Many individuals often involve themselves in others personal details. If an individual does not act or believe the same as others, that individual is often excluded from society. Twain criticizes and chastises individuals for involving themselves in others personal details; he urges individuals to act indifferent and independent. Twain believes the church controls much of what society deems as correct and incorrect and urges others to act independent and create their own moral code. By integrating Huck's personal struggles related to his own survival and indecision between right and wrong, Twain reaches out to the individuals in society who also struggle with the moral code embedded into them. Twain believes individuals may create their own
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Is morality in an individual's nature? In Twain's novel, Huck depicts his nature as a factor in the formation of his morality. His father was an abusive alcoholic whom society regards as immoral and wrong by society, and Huck spent his early childhood watching and learning from him: “I used to be scared of him all the time, he tanned me so much” (Twain 31). Huck developed some of Pap's uncivil behaviors such as swearing and smoking but did not express any completely immoral behaviors towards others. During his time with The Widow, Huck learns the way of the civil society, and she attempts to teach him the acceptable Christian behaviors society recognizes as correct. Both Pap and The Widow attempt to teach Huck moral views, yet Huck does not conform to their …show more content…
The guilty conscience makes individuals feel guilty and wrong, hindering them from committing the same act, or from performing it at all. Guilt is a painful emotion to describe, and often individuals do not understand its origin in certain events: “To define "guilt" as an emotion is in itself considered a misuse of the word by that most elegant standard, the Oxford English Dictionary, which lists a number of definitions of "guilt," none of which include the emotional state” (Gaylin). Guilt causes trouble to cloud the mind, which originates from the conscience stating an individual has broken the moral code. Huck did not express any guilt when tricking others and lying, yet when the duke and king started to rob the girls, his moral code seemed to break, therefore causing him to feel guilt: “I felt so ornery and low down and mean, that I says to myself, My mind’s made up; I’ll hive that money for them or bust” (Twain 188). Without the guilty conscious hindering individuals from committing immoral acts, the moral code would have no importance nor life. The moral code informs individuals a particular act is wrong, but the moral code does not stop them; instead, it is the uncomfortable and heavy feeling of guilt that hinders them. If an individual continues committing immoral acts, the guilt will weigh him or her down to a certain point when he or she will not have the ability to handle it any longer.
Is morality in an individual's nature? In Twain's novel, Huck depicts his nature as a factor in the formation of his morality. His father was an abusive alcoholic whom society regards as immoral and wrong by society, and Huck spent his early childhood watching and learning from him: “I used to be scared of him all the time, he tanned me so much” (Twain 31). Huck developed some of Pap's uncivil behaviors such as swearing and smoking but did not express any completely immoral behaviors towards others. During his time with The Widow, Huck learns the way of the civil society, and she attempts to teach him the acceptable Christian behaviors society recognizes as correct. Both Pap and The Widow attempt to teach Huck moral views, yet Huck does not conform to their …show more content…
The guilty conscience makes individuals feel guilty and wrong, hindering them from committing the same act, or from performing it at all. Guilt is a painful emotion to describe, and often individuals do not understand its origin in certain events: “To define "guilt" as an emotion is in itself considered a misuse of the word by that most elegant standard, the Oxford English Dictionary, which lists a number of definitions of "guilt," none of which include the emotional state” (Gaylin). Guilt causes trouble to cloud the mind, which originates from the conscience stating an individual has broken the moral code. Huck did not express any guilt when tricking others and lying, yet when the duke and king started to rob the girls, his moral code seemed to break, therefore causing him to feel guilt: “I felt so ornery and low down and mean, that I says to myself, My mind’s made up; I’ll hive that money for them or bust” (Twain 188). Without the guilty conscious hindering individuals from committing immoral acts, the moral code would have no importance nor life. The moral code informs individuals a particular act is wrong, but the moral code does not stop them; instead, it is the uncomfortable and heavy feeling of guilt that hinders them. If an individual continues committing immoral acts, the guilt will weigh him or her down to a certain point when he or she will not have the ability to handle it any longer.