Huck Finn Research Paper

880 Words4 Pages
Is a child always supposed to do what an adult tell them to do? Is an adult always right? Why does society shape what is wrong and what is right? In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, the main character Huck faces problems and concerns that make Huck question his society and the people he grew up with. The two main problems that Huck faces are, questioning the rules of society that Miss Watson tries to teach him, and the obstacle of deciding whether or not to turn in a runway slave that would cause him to go against society. Mark Twain puts Huck in these difficult dilemmas to show how society affects children. Huck, the protagonist in the novel, is a 13 or 14-year-old boy, who grew up in a white society, with little exposure to racism. His alcoholic and abusive father Pap has abandoned him, so two women by the name of Widow Douglas and Miss Watson raise Huck. Both the Widow and Miss Watson try to teach Huck moral lessons, and what society expects from him, but Huck cannot stand it. For…show more content…
He has to decide whether to turn Jim in, or help Jim become a free man. He begins to write a letter to Miss Watson that states if Miss Watson comes down and gets Jim from the Phelps, who is holding him, then she will be rewarded money. He is indecisive about sending the letter. He says “ so I was full of trouble, full as I could be; and didn’t know what to do” (213). This shows how Huck struggles with the idea of either turning Jim in because that is what society has told him to do, or following his heart. He thinks hard about the situation and because of his reasonable logic, and his love for Jim, he decides not to send it, and rips the letter up. He says “ all right, then, I’ll go to hell”-and tore it up”. This quote is a turning point for Huck’s character development. It shows that Huck has decided to go against society’s standards and he accepts that hell is way better than the society he grew up
Show More
Related

  • Huck Finn Research Paper

    680 Words  | 3 Pages

    regard each other based on measurement for success. Huck Finn establishes what success truly is. The conclusions he draws, although a young boy, sheds new light not only then but also in modern society. Wealth isn't a physical state, but a mental understanding of what man is worth, social implements of stereotypical views, and character developments. The values of man has been put on trial numerous times throughout history. This battle is clear as Huck emotionally contemplates social normality, determining

    Read More

  • Huck Finn Superstition Research Paper

    904 Words  | 4 Pages

    clearly evident in Mark Twain's, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn based on the ongoing adventure of a young boy and slave who are on a journey to find personal freedom. Mark Twain saturates the novel with various examples of superstition to demonstrate the difference among those in the Christian society, display the nonsense ways of civilization, and emphasize how crucial the rules of society are. Superstition

    Read More

More about Huck Finn Research Paper

Open Document