The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn: Essential Themes And Messages

The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, consists of many messages and themes that can be interpreted by the readers. One theme that this novel continues to demonstrate throughout the story is the one of freedom, more specifically the freedom of the protagonist Huck Finn. This gives a short explanation in depth of why Huck ran away, “Huck is running from a civilization that attempts to control him, rather than running in pursuit of something tangible. He is representative of the American frontiersman who chooses the unknown over the tyranny of society” (9, Pearl, James). Mark Twain uses the struggles that Huckleberry Finn faces throughout his drought adventure to help the audience capture this message and comprehend the true meaning of fighting for freedom. He also uses the character, Jim, to elaborate on this and to demonstrate the importance of a father figure. Throughout this chapter in his life, Huckleberry was faced with constant obstacles threatening his survival. In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, the main character Huckleberry Finn is in a constant fight for his freedom; this is demonstrated through his adventures, Jim and his survival.

Huckleberry soon realizes living with Mrs. Watson, who had adopted him was not the way he wanted to live his life. Huck wanted to get away from his dad, who was the town drunk, and from his family the Watsons and he concluded that the only way that was going to happen was if he ran away. For example, Huck didn't like his dad, which was a big part of why he wanted to run away, “Pap he hadn’t been seen for more than a year, and that was comfortable for me; I didn’t want to see him no more. He used to always whale me when he was sober and could get his hands on me; though I used to take to the woods most of the time when he was around” (20, Twain). Little did Huck know running away started a long adventure fighting for his freedom. Though it was tough for Huck, he had many outdoor skills such as being able to hunt, fish and start fires that helped him survive along his journey. Being homeless most of his life gave him the confidence to run away and survive on his own. Setting off downstream in a little raft settling comfortably on Jackson's island. Thinking of where to go, he meets a man named Jim who was also on the island trying to do the same thing as Huck, get away from his past life. They were helping each other in their quests for freedom and this is when Huck realized that, “It hadn’t ever come to me before, what this thing was I was doing. But now it did; and it staid with me, and scorched me more and more. I tried to make out to myself that I warn’t to blame, because I didn’t run Jim off from his rightful owner; but it warn’s no use, conscience up and says, every time, “But you knowed he was running for his freedom, and you could a paddled ashore and told somebody” (100, Twain) Jim was one of Mrs. Watson's slaves who also wanted to live freely. The long journey began and after getting to know each other, hucks goal was to get Jim to a free state in Illinois. Not knowing what he would do just being a young boy Huck embarked on this trip. The long adventure wasn't as peaceful as he expected. They were forced to overcome several obstacles, such as splitting up and running away from people who tried to turn them in and more. No matter what hit them they constantly pushed through and fought for their freedom. For example, one of the major obstacles for the two is when a steamboat coming up the river runs over their raft. This is the point in their adventure the two get separated. Huck then gets adopted by another family, after a few days of living with them he finds an opening to escape and takes it. Huck is reunited with Jim who has been hiding in the woods. After their long adventure, they find out that Mrs. Watson died and that in her will it was stated that Jim could now become a free man. To conclude, after a long, almost pointless adventure for Jim, he achieves his final goal of freedom by chance of leaving Huck to continue up the Mississippi river alone.

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Jim plays a very important role in the novel. Huck not having a family or a father figure in his life to look up to, Jim steps in Huck’s life and takes the role of being his dad. “The main point I wish to make in this paper is that Jim is not merely a noble cause or an ignoble foil, in either of which cases he would be more particularly important for the action episodes of the book than he in fact is; he is rather what one might call a moral catalyst, and thereby of central importance in the portrayal and illumination of the character of Huckleberry Finn”(21, Frances V Brownell). Huck only being fourteen, he doesn't have much guidance. After Hucks run away to Jackson's Island, Huck meets Jim. He then goes on to tell Huck his story and why he ran away asking Huck to keep it a secret. To keep this secret is a big deal because he knows Jim will be hunted and any white person who sees him will try and take him into custody. Furthermore, other white people will despise Huck for helping a runaway slave, Huck doesn't care about this too much because he's spent his whole life not living by the rules. Jim and Huck become really good friends, this is the point in the novel where Jim starts to be the dad figure. Jim plays the role of the father by providing for Huck's physical, emotional well being. Even though Huck is good at hunting, fishing he is only fourteen and wouldn't have been able to survive the adventure without Jim. He provides food and shelter for Huck, by constantly fishing and fixing meals for Huck. For example, Jim builds a little roof on the raft for Huck to get under when the weather is bad. Jim, also provides physical affection for the boy, by calling him nice names and hugging him when he's cold. Lastly, Jim provides a true friendship to Huck. Before Huck he's never any true friends, he's been on his own his whole life. To conclude, Huck would not have been able to do it on his own, being that young and having to feed and stay warm himself. Being able to share the adventure with Jim brought several positive memories to Huck, to feel accomplished and to never give up no matter what was thrown at him.

From the very beginning of the novel, Huck was in a constant fight for survival. He knew fighting for his freedom would lead to several moments where his life would be at risk. At the beginning of the novel, Jim predicts Huck's future in a way and says “Sometimes you gwyne to git hurt, en sometimes you gwyne to git sick; but every time you’s gwyne to git well agin” (27, Twain). This is a clever way the author tells the reader that Huck will be in a constant fight for his survival. Pap, Huck's dad comes back to town to get the authority of his child. Huck is then kidnapped by his dad and left in a wooden cabin that was locked for three days. Pap is so abusive that he nearly murders his child in the lodge, he was hallucinating from the alcohol. This episode powers Huck to understand that his dad is dangerous to his life and he should getaway. His arrangement to escape is very clever and creative. He makes a grisly scene with the blood of a pig he killed, crushed the entryway, left some of his hair on a hatchet, making the impression that he was slaughtered by burglars; his arrangement is a triumph. Throughout the novel, Huck was running away from all humans, the reason being he was wanted and also he was protecting a slave. These people constantly were trying to capture, adopt him and Jim. The few times they did get captured and were being held prisoners, they were able to escape with the help of their tenacity and grit. Not every escape went as planned, near the end of the novel, Jim was taken and was being held prisoner at a farm along the river. Huck not knowing what to do, he went to the nearest house for help, it turned out being the family of Tom Sawyer, Tom happened to be there. Tom and Huck have been friends on and off for a long time. After they helped Jim escape the owner of the farm who was also keeping Jim prisoner came running out and started shooting his shotgun. This is another example where Huck was fighting for his survival. Tom was running right beside Huck and was shot in the leg almost instantly which easily could have been Huck. Dodging bullets, they finally get to shelter. To conclude, Huck was constantly fighting for his survival throughout the novel with the help of Jim they survived. Huck has a long journey ahead of him, fighting for his survival is going to be an everyday thing for Huck.

In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain, the protagonist Huckleberry Finn is in a constant fight for his freedom; this is determined by his adventures, Jim and his survival. Finally, it may be concluded that because of the previous reasons Mark Twain successfully demonstrated that Huckleberry Finn was in a constant fight for his freedom. His never-ending adventure with Jim leads to several life-threatening moments that helped him overcome his imprisoned childhood and made him one step closer to having the free life he's always dreamt of.