Theme Of Dishonesty In Huckleberry Finn

Dishonesty is a common theme in many works of literature. The denotation of dishonesty will be: When one person is deceptive either by intentionally withholding information or by making a false statement to another with the intent of deceit. In Natsume Sōseki’s 1916 novel Kokoro and Mark Twain’s 1884 novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the main characters have to deal with the dishonesty that occurs in their friendships. In Kokoro, Sensei, after losing everything to his uncle, thus making him have a hatred for humanity, develops an unlikely friendship with a peer named K. Similarly, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a young boy, Huck Finn, escapes from his abusive father and joins a runaway slave Jim, and they become companions and friends on many adventures. However, Huck Finn’s repeated dishonesty with Jim leads to conflicts in their relationship. Another problem that these protagonist face is their egoism. When one is egotistical …show more content…
Due to the southern norm, and having been raised in the south, is what influences Huck’s moral compass.An example of this is when Jim begins to tell Huck what he will due once he gets his freedom, Huck has a inner turmoil, and begins to question whether he is doing is the right thing. As Huck States “ I begun to get it through my head that he WAS most free—and who was to blame for it? Why, ME. I couldn't get that out of my conscience, no how nor no way” (Twain 94). It is only when Jim starts talking about his freedom makes Huck , afraid that he will be abandoned, revert to the southern way of thinking. However, at the same time Huck goes against the southern way of life in many ways as he goes against what the Widow Douglas tries to teach him. This way of thinking is what helps him change what he was taught, and continue his journey with Jim rather than being subjugated to