Huckleberry Finn Chapter 16 Analysis

Chapter 16 of Huckleberry Finn includes Huck dealing with a situation in which he is forced to make a decision on what is morally right when Huck is faced with a surprise encounter with a few men on a skiff while searching for the city of Cairo (Twain 101). The way Huck deals with the issue is one that shows development in himself, as before the encounter Huck questions the assistance he has provided to Jim when they are convinced they have reached Cairo, but grows to become accepting of what is morally right through the encounter with the men. Huck struggles with the issue of turning in Jim at first when he listens to his conscious thoughts “You knowed he as running for his freedom, and you couldn’t get around that, noway.”(Twain 100) Huck wrestles with the dilemma of what is more …show more content…
Huck has changed tremendously through this encounter, as he has learned the pivotal lesson that what society dictates as right, might not always be the morally right decision. Twain’s Jim Crow era writing includes various elements including a large amount of hypocrisy, and this can be seen through Huck reflecting on the fact that people like Miss Watson view slavery as morally right, while in truth the mindset of Huck is that which is morally sound. Huck reveals himself as someone who truly cares about Jim, as he grows closer to his new friend Huck becomes more accepting, and in turn, a character who cares about doing what is truly right in his heart, not what he was taught. Jim has become more accepting as well, both of these characters are true outsiders to one another, on the complete different ends of society, but through their journey Jim has begun to taste the sweetness of freedom and in turn has become a true friend to