Huck Finn

Through Huck’s many adventures, his sense of morality plays a large role in the decisions he makes as well as the relationships he builds with others. Huck’s decisions and actions have the ability to change the lives of those around him; his sense of morality influences his choices, thus leading him to many difficult situations with others. By the time that Huck decides that he is going to follow his heart and save Jim instead of turning him in, his moral development is at an increase, as opposed to his morality in the beginning of the novel.Though his intentions for saving Jim are not completely genuine, he makes the upstanding decision to save Jim and exemplifies his change of heart. Huck displays his nonconformity to the society around him by considering Jim as a friend and not as an insignificant slave. After Huck has found Jim imprisoned at the Phelps’s farm and has encountered Tom, Huck changes in his morality, causing him to make wrong and right decisions that affect lives around him.From when Huck decides to follow his heart and save Jim, the basis of Huck’s moral development grows, but under many circumstances Huck succumbs to Tom’s naivety and unethical choices, thus hindering the progression of his moral growth. The basis of Huck’s morality is developing, but under Tom’s influence Huck slowly loses his grasp on morality and submits to many of Huck’s wrongful ideas. Huck at times shows his morality by making the â€Å"right† decisions in many circumstances, but when following Tom in Tom’s plans, Huck caves into Tom’s devious, immoral, adventure seeking ideas that causes trouble for the Phelps as well as himself.Huck possesses a desire to follow his heart to help Jim as he leaves for Silas Phelps’ farm, and the basis of that wish to be moral persists and influences a few of his actions in dealing with the Phelps: â€Å"Laws knows I wanted to go, bad enough, to see abou t Tom, and all was intending to go, but after that, I wouldn’t a went, not for kingdoms† (350). Huck’s basis of morality still exists even through Tom’s influence. Huck chooses the right decision to stay and keep Aunt Sally from becoming even more sorrowful.Though he knows that Tom is waiting for him, Huck stays not for the benefit of himself, but for Aunt Sally, because he sympathizes for her. Huck’s moral development progresses when not in the presence of Tom’s manipulative words, but when he is around Tom’s influence, Huck gives into falling under the impression of Tom’s ideals and ridiculous, immoral schemes. Huck considers Tom an authoritative, knowledgeable figure and follows Tom in many of Tom’s unreasonable, unethical acts regardless of the negative circumstances Huck knows will undergo: â€Å"’Now you’re talking! I says; ‘Your head gets leveler and leveler all the time, Tom Sawyer,’ I says. ‘Picks is the thing, moral or no moral; and as for me, I don’t care shucks for the morality of it nohow† (307). Tom finds it very important that they make Jim’s escape from bondage an adventure, hence Tom and Huck must steal, life, and cheat to make their somewhat simple situation adventuresome. Huck steals the Phelps’s family’s picks, and disregards the fact that what he is doing is immoral because he is lost in the desire to free Jim out with Tom.Huck relishes in the fact that Tom is helping him and putts of his morality for adventure. Huck acknowledges the fact that stealing the picks is immoral and wrong, but is so caught up with working with Tom that he gives up on morality. Tom’s negative influence over Huck succeeds him to the end of the novel, in which Huck completely loses his sense of moral development. By the end of the novel, after Jim has been emancipated and Huck and Tom are both out of trouble, Huck’s outlook on morality changes and his moral development completely regresses and plans to regress in his subsequent journey.Having been exposed to the influences of Tom and after realizing that after the trouble they cause, that everything results in a trouble free situation with no negative circumstances, Huck feels as if his immorality is acceptable. Jim endures much unnecessary trouble to be released from imprisonment just because of Tom’s whimsical wants and desires; Jim is treated by Huck and Tom as if his life is a trivial game that is intended for their enjoyment.Jim is not treated as a real human being, but is treated as if he were a lesser person, yet Huck is content with how everything turns out: â€Å"But I reckoned it was about as well the way it was† (360). Tom and Huck’s actions and motives to release Jim from imprisonment are completely immoral, but the fact that everything turns out satisfactory, Huck overlooks the importance of morality. Huck loses all r espect for Jim as a human being, and almost considers Jim a slave again and not as a friend.Tom degrades Jim by giving him forty dollars, the same price in which Jim was sold for, in exchange for Jim’s cooperation in Tom’s fun and games; Huck gives