Preview

Huckleberry Finn Escape Theme Essay

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1780 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Huckleberry Finn Escape Theme Essay
How is the theme Escape shown in both ‘Catcher in the Rye’ and ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’?

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain are both examples of coming of age novels; both express each protagonist’s journey to adulthood and the lesson of listening to one’s conscience. The theme ‘Escape’ is portrayed thoroughly throughout both novels. However, the theme ‘Escape’ is not only displayed physically; it is also presented psychologically. Initially, ‘Escape’ begins in ‘Catcher’, due to the fact that it is displayed physically when Holden Caulfield (the protagonist) leaves Pencey Prep; the third school he has been expelled from. Holden is presented as a rebellious teenager from …show more content…
Holden lies to her about being expelled from school and manufactures an entire story which includes a ‘phoney’ name; ‘Rudolf Schmidt’ and deceitfully describing how he was suffering with a tumour. Holden lies but then contradicts himself by stating: ‘I swear to god…’ This is also ironic because he believes people are phoney, but he conjures up a bogus name and creates an insincere lie about being ill, however he always justifies his truthful statements by saying ‘…I swear to God’ or ‘…I really did…’- An example of this is shown in my chosen extract, Holden Says: ‘But I’m crazy. I swear to God I am…’ This implies that Holden has to convince others that he is being honest and even has to convince himself when he is telling the truth. Perhaps Holden contemplates whether people are going to believe him because he knows he is a compulsive liar. Perhaps this justifies the reasoning behind him wanting the world to change; secretly Holden wants to escape from being ‘Phoney Holden
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    English, Analytical Essay, Catcher in the Rye and Huckleberry Finn
    • 1507 Words
    • 7 Pages

    English, Analytical Essay, Catcher in the Rye and Huckleberry Finn

    The novels ‘The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn’ and ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ are both set in times where the expectations of society differed from the ones of today. Huckleberry Finn is set in the late 1800s, pre USA civil war and in a time where slavery was an accepted occurrence and the escape of a slave was seen as legally and morally wrong. This was also a time in which church attendance and education were seen as tokens of respectability. A young boy, the eponymous character, Huck, seeks to reject all that he regards as oppressive and cruel in order to establish an alternative life as a wanderer, far from adult control. ‘The Catcher in the Rye’, on the other hand, was set in the late 1940s, a time when teenagers were just beginning to gain their own lives and being allowed more freedom than ever before. The picaresque novel gives the reader an insight into middleclass life in New York in the 50s and how one boy felt trapped by the expectations of his parents and school. His period of comparative freedom leads to unexpected consequences as he falls victim to depression and eventual supervision in an institution, putting paid forever to his dreams of freedom. Both novels present the themes of freedom and escape and the selected extracts portray incidents in the characters’ lives which focus on this theme.…

    • 1507 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Catcher in the Rye (Coming of Age)
    • 352 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Catcher in the Rye (Coming of Age)

    I chose “The Catcher in the Rye” authored by Jerome Salinger because I feel it represents coming-of-age thoroughly although with a twist. Holden Caulfield, the main character, experiences the same feelings and maturing and transitioning perception of society that, mostly, any 16-year-old would. It focuses around Holden’s insight of adolescence and the way he apprehends people’s behaviour and judgements. Published and based in the 50s, the moralities have not changed much.…

    • 352 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn Journey To Freedom Analysis
    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Huckleberry Finn Journey To Freedom Analysis

    The journey to freedom theme is demonstrated throughout Adventures Of Huckelberry Finn by Mark Twain. Especially by the main characters Jim, who was escaping slavery and Huck, who was escaping his abusive alcoholic father. In the novel Huck and Jim travel down the Mississippi to escape slavery, and an abusive drunken father. In the novel Huck and Jim travel down the Mississippi to be free from slavery, and an abusive drunken father. They encounter many problems along the journey and Huck and Jim have to use their wits to get out of it. Huck has to tell a lot of lies along the way to get throught the journey but Huck and jim form a very strong bond and huck learns a lot on their “Journey To Freedom”…

