Closing the Gap
Throughout the 19th century, it was a time where America was becoming its own country. People were really starting to build their own worlds, some more than others. There was still a barrier though, due to money and status. This period was the start of something new; some of those walls were being brought down with the help of unions and the emergence of the middle class and. I believe these changes can be tied to the story Huckleberry Finn because the Mississippi River was an escape and when on the raft the barriers were brought down.
First I would like to talk about how the story connects to unionization and the emergence of the middle class. This was a time in history that people for the first time had a choice in their own lives. Instead of working 60 to 70 hours a week, their time was cut to 40 hours. There was more time to spend doing what you wanted to do. This was also a time when people got to build their own identity and bring equality closer. Whether it be with the clothes they wore to the leisure activities they participated in. The River enables them to find their escape from the barbarism of their society. For Huck and Jim before the river, they basically had no choices of their own. They were forces to live a life that was taking away their freedom. Jim obviously was forced into slavery, like most African Americans were. He forced to live a life for torture and pain because of the color of his skin. Before the River he never had the chance to build his own identity and make a live for himself. As for Huck he lived in a world were the without choice his fathers
Dunn 2
burdens were placed upon him. Once on the River they were "all alone", they didn't have a slave master or a father to tell them what to do. Also in most societies these two men would not be seen as equal. Once on the raft, I believe that equality came. They knew that one another were searching for a new life and that brought them together. Also another point...