Major+Themes+in+Huck+Finn

 **__ Themes of //The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn// __**  // Shantel Warren // Prejudice, racism, conformity, autonomy, authority, slavery, freedom, and hypocrisy are various themes that Twain portrays in the novel //The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn//. The novel is “considered one of the first few books in early American Literature to address the issues and the problems of society (HUCK FINN). Twain depicts the themes brilliantly in the novel, to present a raw view of issues going on in society before and after the Civil War time.

One of the themes Twain portrays is prejudice. The way Twain depicts prejudice in the novel is through Huck. Huck is “uncivilized” in the way that he smokes, doesn’t always agree with religious practices, dislikes attending school, and has a drunk, abusive father. The town prejudices Huck as being uncivilized for the reason that Huck is dissimilar from the others in the town. The irony Twain uses in the theme of prejudice in the novel is that Huck, in reality, is far more civilized than any of the other townspeople. Huck shows civilization in the way that he respects Jim, even though Jim is a “nigger” and a “runaway slave.” Twain also shows prejudice in the use of not just one character, but every character throughout the South who owns a slave. Many times, Twain refers to the Caucasian race as being “stupid” and portrays the southerners as low-lives who “take a chaw” nonstop. The prejudice that Twain uses against the white race isn’t meant as being offensive, but rather meant to prove a point of how low-life white’s were acting superior by using slaves to wait on them and do all their dirty work.

Mark Twain exemplifies racism, modeling its immorality through the character of Jim. Even though Huck Finn was raised in a community dominant of racist values, as the novel progresses, Huck’s feelings on racism alter. Through the device of satire, Twain shows the foolishness of racism. Within the very first few chapters, racism arises within the character of Pap. As Pap gets drunk one night, he goes on to explain how the government is so “wonderful.” Pap speaks of a “black man, who was a p’fessor in a college, and could talk all kinds of languages, and knowed everything“(Twain, Mark). The man that Pap speaks of had the “whitest shirt on you ever see, too, and the shiniest hat and there ain’t a man in that town that’s got as fine clothes as what he had and he had a gold watch and chain, and a silver-headed cane…” (Twain, Mark). The worst thing to Pap, though, was that the black man could vote. “Thinks I, what is the country a-coming to? It was ‘lection day, and I was just about to go and vote myself if I weren’t too drunk to get there; but when they told me there was a State in this country where they’d let that nigger vote, I drawed out. I says I’ll never vote again.” (Twain, Mark). The absurdity of racism is shown in this instance with irony. Pap wouldn’t vote just because the fact that one state was letting a black man vote-a black man that was of higher civilization and accomplishment than Pap. In reality, it was much more appropriate for the black man to be voting than for drunken Pap to be. Another instance of racism is shown when Huck arrives at Aunt Sally’s, and fabricates a story of how a cylinder-head was blown. When Aunt Sally asked if “anybody [was] hurt”(Twain, Mark). Huck replied with “No’m. Killed a nigger” (Twain, Mark). Aunt Sally is relieved and replies with “Well, it’s lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt”(Twain, Mark)-Aunt Sally acts as if a nigger being killed constitutes as ‘nobody getting hurt.’ Twain includes many satirical instances of racism throughout the entire novel to show the foolishness of racism that was, and still is, in the world.

Twain tackles the antithesis of transcendentalism with the theme of conformity. Conformity is most evident in the character of Huck, when Huck conforms to the civilization that Miss Watson and the Widow are striving to instill upon him. “Don’t scrunch up like that Huckleberry- set up straight! Don’t gap and stretch like that, Huckleberry- why don’t you try to behave?” (Twain, Mark). Huck conforms to the ‘civilized’ rules of the Widow and Miss Watson by obeying what both of the women ask of him, whether that may include attending school, learning religion, or behaving in a higher standard way. Tom also plays a role on Huck by conforming Huck into how Tom wants him to be. In the beginning of the book, Twain shows the theme of conformity when Tom attempts to make Huck use his “imagination” in the Band of Robbers. Huck also conforms to Tom’s ways within the end of the novel when Tom wants to free Jim using elaborate, gratuitous plans. Huck knows that there are simpler ways to freeing Jim, yet Huck conforms to Tom’s fortuitous plans. Not only do these two instances show conformity, but throughout the entire novel, Jim, the king, the duke, and Huck all conform into people that they’re not, so that the four of them can acquire what they want, which was usually money. The theme of conformity is also shown in the novel when people throughout the entire world were conforming to the use of slavery. Although there are many different examples and uses of conformity within Huckleberry Finn, they all cohere into one main point. Twain’s theme of conformity is brought within the novel to show the simplicity of conforming into the majority’s beliefs and viewpoint on issues, in this case, slavery.

