The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Part 1

Huckleberry Finn escaped his father's entrapment in the wood cabin to a whole new lifestyle. On the shore he was faced with the burden of society, such as manners and discipline. Like Holden Caufield from The Catcher in the Rye, Huck was very against society. The author Mark Twain perceives the society that man was not necessarily good or evil, but was corrupted by an aspect of society. Examples of this message are Huck's father who went down with his desire for alcohol, and the two carpetbaggers, David Garrick and Edmund Kean, who were driven by the American's lust for money. Huck realized the corruption from his father, and escaped to a simple life away from it all on the Mississippi River.

Although Huck's father appeared to be noting like his son, the resemblance was still there. His father holds a disregard for societies' thoughts of him, that eventually rubbed off on to Huck. His father showed him the way of life that was lazy and simple. As Huck Finn rides down the Mississippi River he takes on the lifestyle he was raised with. Both Huck and his father lack any sense of ambition towards their life. They are looking for the easiest way of life, but that also reflects on the time period. In the late 1800's life was much more laid back, and Huck and his father were accepted members into society.

Mark Twain's constant allusion to Shakesperian writing was influential to the time period. The addition to his writing brought a more sophisticated look into this time period. Throughout the book we have been reading about the downfall of their society, but Shakespeare's writing allowed us to see the growth that was going on. His writing was also used to teach Jim and Huck to see outside their river and small town. The writing could teach them of other societies, and maybe about what the rest of the world may be going through.

Jim has almost been caught a couple time up to this point, and it is in Huck Finn's hands whether or not he wants Jim to end up free. Living in the south Huck had been raised to see black men as slaves, and that might cause Huck to want Jim to stay that way. On the other hand Huck and Jim have been traveling together on the incredible journey and each there they is making a new bond of closeness with each other. By the end of the book I feel this journey will change Huck Finn's thoughts on life and his racial tension towards Jim. Huck will stay in good nature and let the man be free.

A big question I have been asking myself throughout the first half of the book, was whether or not Huck will ever return back to his home town. I strongly believe he will because he left so much unfinished business there. Tom Sawyer, who was his best friend, is often talked about from Huck, and I feel that their unfinished business between them. Huck seemed to leave everyone too abruptly. When Huck Finn finally returns, I predict that everything will appear different. His whole journey will to be to escape everyone and their problems, but once he returns he would wish that everything will be back to the way he left it. My reasoning behind this is that Huck Finn ran away from his problems, but that only proved that running away does not solve problems, but allows them to grow stronger and thicker.