Mark Twain's, "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," is a tale about a boy in search for a family and a place he can truly call home. Through his adventure, he rids himself of a father that is deemed despicable by society, and he gains a father that society hasn't even deemed as a man. This lonely and depressed young boy only finds true happiness when he is befriended with a slave named Jim. Although Huck Finn was born and raised into a racially oppressive society, it is through his personal growth that he realizes that the color of skin does not make a man, and he finds a father and true happiness in Jim. Throughout this tale Huckleberry Finn characterizes the American Ideals of independence, self-reliance, and nonconformity.
             After Huck escapes from his father, Twain introduces a stepping block of personal growth-Huck's new found independence. When Huck first arrives on the island he feels like he is the boss, like the island belongs to him. This, in fact, is part of the American dream. One needs to feel that they are their own person at some point in their lives. It is a human need to want to be in control of something. Huck gets this feeling of control by being in solitude on this island. However, begin in control does not necessarily mean that one does not need a friend. Solitude is good from time to time, however, people need to interact with other people. Huck finds quickly that even though he has found this independence he still longs for a friend.
             Huck finds Jim while searching the island. He quickly becomes fond of Jim. In the beginning stages of Huck and Jim's friendship Huck is rather ignorant to Jim. He doesn't quite view Jim as a full person yet. Eventually Huck begins to see Jim does have feelings and Huck can view him as a friend, even as kind of a father figure. Huck relies on his intuition to help him judge Jim for himself rather then what he has been told. However, he has grow...