Huck Finn
is perhaps the most powerful character that exists in all of literature and even in the modern world. Its influence of ideals has become so powerful that many follow it willingly, obeying the commands of a common culture without having to be instructed by any greater or superior authoritative figures. Mark Twain uses society, its social structure, and its influences as a character opposite of Huckleberry Finn's non-"normative" role. Throughout Huckleberry Finn, Huck is pitted against society's influence in his encounters with the strange, stereotypical people he meets along the Mississippi River. These people reflect many common social values, such as conformity, racism, and negligence of nightmares and frightening images; Huck, however, uses his individualism to avoid the cloud of society, relying on his instincts to guide him through life and fend off the nonsensical ideas which he chooses not to believe. As Huck departs on his journey, he intends to and does liberate himself from the reigns of society, using his strong individual character to overcome social barriers. Society, in return, chooses to ignore Huck and his individualism, removing him from the structure that Huck so desperately fears. He does, however, come to rea
After Pap's reappearance, Judge Thatcher awards custody of Huck to Pap, who said that he "had been a man that had always been misunderstood before" (33). He abides by his innate sense of right and wrong, making moral decisions which surpass the standards that society has set. He justifies his decision by thinking that he'd feel the same amount of guilt had he turned in Jim. Just as Huck refuses to conform to the social structure of the Southern culture, society rejects him by ignoring his situation, further demonstrating that the people are all conformists and have no moral bearing. In the rural South of the mid-1800's, blacks were still considered inferior and almost everyone had extreme prejudices against them. Huck was a prisoner under Pap's control, as he "kept [him] with him all the time, and [he] never got a chance to run off" (36). Huck writes a letter to Miss Watson, asking her to free Jim; after thinking about the letter for several minutes though, Huck boldly states, "'All right, then, I'll go to hell'" (253) before tearing up the letter. As Huck travels along the Mississippi River, he does find the freedom from society that he has been looking for, but he is not entirely oblivious of social values as the influence of society is evident in some of his actions. It is unfortunate that while Huck chooses to detach himself from society, society and its conforming people act against Huck, showing him little attention and care. Pap was obviously abusive of Huck, and although he agreed to stop drinking, he later bought a jug of "forty-rod" and was so drunk that he fell off the porch. Everyone in town was aware of Huck's miserable life with his Pap, but, fooled by his testimony, they allowed him to have Huck back. Huck views society as wanting to uphold silly ideas such as racism and put aside important values such as responsibility, giving him more reasons to wish to detach himself. Many times throughout the novel, Huck forces Jim to hide because his fugitive slave status would get him into a lot of trouble. The restrictions appear again when Miss Watson scolds him and tells him not to put his feet up, to sit up straight, and to behave. Huck grew up on his own, uncivilized in manner and habit and detached from the structure and ideals of society.
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