The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: River vs. Land
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: River vs. Land In the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain throws the curious yet innocent mind of Huck Finn out into a very hypocritical, judgmental, and hostile world, yet Huck has one escape--the Mississippi River constantly flowing nearby. Here nature is presented as a thought provoking environment when experienced alone. The river is quiet and peaceful place where Huck can revert to examine any predicament he might find himself in. The natural flowing and calm of the river causes this deep-thought, showing how unnatural the collective thought of a society can be. Huck is at a point in his life where opinions are formed, and by growing on the river, Huck can stand back from society and form his own. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn teaches an important lesson, one that shows the importance of the self in the maturing process. We see Huck grow up by having the river as a place of solitude and thought, where he is able to participate in society at times, and also sit back !and observe society. Nature, peace, and logic are presented in the form of the river where Huck goes to think. In Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the river plays many roles and holds a
In contrast to the river's peaceful qualities and possible moral interpretations, the river is also a source of danger, and the threat is ever-present. He also seems to enjoy things quiet, which people do not tend to be. For Huck and Jim, the benefits of their detachment from land society and its evils seems to greatly outweigh the perils of remaining on the river. There is also the threat of Huck and Jim losing sight of one another because "you couldn't see twenty yards"(68) in the fog and being separated from each other for good. "(96) He resents the objectives and beliefs and the so-called "civilized" people of the society around him. Although probably not to the point of having its own personality, the river has a deeper meaning than just water and mud. "(96) With just himself and Jim on the raft, things surely would tend to be quiet more often than not because two people eventually run out of things to talk about, as opposed to the many mixed conversations of large company. Although quite constrained in its capacity to provide freedom of movement, the raft affords Huck and Jim a certain amount of freedom in actions, words, and emotions. If it is too close to shore, it could be thrown into the shore, completely destroying it, or penned against a large rock like the ship with the murderers on it. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft. Then there is the threat of larger boats. "(97) Huck becomes so engrossed in the good !moments that he forgets how they have to constantly be on the watch for others on the river. After the storm and fog in which Huck and Jim are separated, Huck returns to find the raft with one of the steering oars smashed off, "and the raft was littered up with leaves and branches and dirt. The river is the only form of separation from this society which Huck has access to, but it still does not completely separate them from what they disbelieve! in. He likes to be free from the restrictions of others and be himself.
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Acceptance Essays
