The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain chronicles Huck’s experiences after he runs away from home. As he makes his way down the Mississippi River, he encounters murderers, frauds, and conmen, forcing him to confront his own sense of morality. During most of his journey, Huck prefers to disregard right and wrong and avoid situations which make him feel guilty or “lowdown.” He reaches a moment of growth where he finally takes responsibility for his feelings, only to lose that growth soon after. He defaults back to his original passivity because he believes that nothing has changed, despite his actions. This sense of cynicism prevents him from truly changing, even though he begins the process of moral growth and achieving moral responsibility.
…show more content…
Seeing the king and the duke scam the Wilks makes him feel so “low down” that he makes up his mind to “hive that money for them or bust” (117). Instead of avoiding what makes him feel guilty or ignoring thinking about right and wrong in the first place, Huck takes the initiative to improve the situation. He is willing to face the consequences of trying to steal the money back to feel better about himself. This trend of growth continues when Jim is sold to the Phelps. Choosing between abandoning and rescuing Jim is “a close place,” but Huck eventually relents, saying “all right, then, I’ll go to hell” (215). Although the decision is a difficult one, he makes a choice, a choice against convenience. In Huck’s mind, saving Jim is the opposite of “whatever comes handiest,” because, now, he is damned to hell (97). He abandons the path of least resistance when he makes that decision, demonstrating his ability to confront his bad feelings. Instead of running away from difficult choices, he is willing to make what he believes is the right decision to make, no matter what the consequences might …show more content…
Nothing has changed, he tells himself. The story ends with his declaration that he is going to escape to the Territory before Aunt Sally can “sivilize” him, saying that he has “been there before” (292). Despite running away, despite choosing to help the Wilks, despite damning himself to hell to save Jim, Huck finds himself in a similar place to where he started- stuck in a house, being forced to civilize himself. He even returns to the same relationship with Tom. While planning Jim’s rescue, Tom takes control, making the plan overly complicated and dramatic Huck knows the plan might get them “all killed besides” (234), but decides that “it warn’t no use to say any more” (235). Huck resigns himself to playing Tom’s sidekick, returning to his philosophy of least resistance. Being thrust back into the environment he escapes from at the beginning of his story confirms nothing has changed. According to him, if Tom decided to do something, he “couldn’t help it” (235). All of his decisions have led him to where he started, so he believes that there is no use in making decisions. Learning that Jim is, in fact, a free man further gives Huck proof that his choices do not matter. He is incredulous that Tom “had… took all that trouble to set a free nigger free” (289). Now that he knows the truth, his rescue attempt seems ridiculous and troublesome, as there is no use in freeing a free person. His
Seeing the king and the duke scam the Wilks makes him feel so “low down” that he makes up his mind to “hive that money for them or bust” (117). Instead of avoiding what makes him feel guilty or ignoring thinking about right and wrong in the first place, Huck takes the initiative to improve the situation. He is willing to face the consequences of trying to steal the money back to feel better about himself. This trend of growth continues when Jim is sold to the Phelps. Choosing between abandoning and rescuing Jim is “a close place,” but Huck eventually relents, saying “all right, then, I’ll go to hell” (215). Although the decision is a difficult one, he makes a choice, a choice against convenience. In Huck’s mind, saving Jim is the opposite of “whatever comes handiest,” because, now, he is damned to hell (97). He abandons the path of least resistance when he makes that decision, demonstrating his ability to confront his bad feelings. Instead of running away from difficult choices, he is willing to make what he believes is the right decision to make, no matter what the consequences might …show more content…
Nothing has changed, he tells himself. The story ends with his declaration that he is going to escape to the Territory before Aunt Sally can “sivilize” him, saying that he has “been there before” (292). Despite running away, despite choosing to help the Wilks, despite damning himself to hell to save Jim, Huck finds himself in a similar place to where he started- stuck in a house, being forced to civilize himself. He even returns to the same relationship with Tom. While planning Jim’s rescue, Tom takes control, making the plan overly complicated and dramatic Huck knows the plan might get them “all killed besides” (234), but decides that “it warn’t no use to say any more” (235). Huck resigns himself to playing Tom’s sidekick, returning to his philosophy of least resistance. Being thrust back into the environment he escapes from at the beginning of his story confirms nothing has changed. According to him, if Tom decided to do something, he “couldn’t help it” (235). All of his decisions have led him to where he started, so he believes that there is no use in making decisions. Learning that Jim is, in fact, a free man further gives Huck proof that his choices do not matter. He is incredulous that Tom “had… took all that trouble to set a free nigger free” (289). Now that he knows the truth, his rescue attempt seems ridiculous and troublesome, as there is no use in freeing a free person. His