Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Human Nature And Society Presented Through Huckleberry Finn


Human Nature and Society presented through Huckleberry Finn.
By Marina Brewer

Mark Twain opposed   many of the ideologies of his time.   Through his novel Huckleberry Finn, he explored human nature and the society.   He made apparent his dislike for them.   The book focus's on the general treatment of black people during this time.   Specifically, the author criticizes morality, slavery and racism.

The characters encountered in Huckleberry Finn do not have very high moral standards.   Many of them think and act very irrationally.   In Chapter six, the newly appointed judge in town denied the widow and Judge Thatcher custody of Huck, despite Pap's abusive, alcohol dependent
history.   Here the author criticized the knowledge and decisions of society's authority figures.  
Throughout the book Twain attempts to portray the inhumane society he observed.   People were treated very differently according to wealth, race or social stature.   In Chapter eleven, Ms. Loftus sympathizes with Huck, a runaway and aids him in his travels, providing food and comfort.   Ironically when the runaway was a black slave, her only concern was turning him in for a reward.  
As Huck travels further with Jim, their bond grows stronger.   He realizes how Jim and others are being mistreated and taken advantage of.   Despite this, Huck was still bombarded with the idealisms proposing slavery.   When faced with the options of turning Jim in or not, it was a difficult choice for him to make.   With his decision to assist Jim in his escape, he was overcome by guilt and remorse, when in fact, morally this was the honorable and right choice.   Unfortunately Huck only came to this conclusion from his feelings of guilt towards Jim.   "Dah you goes, de ole true Huck; de on'y   white genleman dat ever kep 'his promises to ole Jim." (page 124).   Jim's loyalty to Huck was infinite and he put so much faith in Huck that he could not bear to betray Jim like that.
In chapter seventeen, Huck encounters the...

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