Morality Before Mortality : Huckleberry Finn’s Development of Ethics
Everyone must develop Moral standards in order to tell good versus evil. Such development occurs all throughout the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. In the beginning, Huckleberry Finn goes along with the restrictions of society rarely forming his own opinions. Then, Due to traveling on the Mississippi, Huckleberry Finn goes through a series of life altering decisions which require him to think for himself. Mark Twain shows the concept of how morality must be developed only by one's self through Huckleberry Finn’s adventures.
Mark Twain suggests that originality cannot be developed in the presence of society. Floating down the river gives Huck the perfect …show more content…
It is only when Huck begins his secluded journey that he views life from a non-conformist way. “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterwards, neither. I didn’t do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn’t done that one if I’d a knowned it would make him feel that way” (Twain 89). After some time spent alone, Huck realizes that Tom is more of a person then he thought and deserves to be treated better. This never would have happened while entrenched in society as Huck could not escape the public opinion of how he should think of slaves. This is even more evident in Huck’s independent writing to Ms. Watson. “It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: “All right, then, I’ll go to hell”—and tore it up” (Twain 217). Huck realizes, in his letter to Ms. Watson, that he disagrees with what would be the public opinion, and goes to rescue Jim. This event was easily Huck’s most controversial in the book as at the time of publishment, slavery had just been abolished leaving many with extreme disagreement to Huck’s decision. Later on in the novel Huck is reintroduced to society …show more content…
Mark Twain sought to show the reader that morality is not something one should just take from others. It should instead be something developed out of one’s own mind. Independent of the era, everyone lives with a sense of morality. It is what guides them to make every important decision. By choosing to follow society in every decision one is not living their own life. Which is why forming one's own morality is essential to being an individual and being able to live the life they see
Everyone must develop Moral standards in order to tell good versus evil. Such development occurs all throughout the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. In the beginning, Huckleberry Finn goes along with the restrictions of society rarely forming his own opinions. Then, Due to traveling on the Mississippi, Huckleberry Finn goes through a series of life altering decisions which require him to think for himself. Mark Twain shows the concept of how morality must be developed only by one's self through Huckleberry Finn’s adventures.
Mark Twain suggests that originality cannot be developed in the presence of society. Floating down the river gives Huck the perfect …show more content…
It is only when Huck begins his secluded journey that he views life from a non-conformist way. “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterwards, neither. I didn’t do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn’t done that one if I’d a knowned it would make him feel that way” (Twain 89). After some time spent alone, Huck realizes that Tom is more of a person then he thought and deserves to be treated better. This never would have happened while entrenched in society as Huck could not escape the public opinion of how he should think of slaves. This is even more evident in Huck’s independent writing to Ms. Watson. “It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: “All right, then, I’ll go to hell”—and tore it up” (Twain 217). Huck realizes, in his letter to Ms. Watson, that he disagrees with what would be the public opinion, and goes to rescue Jim. This event was easily Huck’s most controversial in the book as at the time of publishment, slavery had just been abolished leaving many with extreme disagreement to Huck’s decision. Later on in the novel Huck is reintroduced to society …show more content…
Mark Twain sought to show the reader that morality is not something one should just take from others. It should instead be something developed out of one’s own mind. Independent of the era, everyone lives with a sense of morality. It is what guides them to make every important decision. By choosing to follow society in every decision one is not living their own life. Which is why forming one's own morality is essential to being an individual and being able to live the life they see