Huckleberry Finn and the Villa
Huckleberry Finn and the Village MoresSince time immemorial, human beings have bonded together, forming societies and institutions that no one can escape. Religions and governments have developed and changed throughout the centuries. The population of the time invariably conforms to the image of its society, but there is always an outsider, a freethinker. A revolutionary figure consistently rises from the status quo and contests the beliefs and moral codes of the society to which he belongs. Every era has had its Abraham, Socrates, or Thoreau, and post-civil war America boasts Mark Twain, or more appropriately, Huckleberry Finn. Vernon L. Parrington once said of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, "It is a drama of the struggle between the individual and the village mores." The book, although satirical at times, is certainly considered a dramatic epic describing American society and the conflicting views of the time. Huck is an unlettered, street-smart realist. Throughout the book, he is forced to make decisions that conflict with the conventions of his world, such as old-time religion, slavery, and even basic ideals like the treatment of other people. In order to understand the struggle that commence
The main plot consists of Huck and Jim escaping down the Mississippi River to freedom, Huck from society and Jim from slavery. He can not stand to see three innocent girls' lives ruined by some selfish old men. Huckleberry Finn is a revolutionary character because he is the embodiment of rebellion against such conformity. Yet he does not remain separate from society; he grows up believing he is somehow inferior to the "learned" children. In the Deep South during the mid-1800's, Protestant Christianity ruled supreme. " To Huck's simple mind, stating that he would like to go to hell is a simple declaration of boredom; he wants to be somewhere else. For instance, he admits to stealing chickens, citing his father's old excuses as his reasoning. s in the book, one must understand the character of Huck. In response to the Shepherdson-Grangerford feud, and more specifically the death of his friend Buck, he says, "It made me so sick I most fell out of the tree. In the book, this institution is constantly affecting Huck. Despite his good heart, Huck is not always victorious in his battles against society, as when he breaks laws unnecessarily. Everything Huck has ever learned is telling him that if he does not return Jim, a fugitive slave, and yet a person that he has grown to love and admire, to his rightful owner that he will go to hell and be ostracized from his community. He often comments that his friend Tom could carry out his plots better than he could, and frequently takes on a subservient role. " Another element of society that Huck is trying to escape is the way humans treat one another. He nearly raised himself, living off the land and on the streets most of his life, while occasionally receiving a beating from his ignorant, ruthless father.
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Miss Watson,
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Acceptance Essays
