In his novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain portrays the protagonist’s, Huck’s, ethical progression and eventual growth. In the beginning of the novel, Huck is a racist product of Ante bellum southern America who views the practice of slavery as a normal part of life. Huck believes that black people are naturally inferior and inherently less human the white people. Yet through his relationship with Jim, a runaway slave, Huck is able to change his perspective on race and separates himself from society's views, thus becoming a dynamic and changing character. By developing a character who learns how to separate the views of society from his own, Twain indicates the potential for societal evolution and progression from racism. In
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While in the beginning of the novel Huck believes that they are inferior, he begins to recognize Jim as a friend. Similarly, Jim constantly looks out for Huck and takes care of him. When Jim lets Huck sleep through his watch, Hucks remarks that: “he often done that.”(23). By continuously allowing Huck to sleep while he stays up all night, Jim expresses loyalty and kindness towards him, which contrasts society's belief that slaves are subhuman and therefore do not form emotional connections. The progression of Huck's relationship with Jim continues to affirm the idea that Jim experiences human emotions. When Huck witnesses Jim crying to himself, he realizes that Jim must be homesick and missing his family. Despite being taught that black people do not have familial emotions, Huck says: “I do believe he cared just as much as for his people as white folk does for their’n. It don’t seem natural, but I reckon it’s so.(***). Here, Huck portrays a growth of character as he begins to see Jim as a regular person who has the same humanistic attributes that white people have. By allowing for the belief that Jim has feelings and cares about his family, Huck begins to reject the teachings of his society and formulate his own beliefs, thus growing as a
While in the beginning of the novel Huck believes that they are inferior, he begins to recognize Jim as a friend. Similarly, Jim constantly looks out for Huck and takes care of him. When Jim lets Huck sleep through his watch, Hucks remarks that: “he often done that.”(23). By continuously allowing Huck to sleep while he stays up all night, Jim expresses loyalty and kindness towards him, which contrasts society's belief that slaves are subhuman and therefore do not form emotional connections. The progression of Huck's relationship with Jim continues to affirm the idea that Jim experiences human emotions. When Huck witnesses Jim crying to himself, he realizes that Jim must be homesick and missing his family. Despite being taught that black people do not have familial emotions, Huck says: “I do believe he cared just as much as for his people as white folk does for their’n. It don’t seem natural, but I reckon it’s so.(***). Here, Huck portrays a growth of character as he begins to see Jim as a regular person who has the same humanistic attributes that white people have. By allowing for the belief that Jim has feelings and cares about his family, Huck begins to reject the teachings of his society and formulate his own beliefs, thus growing as a