Freedom And Bondage In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Samuel Longhorne Clemens, under the pen name Mark Twain, is described as “an extraordinary work….. it is a great novel” by New York Times. The genre of this great American novel is often referred to as satire. This novel is about a young boy named Huck struggling to overcome the internal problem of what his conscience tells him what's right and what society tells him what is right. There are many themes in this book, which makes it leave a long lasting impression on the person who is reading it. One of the most important themes in this book is the contrasting theme of freedom and bondage. Huckleberry Finn is a rich white boy in his teenage years. This may sound like he is privileged and free, but he is …show more content…
He works for Miss Watson and is very controlled in the space he lives in. As said in an article about themes in Huckleberry Finn, Jim’s search for freedom is much more difficult than Huck’s. Jim’s determines the rest of his life and if he will ever get to see his family again (Hacht, 6). Jim’s freedom means he no longer has to feel like a piece of property, being sold from person to person without any say in his own fate. “Jim said it made him all over trembly and feverish to be so close to freedom “(85). Jim being so close to freedom makes him feel new and relieved. He finally felt like his life could be his own life and not have to be physically bound to someone by the law. As Anne Marie’s 2006 article states, even though he may be physically freed from Miss Watson, he will never truly be freed from the racism and the world around him always judging him because of the color of his skin. Even as Huck starts to appreciate Jim more and look up to him, Jim still uses the “N” word when referring to him or any other black characters. He will never truly be equal and will always have to live with that bondageon his shoulders (Hacht, 7). Jim finally is released from Miss Watson when he finds out that she has died and set him free in her will. However, he is never equal to white people so he is not truly ever set free in his mind or

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