Especially significant in Huck’s “illuminating incident” (Wharton), when he makes the decision to tear up the letter, is his memory of the episode with the slave catchers when Huck is so struck by Jim’s declaration that Huck is the “‘...de ole true Huck; de on’y white genlman dat ever kep’ his promise to ole Jim’” (92) that he cannot bring himself to leave Jim to the slave-catchers. During his “illuminating incident” (Wharton), Huck embodies Twain’s belief that “all moral perceptions are acquired by the influences around us; these influences begin in infancy; we never get a chance to find out whether we have any that are innate or not” (O’Keefe 28 Sept. 2015). In his essential conflict of a “deformed conscience versus a sound heart” (O’Keefe.
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Transcendentalism emphasizes the self-reliance of the individual, or the foremost sanctity of “the integrity of your mind” (Emerson 365). In Scarlet Letter, Hester morphs the significance of the scarlet letter from a symbol of adultery to a symbol of ability or angelicness () through her charity work, morphing, as an individual, society’s perception of her scarlet letter as a symbol to be ashamed of, into “type of something to be sorrowed over, and looked upon with awe, yet with reverence too” (Hawthorne 257). In this way, Hester embodies the Transcendentalist ideal of the individual, using her actions as an individual to change society’s perception of her. Similarly, Huck’s frequent struggles with his “deformed conscience” (O’Keefe. 29 Sept. 2015) also reflect the principles of Transcendentalism. His pragmatic attitude and decision to ignore his society’s teaching that helping slaves is immoral in his “illuminating incident” (Wharton) show his recognition of that “Good and bad are but names very readily transferred to that or this” (Emerson 365). Nevertheless, Huck and Hester are unable to transcend, unable to “trust [themselves]” (Emerson 364). Hester returns to Boston, for “Here had been her sin; here, her sorrow; and here was …show more content…
Hester dies in the same town where she first receives her letter and Huck is afloat away from society on the same river where the novel began. The conclusions of these novels provide what is perhaps the most powerful aspect of Twain and Hawthorne’s social commentary: Huck and Hester are never able to transcend, to “fully trust the integrity of [their] minds” (Emerson 365). The power and influence it exerts over us all is too profound to ever surmount. In an era when race and materialism are as pertinent subjects as ever, our changes to the American society will be our “illuminating incidents”
Transcendentalism emphasizes the self-reliance of the individual, or the foremost sanctity of “the integrity of your mind” (Emerson 365). In Scarlet Letter, Hester morphs the significance of the scarlet letter from a symbol of adultery to a symbol of ability or angelicness () through her charity work, morphing, as an individual, society’s perception of her scarlet letter as a symbol to be ashamed of, into “type of something to be sorrowed over, and looked upon with awe, yet with reverence too” (Hawthorne 257). In this way, Hester embodies the Transcendentalist ideal of the individual, using her actions as an individual to change society’s perception of her. Similarly, Huck’s frequent struggles with his “deformed conscience” (O’Keefe. 29 Sept. 2015) also reflect the principles of Transcendentalism. His pragmatic attitude and decision to ignore his society’s teaching that helping slaves is immoral in his “illuminating incident” (Wharton) show his recognition of that “Good and bad are but names very readily transferred to that or this” (Emerson 365). Nevertheless, Huck and Hester are unable to transcend, unable to “trust [themselves]” (Emerson 364). Hester returns to Boston, for “Here had been her sin; here, her sorrow; and here was …show more content…
Hester dies in the same town where she first receives her letter and Huck is afloat away from society on the same river where the novel began. The conclusions of these novels provide what is perhaps the most powerful aspect of Twain and Hawthorne’s social commentary: Huck and Hester are never able to transcend, to “fully trust the integrity of [their] minds” (Emerson 365). The power and influence it exerts over us all is too profound to ever surmount. In an era when race and materialism are as pertinent subjects as ever, our changes to the American society will be our “illuminating incidents”