KidLit Forum

In this book we can notice another type of difference; that caused by race. We know that the novel was written at a time when the South was still struggling with problems of racism. Even if at that time slavery was, officialy, abolished, the South continued to opress slaves (see Jim Crow Laws). It is amazing how successfully the society is described. We deal with a sick one, a world of moral confusion in which there is no limit between good or bad. It is sad to see good persons, such as Ms Watson, that are unable to observe the injustices of slavery. For example she cannot sense the fact that Jim is a noble person who does not deserve to be separated from his wife and children. Another episode that ilustrates a confused world...is that in which the legal authorities decide to give Huckʼs custody to his drunken father, who frequently abuses him.
Another major theme is the one of moral development. This is a bildungsroman because it deals with the maturation of its main character. Even if he is an uneducated boy, too young to take care for himself alone, Huck notices the innability of such a degradated world to look honestly afer his interests. Even if he is a white man, he is still considered an outcast who needs to be sivilized. Because he is open minded, young enough to be free of prejudices, Huch can overcome racism. Although, at first he questions the ideea of helping a -property- to escape, he is able to go beneath the appearance and realize that Jim is as miserable as him. The two boys are very much alike; both of them are looking for freedom, a concept that is represented by the river Mississippi.

Racism and slavery are the dominant themes in The Adventures of Hucklebbery Finn by Mark Twain. Huck cames from a poor family and his father is a drunker, but he keeps telling that he does not want to be "sivilized" by the widow who takes care of him, although he learns something in the period he stays in widow's home. Because of the hard times and his clear desire to freedom, Huck runs away with Jim, a slave. At the end of this adventure, Tom and Huck would like to go on another adventure. The adventurer spirit never calms down. Huck enjoys freedom so he expresses again his wish to not be civilized "But I reckon I got light out for the territory ahead of the rest because aunt Sally she's going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can stand it. I've been there before."
His father is a bad example for him, not just because he is a drunker but also because he comes to his son asking for money, thinking that he is rich. He beats him, kidnapes and hides him in the wood and with all of these the judge accords to Pap the custody. Huck learns to read people so he does not trust into almost nobody(just in Tom and Jim). Huck gives proof of cleverness when he frames his death before he runs away.

When I first read the book years ago, I hadn't analised it the way I did this time, being aware of the language used. Then, I simply saw the adventures Huck takes part just because he wanted to be a free non-sivilized boy, but when I re-read it I realised I missed so many important facts, that sensitized my feelings and got deep into my head, the struggle Huck had to take whether to stay with Pip although he's beaten, or to stay with miss Watson and try to be a good boy and do the right thing although the right legal thing perceived by her is not always morally correct...The freedom he wants together with Jim, helping him to get away of being sold, and all the troubles they get into on their way to Freedom.
For them the Mississippi River is Freedom but their raft is the limitation of freedom...

Jim is Huck's friend and companion in their travel down the river. At first sight Jim seems having ridiculous superstitions but then we found out that he is talking about the society in that period. During their travel Jim becomes Huck's friend and in the same time we can say a father (that Huck never had), taking care of him, cooking for him and protecting him.And his humanity goes up to hide from Huck that the dead person they found in that house was Pap, Huck's father, in order to protect him from suffering. And we can see in their relationship that humanity has nothing to do with race,

I think that this novel is a bildungsroman because it presents the development of an individual. Huck is a poor boy and he does not have education. The society doesn't treat him very well. Huck never follows the rules of the society,he makes his own decisions, he chooses to pay for his actions, and he is prepared to face the consequences.
Superstitions also play an important role in this novel. Huck's friend Jim believes in superstitions. Jim is a loyal friend and he always acts as a noble man. He is also aware of his situation and he must find a way to make his dreams come true. But the people around him does not care about his dreams because he is a slave and we all know that no one cares about a slave's dreams or feelings. Back then, the slaves were treated just like animals, no one cared about their feelings. It is interesting that even if Huck and Jim had a sad life, they did not give up, they always had a hope. They did not lose their faith in humanity. There are people who have lost their faith in humanity after they went through these kind of problems.

The main character of the story, Huck, believes that the laws of society are just, he condemns himself as a traitor and a villain for acting against them and aiding Jim. More important, Huck believes that he will lose his chance at Providence by helping a slave. When Huck declares, "All right, then, I'll go to hell," he refuses his place in society and heaven, and the magnitude of his decision is what solidifies his role as a heroic figure.

In the book entitled 'Adventures of HuckeberryFin' we can observe the need of society to civilize. The racism is pronounced and Blacks are seen as cheap labor hand. Huck doesn't want to be 'sivilized'. It is interesting that this action of civilizing don't target only black persons, but whites too.MS. Watson was a good woman but she didn't consider her slave situation. As a white person with racial concepts despite the fact she was good inside her hart could separate Jim from his beloved wife and children.
It was difficult for Huck too. On one hand he relied on Jim for protection and help but on another hand he had to struggle the preconception of his society. Another white would give the slave to authorities. This book raises many difficult issues and is interesting to be discuss in terms of minority and gender.

I think that the author was to cruel in some scenes of the book. For instance in the part where Huck killed the peacock in order to run away from his father. In some scenes is exagerating with the self-guilt, when Huck helps Jim escape because here I can't see why the main character feels guilty because he is simply helping a friend.