Quenton Meeks
10/31/13
Mr. Hall
Am-Lit
Maturing is a long and difficult process that we must all go through in life. Everybody develops at their own individual rates, and although the line between being a irrational child and being an adult is rather indistinct, there are specific traits and characteristics that all mature adults possess. Obtaining these morals and ideals can only be done through major life experiences. No one can grow up overnight; it is impossible but, as our prospective on life and the world around change, growing up is inevitable. In the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, the main character Huckleberry Finn embarks on his journey to maturity, and he starts to develop a more adult outlook on life by asserting himself as an individual and refuting the unjust morals of American Society.
Huck’s first step in the long process of growing up is shown when Huck discovers Jim, a runaway slave that is hiding on the same island he is. Huck converses with Jim and asks about how Jim got to the island they are both staying on. At first Jim decides he isn't going to tell Huck, but when Huck promises “not to tell a soul” (Twain 80), Jim confides in him that he has run off from the plantation he was enslaved on. Huck is shocked by this bit of information, and Jim reminds him that he promised not to tell. Huck responds by saying, "I said I wouldn't, and I'll stick to it. Honest Injun, I will. People will call me a low down abolishonist and despise me for keeping mum- but that don't make no difference. I ain't a going to tell." (Twain 88) Huck begins to realize the importance of keeping ones word. Young children run and tell things that happen to anyone with ears, and it is hard for them to keep promises. He realizes that the things he says affect others, and the fact he is now capable of understanding that shows that Huck is beginning to have a more mature view on life. He is also breaking down the barriers of racism by speaking with...