Social Freedom in Huck Finn

Social Freedom in Huck Finn

  • Submitted By: rhurlbut
  • Date Submitted: 12/04/2008 6:54 PM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 1219
  • Page: 5
  • Views: 827

One of the most prominent themes in Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, is freedom. To specify freedom in this paper, it is Huck’s conflict with his individual freedom over the evil limitations and immoral restrictions of society. His thirst for freedom and his struggle to distance himself from society forces Huck into many predicaments and conflicts which lead him into wild adventures. Though many people would argue that racism and slavery are the main them, I believe it is more Huck's struggle for absolute individual freedom. He is forced to face a number of different aspects of society, which make him choose between living a civilized life or a life of his own accord.
In “Huck Finn”, Huck is not raised within the traditional ways of civilization. Huck basically raises himself, relying on his instinct, and genuine morals to guide him through his life. It is portrayed numerous times in the novel that Huck chooses to follow his innate sense of wrong and right. However, he doesn’t realize that his own values and instincts are actually more moralistic than society itself. Huck states in the beginning of the novel, “The widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me…I got into my old rags and my sugar hogshead again, and was free and satisfied” (7). Huck feels satisfied with being an outcast and not conforming to society. Huck lives with Miss Watson and is constantly receiving critiques from her to conform to conventional society. Yet Huck is so used to being free that he perceives the Widow Douglas’ protection in terms of confinement from his happiness. When Huck wants to smoke or put his feet up on the table, Miss Douglas won’t allow him to and nags him constantly. Huck’s character explains, “Miss Watson would say, “Don’t put your feet up there, Huckleberry;” and “Don’t scrunch up like that Huckleberry—set up straight;” and pretty soon she would say, “Don’t gap and stretch like that, Huckleberry – why don’t you try and...

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