Section 2 Theme: Convention and Rebellion

"It was 15 minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a n--, but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterwards, neither." (Page 87)

"...hold on, --s'pose you'd a done right and give Jim up; would you felt better than what you do now? No, says I, I'd feel bad. . ." (page 92)

The first quote shows how Huck has finally begun to realize that Jim is a person with feelings. He played a mean trick on Jim and it upset Jim, so Huck felt bad and apologized.

The second quote happens after Huck has decided to turn Jim in. He started feeling bad because he knew that it was wrong to help a slave escape. He thought to himself that Miss Watson was a good woman and had never done him any wrong. In spite of this, when Huck gets the opportunity to turn Jim in, he can't do it. He decides that he would've felt just as bad if he had turned Jim in, and gives up on that idea.

These quotes fit with the theme of convention vs rebellion because they both display Huck's struggle between the two ideas. Huck has lived his entire life in a society that labels Jim as property instead of human. He has been taught that he is better than Jim; above him. His choice to apologize to Jim, and his decision not to turn Jim in, prove that Huck is starting to move away from the conventional way of doing things. Running away with an escaped slave is certainly more rebellious than conventional.

This novel is banned in a lot of schools today. Some parents and teachers have labeled the novel as "racist" and they believe it is harmful for us to read. I disagree. Are the characters in the novel racist? Yes. But wasn't everyone racist back then? How can Mark Twain write a novel based in America in the mid 1800's that doesn't feature racist characters? We can't pretend that part of our history didn't exist, and learning from it is the only way to move past that racism and keep from repeating the same mistakes in the future.

It's clear to me, and to most others who read this novel, that Mark Twain himself was not racist and that he wasn't propagating racist ideals. Quite the opposite actually; Twain was condemning racism.

Section 1: Theme: Companionship as Salvation

"I bet I was glad to see him. . ." (page 41)

"Come in Huck, but doan look at his face - it's too gashly. . ." (page 50)

Huck just wants to be able to control his own life. He's tired of other people trying to control it for him (Pap, Widow Douglas, Tom, Miss Watson). What he forgets when he fakes his death and takes off on his own, though, is how lonely that life can be. 

In the first quote, from page 41, Huck acknowledges that going it alone is lonesome. He's on Jackson's Island by himself.

The second quote takes place after Huck finds Jim also hiding on the island. They've found an old hut and there is a dead man inside. Jim tries to protect Huck by keeping him from having to see the gruesomeness that is the old man's face.

Both of these quotes fit in with the theme of companionship as salvation in this novel. As much as Huck wants to be able to do live on his own, he is still happy to find Jim and not be by himself anymore. And Jim hasn't been able to hunt for his own food since he doesn't have any weapons. They both end up being beneficial to each other. Through the second quote, we can even see this pseudo father/son relationship emerging. Jim becomes protective of Huck, and Huck begins to listen to Jim's wisdom. 

It makes sense that Huck would eventually find himself looking up to Jim, and I believe we will see that more as the novel progresses. Huck has never really had a male figure in his life to look up to. His own father beat him regularly and only used him for the money he earned by catching the robbers. And Jim has never been looked up to by anyone. As a slave, he was considered property, not a human being. Jim and Huck's relationship is growing into something beautiful; something that highlights the flaws in a society that disregards people who don't look like society thinks they should. Mark Twain uses these themes to make a statement about humanity and how even the most unlikely of people can become friends. 

Why Is It Important to Read Works Like "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"

Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been banned in some schools due to it's liberal use of the N word. Was Mark Twain racist? Why did he use that word so often in his novel?

The truth of the matter is that Mark Twain was not any more racist than anyone else of his time - which is not to say that he wasn't racist at all. He wrote a novel that portrayed a certain time period in America, and in order to portray that time period accurately, he used the language that people back then would have used. To censor the novel or to ban it completely does a disservice to students. In order to get the full effect, the novel must be read as Mark Twain intended. 

Mark Twain is considered the father of modern literature, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is thought to be his masterpiece. To ban or censor the novel would be an insult to its brilliant author.

Keep in mind, we are not condoning the use of such derogatory language. If anything, this novel should show you exactly how demeaning and dangerous that kind of bigotted thinking can be. Mark Twain causes his audience to empathize with Jim. The audience wishes for Jim's freedom as much as he does. Twain forces us to realize that people are people, no matter what color their skin is. We will not lose sight of this message just because the novel uses period-appropriate language.

I hope you enjoy reading all of the adventures that Huck and Jim go through in Twain's novel. Happy reading!