huck also has revelations, and were we see Huck mature and grow up. Rivers themselves are free flowing, they keep going and nothing can stop them; and in a way rivers are like living beings with their own personality. For Huck and Jim, the river is freedom it is a place for Huck to escape from Pap and the Widow Douglas, and it is a place of escape for Jim a runaway slave. Huck is seeking to escape from his drunken father Pap, and the river is how he escapes, and throughout the story every time something goes wrong the river is where Huck

Before Huck was also into shenanigans with Tom Sawyer, and into pulling pranks on people. While on the river however Huck comes to multiple revelations that those “harmless” pranks he’s pulled in the past are actually very hurtful. Huck even starts to see Jim as a normal human being, and slowly starts to become friends with Jim. So the river in a way is a place for revelations, a place of freedom, and a place to learn and grow. The river itself is also like an entirely new character in itself. Huck stated, “Soon as it was night out we shoved; when we got her out to about the middle we let her alone, and let her float wherever the current wanted her to…”(Twaine). The raft on the river is being referred to as “her,” and is being talked about as an entirely new character with feelings and mobility just like a normal