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Huckleberry Finn Literary Analysis

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The protagonist in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain lives with the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson who wish to civilize him. Twain uses narration and imagery to describe the lifestyle of these women, which they try to instill in Huck. These seemingly surface-level descriptions of Huck being put in new clothes, being called to dinner at an exact time, or going through strict lessons, are laced with symbolism. Huck’s lack of understanding and dislike for the restricting ways that the women are trying to civilize him symbolize an individual who wishes to go against society’s social norms and restricting boundaries. This theme of a struggle between society and freedom is present not only in this passage, but continues to be throughout …show more content…

However, he continues to spend time with the Grangerfords and eventually takes part in the conflict with the Shepherdsons when he witnesses the death of his friends, Buck and Joe. Huck even states that he “ain’t agoing to tell all that happened” (Twain 118) because it would make him sick and fills him with the regret of meeting the Grangerfords. This shows how death and violence can bring reality into perspective. In addition, the involvement of the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons, two wealthy families in the south, show how wealth does not prevent people from falling prey to following the …show more content…

In this passage, Huck flees the feud between the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons in which Buck was killed. His return to the raft after involvement in a conflict between two wealthy families who had forgotten what caused the dispute in the beginning enhanced Huck’s relief when he states, “We said there warn’t no home like a raft...You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft” (Twain 119). It is ironic that a small, wooden raft is considered more comfortable than land, however, the raft is symbolic of Huck’s ideal “free and easy” life without society’s restrictions. Huck and Jim traveling on the river, escaping the violent, cruel, and unjust environment, represents individuals who wish to escape captivity for

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Examples Of Dialectical Journal For Huckleberry Finn

1410 Words | 6 Pages

Summary: Through the voice of Huckleberry Finn, a deep criticism of racism and civilized society’s rules is narrated to the reader as Huck and Jim, escape from civilized society and set sail on a raft down the Mississippi river to slavery-free states. Both characters share a common goal: to be free of the rules that a civilized society places. Huck and Jim form an alternative family as they head down the river along with two white adult conmen they rescued, who commit many scams . These conmen are responsible for turning Jim into a local farmer

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979 Words | 4 Pages

Likewise, critic Laurel Bollinger describes Huck as “…courageous enough to stand against the moral conventions of his society…rather than conform to the "sivilizing" process of communities he rejects” (Bollinger). During his epiphany, he truly sees all the flaws in a “sivilized” life and realizes he cannot live his life according to ideals he does not agree with. Consequently, Huck decides, “And for a starter, I would go to work and steal Jim out of slavery again…” (Twain 215). He resolves to ignore what society thinks, because society’s beliefs are fallacious.

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Theme Of Ignorance In Huckleberry Finn

816 Words | 4 Pages

The constant complements and conflicts between Huck and society or parts of society lead him to question himself. Huck struggles between siding with society’s standard of right and wrong or his own personal code of ethics but eventually discovers to trust and rely on himself more than worrying about what society thinks he should do. The author, Mark Twain, instills his opinions about ignorance, slavery, and unique consciences into the hearts of the characters he creates to give the reader an exaggerated example of what is wrong with our society and how we can fix it by being

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1078 Words | 5 Pages

Though they have different motives for leaving their pasts, both characters feel they need to leave the life they have settled into. For Huck, he needs to escape his abusive father and confinement of the cabin. He suffers through living with his father for a while, but Huck becomes so miserable he cannot stay any longer. He even adds that “it was dreadful lonesome,” saying “[he] made up [his] mind [that he] would fix up some way to leave there” (Twain 34). In this moment, Huck determines he will not live confined to some shack in the woods, stifled by his father’s rules.

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977 Words | 4 Pages

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the main character, Huckleberry Finn, goes through a complete transformation of who he was because of life changing choices he had to make on his journey for a new life as a free man. In the beginning of the novel, Huckleberry Finn starts off with very low esteem. Living with his drunk abusive father that provided no proper guidance for Huckleberry Finn to follow, causes him to lack the ability of distinguishing between what is actually right and what is wrong by himself. He still believes that what the society says is correct even though he feels confined by it and wants to break free. Huck also used to look up to a boy named Tom Sawyer when he lived with Miss Watson and The Widow Douglas who decided to start

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1752 Words | 8 Pages

The raft is a symbol of a world of their own creation, as they try to steer themselves to freedom and safety. No expectations exist and they can live in an idyllic state and “let her alone, and let her float wherever the current wanted her to; then we lit the pipes, and dangled our legs in the water, and talked about all kinds of things—we was always naked, day and night.” In this state, readers see Huck attempt to move beyond social prejudices after he plays a prank on Jim in the fog, when he mentions “ it was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterwards, neither.” Readers see that Huck struggles with the choice of his friendship and the teachings of society. But, the distance from society Huck experiences on the raft allows him to see Jim as something besides a “nigger” and more as a friend.

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1270 Words | 6 Pages

“Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other,” as Mark Twain states on morality. Huck exemplifies this statement perfectly through his morally sound actions and defiance of the crude normalcies of this time. In Mark Twain’s novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the reader can see how Huck’s morals are put to the test through his inner conflict with society’s norms and what they consider to be the right thing to do. Huck confronts slavery, frauds, dishonesty, and social norms.

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738 Words | 3 Pages

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic novel that takes the reader on a series of thrilling adventures full of life threatening situations, racism, and slavery. The author Mark Twain, uses the novel to highlight the flaws in society by creating a character like Huck, whose personal sense of morals and justice are more noble than those of the very people trying to civilize him. Throughout this captivating novel Huck endures his fair share of trouble and morally challenging decision but he always comes out on top by following his heart and doing what he feels to be right.

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2641 Words | 11 Pages

This displays Huck’s growth as it contradicts what he was originally taught about slaves. After Huck lies to Jim about how they got separated from the raft, saying it was all a dream in Jim’s sleep, Huck apologizes to Jim, and he is not sorry for apologizing either. Not only does lying serve as a vehicle for the moral development of Huck, but it also helps Huck understand, and analyze the society around him. People around Huck are often hypocritical, and unethical. Huck recognizes this and manipulates this fact to understand the society around him.

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1612 Words | 7 Pages

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1144 Words | 5 Pages

Huck was then from his home with the Widow Douglas, his guardian, to be with his father across the river in Illinois. He decided he was going to leave his father captivity and go out on the river which he truly loved but he saw that he simply could not avoid all of the tragedies that life hold. After some time on Jackson’s Island Jim and Huck saw the body of a house floating down the river and decided to scavenge it to see what they could find that would be beneficial to them. While scavenging the house Jim stumbled upon a dead body and forced Huck back as to keep him away from reality saying, “It’s a dead man. Yes, indeedy; naked, too.

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In a society clinging to the cushion of political correctness, to be faced with a novel so offensive, so brash, so seemingly racist in the classroom was initially jarring. At first, I was opposed to the concept of having to read the word “nigger” and discuss it as if it was just any antiquated term; it seemed impossible. However, through my reading of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, I began to understand the value of my discomfort. A tenant of Jesuit education, personal growth is necessary for one to grow into an intellectual, whole human being. For one to grow, they must step outside their comfort zone and become uncomfortable.

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The widow, Miss Watson, takes Huck into a closet to pray, and tells him to pray every day so he will get what he wants. Huck tries to pray daily, but becomes disappointed when all he gets is a fish-line with no hooks, when he prayed extra hard for hooks. “By-and-by, one day, I asked Miss Watson to try for me, but she said I was a fool. She never told me why, and I couldn’t make it out no way” (19). When he asks Miss Watson about it, she tells him praying brings spiritual gifts.

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