Throughout the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the main character, Huck, struggles to fight society and determine his ultimate truth. The reader can understand from the beginning that Huck is different from society and is considered an outcast. While reading, you can see that his adventures are important and essential lessons for young Huck. Throughout the novel Huck's conscience is torn between two voices, and Huck must make difficult decisions whether to do what society has taught him to be right or to do what he thinks is right. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay At the time, in the 1830s, slavery was normalized and most people accepted it as part of their daily lives. This also applies to Huck at the beginning of the novel, but his adventure takes him on a journey to enlightenment. At the beginning of the novel Huck was just a boy who didn't like school, wearing clean clothes, or being civilized. He was told what was right and wrong by Miss Watson, his caretaker, but ignored most of what she said. His attitude was very "nonconformist" due to his past with his father. At an early age Huck grew up with his drunken father, so from then on Huck would not be an "obedient" boy who rebelled against society. His problems with conscience began when he staged his own murder and met a runaway slave named Jim. From the beginning of meeting Jim at a crucial moment in the book, Huck had only seen him as a person and fought the beliefs that society had put in his head. She not only recognized him as a person, but as a friend. It was then that Huck's conscience began to eat away at him. First, he was convinced that his reputation in society was worth betraying Jim's trust. Then he would remember how Jim was always there for him and grateful for his help. Huck began to feel worse and worse about his decisions as the book progressed. Towards the end of the novel and the climax is when Huck's moral development reaches its peak. Throughout her time with Jim she beat herself up over what was right and wrong. He felt wrong in helping Jim because he knew he was Miss Watson's property and society made him think it was wrong to help him. However his instincts told him otherwise. During the climax Huck had to confront Jim enslaved on a plantation and decide to write a letter to Jim's owner, Miss Watson. He wanted to write to tell her where Jim had been, but decided not to. He iconically tore the letter in two and said, "Okay, then I'll go to hell." This showed that he would rather risk everything and go to hell than report his friend. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Overall, this novel was a stepping stone into history that taught us essential themes about racism, following what you believe in, and unlikely friendships. Huck prevailed through tough decisions and was unaware of how heroic he was. He showed us that following your instincts and going against society's accepted values and truth is what you need to do to find your own ultimate truth.
tags