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Adventure Of Huckleberry Finn Literary Analysis
    • 1160 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Adventure Of Huckleberry Finn Literary Analysis

    Mark Twain’s The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn is an American masterpiece. Contrary to The Algerine Captive Mark Twain‘s satire and irony is emphasized through the style and the use of the American “vernacular” dialect for the first time as well as the use of the African-American dialect. Therefore Huckleberry Finn remains the work that elevates this onetime rustic humorist into the ranks of literary genius. It is considered by Satirist Dick Gregory once said that Twain “was so far ahead of his time that he shouldn’t even be talked about on the same day as other people Huckleberry Finn is considered as the first American Novel and aimed at forging an American identity independent from the European one. The Novel, hence, satirize the paradoxical issues of slavery and the hypocrisy of the society as well as the deep intuitions of America.…

    • 1160 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Huck Finn Essay
    • 641 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Huck Finn Essay

    uneducated slave, to realizing that Jim is an amazing friend. Huck was born and raised in a…

    • 641 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn Hero's Journey
    • 841 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Huckleberry Finn Hero's Journey

    The dictionary says that a hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. This definition couldn’t possibly describe Fredrick Douglas, Jim, and Huckleberry Finn any better. While of course, these three are certainly not the first that come to mind when thinking of heroes, they all completely fit the bill. Douglas is a hero because of his journey out of slavery and because of his moral development, and how his story affected nations. While Huck and Jim go through a similar journey by escaping from the slavery of society, and through their moral developments, they started difficult, but important, conversations about race and prejudice at the time. However, as they compare, they are all…

    • 841 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn Satire Essay
    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Huckleberry Finn Satire Essay

    Mark Twain’s novel, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” is considered to be one of the greatest works of American history. His use of humorous satire is unparalleled in modern writing. The meanings of his book are hidden deep within the pages, causing some to question its satirical nature. Written years after the civil war ended slavery, the book takes place in the pre-civil war south; a place ridden with slavery and racism. He uses satire to attack the racism that still thrived even after the death of slavery, the hypocrisy of the religious southerners, and superstition in a lighter more humorous sense. Mark Twain’s satire is one that needs to be looked at in a deeper sense than as pure humor.…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn Satire Essay
    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Huckleberry Finn Satire Essay

    It is obvious that Mark Twain intended for readers of Huckleberry Finn to discover the hidden messages, meanings, and lessons within the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. At the beginning of the novel, Twain states that “Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot” to cause the curious reader to search for such things. Most of these secret messages are written through satire, allowing Twain to point out and ridicule societal ills at the time. Racist, ignorant, and cruel thoughts or individuals are…

    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    Huckleberry Finn Persuasive Essay
    • 3368 Words
    • 14 Pages

    Huckleberry Finn Persuasive Essay

    The afterlife, in unanimity with the underworld, includes a plethora of mythological characters and symbols in the form of the river Styx, Cerberus, Charon, and Hades itself. The journey into the underworld is instigated with a person 's death and preparation for passage into hell, as he needs to realize certain requirements. Greek mythology suggests the feral River Styx, "across which the dead were ferried," as the dangerous river leading into the underworld (Webmaster). On the river souls drift along until they meet the requirements, gaining admittance from Charon and Cerberus. The…

    • 3368 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn Persuasive Essay
    • 1424 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Huckleberry Finn Persuasive Essay

    I find the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn very difficult to read. I often find myself re-reading the paragraph just to understand what it means after not getting it the first time. Some of the more difficult aspects for me to understand in the book are based on the way they speak and the dialect they use. I do understand that most of the people in the book were uneducated and just basically spoke different than we do now. For example "Yo' Ole Father doan ' know yit what hes a-gwyne to do" is what Jim had said to Huck and I found that very hard to comprehend. If it wasn’t for the great context clues, then I wouldn’t be able to understand one thing that’s going on when they speak. I do understand that Jim is uneducated and that’s how someone like him would speak. But I just think that it is taken a little too far and feel that Mark Twain…

