Mark Twain's Argumentative Essay

495 Words2 Pages

Emerson implies that people need to be true to themselves and do what they want and what they think is right and not what society says. Emerson was going to seminary school and he was told that he had to follow certain rules and go to church every Sunday. However, did not feel like if he didn’t go to church every Sunday, that he would be any lesser of a person. Society saw it the opposite of him. His friend asked him what if your desires are from the devil himself and he replied with, “...if I am the Devil’s child, I will live then from the Devil” (Emerson 364). In this quote, it implies that Emerson believes that a someone should not be a conformist and stay true to what they believe in and himself. Emerson’s idea is displayed through Huck when he …show more content…

He searches the social and religious belief systems that the society has taught him for a way out of his predicament about turning Jim in. In the end, Huck is unable to pray because he does not truly believe in these systems and he becomes distressed and comprises a letter to Miss Watson to tell her the truth about Jim and where he is. Once he completed writing the letter he held it in his hand and he was trembling because he had to make a decision. He studied it for a couple minutes and then said, “All right, then, I will go to Hell” (Twain 214). Huck decides to tear up the letter, for he cares too much about Jim to deny Jim’s existence and humanity. Huck chooses what he thinks is right and what he wants to do and doesn’t conform to society like Emerson. During Hucks process of picking what to do he was thinking that if he followed society and turned Jim in he would be following the rules, however he would feel horrible and if he went against society, like Emerson did, he would not be obeying the rules but he would feel better knowing that he kept his friendship with Jim and make Jim a happy person. At this point Huck’s split from society shows that he is not shaped by society and commits