Tom silent approval, and doesn’t object to Tom’s act of immorality. Emerson said that a great man keeps his independence and own opinions, and doesn’t conform to the ways of society. Throughout the novel, Huck has shown much self-reliance and assertiveness in his own opinions and values. By the end of the novel, Huck is not the great man that Emerson describes.Though Huck can stand strong on his ideas and desires independently, he conforms to the ideals of society, Tom, by the end of the novel. Before Huck encounters Tom on the Phelps’s farm, he sticks true to his beliefs and his heart’s desires, yet after spending a great deal of time with Tom, he loses his values and his morals under the influence of Tom. Thus Huck is unable to not conform to those around him, therefore unable to be a â€Å"great man† in the eyes of Emerson. Huck Finn Through Huck’s many adventures, his sense of morality plays a large role in the decisions he makes as well as the relationships he builds with others. Huck’s decisions and actions have the ability to change the lives of those around him; his sense of morality influences his choices, thus leading him to many difficult situations with others. By the time that Huck decides that he is going to follow his heart and save Jim instead of turning him in, his moral development is at an increase, as opposed to his morality in the beginning of the novel.Though his intentions for saving Jim are not completely genuine, he makes the upstanding decision to save Jim and exemplifies his change of heart. Huck displays his nonconformity to the society around him by considering Jim as a friend and not as an insignificant slave. After Huck has found Jim imprisoned at the Phelps’s farm and has encountered Tom, Huck changes in his morality, causing him to make wrong and right decisions that affect lives around him.From when Huck decides to follow his heart and save Jim, the basis of Huck’s moral development grows, but under many circumstances Huck succumbs to Tom’s naivety and unethical choices, thus hindering the progression of his moral growth. The basis of Huck’s morality is developing, but under Tom’s influence Huck slowly loses his grasp on morality and submits to many of Huck’s wrongful ideas. Huck at times shows his morality by making the â€Å"right† decisions in many circumstances, but when following Tom in Tom’s plans, Huck caves into Tom’s devious, immoral, adventure seeking ideas that causes trouble for the Phelps as well as himself.Huck possesses a desire to follow his heart to help Jim as he leaves for Silas Phelps’ farm, and the basis of that wish to be moral persists and influences a few of his actions in dealing with the Phelps: â€Å"Laws knows I wanted to go, bad enough, to see abou t Tom, and all was intending to go, but after that, I wouldn’t a went, not for kingdoms† (350). Huck’s basis of morality still exists even through Tom’s influence. Huck chooses the right decision to stay and keep Aunt Sally from becoming even more sorrowful.Though he knows that Tom is waiting for him, Huck stays not for the benefit of himself, but for Aunt Sally, because he sympathizes for her. Huck’s moral development progresses when not in the presence of Tom’s manipulative words, but when he is around Tom’s influence, Huck gives into falling under the impression of Tom’s ideals and ridiculous, immoral schemes. Huck considers Tom an authoritative, knowledgeable figure and follows Tom in many of Tom’s unreasonable, unethical acts regardless of the negative circumstances Huck knows will undergo: â€Å"’Now you’re talking! I says; ‘Your head gets leveler and leveler all the time, Tom Sawyer,’ I says. ‘Picks is the thing, moral or no moral; and as for me, I don’t care shucks for the morality of it nohow† (307). Tom finds it very important that they make Jim’s escape from bondage an adventure, hence Tom and Huck must steal, life, and cheat to make their somewhat simple situation adventuresome. Huck steals the Phelps’s family’s picks, and disregards the fact that what he is doing is immoral because he is lost in the desire to free Jim out with Tom.Huck relishes in the fact that Tom is helping him and putts of his morality for adventure. Huck acknowledges the fact that stealing the picks is immoral and wrong, but is so caught up with working with Tom that he gives up on morality. Tom’s negative influence over Huck succeeds him to the end of the novel, in which Huck completely loses his sense of moral development. By the end of the novel, after Jim has been emancipated and Huck and Tom are both out of trouble, Huck’s outlook on morality changes and his moral development completely regresses and plans to regress in his subsequent journey.Having been exposed to the influences of Tom and after realizing that after the trouble they cause, that everything results in a trouble free situation with no negative circumstances, Huck feels as if his immorality is acceptable. Jim endures much unnecessary trouble to be released from imprisonment just because of Tom’s whimsical wants and desires; Jim is treated by Huck and Tom as if his life is a trivial game that is intended for their enjoyment.Jim is not treated as a real human being, but is treated as if he were a lesser person, yet Huck is content with how everything turns out: â€Å"But I reckoned it was about as well the way it was† (360). Tom and Huck’s actions and motives to release Jim from imprisonment are completely immoral, but the fact that everything turns out satisfactory, Huck overlooks the importance of morality. Huck loses all r espect for Jim as a human being, and almost considers Jim a slave again and not as a friend.Tom degrades Jim by giving him forty dollars, the same price in which Jim was sold for, in exchange for Jim’s cooperation in Tom’s fun and games; Huck gives Tom silent approval, and doesn’t object to Tom’s act of immorality. Emerson said that a great man keeps his independence and own opinions, and doesn’t conform to the ways of society. Throughout the novel, Huck has shown much self-reliance and assertiveness in his own opinions and values. By the end of the novel, Huck is not the great man that Emerson describes.Though Huck can stand strong on his ideas and desires independently, he conforms to the ideals of society, Tom, by the end of the novel. Before Huck encounters Tom on the Phelps’s farm, he sticks true to his beliefs and his heart’s desires, yet after spending a great deal of time with Tom, he loses his values and his morals under the influence of Tom. Thus Huck is unable to not conform to those around him, therefore unable to be a â€Å"great man† in the eyes of Emerson. Huck Finn Superstition and Religion in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, superstition is used throughout the story. Mark Twain uses superstition to show the difference between an organized religion, such as Christianity, and believing in superstition. As Huckleberry Finn and Jim escape to freedom from civilized living and slavery, religion and superstition have a strong effect on them. As they go back and forth between the two faiths, the reader gets an idea of the system of beliefs that people followed living along the Mississippi River.Belief in the supernatural and superstition are the marks of many characters in the storyline. It is Jim and Huck’s shared belief in superstitions that originally draws them together. Jim and Huck explain things using superstition that they cannot otherwise explain. It is possible that the novel parodies religion by comparing it to superstition, since some characters take advantag e of both belief systems to influence and mislead. Most often, superstitions are used as an attempt to explain why bad things happen.When a character has something good happen, most likely religion takes credit for that positive outcome. When someone is punished, or something terrible happens, it is a lot more comforting to put the blame on superstition. Religion, as defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online, is defined as â€Å"a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices† and â€Å"the service and worship of God or the supernatural: commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance† or â€Å"a cause, principal or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith†.Superstition, as defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online, is defined as â€Å"a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or false conception of causation† and â€Å"an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition†. Both notions are used throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , in some cases they do not seem to be equivalent to their particular definitions. The question that resides in the core of this novel is â€Å"How is superstition and religion used in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and what defines their meaning?Later on in chapter one, Huck is alone in his room watching a spider crawl up his shoulder. Huck flips the spider off and it falls into the candle, shriveling up and dying. Huck says, â€Å"I didn’t need anybody to tell me that that was an awful bad sin and would fetch me some bad luck, so I was scared and most shook the clothes off of me. I got up and turned around in my tracks three times and crossed my breast every time: and when I tied up a little lock of my hair with a thread to keep witches away. But I hadn’t no confidence. Huck shows us his supersti tions and his belief in them. These beliefs have been ingrained in him from his father, Pap. In chapter four, Huck turns over the salt-cellar at breakfast. When he goes to throw some of the salt over his left shoulder, Miss Watson stepped in and crossed him off. She tells him to take his hands away and to stop making a mess. The widow Douglas puts in a good word for Huck, but he feels that it will not be enough to ward off the bad luck. After the salt spilling, Huck was feeling worried and shaky and wondering what bad luck would befall him.Since he was unable to perform his ritual, (throwing the salt over his left shoulder) he felt he had to be on the lookout all day. It seems as though Huck’s views on superstition revolve around bad luck more so than good. Huck blames bad happenings on superstition, while good happenings are â€Å"natural† or have been earned in some way. Huck doesn’t trust religion to explain life’s negatives, so he uses his belief in t he supernatural. Huck finds tracks in the snow in chapter 4, a boot print with a cross in the left boot-heel made with big nails, to ward off the devil.He finds the footprints all around then and he follows them, before it struck him who they belonged to. Pap had been checking on Huck and was watching him. This is when the reader finds out that Jim isn’t the only source of Huck’s superstitions beliefs. Some of the superstitions that Huck follows have been passed on to him from his father. Huck uses superstition to justify and explain why some bad events happen. Take the situation with the rattlesnake, Huck thinks to himself, â€Å"We didn’t say a word for a good while. There warn’t anything to say.We both knowed well enough it was some more work of the rattlesnake-skin; so what was the use to talk about it? It would only look like we was finding fault, and that would be bound to fetch more bad luck – and keep on fetching it, too, till we knowed en ough to keep still. Both Jim and Huck continue to expect bad luck because of the rattlesnake skin that Huck touched. In chapter one, the Widow and Miss Watson try to teach Huck about religion. They try to teach him all about heaven and hell. They explain to him that the things you do on earth will decide where you go after death.Huck inevitably decides that since Tom wasn’t going to the good place, he didn’t care to go there either. Huck treats the philosophies of heaven and hell impartially and seems to be a bit immature about the whole idea. All Huck knows is that he does not want to be lonely and he wants to be with his friend, Tom Sawyer. In chapter two, Ben Rogers says that he could not get out much, only on Sundays so Tom Sawyer’s gang could begin then. Surprisingly, all the boys said that it would be wicked to do such a thing on Sunday, as it is a holy day.The interesting part of this logic is that the boys don’t care much about being in a gang, st ealing, or murdering, yet they care enough not to do it on a holy day. In Huck’s case, he seems to care more about the smaller issue of not starting a gang on a holy day, yet does not care much of bigger issues such as heaven and hell, or Noah and the Bulrushers. In chapter 3, Huck is sitting alone in the woods trying to figure out the logistics of religion. He wonders about prayer and how it works.He thinks to himself, â€Å"if a body can get anything they pray for, why don’t Deacon Winn get back the money he lost on pork? Why can’t the widow get back her snuffbox that was stole? Why can’t Miss Watson fat up? † After Miss Watson tells him that he must help people, do everything he could for others, and never think of himself, Huck decides that he does not see any advantage to living that way. He debates over every part of religion and does not accept it all just because it’s part of the whole. He chooses what he does and does not believe, a nd doesn’t look at it as all or nothing.Huck’s view on religion starts to evolve in chapter eighteen. He thinks to himself, â€Å"If you notice, most folks don’t go to church only when they’ve got to: but a hog is different. † Huck starts to realize that people just use religion when it’s good for them. He sees that people use religion to manipulate and get what they want. The Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons sit in church together. Mark Twain shows us how extraordinarily important religion in the South is during this era. The only time that the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons don’t fight is during their time at church.They view their religious gatherings as a common ground and their respect for religion is the only thing that quiets their feud. Huck is perplexed at how these two families can live in the Christian way by following the church and the bible; yet continue to kill each other. Huck sees the king use religion as a tool of de ception. While the king is pretending to be Harvey Wilks’, He tells the town about his congregation in England and how they were sweet on him and he must hurry and settle the estate right away and then leave for home.Again, Huck sees religion being used to manipulate and control people. Although Huck is bombarded with superstitious beliefs and religion, he chooses to go on his own path. He weighs each piece of information he gets and decides to take it all for what it is. Huck believes in different parts of each belief system. Though Huck feels that organized religion is stifling, he still clings to it in his times of despair and uses it as a comfort mechanism. When all is said and done, Huck searches for what is right in his heart and he considers all possibilities, and in the end chooses his own moral code. Huck Finn Daved Najarian American literature II 9:00am Huck, The Duke and Pinocchio One of the primary themes Mark Twain uses throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is that of deception. Twain uses many forms and styles of deception not only to illustrate varying degrees of it, but also to draw a distinction between morally permissible and morally corrupt lies. Twain introduces different forms of deception brought about by a myriad of catalysts. Throughout the book, Twain uses Huck, the Duke and the King to compare and contrast different forms of lying, and to illustrate how context plays a large role in the moral weight of a deception.By portraying each of these characters actions and reactions to their environment, Twain is able to explore the moral importance of familiar circumstances. Huck takes on a more innocent and playful approach to deception and only uses morally weighted lies as a means to protect. While the Duke plays with good intentions, too often the end goals of his dece ptions are for monetary gain. Finally the King is presented as possessing little redeeming quality and is by far the most morally corrupt of the characters. Huck seems to primarily formulate deceptions in two circumstances throughout the novel.The first of these is for an innocent, or even jestful reason, with little or no mal-intent. The second of these is the use of a deception in a more serious manner, but generally used only to preserve the wellbeing of Jim or himself. Unlike the more serious and character damaging lies of the King and the Duke, Huck’s deceptions are, for the most part, spur of the moment rather than premeditated. Towards the beginning of the adventure, Huck seems to deceive for relatively harmless reasons. When Huck goes ashore dressed as a girl to attain town gossip, he lies about who he is, but the moral implications of this lie are slight.He has no malicious motive in mind, and is â€Å"taking advantage† of the newcomers for information alone. In this scene, Huck is very nervous and un-savvy of his character, which leads to him being caught in his deception. Although Huck uses lavish deceptions he is still relatively novice at it, and for this reason his lies depend heavily on the intended victims perception and relationship to him. These sorts of lies seem to represent a sort of â€Å"game† to Huck and he is accordingly unaware of their effects on others. When Huck plays a trick on Jim these effects become apparent. â€Å"Well, this is too many for me, Jim.I hain't seen no fog, nor no islands, nor no troubles, nor nothing. † When Huck tricks Jim into thinking he dreamt up a whole night of troubles, he holds no ill intent. Like his â€Å"girl deception† this lie takes advantage of Jim for his own lighthearted enjoyment, and not for material benefit. Through this depiction, Twain illustrates that it is not just the content of a lie but the intended recipient that determines its moral severity. Once Huc k realizes the effects of this style of fib and the repercussions of tricking those close to him, he discontinues it for the rest of the novel.The second form of deception in Huck’s arsenal is a sort of â€Å"deception for preservation†. The first time Huck lies in this manner is to avoid a dangerous situation with Pap. When Pap awakes to find Huck sleeping with a gun, Huck is quick to fabricate a story about a potential intruder he was â€Å"laying for†. The purpose of this form of a lie is clearly self-preservation, and unlike Huck’s other form of deception, it is brought about by necessity and is spur the moment. Huck uses this level of deception throughout the adventure and therefore gains a mastery of it.Twain seems to suggest that Huck’s circumstances justify some of his lies and deception, playing with the notion of â€Å"necessary lies† Huck is in many ways â€Å"forced† into situations where a lie becomes necessary to preserv e a life. As Huck and Jim grow as friends Huck not only is unable to turn Jim in, but finds himself fabricating elaborate deceptions to keep him safe. In one scene in particular, Huck uses â€Å"reverse psychology† to trick men into believing he wants help on the raft when in fact he wants the opposite. â€Å"I will, sir, I will, honest – but don't leave us, please.It's the – the – Gentlemen, if you'll only pull ahead, and let me heave you the headline, you won't have to come a-near the raft – please do. † In this encounter, Huck is able to create the illusion that he is desperate for help; with a sub lie that those aboard the raft are ill with small pox. What is important to recognize here, is that this level of lie is to protect Jim (and himself) from the greed of slave hunters, not to gain additional benefit from them. Most of the deception created by Huck is simply to maintain the status quo.Huck and Jim do not wish to gain anything mate rial from others but simply want to be left alone. Unlike the King and Duke who look ashore to interact and take with deceit, Huck and Jim lie to distance themselves from those on shore. Twain compares and contrasts the King and the Duke from the moment of their arrival. â€Å"These liars warn't no kings nor dukes, at all, but just low-down humbugs and frauds. † Although Huck sees through the King and Duke’s lies right away, there is importance and foreshadowing in their first deception.The very fact that the King places himself higher than the Duke with an outlandish introduction, â€Å"Bilgewater, I am the late Dauphin! † foreshadows that the King is the worse of the two con men. Throughout the trip the Duke utilizes two forms of deception, the first of which focuses on the betterment of the group as a whole. This is illustrated by his attempts to make it easier for them to â€Å"run during the day† rather than the shadow of night. This lie involved the faking of Jim’s capture and deception of reward seeking in order to avoid the attention of others.Like Huck, this lie helps to protect the group but unlike Huck it involves premeditation and a change in the status quo. While Huck lies to protect Jim rather than for selfish intent, the Duke does not. The second form or level of deception the Duke emphasizes is the fabrication of legitimacy to his illegitimate forms of entertainment. In the end, these attempts are commendable but pathetic, â€Å"To be, or not to be; that is the bare bodkin that makes calamity of so long life†.Although many of the Dukes offerings (such as Shakespeare) tender some level of legitimacy, his back-story and quality of performance are shrouded with deception. What differentiates these lies from others is the emphasis on greed; as the end goal of the Duke’s deceptions often-involved monetary gain and taking from others. Twain paints the King as not only less intelligent than the Duke, bu t also more cruel. As the tale progresses the King’s lies and deception escalate from a moral grey area to out right. From the start, the Kings lies target the innocent, ignorant, and emotionally compromised.In contrast to the Duke, the King’s first performance takes advantage of the kind and empathetic attendees at a religious gathering. From this point on the King’s greed is insatiable, and his lust for money and material goods causes him to be irrational. The King gets so lie crazy at one point that he even lies about lying about who took the gold, saying that he took it, â€Å"‘Nough! – I OWN UP! † These deceptions finally peak during the Wilks’ impersonation when the King is unsatisfied with the $6,000 and wants to sell the girl’s properties.While many of the Duke’s stunts were simply to get by, the King lets his greed completely overwhelm his character. The intellectually superior Duke even looks to get out of the l ong con while they still can, but he is talked back in to it by the King and his greed. Twain uses this character to not only illustrate how, â€Å"One can become the company they keep,† (as all were dragged into the con), but that greed can turn most men to sin. The lies and deceptions portrayed in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn introduce ethical and moral issues that are relevant to the reader.Twain does an excellent job of utilizing context to explore the morality of deception. By exploring intent and the inner workings of Huck, the Duke and the King, Twain is able to illustrate how lies can be permissible or damning. The concept of â€Å"necessary lies† carries a great deal of weight when analyzing the morality of a deception, and Twain uses the ethical framework of Utilitarianism to justify this. For Twain is seems as though the morality of a lie is tied to the consequence of that lie, rather than the lie itself.Rather than making deception universally â€Å" wrong†, Twain leaves the door open for moral interpretation. Twain suggests, that by looking at the result of a lie and who is affected, one can determine the â€Å"rightness† or â€Å"wrongness† of that particular lie. The ethical framework of utilitarianism of course brings with it a slue of objections, however; in the context the novel it is intuitive. The most â€Å"morally corrupt lie† in the text negatively effects the largest number of people, whereas many of Huck’s lies positively effect Jim or himself and carry little negative effect to others.The King’s Wilks impersonation, along with others, affected not just those that survived the deceased but the entire town. These â€Å"large scale† deceptions clearly would be considered morally corrupt by Utilitarians; whereas many of Huck’s lies were small scale and produced the smallest ripples. Twain masterfully incorporates ethics into a realistic story, resulting in this mul ti-layered tale. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. pg. 122 [ 2 ]. pg. 166 [ 3 ]. pg. 165 [ 4 ]. 182 [ 5 ]. 276