Huckleberry Finn Tension Analysis

Throughout American history, there has been a constant battle between tension and stability. Several time periods, such as during the abolitionist movement, have emphasized the trade-off between tension and stability, But, there have been key examples on how society can promote this imbalance to progress. Discrimination is usually the cause of social change, as people generally fight back against oppression to gain equality. This represents the imbalance in society between acceptance and discrimination, and shows how tension is necessary for progress. But, there is also a negative side to tension. No one wants to be discriminated against, and social change is hard to come by. Therefore, it is necessary to quite an extent to accept tension and

“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. I didn't do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn't done that one if I'd a knowed it would make him feel that way” (86). It takes a lot of time for Huck to build up the courage just to apologize to Jim for something very small. This shows the true discrimination engrained in Huck, but his ability to overcome this and apologize says a lot about Huck’s character. Huck sets an example for how someone can overcome discrimination to maintain stability. Although there is still a sense of imbalance between Huck and Jim, Huck is able to realize his mistake and avoid future conflict by apologizing. Therefore, Huck’s relationship with Jim is an example for how tensions can exist in a stable community or

People who are discriminated against often have feelings of anger or animosity towards society and the status quo. This anger leads to changes in the status quo, seen in historical examples like the Civil Rights Movement or the Abolition of Slavery. In these events, people who saw common things wrong with society bonded together to create social progress. But, no one in society wants to be discriminated against, as everyone has the innate desire to fit in. It takes great amounts of courage for people to rise up against discrimination and inequality, which is why great social change and progress is hard to come by. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it is considered courageous by Huck to merely accept Jim as a human, which shows how difficult it is for people to rebel against societal