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 prominent theme throughout much of the story.
             Huck and Jim seem to be happiest and most at peace when on the river. Although probably not to the point of having its own personality, the river has a deeper meaning than just water and mud. It provides the two characters a means of escape. 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. Huck senses this truth when he mentions how "other places feel so cramped and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft."(96) He resents the objectives and beliefs and the so-called "civilized" people of the society...