How Did Tom Sawyer Influence Huck Finn

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The Influence of Tom Sawyer on Huck Finn Throughout history, people's moral behavior has been influenced, both positively and negatively, by their peers. This growth in ethics is modeled by Kohlberg's theory of moral development. Six stages, with two in each level, show basic decision-making change into complex reasoning. Each stage is reached as one matures, although Kohlberg notes that most adults do not reach stage five or six. In Mark Twain's bildungsroman, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck Finn's moral development, dictated by his interactions with Tom Sawyer, can be analyzed through this theory. When he is with his domineering friend, Huck has a low moral development that increases when he spends time on his own. Huck's ethical capacity expands greatly when he is not under the influence of Tom Sawyer.
At the beginning of the novel, Huck is in contact with Tom and exhibits behavior representative of Kohlberg's third moral stage, the desire to please …show more content…
Stage six, the “universal principles” stage states that those in stage six believe in justice for people who are not represented (Crain 123). Huck demonstrates this by following his conscience and making choices regardless of what may happen to him. "I says to myself, this is another one that I'm letting him rob her of her money.... I felt so ornery and low down and mean, that I says to myself, my mind's made up; I'll hive that money out for them or bust." (Twain 206). Huck believes he has a moral obligation to help the sisters and follows through. Huck shows signs of stage six behavior, the conscience guides decision-making, here, "if one acts otherwise, self-condemnation and guilt result" (Haverford 2). Huck understands definitive bounds between right and wrong and feels guilt when he acts against his beliefs. This level, achieved because of Tom's long absence, regresses when he
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