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Huckleberry Finn Passage Analysis

1009 Words5 Pages

Is thinking for oneself and caring about people of different races possible in an extremely racist society? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain follows a young boy as he abandons society and meets a runaway slave in the woods as they venture toward freedom. Huckleberry struggles between society's ethics and his own, but acts more on his own independent thoughts because he willingly runs away with Jim (a slave), covers for Jim when faced with the possibility of turning him in, and does these things despite how he was raised. First, Huckleberry acts on his own morals because he willingly runs away with Jim, who is a slave. The following is a passage of when Huckleberry is alone in the woods and first encounters Jim: “...it was …show more content…

This conversation occurs directly after Huck is thinking of turning Jim in (Twain 118-119). Huck’s quick ability to turn around and protect Jim demonstrates a deeper character. Although he wavered in his thoughts, he still chose the non-racist way to act. It is also a big deal for Huck to cover for Jim because he could get in trouble with the law for doing so. This story is thought to take place in the 1840s (“Slavery”). In 1793, a fine of $500 was punishment for “helping a slave escape”, but by 1850, the Fugitive Slave Laws had increased punishment to “$1000, added the penalty of up to six months in prison, and required that every U.S. citizen assist in the capture of runaways (“Historical”)”. To summarize, Huck can get in a lot of trouble if he gets caught helping Jim, but helps him …show more content…

“My conscience got to stirring me up hotter than ever, until at last I says to it, '...I'll paddle ashore at the first light and tell [on Jim].' I felt easy and happy and light as a feather right off...I went to looking out sharp for a light...By and by one showed...I says: 'I'll take the canoe and go see it, Jim.'...he says: '...you's de best' fren' Jim's ever had; en you's de only fren ole Jim's got now'...I was paddling off, all in a sweat to tell on him; but when he says this, it seemed to take the tuck out of me...Jim says: '...de on'y white gentleman dat ever keep' his promise to ole Jim.' Well, I just felt sick (Twain

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Huck lives in a time and place where African-Americans are legally not human, so that influences Huck's brain, causing him to see Jim as a slave. For example, when Jim and Huck become separated in the fog, Huck plays a rude trick. He says to Jim that they were never lost and there was no fog. Jim gives a whole speech to Huck, explaining how Huck made him feel like trash. Huck believing that Jim wasn't smart enough to figure the lie out, as well as lying to him at all, shows that Huck feels as though he is above Jim intellectually.

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