    • 1424 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Huckleberry Finn Synthesis Essay
    • 1634 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Huckleberry Finn Synthesis Essay

    Morality is what sets humans apart from the animal kingdom. We act on our beliefs, instead of our instincts, which perhaps makes us the flawed species. As humans, we all develop our own set of morals of which we use to make decisions in our day to day life. We use this moral compass to differentiate between right and wrong, but what we see as the right thing to do is not necessarily our own opinion, but societies. Adventures of Huckleberry finn by Mark Twain demonstrates that morality and society are one and the same. Huck has the opinions and morals of society constantly thrown in his face, and instead of giving into those values, he creates his own. Huck was raised without a mother, who provides an essential role in determining a child 's morals and beliefs. Huck’s motherless upbringing allowed him to develop morals of his own based on experience, not on hand-me-down morality. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn also shows us how stereotypes created by society influence the way we act towards others. Religion is definitely the largest component to determining one 's morality. Religion literally lays out societies laws and values, and how can one argue with something when they believe their afterlife depends on it. These were not only issues that came up in our past, but in our present and most definitely our future. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn will always be relevant to society as long as humans walk the earth. By nature, humans desire to fit in with society and fear rejection. Huck teaches us that society isn 't always right, it is our individual opinions that should determine our actions, not what the general population believes. If there weren 't people to voice their opinions about the treatment of african americans, then we would still have slave to this very day. Also, if these lessons are not continually taught to future generations, history may one day repeat itself.…

    • 1634 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Huck Finn Essay
    • 1613 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Huck Finn Essay

    “Change means movement. Movement means friction. Only in the frictionless vacuum of a nonexistent abstract world can movement or change occur without that abrasive friction of conflict” (Saul Alinsky). In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Twain explores many different conflicts. He captures man versus self, man versus man, and man versus society. Huck, the main character, experiences each type of conflict first-hand. These conflicts cause Huck to change throughout the story as Twain illustrates his dynamic character.…

    • 1613 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Loneliness In Catcher In The Rye
    • 892 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Loneliness In Catcher In The Rye

    “You could tell they didn't want me around”, Holden constantly displays his lack of self-confidence through bringing himself down in J.D Salinger’s the Catcher in the Rye, which follows seventeen year old, angsty teen, Holden Caulfield as he tells the in depth story of a trip to New York after flunking out of Pencey School. Holden’s loneliness and isolation highlights his inability to recognize his traumatizing past and lack of closure due to his brother’s recent death, establishing his depression and furthering his apathetic attitude towards school, aspirations, and his future entirely.…

    • 892 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Development of Theme
    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Development of Theme

    In Wuthering Heights, Bronte starts descring her setting by saying,”usually a large mansion or remote castle which is dark and foreboding: usually isolated from neighbors” (Bonte). It is obvious that the the dark and isolated environment described at the beginning of the novel foreshadows the gloomy atmosphere found in the rest of the book. Many authors set the tone, setting, or theme by using the first chapter or first few chapters. In The Catcher in the Rye, the opening character that Salinger creates sets thethemes of the story. The beginning of the book sets the story by revealing three major themes; like the loss of innocence, being isolated from society, and the struggles of becoming an adult.…

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Isolation In Catcher In The Rye
    • 119 Words
    • 1 Page

    Isolation In Catcher In The Rye

    In J D Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, the story is told from a cantankerous adolescent boy named Holden Caulfield. At this point, he is looking for something, but is still unaware of what it is. He feels somewhat alienated, looking in. He immensely feels his constant state isolation and, although he does reveal a sort of self-awareness, his uncertainty about his place--or anyone else’s--in the world, is intensified by his critically pretentious assessments of not only the people in his life but also himself. The dilemma of being expelled from prep school is what sets the foundation for the story where he faces two options of either returning home to his parents or starting afresh on his own.…

    • 119 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics