Independence in Mark Twains The Adventures of...

Journey to Independence in Huckleberry Finn nbsp; In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the main character, Huck, struggles to develop his own set of beliefs and values despite the very powerful social structure of his environment. The people he encounters and the situations he experiences while traveling down the Mississippi River help him become an independent thinker in the very conformist society of 19th century Missouri. nbsp; Huck is a free spirit who finds socially acceptable actions to be restrictive and unbearable. This is demonstrated after Huck and his best friend Tom Sawyer find a large amount of money. The Widow Douglas adopts Huck. With Widow Douglas, Huck feels as though societys values and norms†¦show more content†¦They wants to jump in, but I says: Dont you do it. I dont hear the dogs and horses yet; youve got time to crowd through the brush and get up the crick a little ways; then you take to the water and wade down to me and get in-that ll throw the dogs off the scent. (Twain 116) Huck acts like a Good Samaritan. Not only does Huck have pity upon these two men, he is also willing to take action and help them to safety. When I got down out of the tree I crept along down the river-bank a piece, and found the two bodies laying in the edge of the water, and tugged at them till I Got then ashore; then I covered up their faces, and got away as quick as I could. I cried a little when I was covering up Bucks face, for he was mighty good to me. (Twain 112) Huck has empathy for humankind; he treats others as he wants to be treated. Huck overlooked a persons social status, race or respectability when reacting to a situation. Another example of Hucks tenderness towards other humans is his experience with Jim on the river. At the beginning of the voyage Huck viewed Jim as a piece of property, a true reflection of Southern mores. It was fifteen minutes before I would work myself to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warnt even sorry for it afterward, neither. (Twain 84) Going against social mores takes a great deal of looking inside ones self. Being raised in a time and place where blacks were looked down upon, Huck found that going against whatShow MoreRelatedThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn s Social Commentary On Slavery1368 Words   |  6 PagesMark Twain’s Social Commentary on Slavery in Huckleberry Finn Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain over seven years, is considered one of the best American masterpieces ever published, and a very socially active novel. Through the plot and development of the main characters, Twain discussed the paradox of slavery in a free country, as well as his abolitionist beliefs on slavery. 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