In the novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain explores many themes, including that of man's search for freedom from society's immoral mandates. Huck's journey down the river is not only in search of Jim's physical freedom, but is also in search of his own moral and mental freedom. He begins to find this freedom by overcoming adversity, learning from the mistakes of others, and developing his friendship with the escaped slave, Jim. Through his journey down the river with Jim and its many trials and tribulations, Huck grows into a wiser, stronger, more mature person, and the novel reveals the repulsiveness of society.
             Though Huck finds himself in a similar situation at the end of the novel as the one he was in at the beginning, vital differences exist between the two. By the end of the novel, Huck and Jim treat each other much as they did on the raft, even though they now are back in society. On the raft and away from society, Huck and Jim are each other's peers, and treat each other accordingly. Once all realize that Jim is free at the end of the novel, Huck and Jim again treat each other as peers, both joking around and seriously conversing, as they did on the raft. In addition, Huck's life changes drastically because he gains freedom that he did not have before. At the end of the novel, Huck discovers that his father is dead, and fully acquires his money from Judge Thatcher. He no longer has to hide from his father and his past, and can instead look to the future, while keeping the lessons he has learned from his often-troublesome experiences.
             Huck's journey exposes him to the brutal realities of society and uncovers its many shortcomings for him. First of all, Huck sees firsthand the deception that many employ in day-to-day life, and its disastrous effects. When the king and the duke first join Huck and Jim on the raft, the freedom Huck and Jim enjoy begins to decay...