Huckleberry Finn Analysis

Middle school is one of the toughest times for many teenagers. Making new friends, learning to study and do homework, and navigating through increased peer pressure are just a few aspects of middle school, which leave eighth graders clawing at the doors to get out. The seemingly pointless struggles of middle school do, however, direct students to decide who they are as people, and how their surroundings affect that. In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, main character, Huck Finn, experiences a series of struggles, similar in meaning to middle schoolers’. Through Huck Finn’s experiences, author, Mark Twain, argues morals should be learned through oneself, rather than the influence of friends, family, or community.
During his life
When the duke and king pretend to be relatives of the late Peter Wilks to steal his money and property, friends and neighbors believe and support them. Despite this support, Huck feels terrible. Huck goes as far as to say the actions of the king and duke are “enough to make a body ashamed of the human race” (123). By realizing the atrocity of the king and the duke’s actions, regardless of the support of the neighbors, Huck stands against the morals of those around him and, eventually, tells the truth to Susan, one of Peter’s nieces. Huck realizes treating with others with kindness is more important to him than his own personal gain, something the duke and king lack. However, Huck doesn’t discriminate when it comes to treating others compassionately, which he reveals by feeling sympathetic toward the king and duke upon them receiving punishment for their crimes. Seeing the king and duke running through the town, tar and feathered, Huck learns “human beings can be awful cruel to one another,” (174) because he is sympathetic. Huck’s own morals contradict the feelings of many who want sinners and criminals to suffer, and again shows his belief he is equal to all those around him. Throughout his journey with Jim, Huck questions his own morality on multiple occasions because of his decision to help Jim. All of Huck’s life the church and
After becoming separated from Jim due to a heavy fog, Huck claims Jim dreamed the whole event. Realizing Huck was lying, Jim grew furious at Huck for worrying him and making him look like a fool. The maturity Huck presents during this situation clearly hurts Jim and demonstrates a lack of respect for others. Eventually, however, Huck decides to “humble [himself] to a [slave]” (65), and apologize to Jim for his behavior, showing he has learned from hurting Jim. Similar to the tricks Huck played on Jim, Huck, along with Tom, tricked Aunt Sally. After forcing Aunt Sally to miscount the number of spoons in her house multiple times, because Huck would slip one in his sleeve after she counted, Tom and Huck supposed they were “very well satisfied with this business” (193) because now they could steal as much as they needed. Giving into the pressure put on him by Tom, Huck completely disregards his own morals to treat others with kindness and to act with selflessness. However, only a few chapters later, when left by himself with Aunt Sally, Huck shows her sympathy for her worry over him and Tom. When trying to free Jim at the Phelps’, Huck steals a watermelon from the slave’s garden. Huck justifies his action by explaining he was simply borrowing it, he uses