Even though Twain portrays the theme of conformity, he also includes the theme of Autonomy, which is “freedom to determine one’s own action(s)” (Dictionary.com). Twain depicts autonomy through the character of Huck, as Huck matures after being around Jim. Deviating from conforming to the beliefs that slaves are ethical proves to be a struggle for Huck. While on the quest to free Jim, Huck questions several times whether he should be helping to free Jim or not. The first instance where the reader really sees Huck struggling with the fact that he is responsible for freeing Jim is when the two are almost to Cairo. The fact that Huck is responsible for freeing Jim “made [him] all over trembly and feverish, because [he] begun to get it through [his] head that [Jim] WAS most free- and who was to blame for it? Why, [HIM]” (Twain, Mark). The entire time that Huck senses that Jim is almost to Cairo and free, Huck feels like he committed a murderous crime. The second time Huck shows difficulty between conformity and autonomy is when he writes a letter to Miss Watson saying that he knows where Jim is. Through much internal conflict, Huck eventually decides to value his friendship and loyalty to Jim, and Huck “tore it up” (Twain, Mark). Huck would rather “GO to Hell” than disobey his loyalty to Jim (Twain, Mark). This is a major turning point in the novel for Huck. Even though “Huck understands that slavery is a part of the law, and that to free a slave is legally, socially, and morally wrong in his culture- his feelings about Jim lead him to break these taboos” (Prince, Jeremy).By the end of the book, Huck is the epitome of the theme of autonomy that Twain is portraying. Beginning the book, Huck is forced to act in a way that completely differs from his sense of self. With the unknowing help of Jim, Huck has morphed into one of the most civilized characters within the novel.

Authority figures within the novel develop throughout the entire course of the book. The three main authority figures that Twain uses to develop the theme, is the king, the duke, and Pap. Huck’s father is an abusive drunk that locks Huck in a cabin along with the attempt at stealing Huck’s money. The King and Duke are “such immoral conmen that even Huck is disgusted by their lies. They use Huck and Jim to promote their schemes and sell Jim when they run out of money” (Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Themes). Contrary to the three men’s negative impact on Huck, each of them is supposed to be “authority figures” in Huck’s life. Twain shows, through these three unstable men, people that are supposed to have authority, and be guardians, are not always reliable. By showing the negative and immoral impact that pap, the king, and the duke have on Huck shows society how authority figures are not always dependable. Ironically, the one character in the novel that conveys authority upon Huck is Jim- a black slave. Jim being a father-like figure to Huck ties back into the themes of racism and slavery, and how each of the prejudices is wrong. Especially considering Jim has done the finest job at being a role model and protecting Huck.

Slavery is one of the main, dominant themes with the novel. Twain manifests the perfidious ways of slavery in America by ridiculing slavery’s outlandish ways. The use of satire is used, once again, to portray the theme of slavery, by showing alternate sides of characters. For example, Pap is Huck’s father who should be a role model to Huck and should be protecting Huck. Instead, Pap is a drunk who abuses Huck. On the other hand, Jim, who is a slave, shows more consideration and fatherly figure than Pap ever has towards Huck. The contrast between Pap and Jim’s character is used to show the foolishness of slavery. Twain also shows the outlandish ways of slavery by having each white raced character in the book have something emotionally/mentally wrong with them. Such as Pap who is abusive and drunk, the people down South that Jim and Huck come across who chew all day long, and the king and duke who are frauds and con men. Twain makes it seem as if white people developed the use of slaves because white people were too lazy themselves to do their own work.

Freedom is portrayed by two characters in the novel, one character being Jim. Being freed from the grips of slavery is Jim’s ultimate goal in the novel. Slavery is a chain on Jim that ties him down from happiness and his ultimate goal in life which is being in the presence of family. The reader can sense the anxiety in Jim as he almost becomes free when approaching closer to Cairo. Jim felt “all over trembly and feverish to be so close to freedom” (Twain, Mark). The other character that wishes to achieve freedom is Huck. Freedom for Huck means escaping from the civilization of everyday life- away from the Widow Douglas, Miss Watson, and his father. For Huck “it was rough living in a house all the time” (Twain, Mark) So when Huck “Couldn’t stand it no longer, [he] lit out. Got into [his] old rags, and [his] sugar-hogshead again, and was free and satisfied” (Twain, Mark). For Huck and Jim, being “on a raft, you feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft” unlike “other places that seem so cramped up and smothery” (Twain, Mark). The theme of freedom is depicted by Twain showing how freedom is different for everyone. Jim wished to be released from the chains of slavery while Huck wished to be released from the civilized home life he once lived in.

Hypocrisy is shown in two main forms in the novel of Huck Finn, the first being the hypocrisy of slavery. As explained previously in the theme of slavery, Twain uses hypocritical value to show the foolishness of slavery. America is so called “Land of the free”, yet as Americans we have so called ‘jailed’ up people of a different race and used them as nothing but slaves. How can a society that advocates freedom endorse racism, slavery, and discrimination?

The other use of hypocrisy within the novel is the hypocrisy of religion. In one town that Huck and Jim arrive at, both go to the house of the Grangerford’s. Within the Grangerford’s house is bibles and art work of family members, symbolizing how the Grangerford’s are religious, family people. Contrary to the Grangerford’s supposed religious beliefs, the family is in a battle with the neighboring family, the Shepherdsons. While attending a church sermon about “brotherly love”, both families bring along guns. Twain shows how many families are only pretenders when it comes to believing in religious values. Pretending to be religious is simple, and Twain shows how people use religion at convenient times, rather than truly believing in religion’s values.

Mark Twain portrayed each of the issues that were concerning in the world before and after the Civil War within the novel. Being indirect by using satire and irony, Mark Twain did an excellent job at exposing social issues throughout the world.

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