Mark Twain's, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, recounts the stories of Huck Finn's adventures down the Mississippi River. The story is set in the town of St. Petersburg during the American pre civil war era, when slavery was legal and the heart of the south was the Mississippi River. Twain attempts to make this book appear as the simple narration of Huck as he recalls his adventures, though Twain uses his characters and settings as an analogy to a much bigger picture of the south and its social codes. Though the Widow Douglas adopted Huck and tried to "reform" his ways, he remains an outsider in society. Through Huck's ability to separate from society, Twain illustrates that civilized society is marked by, "cowardice, a lack of knowledge, and profound selfishness."
             Huck Finn was born into the lowest level of white society. His father, Pap, who was a drunkard would appear from time to time in Huck's life, but never showed any characteristics of a father figure. Huck lives with the Widow Douglas and is taught to read and write, until Pap reappears into his life. Pap begins to attempt to gain legal custody of Huck due to a large fortune Huck gained in a previous adventure with his friend, Tom Sawyer. The Widow Douglas and Judge Thatcher fight for Huck's custody; yet the new judge believes Pap's "rights" to his son are more important than Huck's welfare. Pap's "rights" to Huck are the same "rights" a white man had to own a slave, which was considered to be property. Twain chooses Pap's "rights" over Huck's welfare to illustrate that no civilized society owning slaves can be just, no matter how much they believe they are.
             After faking his own death to escape Pap, Huck hides on Jackson's island where he meets Jim, Miss Watson&ap
             ...