Huck's Development in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, first published in 1884, in a small town of St. Petersburg in Missouri. Located close to the Mississippi River, and is decades before the outbreak of the American Civil War (Levine, Robert S, 2017). The story is narrated by, Huck, and it follows his adventure. Throughout this adventure he is faced with a number of moral choices, which later leads him to question the ethics and an evidently civilized society. He expands his own insights of survival during the process. The characters develop and change as the adventure comes to an end. This might occur with all books and stories, but this adventure had a true meaning behind it.

Overall in this novel Huck is seen as a troublesome young man. Huck needs to be taught how to act in a civilized manner. There were models already put in place, to further educate Huck; Widow Douglas and Miss Watson. Eventually his father kidnaps him. When Huck is kidnapped he no longer feels trapped by the conformity of society, but he does put up with harsh treatment from his abusive father. Huck is still seen as an unfit child, but Huck ends up gaining some respect as a man when he fake his own death and is able to escape from his father. Huck and Jim, Miss Watson’s runaway slave, come into contact with one another after both being able to escape from society. Due to this Huck views Jim as property, but see’s through that and chooses to help him anyway.

At this point we can’t be upset with Huck, but the respect for him is at an all-time high. He took it upon himself to help Jim escape from slavery. During this entire transition as the reader you can see Huck’s moral change. Huck and Jim spend a noteworthy time together traveling down the Mississippi River, and by the end of the novel Huck sees Jim differently. He views him as equal, and deep down in his heart Huck believes that Jim is a free man. His departure from conventional society, and as they build this personal relationship, Huck experiences ethical growth.

Get Help With Your Essay

If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help!
Find out more about our Essay Writing Service

Throughout this growth Huck begins to develop has be his own opinions and morals. The first portion of the story he’s still this fundamental young boy. Yet, he’s still trapped by the conformity of society, and making sure he’s doing what society accepts. Before being captured by Watson and Widow, Huck lived a rough life. Huck previous lifestyle was everything to him. He enjoyed skipping school and stealing so he can survive on the day to day bases. Due to his past experience and what he considers life made his adventure difficult. Huck as a character, he’s unhappy. Huck finally starts to adjust to everything. He starts attending school on the daily, learning the everyday traits to life and being educated on God and how he needs to start believing him. Initially you can tell Huck isn’t that troublesome young boy anymore but he still needs a little more direction, he stats “I liked the old ways best, but I was getting so I liked the new ones too, a little bit. The widow said I was coming along slow but sure and doing satisfactory. She said she warn’t ashamed of me” (Goodreads, 2019).

Huck is still having trouble developing a mind of his own. Society takes a toll on his actions and he’s not showing any of his true character abilities. Huck is not thinking or living to his full potential, he’s supposed to meet the requirements and accept the ethics of the conservative society. A small change is made when Huck and Jim meet at Jackson’s Island and Huck confesses that “people could call me a low-down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum- but that don’t make no difference”( Levine, Robert S, 2017). Huck knows for a fact society will not accept his decision, but he agreed to assist Jim with his escape.

During this adventure with Jim, Huck’s personal choices and his morally difficult decisions are critical to the growth of his character. Furthermore, Huck was technically only in it for the adventure. After he help Jim escape from Miss Watson, he initially planned on turning Jim in as they got further down the river. Jim wasn’t what he thought he’ll be, he turned out to be a respectful, caring man, and gave Huck all his attention. If Huck had stuck to his original plan and still been affected by the conformist society, his decision definitely would’ve been different. Slaves were viewed as nothing more than property and Huck had learned to believe that myth. As these two runaway, they form a relationship. All throughout their adventure, traveling down the Mississippi River they both help and protect one another. Huck sees Jim as a good friend and that father he never once had. A change occurs, and Huck confesses that “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 afterward, neither” (Quote Analysis). Huck’s feelings start to change and racial equality begin to form and feelings of guilt. Huck still dwells on the past and is still feeling guilty for stealing someone’s property, this was someone who never done anything to put him in harm’s way. At this point in the story it has been revealed that the influence of society is still bothering Huck in some way, but at the same time he is attempting to create his own moral opinion on the subject.

