Nonconformity In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain

Society has a clear set of rules and expectations in which many people abide by; however, there are some that choose not to conform to society's norms. When this happens these people can be seen as disobedient or outcasts. Yet, from an outside perspective, these outcasts are able to gain greater understanding of just how foolish the human population can be and the hypocrisy that can lie within rules. Many situations like these occur in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. In the novel, a thirteen year old boy in the 1830s, rebels against the societal norms of his time, particularly the accepted norms towards slavery, racism, and classism. Throughout his experience he is able to see the hypocrisy that lies within the beliefs that

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain shows how nonconformity allows for a fresh view of the faults of society through Huck Finn. Huck Finn’s nonconformity is best exemplified through his relationship with Jim, a runaway slave he met on his journey. After Huck escaped his abusive father, he found himself all alone on an island when he stumbled upon a fire. Further inspection led him to discover his old caretaker's slave, Jim. After Huck promised not to turn Jim in for being a runaway slave he says “People would call me a low down Ablitionist, and despise me for keeping mum—but that don’t make no difference (Twain, 43). '' After discovering that Jim is a runaway slave he decided to keep his secret. His willingness to help Jim escape despite the consequences is a testament to his integrity and his commitment to doing what is right. Throughout their journey they were free to live how they wanted and enjoy each other's company. Yet, Huck still had some hesitancy about keeping Jim’s secret. He had a conversation with himself as he struggled with the decision to turn Jim in as a runaway slave.“I

He reflected on the times that Jim had shown him kindness and friendship, and realized that Jim is more than a slave to him. This is a powerful statement made by Huck that reflects his growing empathy towards Jim and his recognition of Jim’s inherent humanity. Both Huck and Jim were separated from society causing them to be free from social norms and expectations; therefore, Huck was able to form his own opinion on Jim without any influence or bias from others. Huck grew to see Jim as a human with feelings, desires, and aspirations, rather than just a slave. The use of the word “white” in this context is significant as it reflects Huck’s realization that Jim, despite his skin color, is no different than Huck himself. He struggles with seeing Jim as a black man with the same emotions as a white man because that's all that's been taught to him. Although Huck doesn't understand it entirely, him saying that Jim is white inside internally