The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a story about a boy without a family who teams up with a black slave and journeys down the Mississippi River in search for the slave's freedom, and the boy's independence in his escape from society. Throughout the journey down the river, Huck, who is a white boy, matures constantly and becomes more independent. He also produces a great friendship with Jim, the slave. The two of them encounter the adventure of their lives, and escape many close calls of being caught, or being recognized by authorities. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain displays how punishment for breaking laws and rules was extremely violent and strict during the nineteenth century. The methods of punishment used today have changed a great deal; there are many reasons behind the change in disciplinary techniques used then and now.
             Mark Twain does a superb job revealing how violent and strict punishment was during the nineteenth century. Huck was constantly punished cruelly for breaking rules set by his guardians. When he got tired of school he played hooky, and the next day he received a hiding from the widow Douglas. When Huck stayed with his Pap he was beaten time after time for attending school, because Pap didn't approve of it. Pap warned him, "If I catch you about that school I'll tan you good". He caught Huck a couple of times and thrashed him, but huck kept going to school just the same. Huck stated," I used to be scared of him all the time; he tanned me so much. By and by Pap got too handy with his hickory, and I couldn't stand it. I was all over welts." Once Pap threatened to cowhide Huck until he was black and blue if he didn't raise money for him (13-21). People who broke rules during this period were strictly punished, most often in violent ways. Vigilance groups were active in frontier areas, where vigilantes would often capture a susp...