Huck writes a letter to Miss Watson telling her where she can find and recapture her runaway slave. Before he sent the letter, Huck thinks about his relationship with Jim and the positive influence he had had on him . . . initially stating “all right, then, I’ll go to hell’’ (Levine, Robert S, 2017). He tore the letter up. There were so many awful words and thoughts, but they were said with no hesitation. Yet, they were said but nothing was formed. This is how you know Huck has reached his greatest self-accomplishment; he figures out the morally correct thing to do, without the direction from society.

After coming to his final conclusions, Huck is challenged again when Jim is sold to the Phelps’s plantation. He also comes across an old friend Tom Sawyer. Tom’s Aunt and Uncle are the owners of the plantation. Huck took it upon himself to go to the plantation to find Jim and set him free all over again. The couple mistakes Huck for Tom, Huck doesn’t correct them he just goes along with it. Eventually Toms arrives, and Huck is staying with him, and Huck begins to revert from his ethical achievement. Tom at this point is like the God/Devil here in Huck’s Life. He’s placing that obedient society back into Huck’s life, but initially encouraging him to do other things. Huck allows Tom’s elaborate escape plan and silly games to influence his actions. At this point he’s just focused on attaining freedom for his friend and is more than willing to do anything to complete that goal.

Huck single-mindedly announces how he feels to Tom; “What I want is my nigger; and if a pick’s the handiest thing, that’s the thing I’m a-going to dig that nigger out with; and I don’t give a dead rat what the authorities thinks about it nuther” (Levine, Robert S, 2017). Huck knew to stay true to his self-proclaimed values, but more than anything he knew not to lose sight of Jim. He made promise to get him his freedom back. Attaining these goals has enable Huck to remain humble and overcome the impact of society that tried to take a toll back into his life. Huck is able to look at Jim with a feeling of accomplishment. He turns and tells Jim this; “a free man again, and you won’t ever be a slave no more” (Levine, Robert S, 2017).

Starting from the beginning Huck is measured by society to see how much he allows society to shape him, but he is then forced to believe whatever was placed in front of him. This allowed him to build these unlimited connections with Jim. Then we begin to notice that when Huck leaves society he begins to form his own opinions and moral values based upon the way Jim acts towards him. This relationship made him realize the equality of blacks and how he actually thinks and feel Jim. He knows for a fact he’s definitely a trusted and respected friend. When they were on the Plantation the overview of Tom is seen as the entering of society back into Huck’s life, and causes him to relapse, but he overcomes it and continues on with the remainder of Jim’s captivity. To some it all up Huck at first proves the importance of establishing a mind of your own, outside that of conventional society.

 Through out this entire story, and out of all the various symbols that were used, the river and the land had a true meaning. The river and the land symbolized freedom and trouble. Initially, the whole point of the title being “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”. The symbolisms behind the river goes beyond freedom and troubles they Huck and Jim went through. There is a lot of feelings, emotions and actions revolved around this river. Furthermore, it served as an instrument for the developmental maturity of Huck. Huck and Jim both realized that was a key to happiness. This how that special bond begins to form between them. Due to them relying on each other some much, I think they finally realized they need each other in order to survive.

The overall point that is being proved here is that, freedom is something many Americans take for granted. According to the Webster’s Dictionary freedom is defined as “The condition of being free from restraints”. Huck and Jim were both considered free, in different situations, but they were still free due to the river. The river was peace to them, initially leading them to freedom despite the fences given by society. Not only that but in the story, it was stated that they were always naked, day and night. When you think of this it describes the peace and freedom that was given by the river. The river exemplifies stillness, differing from the land, which seemed controlling troublesome. Primarily, the land is viewed as where all the bad things happen. Huck himself seemed as if he preferred the living on the river than the land. After everything they encountered on their adventure, it makes sense why they prefer to not live on the land.

As you can see this is a story about how society tends to immoral true principles and freedom. Also, how people like Huck must follow their own morality and create their own principles. Huck certainly experiences a transformation, yet still trying to analysis whether racial prejudice is yet still occurring. However, this story represents and shows multiple examples of how a person’s morality can grow and mature in response to life experiences.

References

• “Freedom.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freedom.
• Levine, Robert S. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Vol. 2, W.W. Norton, 2017. Quote Analysis.” The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Race, and the Gilded Age,
• crayctra.weebly.com/quote-analysis.html.
• “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Quotes by Mark Twain.” Goodreads, Goodreads, Inc., 2019, www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1835605-adventures-of-huckleberry-finn.