Huck Finn and Kohlberg's Theory

             Several decades ago, Lawrence Kohlberg proposed that people progressed in their moral reasoning through a series of stages. These six steps brought a person from an egocentric mentality to one that is concerned with the well being of others. He further divided the six stages into three levels: premoral, conventional, and principled morality. Kohlberg believed that the stages were sequential, or one couldn't advance from stage 1 to 3 without first experiencing stage 2. He also believed that social interaction promoted the individual's moral growth. The theme of moral growth plays a prominent role in Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. Kohlberg's Theory helps the reader understand the complexity of Huck's character. The novel chronicles Huck's dramatic moral experiences and changes throughout the novel as his conscience matures.
             However, Huck doesn't always progress in Kohlberg's prescribed order. Huck's moral development is erratic; he jumps from one stage to another and back again. Perhaps this is because he is only child, and his conscience still has a lot of development ahead. As a youth, Huck is easily influenced by society. Therefore he is subjected to frequently shifting opinions of moral stance. Also, Huck Finn's morality evolves as he interacts with different people along his journey. For example, he is touched by the kindness shown to him by the Grangerfords and Aunt Sally. This will eventually affect his relationship with Jim and Huck's decision of whether or not to free Jim.
             The first level of Kohlberg's theory consists of the premoral stages. The individual is self-centered and just looking out for that one's own good. In Stage One, he/she focuses on avoiding punishment by doing what they're told by an authority figure. At the beginning of the novel, Widow Douglas tries to "sivilize" Huck, or conform him to society's ...

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Huck Finn and Kohlberg's Theory. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 10:11, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/93351.html