Mississippi River Symbolism In Huckleberry Finn

The great philosopher Albert Camus once said that “The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion”. In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huckleberry Finn’s very existence can be seen as a rebellion against life itself. Huck had faked his death in the beginning of the story to escape his abusive father and the restricted “sivilized” life he lived in St. Petersburg. Throughout the story, Huck is thought to be dead, and as a result, he must continue this deception in order to successfully escape his old life. Along the way, he meets the runaway slave named Jim, and the two sail the Mississippi River on a raft, hoping to go to Ohio. At first glance, the Mississippi River is …show more content…
Early on in the story Huckleberry Finn and Jim sail down the river in order to escape their current life and be free in not only their present life but their future as well. At first, the Mississippi River is the ultimate symbol of freedom. Huckleberry Finn, who was previously restricted in his life with Pap and the Widow Douglas, loved the feeling of freedom on the river. Mark Twain was able to convey his feeling of jubilation by writing Huck’s first impression: “So in two seconds away we went a-sliding down the river, and it did seem so good to be free again and all by ourselves on the big river, and nobody to bother us.” (29) The two get their first taste of freedom as they realize that they are alone on their raft with not a single soul in sight. Much like the river, however, freedom only seemed to be beautiful at first glance. They soon find that their freedom is but an illusion, just waiting to be shattered. The Mississippi River, being a part of nature, is not only beautiful but dangerous as well. Disaster quickly strikes on their journey. Not only does the river floods, bringing Huck and Jim into contact with criminals, wrecks, and other dangers, a thick fog causes them to miss the mouth of the Ohio River, which was to be their route to freedom and begins their trail back to the South. The experiences that the river has led Huck to have matured Huck greatly, improving his …show more content…
For Huckleberry Finn, it is the place that he feels the most relaxed, far away from society’s restrictive ways. The river is progressive, fluid, and versatile, which seems to have passed on its traits to Huck himself. Huck learns to be fluid and versatile in any situation he faces, all the while remaining progressive towards his end goal. However, the river is not a friend to Huck, as its unpredictableness causes Huck to be separated from Jim. When he is completely alone, Huck realizes that while he yearns to be free, he does not want to be isolated from the rest of the world. The Mississippi River is the ultimate symbol of freedom. It represents the beauty and dangers of absolute freedom and shows that it must be carefully navigated if one wants to truly experience freedom in the most optimal way