Huck Finn Essay

Submitted By heyyara
Words: 1247
Pages: 5
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Yara Mohamad
Mrs.Madden
English Honors
16 October 2012
The Puzzle To Society's Downfall The more society decides to ignore the way people act, the more noticeable their flaws are. Mark Twain demonstrates this in his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain criticizes society and slavery and implies it to society's downfall throughout his book using a youthful boy, named Huck, who is still learning about society, and a caring black man named Jim. As both leave to find freedom, Huck and Jim find how each city they visit carries people who act immorally. Pride, ignorance, and greed can cause people to act immorally leading to society's downfall. Pride isn't always good due to the fact that it can cause people to act immorally in order to sustain their pride. Although each person should have pride in oneself, sometimes people are afraid to admit mistakes because they want to keep their pride. Twain imbed this idea when the Duke and Dauphin put on a rip off show and rip off the towns people. "'We are sold - mighty badly sold. But we don't want to be the laughing-stock of this whole town, I reckon, and never hear the last of this thing as long as we live.'" preached a townsfolk (114) The towns people are too prideful to let everyone know that they lost their money to a rip off show so instead they decide that if everyone else is ripped off too then they won't feel as dumb for falling for such an act. "'No, what we want, is to go out of here quiet, and talk this show up and sell the rest of the town!'" shouted a townsfolk (114) Twain's purpose in doing so is to show that society wasn't going to evolve and learn from mistakes because people would do anything, including immoral things, to keep their pride. Proving how immoral society really was. The only good pride demonstrated in the book was Huck's pride and the way he acted towards Jim. Huck was prideful in a sense that he was doing the right thing. There was a point in the book where Huck didn't know whether to turn Jim in or not. there was the pride in his heart, and the pride in his head. Huck stayed true to Jim and didn't turn him in. "'Dah you goes, de ole true Huck; de on'y white genleman dat ever kep his promises to ole Jim."' Jim said (124) But the reader can see that Huck is the only character that demonstrates good pride, which Twain shows to demonstrate if people were more like Huck then society would be this extreme of immoral. Huck's decision really made Jim understand that not all white man are the same even though it seems to be that way. A lot of characters demonstrate immorality because they have a selfish and excessive desire for more of something than is needed, otherwise known as, greed. As society develops the reason people don't develop the way they should is because they're not being raised the right way. Twain brings this issue into the book by creating Pap. Now parents want their kids educated where as Pap is angry that his son is more educated than he was. "'I'll learn people to bring up a boy to put on airs over his own father and let on the be better'n what he is'" mumbled Pap (15) In a correct parenthood, that would be the goal. Where Pap treats it as a terrible thing. The only reason Pap comes back is for Huck's money. "'That's why I come. You git me that money tomorrow- I want it.'" demanded Pap (15) which doesn't present him as a fatherly figure to Huck. Twain criticizes the way parents can greatly influence a child's life but that people can still be morally good inside because although Huck grew up with a terrible father and no mother he turns out to be one of the most compassionate characters in the story. Although he doesn't have a father, having a companion is all some people need sometimes. Huck didn't have Jim at first so he wasn't very compassionate until he met him. "'When it was dark I set by my camp fire smoking, and feeling pretty well satisfied; but by and by it got sort of lonesome, and so I went and set on the bank an
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