Huckleberry Finn Compared To Today

Ernest Hemingway, one of the great American novelist, once said that one of Mark Twain’s novel was one book from which “all modern American literature came from”. Although the novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is a story of fiction, many real truths can be extracted from it. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is about a young boys’ journey named Huck that grows up in a society that attempts to influence and pressure individuals to act in a “civilized way” and to do the “right thing”. When comparing this to todays’ society, the parallels between the society Huck lived in and the society we people live in today can clearly be seen. Upon further thought, what exactly gives society the authority to define what we determine to be morally right or wrong? Human’s consciences are susceptible to worldly influences. From the time of birth, we are brought up being taught a set of rules and guidelines of what is permissible and what isn’t. So, is it always the best choice to …show more content…
Slavery was still alive and well in the story of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn though. Huck was adopted by the Widow Douglas and her step-sister Miss Watson, who lives with her. The sisters own a slave by the name of Jim. When Jim first speaks in the story, “who dah?”, he leaves a first impression that he is unintelligent. Miss Watson was a righteous and moral woman, and firmly believed in trying to civilize Huck and get him to follow her same views. Because of this, Huck’s views on slavery and other things had been skewed somewhat in the beginning. Huck and his “idol”, Tom Sawyer, like to have some fun messing with Jim in the beginning of the story. They take Jim’s hat and put it above him on a branch. Jim only adds to his unintelligent appearance because when he wakes up he believes he has been bewitched. Jim will turn out to be more important to Huck than any other character in the