Huck Finn essay- morals and society
Samuel Clemens tells us in his novel Huckleberry Finn that morality and moral values can be derived from common sense about right and wrong that comes from the conscience. He developed three characters, Huck, Jim, and Tom, with different moral values. While each of these three character's moral outlook and beliefs are different, they all intertwine around a main focus, doing the right thing verses doing the wrong thing. Due to their different backgrounds, they all viewed society differently. During the era in which this novel takes place, just before the Civil War, society had reached a point where morality and doing the right thing seemed unimportant. Drunkenness, selfishness, cruelty, lying, stealing, discrimination and slavery were almost accepted behavior. Immorality could be accepted as normal for society. In contrast, good moral behavior, judgment and beliefs often stood in contrast to the norm for society. As the novel Huckleberry Finn unfolds, the reader sees the contrasting moral values evolve from the characters' words and actions.Tom Sawyer derived his moral values based upon what he read in adventure novels. The adventure heroes and the good and evil represented in the fantasy books captiva
Huck thought he was morally doing the right thing. Huck was confused as to what he believed. In the presence of Tom, Huck did what he was told and followed his lead; "it ain't no use to try to learn you nothing, Huck. He followed the guide of whomever he was around. They wasted days following ridiculous ideas when it would have been much easier to just open the door. However, he ultimately ripped the letter up and said " all right then, I'll go to hell". He treated Jim as an object rather than a human being, which in society's view may have been acceptable but in truth was deeply immoral. Huck's views of right and wrong changed as he was faced with both the positive and the negative aspects of society. However, there was a gut feeling or conscience that provided him a logical sense of right and wrong. In reality, getting rid of the letter was morally correct, regardless of society's view. Huck wrote a letter to Jim's former slaveholder telling her that Jim had been captured.
Common topics in this essay:
Huck Jim,
Phelpe's Tom,
Jim Huck,
Huck Run,
Huck Tom,
Tom Sawyer,
Civil War,
Huckleberry Finn,
Jim Tom,
Jim Jim's,
huck jim,
moral values,
jim huck,
huck tom,
moral character,
novel huckleberry finn,
sense wrong,
tom moral,
society's view,
society huck,
jim huck jim,
adventure novels,
|