The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

How does Twain show huck's conflict between his societal upbringing and his relationship with Jim?

Analyze how Twain shows Huck's conflict between his societal upbringing and his relationship with Jim. Use two pieces of concrete evidence from the book, as well as a warrant to show reasoning and explain how the evidence supports the claim.

Asked by
Last updated by Aslan
Answers 1
Add Yours

Twain uses Jim, a main character and a slave, to demonstrate the humanity of slaves. Jim expresses the complicated human emotions and struggles with the path of his life. Twain attacks slavery through is portrayal of Jim, he never directly addresses the issue. Huck and Jim never debate slavery, and all the other slaves in the novel are very minor characters. Only in the final section of the novel does Twain develop the central conflict concerning slavery: should Huck free Jim and then be condemned to hell? This decision is life-altering for Huck, as it forces him to reject everything "civilization" has taught him. Huck chooses to free Jim, based on his personal experiences rather than social norms, thus choosing the morality of the "natural life" over that of civilization.

Source(s)

http://www.gradesaver.com/the-adventures-of-huckleberry-finn/study-guide/major-themes/