Importance Of Moral Lessons In Huck Finn

Out of the many required reading bookings in high school, only a handful have enough controversial content to spark a debate that has lasted decades. The satirical novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain should be retained in the FUHSD reading list due to the historical relevance and important moral lessons taught in the novel, two important traits to have in a novel taught in standard high school curriculums. The historical relevance in the controversial content throughout the novel showcases the importance of harsh realities of living in the South during the 1840s as an African American. The novel also brings out important moral lessons which helps the protagonist, Huck, develop morally into an emotionally stronger …show more content…
When Huck stays with the Grangerfords, he begins to understand the meaning of death. Huck reacts to Emmeline Grangerford’s death, thinking to himself that “Poor Emmeline made poetry about all the dead people when she was alive, and it didn't seem right that there warn't nobody to make some about her now she was gone; so I tried to sweat out a verse or two myself” (104). Huck has a personal response to the death of Emmeline even though he has never met her. This demonstrates the growth of Huck from the beginning of the book from when he learns Moses died and immediately loses interest in him. Twain also utilizes naive narration when Huck finally understands that when someone dies, their memories do not die with them. As a result, this makes him emotionally stronger and prepares him for the losses he will experience later in life. To continue, in the beginning of the novel Huck goes through a dilemma with deciding whether to turn Jim in or let him continue traveling with him. He ultimately does not turn Jim in, but due to guilt, not out of moral righteousness. At the end of the novel, Huck’s decision between turning Jim in or granting his freedom, he chose to grant Jim’s freedom, with the morally correct reasons: “‘He was so grateful, and said I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the only one he’s got now; and then I happened to look around and see that paper… ‘All right, then, I’ll go to hell’-and tore it up’” (214). Huck uses empirical thought to choose friendship over the law when he realizes that Jim should not be treated as a slave, but as the best friend Jim has been treating him as well demonstrating Huck’s moral transformation. Even though having the thought of turning in the man that stuck with him throughout his hardships can also demonstrate Huck morally regressing, he understands that Jim does not deserve to be